Won’t return Wednesday Anunoby went straight to the locker room and was grabbing at his left hamstring after a shot attempt late in the third period. He'll be unable to return to the contest, leaving minutes for the likes of Miles McBride, Alec Burks and Precious Achiuwa. Anunoby's status should be monitored closely leading up to Friday's Game 3 at Indiana.
Heads to locker room After being without Jalen Brunson for portions of the second half, the Knicks could be down Anunoby after he came up limping during the third quarter with what appears to be a left hamstring injury. Until we get an official update from the Knicks, Anunoby should be considered questionable to return. While he's out, Alec Burks, Miles McBride and Precious Achiuwa are the likely candidates for more minutes
Returns for second half Brunson tweaked his foot during the first half and took an early trip to the locker room, but he started the second half for New York. However, the injury is clearly hampering him, as he's sporting a bit of a limp and he doesn't appear to be able to guard the opposing ball handler. It'll be interesting to see how he finishes the game.
Has sore right foot Brunson went to the locker room late in the first and stayed there to start the second. The Knicks have given an update to his status, listing him as questionable to return with soreness in his right foot. Miles McBride should man the point guard spot for as long as Brunson is sidelined.
In locker room to start second Brunson exited the contest late in the first period and went back to the locker room with an undisclosed injury and didn't return to the bench to start the second quarter. Until clarification is provided, Brunson should be considered questionable to return. Miles McBride should handle most of the point guard duties, while Shake Milton could see his first action of the playoffs.
Cleared for Game 2 Haliburton has been battling back spasms throughout the playoffs, but he'll play through the issue once again Wednesday. However, it's the back spasms could impact his effectiveness considering he scored just six points in 36 minutes during Game 1 on Monday.
Suffers torn Achilles Antetokounmpo has a long road ahead of him, so there's a decent chance he won't be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season. He's also heading into free agency, and unfortunately, it's unlikely he'll receive many, if any, offers while recovering from one of the most devastating injuries in basketball.
Won’t play Thursday Wade has been out of commission for two months now, and with no positive updates to speak of, it's safe to assume he's still not close.
Won’t play in Game 2 Jerome has not logged a single minute this postseason as he continues to recover from ankle surgery, and there aren't any indications that that'll change anytime soon.
Listed as questionable again Despite a negative in-game report from TNT's broadcast saying Allen wasn't able to do much in recent practices and was having trouble sleeping due to the rib injury, coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the Game 1 loss that the Cavaliers' starting center is showing signs of progress, per Bobby Manning of CLNS. Allen has missed four straight games and was listed as questionable ahead of each contest, so his current status doesn't provide much optimism.
Ruled out for Game 2 Porter has yet to suit up for any of the Cavs playoff games thus far, but even if he were active, it's unlikely he'd touch the court. His next chance to wear a uniform will come Saturday.
Practices, probable for Game 2 Doncic continues to play through a right knee sprain but was far from his best in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, as he finished with 19 points (6-19 FG) and five turnovers. The MVP candidate is shooting just 39.5 percent during the postseason, but he remains productive and is averaging 28.3 points, 9.4 assists, 8.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 42.3 minutes per game.
Shines in Game 1 victory White embraced a bigger role on offense on a night where Jayson Tatum struggled (7-19 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), and he responded by delivering his third consecutive game with 25 or more points. White has taken a step forward with Kristaps Porzingis (calf) sidelined, and it'd be fair to consider him Boston's third-best offensive weapon under the current lineup construction. He'll aim to keep the streak alive in Game 2 on Thursday, as the Celtics have gone 20-3 this season when he's scored 20 or more points between the regular season and the playoffs.
Leads Boston in scoring Jayson Tatum had a rough shooting performance in the series opener, but Brown was there to pick him up, and the latter led the Celtics in scoring with an impressive, efficient display on the offensive end of the court. Brown has scored 20 or more points in four of his last five playoff appearances, and he'll aim to keep that streak alive in Game 2 on Thursday.
Rough shooting effort Tuesday The Celtics cruised to a 25-point win in the series opener, but Tatum's shooting struggles can't be overlooked, as he had a rough outing and struggled to get things going offensively. The fact that he still came close to reaching the 20-point mark while also posting a double-double goes to show just how immensely talented he is, as he can post above-average numbers even when he has a down night by his standards. Tatum will aim to deliver a bounce-back performance in Game 2 on Thursday.
Poor shooting display Tuesday Garland is in line for a rough matchup in this series, as he'll have to deal with two excellent defenders in Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, so his Game 1 display is not entirely surprising. He didn't have his best performances in the first-round series against the Magic either, and he's averaging just 14.8 points and 5.4 assists per game through eight playoff appearances. In fact, Garland has failed to surpass the 15-point mark in six of his eight playoff outings, a clear downgrade after averaging 18.0 points per contest during the regular season.
Puts up 33 points in Game 1 loss Mitchell carried the momentum he had from his epic Game 7 performance against the Magic on Sunday and surpassed the 30-point mark once again. However, the rest of his teammates didn't step up, and the Cavaliers suffered a devastating 25-point loss in the series opener. Mitchell should continue to post excellent numbers as the Cavaliers' go-to player on offense -- by a wide margin -- but there's a chance his mighty performances might not translate into wins as it happened against the Magic in the previous round.
Double-doubles in Game 1 loss Mobley continues to play as Cleveland's starting center with Jarrett Allen (ribs) sidelined, but his numbers have not suffered a downgrade. Mobley recorded his third double-double across his last four appearances Tuesday, and he should continue to operate as a reliable two-way threat in Game 2 on Thursday, especially if Allen is unable to suit up once again.
