Leads from deep in balanced Game 4 Strus led all players in Monday's contest in threes made while ending as one of four Cavaliers in scoring and handing out a team-high-tying assist total along with a pair of steals. Strus, who also hauled in seven boards, posted a new playoff-high in threes made and notched his second game with 10 or more points in the series against the Celtics.
Leads offensively in Game 4 loss Garland led all Cavaliers in scoring while connecting on a quartet of threes, handing out a team-high-tying assist total and adding a pair of steals in a well-rounded Game 4 against the Celtics. Garland, playing with more weight on his shoulders to lead the short-handed Cavaliers offensively, posted his highest scoring total of the postseason thus far. He has recorded at least 14 points and four assists in all four games against Boston in the semifinals.
Nears 20 points in Game 4 start LeVert got the starting nod with the Cavaliers playing without Jarrett Allen (ribs) and Donovan Mitchell (calf), providing a lift offensively while ending one point shy of the 20-point mark in a losing effort. LeVert has been a key player coming off the bench for Cleveland this series, posting 15 or more points in three of the four games against Boston. If Mitchell is able to return for Game 5, look for LeVert to return to the second unit to be a spark off the bench. If Mitchell does miss Game 5, LeVert will be called upon again to step into the starting lineup.
Dominates from deep in Game 4 Holiday led all Celtics in Game 4 in threes made while ending as one of three players with 15 or more points to go along with a team-high-tying handful of assists and a team-best trio of steals in a winning effort. Holiday connected on at least four threes for the first time this postseason, now having tallied at least 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists in two straight contests for Boston.
Boosts offensively in Game 4 win Brown was a dominant pairing alongside Jayson Tatum, leading Boston offensively en route to helping the team take a 3-1 series advantage. Brown connected on a pair of threes while ending as one of two players with 25 or more points in the victory, also finishing two rebounds shy of a double-double. Brown has turned his game up a notch over the last two games against Cleveland, posting at least 25 points and eight boards in two straight outings.
Does it all in Game 4 victory Tatum did a little bit of everything to lead Boston to taking a commanding 3-1 series lead, pacing all players in Monday's contest in scoring and rebounds while shooting a perfect mark from the free-throw line and adding a handful of assists along with a pair of steals. Tatum has scored 25 or more points in three of his four games against Cleveland, turning things up a notch over the last two contests while posting at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five dimes in each game.
Cleared for Game 4 Doncic took a step in the right direction by participating in morning shootaround, and he's since been given the green light to suit up for Monday's matchup. The star point guard has been held in check by his standards through the first three games of the series, knocking down 42.1 percent of his tries from the field and 35.0 percent from downtown.
Will start sans Mitchell The Cavaliers, already playing without Jarrett Allen (ribs), also lost Donovan Mitchell (calf) for Game 4, so LeVert will get his first crack in the starting lineup during the postseason. Over the last two games against the Celtics, LeVert has averaged 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 51.7 percent from the field. Across 10 starts during the regular season, LeVert averaged 16.2 points, 7.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 34.3 minutes.
Remains out for Game 4 Allen will miss a seventh straight game due to a right rib contusion. Evan Mobley will continue to start at center, while Isaac Okoro slots in at power forward. Donovan Mitchell (calf) is also out, so Caris LeVert will join the first five for the first time during the postseason. Allen's next chance to suit up will come Wednesday in Boston.
Won’t play Monday Mitchell had been stellar over his last six postseason appearances, averaging 35.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 35.3 minutes. However, he suffered a strained left calf during Game 3 and will be sidelined for a critical matchup in Cleveland. With Mitchell out, Caris LeVert will likely slide into the starting lineup at shooting guard, while Isaac Okoro, Sam Merrill and Marcus Morris are also candidates for increased offensive roles.
Considered questionable Despite all the injuries, Haliburton has been spectacular over the last three games, averaging 29.7 points, 7.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 33.7 minutes. Despite sporting a major limp following Sunday's Game 4 win, the All-Star is likely more probable than questionable heading into Game 5, but his official availability will likely be a game-time decision.
Good to go for Game 5 As expected, Hartenstein will be good to go for Game 5 after suffering a minor shoulder injury during Sunday's Game 4 loss. In New York's two wins during the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Hartenstein has averaged 13.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists. However, in the two losses, the starting center totaled only 10 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
Will miss Game 5 Anunoby will miss a third straight game due to a left hamstring strain. After winning the first two matchups of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Knicks have lost back-to-back games without Anunoby. Precious Achiuwa should continue to start at power forward, while Anunoby's next chance to suit up will come Friday in Game 6. Over the weekend, Anunoby was able to get a pool workout in, but he hasn't resumed running yet.
Officially cleared to play Kornet was probable for Monday's matchup and will officially be able to suit up once again. Over the first three games of the series, he's averaged 3.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game.
Listed as questionable again After a tumultuous Game 2, Murray and the Nuggets rebounded for back-to-back wins in Minnesota to even the series. While the calf injury remains a storyline for the point guard, Murray hasn't looked bothered by the issue over the last two games, as he's averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in 38.5 minutes. Murray is likely more probable than questionable for Game 5, but his official availability will likely come down to a game-time decision.
Goes through shootaround Doncic is carrying a questionable tag into Monday's Game 4 against the Thunder, but there doesn't seem to be any real concern that he will sit out. In Saturday's Game 3 win, Doncic notched 22 points (7-17 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 7-10 FT), 15 rebounds, five assists and two steals across 40 minutes.
Strong outing not enough in Game 4 Edwards carried the Timberwolves on offense in Game 4, and at times, he did the heavy lifting all by himself. However, his impressive stat line was not enough to avoid a second consecutive loss at home. Edwards has scored 40 or more points in three of his last five playoff appearances, including twice in the current series, and he'll aim to keep that run going Tuesday in Game 5.
Hands out nine dimes in Game 4 loss Conley didn't have his best shooting performance, but the veteran point guard keeps finding ways to contribute even when his shot isn't falling. He's now scored in double digits in three of the four games of the series so far while dishing out at least six assists each time.
Struggles from field Sunday Towns might have ended with a double-double, and his overall stat line looked decent despite the loss. Still, his shooting woes are impossible to overlook, especially in a game where the Timberwolves needed him to provide a spark on offense. Towns needs to be better offensively for the Wolves, because otherwise, he forces players such as Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley to handle bigger roles on offense, and that's not a recipe for success. Towns is averaging 18.5 points per game while shooting 50.9 percent from the field in the series, and he needs to shake off this woeful showing in Game 5 on Tuesday.
Scores 19 points in Game 4 win Murray drained a half-court buzzer-beater to end the first half and finished just two assists shy of posting what would've been his first double-double of the series. The shooting woes remain for Murray, however, as he's hitting just 40 percent of his field goals so far in the four games against Minnesota, but he seems to be trending in the right direction after scoring 19 or more points in his last two contests.
Carries Denver to even series Aaron Gordon had an excellent showing and Jamal Murray made some clutch buckets throughout the game, but Jokic was the engine that kept the team going, and for the second game in a row, he came through whenever Denver needed him the most. Jokic is expected to lead the Nuggets as the series returns to Denver for a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday, and he's averaging 26.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game in the series.
Gets up some shots Allen has missed the past six games for Cleveland and is listed as questionable for Monday's Game 4 against Boston. He was doing a lot of stationary shooting according to the media, but it's a sign that he's trending in the right direction.
Makes history in Game 4 victory Even though Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray get most of the attention for carrying Denver back from an 0-2 deficit, Gordon's performance Sunday can't be overlooked. He became the first player in NBA history to put up at least 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists while shooting 90 percent or better from the field in a playoff game. He's averaging 17.3 points per game while shooting 71.8 percent from the field in the series, and he'll aim to keep the momentum going ahead of Game 5 on Tuesday.
Not present at shootaround Mitchell is listed as questionable for Game 4 against Boston with a strained left calf, but it would be a huge shock if he wasn't on the floor for this game. He was terrific in Saturday's Game 3, producing 33 points in 43 minutes of action while catching fire from beyond the arc.
