Scores 21 points in Game 4 victory Luka Doncic was the best player for the Mavericks in this Game 4 victory, but Irving posted a strong line as well. The veteran floor general reached the 20-point plateau for the second consecutive contest, and he'll need to be at his best if the Mavericks want to pull off the upset in Game 5 of the series Monday. Irving is averaging 21.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in the series.
Another double-double Lively has been coming off the bench, but he's made a substantial impact on both ends of the court. The rookie out of Duke owned the paint and was a massive factor in the rebounding battle that saw the Mavericks dominate the contest. Lively is the first rookie to record multiple double-doubles in the NBA Finals since Magic Johnson in 1980.
Scores 29 despite shooting woes Doncic had another rough showing from a shooting perspective, needing 26 shots to score 29 points and missing all eight of his three-point attempts, but he still led Dallas in scoring as the Mavericks kept themselves alive for at least one more game. Doncic has surpassed the 25-point mark in 11 consecutive games during the current playoff run and is expected to play a prominent role for the Mavericks in Game 5 of the series Monday, as he'll probably have to lead the team again if the Mavericks are to pull off an upset at TD Garden.
Scores 14 points in Game 4 loss The fact that Hauser was among the Celtics' scoring leaders in a potential title-clinching game of the NBA Finals tells you all you need to know about Boston's offense in this loss. Boston was atrocious on offense and couldn't get things going throughout the contest, but Hauser at least provided a spark with his three-point shooting. Hauser is not expected to play a prominent role for Boston offensively in the rest of the series.
Struggles from field Friday The Celtics suffered one of the worst losses in NBA Finals history. Brown had a rough showing on both ends of the court and struggled massively from the floor, ending with more field-goal attempts than points scored. Brown is among the Boston players who will look to bounce back quickly, with Game 5 -- and a potential title-clinching win in front of the Celtics' fans at TD Garden -- awaiting Monday.
Decent line in woeful team showing The Celtics had a dreadful showing on both ends of the court Friday, as they suffered one of the most lopsided defeats in the history of the NBA Finals. Tatum didn't have a good shooting performance, but his 15-point output aligned with the numbers he'd been posting during the last few games with the exception of his 31-point effort in Game 3. Tatum and the rest of the Celtics will look to bounce back to close out the series Monday at home.
Available to play After missing Game 3 with a left posterior tibialis dislocation, Porzingis was able to warm up without any setbacks and will play through his questionable tag Friday evening. However, coach Joe Mazulla admitted that Porzingis isn't close to 100 percent, and that the Celtics will use him sparingly and if necessary.
Set to play Friday Doncic has been upgraded from probable to available Friday despite dealing with a thoracic contusion. The superstar guard is averaging 29.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.3 steals in 39.3 minutes across the first three games of the NBA Finals.
Warming up Friday Porzingis is still officially listed as questionable Friday after missing Game 3 with a left posterior tibialis dislocation. While an official determination of Porzingis' status will likely be made closer to tipoff at 8:30 ET, he seems to be moving well, which bodes well for his availability moving forward in the series.
