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Haliburton recorded a full stat line in his playoff debut, but his offensive impact was limited. He attempted seven shots, six fewer than backup point guard T.J. McConnell, who finished with 10 points, two rebounds, and one assist. Part of that was by design, as the Bucks aggressively denied Haliburton opportunities to operate in the open floor. Indiana needs to ramp up the pace in Game 2 on Tuesday because that changes everything regarding the quality of shots the team gets, from Haliburton on down.

Kyrie has been able to put together some spectacular second halves after not doing much in the first half throughout this postseason. However, that wasn’t the case in this game. After entering halftime with four points and seven assists, he didn’t add much after the break. Dallas can’t survive with both Luka Doncic and Irving struggling, which was the case in this game. OKC regained homecourt advantage in this game, which means that Dallas will have to win another game on the road to win this series. Kyrie will look to bounce back in Game 5 on Wednesday to help make that happen.

As Doncic continues to play through multiple lower body injuries, his numbers have understandably suffered. Outside of Game 2, his shooting in this series has been way below average. He shot poorly in the first round as well, but it was overed up by gaudy numbers and wins. Injuries aren’t an excuse in the playoffs, and Dallas simply needs more out of their superstar if they want to win another game in OKC. The good news is that it doesn’t get much worse than 6-of-20 shooting and seven turnovers. He’ll look to bounce back in Game 5 on Wednesday.

OKC continues to prioritize limiting Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, which was a strategy that worked in this game, with the duo combining to shoot 10-of-31 from the floor. That has resulted in more opportunities for Washington, who has been the leading scorer for Dallas for three straight games now. He has averaged 5.7 triples per game during this stretch and has still made an impact on the defensive end. Washington will continue to play a pivotal role, but they’ll need more from Luka and Kyrie if they want to win this series.

Giddey played well over the final three games of their first round sweep of the Pelicans, but he hasn’t been able to replicate that success against Dallas. He has been a liability on both ends of the floor, which has resulted in him playing just 13.3 minutes per game through the first four games. Mark Daigneault hasn’t moved him to a reserve role yet, but he has basically been splitting minutes with Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace. Joe ended up starting the second half in place of Giddey in this one. Don’t expect Daigneault to make a starting lineup change now, but all four players should continue to see minutes in the low teens, with the hot hand seeing a larger role.

JDub didn’t have an efficient shooting night, but he still found ways to be effective and impact the game. His four steals were the most that he has had in a playoff game, and he had a pair of clutch buckets with less than two minutes left in the game to give them a late five-point lead. JDub was better offensively against New Orleans than he has been against Dallas, but with this series tied up, he’ll get a fresh start in a new best-of-3 series that will start with Game 5 on Wednesday.

This was an important game for the Thunder to win to be able to reclaim homecourt advantage and avoid a 3-1 hole in the series. With the pressure at its highest, OKC’s superstar rose to the occasion. He has been spectacular all series, and he once again put the team on his back. From the six minute mark to the four minute mark in the fourth quarter, SGA singlehandedly went on an 8-2 run to tie the game, and he had three assists after that to help seal the win. They’ll head back home for Game 5 on Wednesday as they look to take a 3-2 lead.

Cleveland had to play this game without Donovan Mitchell, who was sidelined with a calf injury. That meant that Garland was going to be asked to do a lot more, and he rose to the occasion. It wasn’t enough for them to get the win, but he had by far his best game of this postseason. If Mitchell remains sidelined for Game 5 on Wednesday, Garland will once again have to orchestrate Cleveland’s offense like he did in this game. This has been a disappointing playoff run for Garland, but this was an encouraging performance that showed that he can still shine when he needs to.

Donovan Mitchell has been the star for Cleveland throughout this postseason, but he was sidelined for this game with a calf strain that started bothering him in Game 3. LeVert slid into the starting unit in his place, and he turned in a third straight solid performance. He struggled in Game 1, but he has averaged 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists over their last three games. If Mitchell remains sidelined for Game 5 in Boston on Wednesday, LeVert should remain in the starting unit as Cleveland looks to keep their season alive.

Strus got off to a hot start in this game and entered the break with 15 points on five triples as they trailed by just five points. However, things were much different in the second half. He missed all five of his shot attempts but added six rebounds and six assists before fouling out late in the fourth. It was a strange half for Strus, since most of his production usually comes from beyond the arc, as he showcased in the first half. If Donovan Mitchell remains out for Game 5 on Wednesday, Strus will be asked to step up offensively once again.

Aside from a “subpar” performance in their Game 2 loss, Brown has been fantastic this series. He has now scored at least 25 points in five games this postseason, three of which have been in this series. The Jays have been unstoppable, and there’s no reason to think that they won’t stay hot in Game 5 with the series shifting back to Boston. Securing this win will give them a chance to close out the series at home on Wednesday and make a return to the conference finals for the third straight year and the fourth time in the last five years. The difference this time is that the Heat won’t be their opponent.