NBA Player News

Robinson injured his ankle, which was operated on in December, during the first of Thursday’s Game 3 loss to the 76ers. While missing practice is not a good sign regarding his availability for Sunday’s Game 4, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said, “We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow” when asked about Robinson’s status. If he cannot play, look for Precious Achiuwa to move into the rotation as Isaiah Hartenstein’s backup.

Porter has not played in a game since injuring his ankle during the Cavaliers’ regular-season finale. His absence has not impacted the rotation, but Cleveland is in an unenviable position ahead of what could be the final game of their season. Starter Donovan Mitchell (calf) and critical reserve Caris LeVert (knee) are questionable for Game 5, with the latter starting Game 4 for the former. If both are sidelined, Porter would be needed if he is available.

Starting for the injured Donovan Mitchell (calf), LeVert was seen limping during Monday’s Game 4 defeat. He suffered a knee injury that could sideline him for Wednesday’s elimination game. Max Strus and Sam Merrill are of added importance, and starting point guard Darius Garland will have to take on a heavy offensive workload if LeVert and Mitchell cannot play.

Trailing the Celtics by three games to one, getting their best player back would help the Cavaliers immensely. Mitchell did not play in Monday’s Game 4 defeat, with Caris LeVert replacing him in the starting lineup. However, with LeVert (knee) also questionable, the Cavaliers could be without two of its top scorers for Game 5. Max Strus and Sam Merrill also became more important contributors with Mitchell sidelined on Monday.

Injured during Cleveland’s first-round series against Orlando, Allen has missed the team’s last seven games with a rib contusion. His absence has shifted Evan Mobley into the starting center position, with Isaac Okoro filling the void in the starting lineup. Expect that to be the case if Allen cannot play in Game 5, with Dean Wade also experiencing an increase in playing time.

Conley is fresh off his best scoring performance of the series and totaled 15 points with nine assists in Game 4. Nickeil Alexander-Walker will be in line for a bump in minutes if Conley is ruled out.

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 covered 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.