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McCollum may have produced solid value in the box score, but this wasn’t an efficient performance for him. He started 1-of-10 from the floor, and he accounted for six of the team’s 20 turnovers. New Orleans has needed more out of McCollum with Zion Williamson sidelined, but that hasn’t happened. They’ll host the Thunder in Game 4 on Monday, and McCollum will have to be much better than he was in this one if they want to avoid the sweep and keep their season alive.

Wade returned after over two months on the sidelines, and he made an instant impact. The numbers don’t leap off the page, but he provided floor-spacing and meaningful peripheral contributions in his first game back. Marcus Morris Sr. and Tristan Thompson logged just five minutes apiece, and Wade’s return should continue to cut into their playing time. Expect Wade’s playing time to gradually increase as he works his way back into game shape.

Holiday averaged 12.5 points per game in the regular season (fewest since his rookie campaign), and he scored in single figures in four of seven in the playoffs leading up to Saturday’s Game 3 victory. The 18 points are his most through eight games in this season’s playoffs, and though he hasn’t been much of a factor on offense, he’s been getting it done consistently as a defender and facilitator. The two-way stud will look to keep it up Monday as the Celtics face the Cavs in Game 4.

Brown finished behind only Jayson Tatum (33 points) for team lead in the scoring department, and the former is Boston’s leading scorer thus far into the playoffs with an average of 24.2. He dropped 32 in Game 1 and “fell off” a bit in Game 2 with 19 points on just 7-of-17 shooting, so it was nice to see a bounce-back effort in this one. He and Tatum have scored at least 25 points in a playoff game 14 times, trailing only Larry Bird and Kevin McHale (17 such games) for most in Celtics history.

Tatum came into this one averaging 21.7 points and 10.0 boards in this season’s playoffs, but he came through with new season highs in points and boards. Tatum wasn’t particularly efficient, but he led his team on offense and came away with his sixth double-double in his last eight games. Boston’s superstar forward averaged 26.0 points and 11.3 rebounds in three regular-season matchups with Cleveland, so Saturday’s strong performance shouldn’t be a big surprise. He’ll look to keep the positive momentum going in Game 4 on Monday.

Mitchell was Cleveland’s go-to option, and he led the team in scoring once again. Spida was an efficient 12-of-22 from the floor, including a blistering 7-of-12 from beyond the arc. It was an outstanding individual effort, but the rest of the team did next to nothing to help the superstar out. Isaac Okoro, Darius Garland and Max Strus combined for just 23 points on 9-of-30 shooting. Mitchell averaged nearly 29 points per game in his first-round series with Orlando, and he’s averaged 31.7 points through his first three games of the Eastern Conference semis. There’s no doubt Mitchell will show up to play for Monday’s Game 4, but his teammates will need to get going if the Cavs hope to even up the series with Boston.

Allen has missed five straight postseason games, and he’ll extend that streak of absences to six on Saturday. Evan Mobley should continue to start at center, and Isaac Okoro will presumably remain with the first unit until Allen returns.

Wade’s last appearance was on March 8, so it’s unclear how much playing time he’ll get following the extended layoff. At the very least, he’ll add some depth to Cleveland’s forward rotation. The Kansas State product averaged 5.4 points, 4.0 boards and 1.5 triples across 20.5 minutes in the 2023-24 regular season.

Holmgren blocked four shots in the first quarter of Game 3, which would be it for his production in that category. The rookie has been solid this series, but the advantage in athleticism that he experienced against New Orleans has not been there. And Oklahoma City having two non-shooters in its starting lineup doesn’t help matters concerning offensive spacing. We’ve seen adjustments to account for that in the last two games, with Josh Giddey’s playing time decreasing sharply, but the Thunder need more from Holmgren and the other non-SGA rotation players to win this series.

Williams injured his ankle during the second half of Saturday’s defeat but was back on the court after a brief spell in the locker room. His return was great news for the Thunder, who have failed to come up with an answer for Dallas’ PJ Washington in the last two games. Washington scoring is one thing, but Oklahoma City’s “supporting cast” has not done enough offensively to support Shai Gilgeous-Alexander properly. Williams’ 16 points were second-most on the team in Game 3, with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Joe scoring 13. They will all need to be better in Game 4 on Monday, as Dallas now leads the series two games to one.

Gilgeous-Alexander recorded another gaudy stat line, but his offensive production tailed off during the second half. It’s possible that getting poked in the eye during the third quarter had something to do with this, as SGA shot 1-of-6 from the field in the fourth. Gilgeous-Alexander still played 42 minutes on the day, so DFS players and bettors should not be too concerned regarding his potential availability for Game 4 on Monday. That said, the other Thunder starters need to up their offensive production, as none of the four scored more than 16 points in Game 3.