NBA Player News

Robinson’s season is likely done, since the earliest he could return would be Game 6 of the NBA Finals, based on this timeline. He only played 12 minutes in Game 1 of this series, with Isaiah Hartenstein logging the majority of the minutes at center. Precious Achiuwa may log a few minutes off the bench, but Hartenstein will continue to be the primary center option.

While he hasn’t figured prominently in the Mavericks’ rotation, Hardy’s minutes have increased in the Western Conference Finals. He’s played at least nine minutes in all four games, with Tuesday’s being his best. Hardy shot 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and reached double figures for the second time this postseason (Game 5 vs. LAC in the first round). Even with PJ Washington (10/5/2/0/1 with two 3-pointers in 42 minutes) struggling to knock down perimeter shots consistently, Hardy’s minutes are unlikely to increase in Game 5 on Thursday. He isn’t worth the risk in DFS tournaments.

With Dereck Lively II out with a sprained neck, it was evident that Gafford’s minutes would increase. The 31 minutes he played on Tuesday are the most for DG this postseason, and he was productive as a finisher, rebounder, and rim protector. Maxi Kleber played 13 of the remaining minutes, finishing with two points, one rebound, and one assist in his first game back from a separated shoulder. His minutes in Game 5 will be impacted by the status of Lively, who is trending toward being available to play on Thursday.

Throughout the postseason, Irving has made a habit of flipping the switch after halftime. He scored ten of his 16 points in the second half, but the overall inefficiency was an issue for Irving and the Mavericks. Tuesday’s loss drops his record in close-out games to 14-1, which is still remarkable. Kyrie and the Mavericks now have to head north for Game 5 on Thursday, where they’ll have another opportunity to seal their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011.

Doncic recorded his second triple-double of the series on Tuesday, but Game 4 was his least efficient outing. The All-NBA guard shot 33.3% from the field, his lowest percentage since Dallas’ Game 4 loss to Oklahoma City in the second round. Doncic is up to a league-high six triple-doubles this postseason, but he must produce a “cleaner” effort in Game 5 on Thursday. No team that has led a playoff series 3-0 has lost four straight, so history is in Dallas’ favor.

Conley continues to play through a strained soleus muscle in his calf, and he was solid on both ends of the floor in Game 4. The veteran point guard has shot 50% or better from the field in the last three games and was also responsible for four steals on Tuesday. By comparison, Conley had four steals in the first three games of this series. While Conley will likely show up on the injury report ahead of Game 5, DFS players should expect to see him on the court.

The Timberwolves aren’t done yet, as their best players performed well enough to avoid being swept. Gobert recorded his second double-double of the series, the first coming in Minnesota’s Game 2 loss at home. He also played a series-high 39 minutes for the Timberwolves, who did not have to deal with Mavericks backup center Dereck Lively II (neck sprain). Gobert and the Timberwolves avoided falling apart in crunch time, which was an issue in the first three games of the series. They’ll look to extend the series even further on Thursday night at home.

Towns still hasn’t shaken the penchant for committing silly fouls, but he was far more effective in Tuesday’s Game 4. Before fouling out with a little over one minute remaining, KAT was more aggressive offensively, refusing to settle for perimeter shots. Towns took seven shots from the field before attempting his first 3-pointer, and he shot 4-of-5 from deep on the night. With Towns scoring 20 of his 25 after halftime, this is the kind of performance Minnesota will need in Game 5 on Thursday if they’re to push the series to a sixth game.

With Minnesota’s season on the line, Edwards was more consistently aggressive than he was in the series’ first three games. While he was responsible for six of the Timberwolves’ 14 turnovers, the approach paid dividends. Edwards finished one assist shy of a triple-double, and the series will shift to Minneapolis for Game 5 on Thursday. Minnesota still faces incredibly long odds, as no NBA team has ever erased a 3-0 series deficit. But their season hasn’t ended yet.

As expected, Doncic is good to go with the Mavericks attempting to close out Minnesota. Unless the game gets out of hand in either direction, he should play at least 40 minutes in Game 4.

Kleber has been out since May 3, when he logged five minutes in the closeout Game 6 victory over the Clippers. His return is timely, as Dereck Lively II is out on Tuesday due to a neck injury sustained in Game 3.