NBA Player News

Vučević will be sidelined for this game, as expected. The Celtics already clinched the No. 2 seed in the East, so he’ll get some extra rest before the playoffs. Amari Williams should play a significant role down low.

Jones got the start for the injured Aaron Gordon (calf) but didn’t make much of an impact. In his 28 minutes, he made his only two three-point shots but was otherwise mostly unproductive in terms of his counting stats. If Gordon misses Game 4, there’s a chance Jones could start again.

Murray had by far his worst game of the series on Thursday. He struggled with the length of Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels throughout the contest and failed to generate many clean looks. Murray didn’t convert any of his three-point attempts in Game 3, and in addition to his scoring struggles, produced only four assists. Denver’s offense couldn’t figure out Minnesota’s defense in Game 3, and it’ll need to be much better on Saturday.

Jokić missed 19 shots on Thursday and made more free throws than field goals. His struggles contributed to Denver’s offensive inefficiency as a group. Still, he was the team’s leading scorer by a wide margin, and his three assists told the story of how unimpactful his supporting cast was on offense. Jokić has shot 40.0 percent or worse in the two losses in this opening-round series; he’ll likely need to turn things around offensively for Denver to avoid dropping a third straight game on Saturday.

Partially due to foul trouble and potentially due to the bothersome knee, Edwards logged only 24 minutes in the Game 4 victory. He struggled with his shot throughout the contest and didn’t make any major contributions in other statistical categories. Still, he was a plus-11 in his time on the floor and, at the very least, his presence was felt. He’ll have a day in between games to treat his knee before taking the floor again in an important Game 4 on Saturday.

McDaniels’ two stocks don’t quite tell the story of his impact defensively in Thursday’s win. He hounded Denver’s Jamal Murray throughout the game and forced the championship-winning point guard to log one of his worst performances of the postseason. And on the other end, McDaniels shot the basketball extremely well and had a couple of electrifying buckets down the stretch before finishing as one of Minnesota’s top scorers. Surely, he’ll play a big role on Saturday in Game 4.

Dosunmu was stellar on Thursday. On the heels of a 9/4/5 line in Game 2, the reserve wing was Minnesota’s top scorer in Game 3, doing all of his work inside the three-point line. His biggest impact as a scorer came in the middle two quarters, when he tallied 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting. And he also finished Thursday’s contest just one assist shy of a double-double. Dosunmu was fantastic down the stretch of the regular season for the Wolves, and he continues to come up big for the team since his arrival ahead of the trade deadline.

Despite struggling with his shooting, Mobley made some solid contributions in the loss. He was Cleveland’s best rebounder, led the team in assists, and tied a team-high in steals across his 33 minutes. He was one of several Cavaliers to have a tough time as a scorer, but he’ll have a chance to bounce back in Game 4.

Harden struggled throughout Game 3’s loss. He had little impact as a passer, shot inefficiently from the floor, and committed eight turnovers along the way. Even in the unspectacular showing, he finished as Cleveland’s leading scorer in his 33 minutes. Surely, he’ll look to dial up a better performance on Sunday.

Mitchell was held to his lowest scoring total of the series on Thursday. Poor shooting from beyond the arc was the main cause of his struggles, and his lack of free-throw attempts didn’t help either. If we’re looking for clear positives, Mitchell finished his two-point shots at a high rate and was decent on the glass. Otherwise, it was an unspectacular game for him. He’ll look to bounce back on Sunday.

Murray-Boyles tallied more points on Thursday than the rest of Toronto’s bench combined. He shot the ball with great efficiency inside the arc, leading to the third-highest scoring mark on the team. The rookie also dominated the offensive glass and showcased his high motor. Given his production in the win, he likely earned a chance to play a big role again in Game 4.