Doesn’t practice Thursday Allen missed Tuesday's Game 5 against the Magic due to a right rib contusion. While Allen's absence from practice is a bad sign of his availability for Game 6 on Friday, fantasy managers should look out for an official injury report.
Deemed game-time call for Game 6 Harris suffered a right hamstring strain during Tuesday's Game 5 against Cleveland, but he participated in the walkthrough portion of Thursday's practice. However, the Magic will still wait to see how he feels in the hours leading up to Friday's tipoff before determining his availability. If he's unable to suit up, Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony and Anthony Black could see increased run.
Could return Thursday Both Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard (Achilles) are attempting to return to action as the Bucks try to keep their season alive Thursday. However, while Lillard has been upgraded to questionable, Antetokounmpo remains doubtful for now. Antetokounmpo's potential return would give the Bucks a significant boost on the road in Game 6, but it's also possible he'd face some limitations after missing the last eight matchups.
Upgraded to questionable Lillard was initially deemed doubtful for a third consecutive matchup, but he's trending in the right direction ahead of Thursday's tipoff. If he's able to return to action, it'd provide a significant boost for the Bucks, who are attempting to keep their season alive by forcing a Game 7. If Lillard is unable to suit up, Malik Beasley will likely remain in the starting lineup, while Khris Middleton would likely be a centerpiece for Milwaukee.
Likely to miss second-round series Porzingis sustained a calf injury in Game 4 of Boston's first-round series and was unavailable for Wednesday's Game 5 as the Celtics took down the Heat to advance to the second round. He's been diagnosed with a right soleus strain and was expected to miss several games, and it appears likely that his absence will span the entirety of the second round. However, the Celtics hope that Porzingis will be able to return if the team advances to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the 28-year-old will rest and rehab in the coming days.
Efficient in Game 5 win White co-led the Celtics in scoring on Wednesday alongside Jaylen Brown, and he enjoyed playing a more prominent role on offense with Kristaps Porzingis (calf) sidelined and with Jayson Tatum taking a bit of a step back on the scoring side of things. White reached the 20-point mark in three of his five appearances in the series against the Heat, and he should remain an offensive menace in the Eastern Conference Semifinals regardless of whether the Celtics face the Magic or the Cavaliers.
Goes for 25 points in Game 5 win Brown was one of two Boston players who reached the 25-point mark Wednesday, with Derrick White being the other, but he didn't do much outside of scoring. Brown scored 20-plus points in three of the five outings in the series against the Heat, and he should continue to play a prominent role on offense in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, regardless of the opponent, especially if Kristaps Porzingis (calf) remains sidelined for a prolonged stretch.
Another double-double There's no doubt that Tatum is the undisputed go-to player on offense for the Celtics, and the star forward can take over a game if needed every time the team needs him to do so. He was active on both ends of the court in the series against the Heat, however, recording four double-doubles in five games while reaching the 20-point plateau four times as well. He averaged 21.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game against the Heat and will now aim to lead Boston in the Conference Semifinals, where the Celtics will take on either the Cavaliers or the Magic.
Decent output in playoff exit Jovic was forced to embrace a bigger role in the second half of the season and was a permanent fixture in the starting unit since mid-February. While he had some strong performances here and there, he lacked consistency on a game-to-game basis, and he was unable to become a reliable offensive alternative when the Heat needed him, especially in games where they were shorthanded. It remains to be seen if Jovic will remain a regular starter for the Heat next season. but it's worth noting he averaged 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game across 33 starts since the beginning of February, counting both the regular season and the playoffs.
Scores 23 points in playoff exit Adebayo had to shoulder a bigger load on offense due to the absences of Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck), and for the most part, the star big man delivered. He scored 20 or more points in each game of the series while posting two double-doubles. Adebayo averaged 19.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest between the Play-In Tournament and the series against the Celtics (seven games).
Ends season plagued by struggles Herro was forced to embrace a more prominent role on offense due to the absences of Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck) in the series against the Celtics. While the numbers were decent across the board, he struggled badly in terms of efficiency and shooting percentages. Over the five games of the series, Herro made just 38.5 percent of his shots from the field and 34.9 percent of his three-pointers. He averaged 16.8 points per game, but that was not enough to lift Miami to victory against the team with the best record in The Association.
Goes missing in Game 5 loss Harden was a non-factor in the loss, a far cry from what he has been able to deliver thus far in the series. Both he and Paul George decided to take the night off, much to the joy of Mavericks fans. They are now one loss away from elimination, a result that would leave the future of the current squad in some doubt. If they are to force a Game 7, Harden is going to need to rediscover his early-series form.
Pops for 11 points Wednesday Hyland popped for 11 points in seven minutes as the Clippers were soundly beaten by an impressive Dallas outfit. Now trailing 3-2 in the series, Los Angeles will need to turn things around in a hurry should they hope to extend it to a seventh game.
Rare appearance Wednesday Brown logged six minutes in the loss, a rare appearance and one that should not be happening at this time of the year. The Clippers were blown out by the Mavericks in front of their home fans, now on the brink of elimination.
Perfect from field Wednesday Lively was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, outplaying Daniel Gafford despite coming off the bench. The Mavericks have the luxury of being able to lean on both players equally, providing them flexibility when one is outplaying the other. Lively and Gafford will once again be front and center when the two teams line up again Friday.
Dominates in Game 5 victory Doncic was a man of his word, providing Kyrie Irving with more help on the offensive end, leading all scorers with 35 points. The victory puts Dallas within one win of victory, leaving the Clippers on the brink of another underwhelming playoff campaign. The series will shift back to Dallas where Doncic will be hoping to replicate this performance.
Lands five triples in win Kleber connected on five three-pointers, helping guide the Mavericks to a comfortable victory. After coming up short in front of their home fans, Dallas was able to make easy work of the Clippers in Los Angeles. The two teams will face off again Friday, where the Mavericks will look to atone for the Game 4 loss.
Able to return after stiches Wright was elbowed in the chin as Jaylen Brown went up for a shot and ended up going back to the locker room after the play. He'll have stitches put on the inside of his lower lip/chin then will return to the contest.Patty Mills and Duncan Robinson should see more minutes while he's absent.
Starting sans Porzingis Horford played 34 minutes in Game 4 with Kristaps Porzingis (calf) going down with an injury in the first half. With Porzingis sidelined Wednesday -- and likely longer -- Horford will step into the starting center role, where he's expected to remain until Porzingis returns.
Starting Game 5 Wright will enter the first unit in place of Jaime Jacquez (hip) for just his second start of the season. The guard has been a sizeable part of the rotation throughout the series, averaging 8.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists across 25.0 minutes per game and should see an even larger workload Wednesday.
