NBA Player News

Wade (knee) finished Saturday's 106-93 loss to Boston in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal round with five points (2-6 FG, 1-4 3Pt), three rebounds, three assists and one block in 17 minutes.

Suiting up for the first time since March 8 after needing two months to heal up from a sprained knee, Wade captured a rotation spot and helped provide the Cavaliers with some much-needed depth in the frontcourt. Though he acquitted himself well during his time on the court, Wade is unlikely to see his role grow substantially as the series rolls along, especially once center Jarrett Allen (ribs) is back in action.

Strus totaled six points (2-8 FG, 2-6 3Pt), five rebounds and two assists over 37 minutes during Saturday's 106-93 loss to the Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Strus continues to deliver nothing but mediocrity, scoring fewer than 15 points for the eighth time in the past nine games, all during the playoffs. If the Cavaliers have any chance of beating the Celtics, they are going to need Strus to rediscover his form from earlier in the season. Based on what we have seen during the postseason, that might be wishful thinking.

Merrill notched zero points (0-1 FG) across 11 minutes during Saturday's 106-93 loss to the Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Merrill missed his only shot attempt, failing to have an impact once again. Although he did have a couple of bright spots throughout the season, Merrill has been a non-factor in the playoffs.

Brissett closed Saturday's 106-93 victory over the Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals with no counting stats in one minute.

Brissett played one minute of garbage time as the Celtics held on for a relatively comfortable victory Saturday. Barring another sizeable margin, Brissett is unlikely to leave the bench on most nights, especially as we get deeper into the playoffs.

Hauser produced six points (2-3 FG, 2-3 3Pt) in 10 minutes during Saturday's 106-93 win over the Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Hauser connected on a pair of three-pointers, the highlight of what was another passive performance. Boston is generally running with a shallow rotation, with Payton Pritchard the only depth piece playing meaningful minutes. Having wrestled back home court advantage, Boston will be pushing for a 3-1 series lead when the two teams line up again Monday.

Holiday logged 18 points (7-10 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, five assists and one block in 38 minutes during Saturday's 106-93 win over the Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Holiday was aggressive from the get-go, looking to score from the opening tip. Although he ended with just 18 points, the bulk of those came in the first half, keeping the Celtics on the front foot. Now leading 2-1 in the series, Boston will look to repeat this performance Monday before heading home for Game 5.

Holmgren finished Saturday's 105-101 loss to Dallas in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals with 13 points (5-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-5 FT), eight rebounds, three assists, four blocks and one steal in 35 minutes.

Holmgren has struggled a bit against Dallas' defensive front through three games after averaging 15.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots over four games against the Pelicans. The Mavericks have been able to stay fresh in the paint with Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively platooning at the five, and Jaylin Williams hasn't offered the same kind of secondary support. Holmgren has also failed to keep Luka Doncic off the glass, and he'll need to improve in several areas to keep the Thunder in the series.

Williams totaled 16 points (7-12 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, eight assists and one block across 38 minutes during Saturday's 105-101 loss to Dallas in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Although Williams headed to the locker room with an apparent ankle injury, he eventually returned to the court and finished as the team's second-highest scorer. Williams has been an invaluable piece of the Thunder's game plan on both sides of the ball, and his DFS salary has steadily risen throughout the playoffs. Josh Giddey's inconsistent play has forced Williams to produce with more frequency, and although Luguentz Dort has shown signs of life in the postseason, his defensive prowess doesn't always translate to favorable fantasy totals. Along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, Williams will likely continue to be one of the team's best fantasy assets.

Gilgeous-Alexander supplied 31 points (10-23 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists, five blocks and one steal across 42 minutes during Saturday's 105-101 loss to Dallas in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Gilgeous-Alexander continued his run of stellar production in the Game 3 loss. The All-Star averaged a stunning 28.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists over six playoff games heading into Saturday's contest, making him one of the league's most prolific postseason contributors. His most noticeable stat of the evening was a career-high five blocked shots. Prior to Saturday, the guard had recorded four swats three times in his pro career.

Washington contributed 27 points (11-23 FG, 5-12 3Pt), six rebounds and two assists in 40 minutes during Saturday's 105-101 win over the Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Washington enjoyed another splendid shooting night beyond the arc after draining seven shots from downtown in Game 2. The 23 shot attempts matched a season high for Washington, who is averaging 13.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.3 assists and 1.0 blocks in the playoffs. He's also converting 52.9 percent of his shots during the postseason.