NBA Player News

  • Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Quiet in Game 5 loss

    Lively chipped in two points (1-2 FG), four rebounds and one block across 24 minutes during Monday's 106-88 loss to Boston in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

    Lively struggled playing on the road in the NBA Finals, accumulating six points and 16 rebounds in three games. However, Lively posted a double-double in both games in Dallas. This more closely resembled the rest of his successful playoff run, during which he averaged 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 66.7 percent in 16 games. Overall, the 20-year-old had a successful rookie season and will look to increase his production in Year 2.

  • PJ Washington PF | DAL

    Mavericks' P.J. Washington: Struggles in Game 5 loss

    Washington ended Monday's 106-88 loss to Boston in Game 5 of the NBA Finals with four points (2-7 FG, 0-5 3Pt), six rebounds, three assists and two blocks across 34 minutes.

    Washington produced one of his worst games of the playoffs in Game 5. Overall, he was a key part of Dallas' starting five, averaging 13.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.7 steals in 22 starts. The Mavericks acquired the 25-year-old at the trade deadline, and he averaged 11.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks across 29 regular-season games. Dallas has Washington under contract until the 2026-27 season and will look to return to the NBA Finals next season, likely keeping most, if not all, of their core group from this season.

  • Mavericks' Derrick Jones: Efficient in Game 5 loss

    Jones provided 10 points (4-8 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and one block in 22 minutes during Monday's 106-88 loss to Boston in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

    Jones started all 22 playoff games for the Mavericks and averaged 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 blocks while shooting 48.1 percent from the field. The 27-year-old came into his first season with the team after struggling to carve out a role with the Bulls during two years in Chicago. Jones will enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, and his play throughout this season will likely earn him more interest around the league than last summer.

  • Pascal Siakam PF | IND

    Pacers' Pascal Siakam: Expected to remain in Indiana

    Siakam and the Pacers are nearing an agreement on a long-term contract extension, Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles.com reports.

    Both sides are motivated to get a deal done after Siakam had a successful half-season in Indiana after coming over in a Jan. 17 trade with the Raptors. The terms of the proposed deal aren't known yet, but Siakam is likely getting a maximum deal or close to it. In 41 regular-season appearances for the Pacers, Siakam posted averages of 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 three-pointers in 31.8 minutes while shooting 54.9 percent from the field.

  • Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Will undergo offseason surgery

    Porzingis said Monday after the Celtics' title-clinching 106-88 win over the Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals that he'll undergo offseason surgery to address his left leg injury, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.

    In Game 2 of the Finals, Porzingis suffered a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon, a rare injury that carried an uncertain recovery timeline. After not playing in Games 3 and 4, Porzingis returned for Game 5 and handled a limited role, playing 16 minutes off the bench while contributing five points (2-4 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and one rebound. The Latvian big man said the offseason surgery will require a "few months" of recovery, so his status will be worth monitoring when training camp begins in late September or early October. Porzingis previously missed over five weeks of action earlier in the postseason due to a strained right calf.

  • Sam Hauser SF | BOS

    Celtics' Sam Hauser: Scores eight points in Game 5 win

    Hauser delivered eight points (3-7 FG, 2-6 3Pt), four rebounds, one assist and one steal across 17 minutes in Monday's 106-88 Game 5 win over the Mavericks.

    While Hauser is known as a three-point sniper, he provided Boston with plenty of hard-nosed defense throughout its championship run. Dallas periodically hunted Hauser during the Finals, only to learn the reserve forward was up for the challenge. Hauser averaged 8.2 points, 3.0 boards and 2.2 triples over 15 minutes per contest in the Finals. This offseason, expect Boston to exercise its club option to retain Hauser. The Wisconsin product could again be a key contributor in the quest for Banner 19.

  • Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Drains clutch 3 in Game 5 win

    Pritchard posted three points (1-1 FG, 1-1 3Pt) in under one minute of playing time during Monday's 106-88 win over Dallas in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

    As he did periodically during the regular season and postseason, Pritchard once again drained a half-court end-of-quarter three just when the Celtics needed a boost. In Game 5, he heaved a half-court triple with under four seconds to help Boston take a 21-point lead into halftime. It was a lead the Celtics would never relinquish as Boston earned its 18th banner. Pritchard hit three triples over five 2024 NBA Finals games. He has three years remaining on his current contract, so expect more off-the-bench heroics moving forward.

  • Luka Doncic PG | DAL

    Mavericks' Luka Doncic: Leads all scorers in Finals series

    Doncic ended Monday's 106-88 loss to the Celtics in Game 5 of the NBA Finals with 28 points (12-25 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 2-5 FT), 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals across 43 minutes.

    Despite losing the series 4-1, Doncic was spectacular for the Mavericks in the NBA Finals. The five-time All-Star dealt with a litany of injuries throughout the playoffs, including a thoracic contusion, a right knee sprain and left ankle soreness, but still led all players in scoring in the Finals. Across five NBA Finals games, Doncic averaged 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.6 steals while shooting 47.2 percent from the field. The 25-year-old did struggle from deep, shooting only 24.4 percent, and he was also seen as a defensive liability at times. However, Doncic and the Mavericks will look to build off their strong season and run it back next year, as he now has NBA Finals experience under his belt.

  • Kyrie Irving PG | DAL

    Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Shoots poorly in Game 5 loss

    Irving posted 15 points (5-16 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine assists, three rebounds and one steal over 41 minutes during Monday's 106-88 loss to Boston in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

    Irving struggled to get going in the Game 5 loss to the Celtics after a strong performance in Game 4, when he put up 21 points, six assists and four rebounds on 55.6 percent shooting from the field. The eight-time All-Star averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 0.6 steals in five NBA Finals games while shooting 41.4 percent from the field. Irving has now been to four NBA Finals with a 1-3 record, and he will attempt to help lead Dallas back to the championship round next year with Luka Doncic by his side.

  • Josh Green SF | DAL

    Mavericks' Josh Green: Efficient from deep in Game 5 loss

    Green notched 14 points (5-8 FG, 4-6 3Pt) and two rebounds across 22 minutes during Monday's 106-88 loss to Boston in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

    Green produced his best game of the playoffs Monday despite the Mavericks losing Game 5 and the series by a 4-1 deficit. The 23-year-old averaged 5.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.4 steals across 19.2 minutes in five NBA Finals games. Green's four three-pointers were his most since Feb. 5, and with the 23-year-old under contract with the Mavericks until 2026, he will look to possibly take on a larger role with the team next season as the Mavericks attempt to make it back to the Finals.

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