Fantasy Basketball

Gobert provided nine points (4-8 FG, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one steal in 26 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Gobert's 26 minutes were his lowest of the series despite recording just one foul. The 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year was often forced to play away from the rim and come out to meet Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the perimeter in the pick-and-roll. Gobert averaged 11.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 34.0 minutes across the five games against Dallas.

Lively posted nine points (3-3 FG, 3-6 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks over 25 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 win over Minnesota in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Lively returned to action Thursday after missing Game 4 due to a neck injury. The rookie big man returned to his role of coming off the bench but splitting minutes at the center position with Daniel Gafford as a platoon. Lively averaged 9.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in 22.0 minutes across his four appearances in the Western Conference Finals.

Gafford amassed 11 points (3-3 FG, 5-6 FT), nine rebounds and one block across 20 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 win over the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

With the return of Dereck Lively, Gafford saw his playing time decrease from 31 minutes in Game 4 to 20 in Game 5. Regardless, Gafford was able to maintain his productivity, recording at least one block for the 11th straight contest. The 24-year-old big averaged 10.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 24.4 minutes across the five games in the Western Conference Finals.

Coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis (calf) participated in a couple of drills during Friday's practice and is pleased with where the big man is at in his rehab progress, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.

Porzingis was still mostly limited to individual shooting drills during the media portion of Friday's practice, but he looked to be moving well. He hasn't played since Game 4 of the Celtics' opening-round series versus Miami on April 29, so Porzingis will likely need to get at least a few days of 5-on-5 work in before getting full clearance for game action. The Celtics face the Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals next Thursday, June 6, giving Porzingis ample time to increase his activity.

Lively (neck) is available for Thursday's Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Timberwolves.

Lively participated in the Mavericks' morning shootaround and underwent his routine in pre-game warmups, so it's unsurprising to see him available, as he looked active and had no apparent limitations in his movements. He'll likely see regular minutes off the bench, as he's logged 21.0 minutes per game in the current series while averaging 9.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest.

Lively (neck) was present at the Mavericks' morning shootaround but remains questionable for Thursday's matchup with the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, Grant Afseth of SI.com reports.

After sitting out the Mavericks' Game 4 loss, Lively is viewed as a game-time decision ahead of Thursday's 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff, but it was encouraging to see him on the court for the team's morning shootaround. The Mavericks will likely monitor how his neck sprain feels leading up to the opening tip, while starting center Daniel Gafford should continue to see increased playing time if Lively is unavailable.

Antetokounmpo (calf) will play for Greece in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Evan Sidery of Forbes Sports reports.

Antetokounmpo missed the final three games of the Bucks' regular season, followed by their six playoff games prior to being eliminated by the Pacers. The superstar forward revealed following Game 6 that he was "not close" to returning to the Bucks lineup due to his calf strain. There will be roughly a two-month gap between Milwaukee's final contest and Greece's first qualifying game, and it appears the 29-year-old will be back to full health. Barring any setbacks, he should be at full strength for the start of the 2024-25 season. The two-time MVP averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and a career-high 6.5 assists to go along with 1.2 steals, 1.1 blocks and 0.5 triples across 35.2 minutes in 73 regular-season games last season.

Towns ended Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals with 28 points (9-20 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists and one steal across 38 minutes.

Despite putting up his best game of the series Thursday, Towns' efforts weren't enough to avoid defeat. The 28-year-old big man tied Anthony Edwards for a team-high 28 points and led Minnesota in rebounding. Towns will finish the Western Conference Finals averaging 19.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 33.2 minutes. He also struggled mightily with his efficiency, shooting just 37.9 percent from the field and 24.2 percent from three across the five games.

Towns closed with 25 points (9-13 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 3-3 FT), five rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes before fouling out of Tuesday's 105-100 victory over the Mavericks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

Towns had been heavily criticized due to his shooting struggles throughout the series, but he bounced back in a big way Tuesday, missing just one of his five attempts from beyond the arc and just four of his 17 shots overall when including free throws. One game won't erase all his struggles, but this was certainly a step in the right direction. Towns will need to produce at this rate again if Minnesota is going to win Game 5 on Thursday to extend the series.

Siakam posted 19 points (8-18 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-5 FT), 10 rebounds and three assists over 39 minutes during Monday's 105-102 loss to Boston in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Siakam did what he could to avoid the elimination and the sweep, but the Pacers didn't have a realistic chance to complete the comeback without Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) leading the offense. Despite the woes the team had in the series, Siakam was productive, scoring at least 20 points in all but one of the four games and posting two double-doubles in that span.

Tatum totaled 26 points (11-26 FG, 3-11 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 13 rebounds, eight assists and one steal across 44 minutes during Monday's 105-102 victory over the Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Even though Tatum needed 26 shots to score 26 points, the star forward once again came through when called upon, and he finished just two assists away from recording what would've been his first triple-double since April 21. Tatum has been on an absolute tear of late and has scored 25 or more points in all but one of his last eight contests, so he comes into the NBA Finals with plenty of momentum.

Smith is out for Monday's Game 4 against the Celtics due to illness.

Smith has played a limited role through the first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals, so his absence shouldn't impact Indiana's rotation much. He'll be considered day-to-day and should have a chance to return for Game 5 if the Pacers are able to extend the series.

Alexander-Walker recorded zero points (0-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt), one assist and two steals in 14 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Alexander-Walker averaged just 3.4 points, 1.6 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 15.4 minutes across the Western Conference. He also struggled mightily with his efficiency, shooting 28.6 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from three across the five contests. However, the 25-year-old guard converted 39.1 percent of his 4.1 three-point attempts per game during the regular season and will head into the 2024-25 campaign under the last year of his two-year, $9 million contract.

Anderson provided seven points (3-9 FG, 1-4 3Pt), three rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal over 33 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Anderson's 33 minutes played in Game 5 were his highest of the series, largely due to his role in guarding Luka Doncic. Anderson will end the Western Conference Finals averaging 7.4 points, 3.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 22.4 minutes across the five contests. The 30-year-old forward will head into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. Anderson's future in Minnesota is uncertain as he went from averaging 28.4 minutes across 69 appearances, including 46 starts in 2022-23, to 22.6 minutes across 79 appearances, just 10 of which were starts, in 2023-24.

Prosper (ankle) has been ruled out for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against Minnesota on Thursday.

Prosper continues to deal with an ankle injury and will be unavailable for a 16th consecutive game. It's unclear when he'll be able to return.

Fontecchio underwent surgery on his left great toe Tuesday, and he is expected to return by the start of training camp, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports.

Fontecchio missed the final 14 games of the regular season due to a contusion on his right great toe, but he was a solid performer for the Pistons. The 28-year-old averaged 15.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.9 steals in 30.2 minutes, starting in nine of 16 games. The sharpshooter is a restricted free agent, and he will likely garner interest from multiple teams including the Pistons. However, Fontecchio has made it clear that he is interested in returning to Detroit.

Nesmith logged 14 points (4-11 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six rebounds, an assist and a steal over 35 minutes during Monday's 105-102 loss to Boston in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Nesmith posted career highs in every major category this season, putting up 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks in 27.7 minutes. After signing an extension at the beginning of the season, the 24-year-old will likely return to the Pacers next season and look to expand his role with the team.

McDermott closed with three points (1-1 FG, 1-1 3Pt), three assists, a rebound and a block over 13 minutes during Monday's 105-102 loss to the Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

McDermott was traded to the Pacers early in February and in 28 games averaged 3.1 points, 0.7 assists and 0.5 rebounds in 9.5 minutes. The 32-year-old is set to become a free agent ahead of the 2024-25 season and has played for seven teams in his 10-year career.

Edwards logged 28 points (10-18 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 4-6 FT), nine rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal over 43 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Edwards recorded his second-highest scoring output of the Western Conference Finals in Game 5 but wasn't able to avoid elimination. After struggling with his efficiency to begin the series, the star guard managed to post 43.0/40.6/75.0 shooting splits over the five games. Against Dallas, Edwards averaged 24.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 41.4 minutes.

Hardy posted 13 points (5-8 FG, 3-4 3Pt) and one rebound across 12 minutes during Tuesday's 105-100 loss to Minnesota in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

Hardy has yet to play more than 12 minutes in any game in the series, and he's yet to log more than 15 minutes in any playoff appearance this season, but he made the most of his time in this Game 4 loss. The lack of minutes he's seen suggests this was a one-off outburst, however, so fantasy managers shouldn't trust him in Game 5 of the series Thursday.

Edwards posted 29 points (11-25 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 5-8 FT), 10 rebounds and nine assists across 40 minutes during Tuesday's 105-100 victory over the Mavericks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

No Timberwolves player had more points, rebounds or assists in Game 4 on Tuesday, and the star shooting guard came through when his team needed him the most. The efficiency levels shown in previous rounds aren't there yet, but Minnesota needed Edwards to get the job done Tuesday, and he did. Edwards needs to carry the momentum into Game 5, as the Timberwolves remain down 1-3 in the series but will have home-court advantage Thursday.

Edwards closed Sunday's 116-107 loss to Dallas in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals with 26 points (11-24 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 4-6 FT), nine rebounds, nine assists and two steals across 43 minutes.

Edwards looked more aggressive than in the first two games of the series, but the star guard continues to struggle with his shot, even though he showed some encouraging signs in this one. Edwards has shot a mere 38.6 percent from the field in the series ahead of a pivotal Game 4 in Dallas on Tuesday.

Sheppard will start Saturday's Game 3 against the Celtics, Tony East of SI.com reports.

Tyrese Haliburton (leg) has been ruled out for Game 3, and his availability for Game 4 and beyond is in jeopardy too. In 15 postseason appearances, Sheppard has averaged 5.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.2 three-pointers.

Edwards produced 21 points (5-17 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 9-10 FT), five rebounds, seven assists and one block across 40 minutes during Friday's 109-108 loss to the Mavericks in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

Edwards has been struggling with his shot in recent games, and he hasn't been able to break out of the slump that seems to be affecting him since the Game 7 win over the Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals. Edwards has shot a combined 11-for-33 in the first two games of the series against the Mavericks, and he may need to bounce back if Minnesota wants to have a shot to steal at least one game in Dallas.

Irving ended with 36 points (14-27 FG, 4-10 3Pt, 4-4 FT), four rebounds and five assists in 40 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 victory over Minnesota in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Irving's 36 points tied Luka Doncic for a game-high mark and was his second-highest scoring tally of the playoffs so far. Irving's masterful performance helped clinch the series over Minnesota in which he averaged 27.0 points, 4.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds on 49.0/37.5/80.8 shooting splits across the five games. The 31-year-old guard will now face the Celtics in his fourth career NBA Finals appearance.

Doncic posted 36 points (14-22 FG, 6-10 3Pt, 2-3 FT), 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals in 37 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 win over the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Doncic set the tone early, tallying 20 points in the first quarter of Thursday's win to clinch the series over Minnesota. Doncic scored at least 30 points in four of the five contests and averaged 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 2.2 steals on 47.3/43.4/84.6 shooting splits across the series. The superstar guard will head into his first NBA Finals against the Celtics after being awarded the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP.

Conley (Achilles) will play in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against Dallas on Thursday.

For the seventh game in a row, Conley will play through his right soleus strain. With Minnesota facing elimination with a loss, it's not a surprise to see Conley power through his injury again.

Doncic (knee/ankle) is available for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against Minnesota on Thursday.

Doncic will shed yet another questionable tag as he continues to power through minor ankle and knee issues. There's no word of any restrictions heading into tipoff.

Conley (Achilles) is questionable for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Mavericks on Thursday.

Conley continues to deal with a right soleus strain, but he's been able to suit for six straight matchups after missing Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals versus Denver. He's averaged 13.5 points, 4.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 32.3 minutes per game over the first four games versus Dallas and is unlikely to face limitations if he's cleared to play again Thursday.

Doncic (knee/ankle) is questionable for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against Minnesota on Thursday.

Doncic continues to deal with a right knee sprain and left ankle soreness, but he hasn't missed time recently and has averaged 31.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 2.3 steals in 41.0 minutes per game over the first four games of the Western Conference Finals, including a 28-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in Tuesday's loss in Game 4. It wouldn't be surprising to see him fully available once again Thursday as the Mavericks attempt to close out the series.