Each day, this column will provide live updates for all NBA news. Enjoy up-to-the-minute alerts for injuries and lineup confirmations. The Key News to Watch section will highlight notable injuries to monitor for the current NBA slate.
Key NBA News to Watch
Kristaps Porzingis (foot) — Available "in specific instances"
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Confirmed Lineup: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford
Kristaps Porzingis (foot) — Available "in specific instances"
The Jays got the job done for the Celtics in Game 3, as Tatum (31 points, six rebounds, five assists) and Brown (30 points, eight assists, seven rebounds) lived up to their potential in a 106-99 win. In the battle for the Finals MVP, Brown is now the leading scorer for Boston by just shy of three points per game over Tatum (24.3 to 21.7), but Tatum has the more well-rounded stat line, averaging 8.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per contest. Still, Brown's show-stopping second half in Game 3 has made him the favorite entering Game 4:
Confirmed Lineup: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Jones Jr., PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford
Although Doncic is playing through a myriad of injuries, it was foul trouble that took him off the court in Game 3, as he recorded his sixth personal foul with 4:12 remaining. He became the third different player to foul out of an NBA Finals game this decade, joining Draymond Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
The Mavericks are now staring at an uphill climb that no team has ever successfully completed. As is well known, NBA teams are 156-0 in winning series after having a 3-0 lead, a total that includes both Boston and Dallas' wins in this year's Eastern and Western Conference Finals, respectively. NBA teams also have a 14-0 record in the Finals after taking a 3-0 series lead. The last such team to have that advantage was the 2018 Warriors, who completed the sweep over Cleveland that year. Nine of the 14 teams to go up 3-0 in a Finals have gone on to sweep the series. Only three of the 14 teams to face a 0-3 deficit in the Finals have ever even gone so far as to force a Game 6, let alone a Game 5: the 1996 Supersonics, the 1951 Knicks, and the 1949 Capitols.