Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving saw his incredible run of wins in closeout games come to an end on Tuesday, as the team went down 105-100 to Minnesota on home court. Irving had previously won on all 14 occasions when his team was in a spot to finish off a playoff series. However, the Mavericks were far from their best on Tuesday, and it was also a poor effort from Irving, who had 16 points on 6-for-18 shooting. He was 1-for-6 from behind the arc and capped off his line with two rebounds, four assists, and one steal. Irving and the Mavericks will look to get back on track in Game 5 on Thursday.

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford scored 12 points with perfect 6-for-6 shooting and swatted away three shots in a 105-100 loss to the Timberwolves on Tuesday. Playing a playoff-high 31 minutes, Gafford contributed in multiple areas, grabbing eight rebounds and tallying one assist with one steal. The 25-year-old big man saw extra action due to Dereck Lively II (neck) being out. He's been a major force on the defensive end in the series and always does his work on offense efficiently as well. With four games played in the matchup, Gafford has averaged 10.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks with 72.4 percent shooting.

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (calf) has been increasing his activity, as he attempts to return from a strained calf injury he suffered in the first round of the playoffs. In a recent interview, head coach Joe Mazzulla provided a positive outlook on the veteran center's potential return for the NBA Finals, stating, "Like I said, he's working really, really hard. There's been a couple shootarounds where he hasn't done anything with the team but has been in a 1-on-1 setting kind of ramping it up with the intensity level of it. He's been getting better and better." The Celtics have cruised through the postseason, and the NBA Finals will not begin for more than another week, giving Porzingis more time to get fully healthy.

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (neck) is continuing to recover from a neck sprain he suffered in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. The rookie center recently told Andscape, "It's a day-to-day thing. I'm not trying to rush it. We will see." The Mavericks hold a 3-1 series lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lively II has been an important contributor off the bench, averaging 8.5 PPG, 7.1 RPB, and 1.1 BPG in the postseason. He was unable to suit up in Game 4, but Dallas fans will be hoping he can get back on the court for Game 5 on Thursday.

Miami Heat guard/forward Duncan Robinson is eager to develop further despite turning 30 in April. "I just turned 30, which is crazy," Robinson recently told Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. "But what might even be crazier is I still think I'm far from a finished product. Maybe a lot of people say that 28 to whatever is your prime, but I feel like my prime is still ahead of me." After having stints out of the rotation last season, Robinson enjoyed a bounce-back year in 2023-24. He averaged 12.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and a career-high 2.8 assists with 39.5 percent shooting from deep. Robinson is mostly seen as a three-point specialist and definitely has room for improvement in other areas.