

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (wrist) has been tagged as doubtful for Friday's Game 3 against the Orlando Magic. He also had the designation on the initial injury report ahead of Game 2 before missing the first postseason game of his career. It appears likely that the Celtics will remain without Tatum on Friday, which will keep Al Horford in the starting unit. The veteran big man produced a solid 32-minute shift in Wednesday's Game 2 victory, posting nine points, 10 rebounds, one assist, and one block. Tatum's absence also increases the offensive usage of Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis, who scored 56 of the team's 109 points on Wednesday night.


Detroit Pistons forward/center Isaiah Stewart (knee) will not suit up for Game 3 against the New York Knicks on Thursday. The team has downgraded him from questionable to out. It is uncertain whether Stewart will be able to participate in the series going forward. Jalen Duran, who has averaged 9.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks across the first two games, will handle the majority of the workload at center, with Paul Reed serving as his backup off the bench.


Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham collected his third consecutive double-double in the 118-116 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 3. In the first postseason run of his career, Cunningham has provided some big-time stats, but has shown the youth in his game with 17 total turnovers. On Thursday, he posted 24 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, four steals, two blocks, and six turnovers. His shooting was a bit shaky after going 10-for-25 from the floor and 2-for-5 from deep, but Cunningham is the engine of the entire Pistons' offense in more ways than just scoring. He'll look to help the Pistons even up the series on Sunday in Game 4.


New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson registered another 30-point game en route to a 118-116 win in Game 3 over the Detroit Pistons. The Villanova product finished the game with 30 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, one block, and one turnover. He shot 9-for-20 from the floor, 1-for-7 from beyond the arc, and 11-for-13 from the charity stripe. His three-point shooting has left a lot to be desired through three games (29.2%), but his ability to get to the rim and to the free-throw line has allowed him to average a red-hot 33.7 points per game. He'll look to keep up his scoring ways in Game 4 on Sunday.


New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns posted his best offensive performance of the first-round series on Thursday. The former Timberwolf registered 31 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks while shooting 10-for-18 from the floor and 4-for-8 from three. After dropping Game 2 at home, the Knicks needed this two-point victory to gain their home-court advantage again. This game bumped Towns' averages up to 21.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game. Game 4 tips off on Sunday in Detroit before returning to New York for at least one game.
