This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We're set for a two-game slate of Game 2 clashes Thursday night, as both the Cavaliers and Mavericks look to bounce back from Game 1 stumbles where they only scored 95 points apiece. The injury report mirrors that of Tuesday's, with Cleveland still potentially missing their big man and Boston definitely missing theirs.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Thursday, May 9 @12:00 a.m. ET:
Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics (-13.5) (O/U: 212.5)
Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder (-5) (O/U: 218.5)
Although both the Celtics and Thunder turned in highly impressive defensive performances in their series openers, oddsmakers seem a lot more convinced of Boston's chances of replicating their dominance than they do OKC's. However, both teams are bigger favorites – by a point – than they were in Game 1.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Jarrett Allen, CLE (ribs): QUESTIONABLE
If Allen sits out again, Evan Mobley will likely continue to handle center duties while Isaac Okoro remains in the starting five.
Kristaps Porzingis, BOS (calf): OUT
In Porzingis' ongoing absence, Al Horford should remain in the starting five while the other front-line players on the first unit enjoy elevated usage.
Other notable injuries:
Luka Doncic, DAL (ankle): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have two players with five-figure salaries on Thursday's slate – Luka Doncic ($11,800) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,400).
Doncic was held to 6-for-19 shooting in Game 1, posting 40.7 FD points in 41 minutes. However, he did shoot 55.6 percent against OKC during the regular season, lending some hope of a bounce-back effort in Game 2.
SGA recorded 60.3 FD points across 37 minutes in Game 1, and he'd also shot 51.8 percent versus the Mavericks during the regular season. Zooming out to the five postseason contests he's played thus far, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 49 FD points per game.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Jayson Tatum, BOS ($9,600)
Tatum's postseason shooting struggles continued in Game 1, but he still tallied 46.7 FD points thanks largely to his rebounding and blocks.
Donovan Mitchell, CLE ($9,400)
Mitchell tallied 47.7 FD points in Game 1, and he's now averaging 56.6 FD points on 51.1 percent shooting in the Cavs' last three playoff games.
Kyrie Irving, DAL ($8,600)
Irving shot 50.0 percent and posted 30.7 FD points in Game 1, and despite that score being somewhat underwhelming relative to salary, he should be very popular again Thursday.
Jaylen Brown, BOS ($8,400)
Brown was a blistering 12-for-18 from the floor in Game 1 while generating 44.2 FD points, and he's now shooting 54.5 percent in his last six playoff contests.
Chet Holmgren, OKC ($8,100)
The combination of Holmgren's salary and his 42.9 FD points in 31 minutes in Game 1 should keep him highly rostered Thursday.
Key Values
Derrick White, BOS vs. CLE ($7,000)
White's salary somehow went down by $200 after Game 1, despite the fact the versatile guard compiled 33.7 FD points while contributing his red-hot postseason shooting streak. Following White's 9-for-16 showing from the floor in Game 1 – which included a 7-for-12 tally from three-point range – he's shooting 57.5 percent, including 50.0 percent from behind the arc, since the start of the playoffs. The Cavaliers were excellent against point guards this season, but he also shot 50.0 percent versus Cleveland during the campaign and there's therefore reason to believe he can carry over the momentum into Game 2.
Darius Garland, CLE at BOS ($6,300)
Garland was solid in Game 1 despite the losing effort, turning in 28.1 FD points across 36 minutes. That figure is right in line with Garland's body of work thus far this postseason, as he's averaged 28.2 FD points since Game 1 against the Magic. Garland took 15 shot attempts in Game 1 versus Boston and has been in double digits in that category in each playoff game thus far, giving him a rock-solid floor.
Al Horford, BOS vs. CLE ($5,700)
Horford is expected to draw another start at center in Game 2 during Porzingis' ongoing absence, and he'll be aiming to follow up on a 25.6 FD-point effort in Game 1. Horford also drew 22.7 FD points as a starter in the series-clinching victory over the Heat, and he's eclipsed 20 FD points in four of his last five postseason games overall. The big man could well be facing a short-handed Cleveland frontcourt again in Game 2 with Jarrett Allen still questionable due to his rib injury, and although his ceiling is likely 25-30 FD points, he makes for a reasonably safe value option who should log a solid allotment of minutes.
ALSO CONSIDER: Jrue Holiday, BOS vs. CLE ($5,700); Payton Pritchard, BOS vs. CLE ($4,000)
