The Scoop: Irving struggled to get going in the Game 5 loss to the Celtics after a strong performance in Game 4, when he put up 21 points, six assists and four rebounds on 55.6 percent shooting from the field. The eight-time All-Star averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 0.6 steals in five NBA Finals games while shooting 41.4 percent from the field. Irving has now been to four NBA Finals with a 1-3 record, and he will attempt to help lead Dallas back to the championship round next year with Luka Doncic by his side.

 The Scoop: Horford was terrific in this year's NBA playoffs for the Celtics, averaging 9.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks across 30.3 minutes in 19 games. The 17-year veteran stepped up in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, who dealt with lower leg and calf injuries throughout the playoffs. These injuries led to Horford starting in all five NBA Finals matchups, averaging 7.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting a stellar 47.1 percent from beyond the arc.

 The Scoop: Holiday has been incredible for the Celtics in five NBA Finals games, averaging 14.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 45.5 percent from the field. The 34-year-old proved to be a crucial addition to the Celtics in winning title No. 18 -- Holiday's second NBA Championship in just four years. The defensive mastermind averaged 13.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 50.3 percent from the field across 19 playoff games.

 The Scoop: Prosper sprained his ankle in a practice prior to Game 4 of the Mavericks' first-round series with the Clippers and had been sidelined for multiple weeks before being cleared to play ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals. He didn't see any action in either of the first three games of the series, but with Friday's contest turning into a rout by the end of the third quarter, Prosper was able to make his NBA Finals debut in garbage time.

 The Scoop: Luka Doncic was the best player for the Mavericks in this Game 4 victory, but Irving posted a strong line as well. The veteran floor general reached the 20-point plateau for the second consecutive contest, and he'll need to be at his best if the Mavericks want to pull off the upset in Game 5 of the series Monday. Irving is averaging 21.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in the series.

 The Scoop: Lively has been coming off the bench, but he's made a substantial impact on both ends of the court. The rookie out of Duke owned the paint and was a massive factor in the rebounding battle that saw the Mavericks dominate the contest. Lively is the first rookie to record multiple double-doubles in the NBA Finals since Magic Johnson in 1980.

 The Scoop: The fact that Hauser was among the Celtics' scoring leaders in a potential title-clinching game of the NBA Finals tells you all you need to know about Boston's offense in this loss. Boston was atrocious on offense and couldn't get things going throughout the contest, but Hauser at least provided a spark with his three-point shooting. Hauser is not expected to play a prominent role for Boston offensively in the rest of the series.

 The Scoop: Lively was limited to just two points in Games 1 and 2, respectively, but he bounced back in this one, and the rookie posted his first double-double since the team's May 18 win over the Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals. The rookie was able to make an impact without Kristaps Porzingis (lower leg) on the court, and Lively will aim to be a factor in Game 4 on Friday, where the Mavericks need a win to keep the series alive.

 The Scoop: Luka Doncic was disqualified in the fourth after picking up his sixth foul, meaning Irving had to step his game up, and the veteran floor general was Dallas' most reliable scoring alternative throughout the entire contest. Irving bounced back from two subpar outings in the first two games of the series, but not even his highest scoring mark of the current postseason run was enough to lift Dallas to victory. Irving will aim to keep the momentum going ahead of Game 4 on Friday, as the Mavericks will have their backs against the wall for the remainder of the series due to their 0-3 deficit.

 The Scoop: Holiday was coming off an impressive 26-point performance in the Game 2 victory, but he couldn't reach double-digit figures in this one -- something that hadn't happened since a 118-94 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 9. However, the veteran floor general has shown his experience throughout the series against Dallas, and he remains valuable even when he's not scoring at a high rate. Perhaps even more impressive is that he's yet to commit a turnover in the series while handing out 13 assists.