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It’s common for training camp invites to get little to no guaranteed money, but this really speaks to how bare the market was for T-Rob’s services. Although Los Angeles has a lot of frontcourt depth, Robinson’s hustle and effort could give him an edge to make the final roster. He’ll have to beat out several others, but it’s not an impossible scenario. Fellow camp invitees Metta World Peace, Julian Jacobs and Travis Wear also received no guaranteed money in their deals.

While in Boston for the release of his signature sneaker, Brown said that he still has not decided on surgery to repair the partially torn meniscus in his right knee. “l got a lot of doctors I gotta get evaluated with — see the potential for surgery versus no surgery, wait to speak to the [Celtics] organization,” Brown said, according to Celtics Blog. “For now, it’s just rest and recovery. I’m taking a step back from a long season. Mentally, it was a lot of stuff going on.” With Jayson Tatum (Achilles) expected to miss a significant portion of the 2025-26 season, a healthy Brown would be Boston’s first scoring option if management keeps the roster intact.

Gilgeous-Alexander turned in his lowest-scoring performance of the entire season in this one. It was the lowest point total for the 26-year-old point guard since last March. He scored more than twice as many points in each of the first two games of the series. SGA was wearing a microphone for ESPN’s coverage of the game and could be heard on the bench in the fourth quarter saying they had a great game and we had a bad game. That might be putting it mildly as the Thunder lost Game 3 by a staggering 42 points. SGA and the Thunder will be looking to play better and take it from there in Game 4 on Monday.

Shannon Jr. hadn’t played more than three minutes in another other playoff game this year, but the 24-year-old shooting guard provided a spark off the bench as the Timberwolves took a 31-point lead into halftime. Shannon Jr. also got some run in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach, but it was a great story to see the inexperienced player outscore MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Saturday.

Randle was benched for the entire fourth quarter of Game 2, but bounced back and was a big part of the Timberwolves getting back in the series in Game 3. The 30-year-old power forward was a scoring machine with 24 points on 15 shots including two made three-pointers. Randle didn’t play most of the fourth quarter in Game 3 either, though it was due to the lopsided score and the fact that the Thunder had already pulled their starters. Despite the Game 3 fourth quarter benching, Randle was back as Robin to Anthony Edwards’ Batman in Game 3.

Edwards was locked in from the jump in a must-win situation in a pivotal Game 3 showdown. The 23-year-old shooting guard outscored the entire Thunder team by himself (16-14) in the first quarter. The route was on from there as the Timberwolves took a 31-point lead into halftime and ended up winning by 42. Edwards joined Kobe Bryant and Luka Doncic as the only guards with at least 15 30-point playoff games before turning 24. Edwards and the Timberwolves will look to even the series in Game 4 on Monday.

This isn’t a total surprise after Hart played 29 minutes in Game 2, which was the first time he played less than 30 minutes in these playoffs. Robinson, who has been lauded by Pacers coach Rick Carlisle in interviews throughout the series, played 29 minutes in Game 2 as well, though it was the most minutes he’s played this postseason. Robinson appeared to roll his ankle in the third quarter of Game 2, but must be feeling well if the Knicks are considering starting him now. The Knicks’ starting lineup is -50 in the playoffs and -29 so far in the Eastern Conference Finals. New York is a desperate team heading into Game 3 on Sunday after dropping the first two games of the series at home and coach Tom Thibodeau is searching for answers.

Robinson gave the Knicks a welcome boost during the first half of Game 2, extending multiple possessions due to his work on the offensive glass. He also recorded a few blocked shots, but New York’s many defensive lapses during the second half were too much to overcome. Also concerning for the Knicks was Robinson appearing to roll his left ankle during the third quarter. The good news is that he stayed in the game, and this was not the ankle operated on twice last season. Given the lack of consistent bench production, New York will need Robinson to be at his best for Game 3 on Sunday, especially now that they’re in a 0-2 hole.

After recording a gaudy stat line in Wednesday’s overtime defeat, Towns was less effective in Game 2. Making matters worse for the Knicks were multiple defensive lapses during the third quarter, prompting Tom Thibodeau to go with Mitchell Robinson as the lone big on the court for a stretch that extended well into the fourth quarter. Despite his performance against Nikola Jokic in last season’s Western Conference Finals, Towns has never been labeled a lockdown defender. That said, the Knicks need him to be better than he was in Game 3 on Sunday, as they trail two games to none.

As Tyrese Haliburton’s primary defender, Bridges has been asked to log heavy minutes in the Eastern Conference Finals. After playing 46 minutes in Game 1, he played another 45 on Friday, proving to be New York’s second-best offensive option. Once again, Bridges got going after halftime, shooting 8-of-13 from the field in the second half. With New York heading into Sunday’s Game 3 trailing two games to none, Bridges’ playing time is unlikely to decrease, especially with Josh Hart (6/6/1/1/1 in 29 minutes) not providing much offense.

Brunson did what he could to drag the Knicks over the finish line in Game 2, but Indiana’s offensive production was too much to overcome. The point guard did make franchise history, however, notching his 19th 30-point playoff game as a Knick. Brunson is now atop the list, passing Patrick Ewing (18 postseason 30-point games) with Friday’s performance. Regardless of who the Pacers have assigned to Brunson, he’s managed to get his points, and the turnovers were kept in check after he racked up seven in Game 1. New York will need Brunson to be at his best for Sunday’s Game 3, as they head to Indianapolis in a 0-2 hole.