Celtics Host Mavs in Game 2, Up 1-0
The Boston Celtics play host to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden on Sunday.
Boston leads this series, 1-0.
The Mavericks (0-1) had fans gushing when they got through the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games to get here, but Game 1 was ugly. Dallas trailed 37-20 after the first quarter and never really got into it after that. What's really horrifying is that they recorded just nine assists in that defeat, the lowest total of the season. Boston was happy to allow Luka Doncic to score his 30 points, but holding him to one assist is what really made the difference. Kyrie Irving also struggled, providing 12 points, three rebounds and two assists on 6-of-19 from the field. It's hard to get excited about anything the Mavs did in Game 1 and they need to reset to try to even this series before heading back to Dallas.
The Celtics (1-0) looked as dominant as they could in that Game 1 victory, leading by at least eight points for the final 40 minutes. The final margin could've been much worse if it weren't for a third-quarter run, with Boston getting their lead up to 29 points right before the half. That's scary because Jayson Tatum didn't get much going, but this is the best team in the NBA for a reason. They have the most depth of any team in the league, and that was on full display when they brought Kristaps Porzingis off the bench. The big man hasn't played in nearly a month, but he had 20 points, six rebounds, and three blocks across 20 minutes. That's a scary line in such a short period of time, but Jaylen Brown was the player of the game. The All-Star had 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals and three blocks in a defensive showcase. We didn't even mention Jrue Holiday, Derrick White or Al Horford, showcasing why this club is so scary.
Boston leads this series, 1-0.
The Mavericks (0-1) had fans gushing when they got through the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games to get here, but Game 1 was ugly. Dallas trailed 37-20 after the first quarter and never really got into it after that. What's really horrifying is that they recorded just nine assists in that defeat, the lowest total of the season. Boston was happy to allow Luka Doncic to score his 30 points, but holding him to one assist is what really made the difference. Kyrie Irving also struggled, providing 12 points, three rebounds and two assists on 6-of-19 from the field. It's hard to get excited about anything the Mavs did in Game 1 and they need to reset to try to even this series before heading back to Dallas.
The Celtics (1-0) looked as dominant as they could in that Game 1 victory, leading by at least eight points for the final 40 minutes. The final margin could've been much worse if it weren't for a third-quarter run, with Boston getting their lead up to 29 points right before the half. That's scary because Jayson Tatum didn't get much going, but this is the best team in the NBA for a reason. They have the most depth of any team in the league, and that was on full display when they brought Kristaps Porzingis off the bench. The big man hasn't played in nearly a month, but he had 20 points, six rebounds, and three blocks across 20 minutes. That's a scary line in such a short period of time, but Jaylen Brown was the player of the game. The All-Star had 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals and three blocks in a defensive showcase. We didn't even mention Jrue Holiday, Derrick White or Al Horford, showcasing why this club is so scary.