Mavericks Host Celtics In Game 3 Of NBA Finals
The Dallas Mavericks will host the Boston Celtics at American Airlines Center in Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals on Wednesday. The Celtics are leading the series 2-0.
It’s safe to say very few things have gone right for the Mavericks in the first two games of the series. Luka Doncic has been his dominant self and recently posted a triple-double in the Game 2 loss on Sunday, but other than that, the Mavericks have lacked depth to compete with Boston. Kyrie Irving has yet to make a three-point basket through two games and has had a rough time with the defensive schemes the Celtics have set up to slow him down. Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II have struggled against mobile, perimeter-savvy centers in Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, limiting their area of influence near the rim. The Celtics know they won’t stop Doncic from getting his points, but they’re trying to annul the rest of the team. The first two games proved Doncic can’t win the series on his own, no matter how hard he tries. The fact that the Mavericks have yet to score more than 98 points in any of the games in the series tells you everything you need to know regarding their offensive struggles.
The Mavericks have yet to disclose their injury report for Wednesday’s game, but Luka Doncic is expected to be included. He’s been dealing with a number of injuries, most recently a chest problem that forced him to be a game-time call Sunday.
In contrast, the Celtics have been rolling, and they showed everyone they can win by large margins but also can get the job done when things get tough. The Celtics cruised to victory in the series opener, but they had to roll their sleeves up in Game 2 to deny Dallas from a fourth-quarter comeback. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday played huge roles in the win Sunday, but it’s been a true team effort for Joe Mazzulla’s team. Why? Because Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown were the ones who stepped up in Game 1. Jayson Tatum has struggled from the field, but he finished one rebound shy of a rebound in Game 2 while posting a line that had only been done in the Finals by two Boston legends, Larry Bird and Bob Cousy. It seems the Celtics are better, more organized, more experienced and more rested than the Mavericks. Even though the series will shift to Dallas for the next two games, it’s clear the Celtics should be considered the odds-on favorites, even if they’re playing on the road.
The Celtics have yet to disclose their injury report for Wednesday’s game, but Kristaps Porzingis is expected to be included. He’s dealing with a calf injury.
It’s safe to say very few things have gone right for the Mavericks in the first two games of the series. Luka Doncic has been his dominant self and recently posted a triple-double in the Game 2 loss on Sunday, but other than that, the Mavericks have lacked depth to compete with Boston. Kyrie Irving has yet to make a three-point basket through two games and has had a rough time with the defensive schemes the Celtics have set up to slow him down. Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II have struggled against mobile, perimeter-savvy centers in Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, limiting their area of influence near the rim. The Celtics know they won’t stop Doncic from getting his points, but they’re trying to annul the rest of the team. The first two games proved Doncic can’t win the series on his own, no matter how hard he tries. The fact that the Mavericks have yet to score more than 98 points in any of the games in the series tells you everything you need to know regarding their offensive struggles.
The Mavericks have yet to disclose their injury report for Wednesday’s game, but Luka Doncic is expected to be included. He’s been dealing with a number of injuries, most recently a chest problem that forced him to be a game-time call Sunday.
In contrast, the Celtics have been rolling, and they showed everyone they can win by large margins but also can get the job done when things get tough. The Celtics cruised to victory in the series opener, but they had to roll their sleeves up in Game 2 to deny Dallas from a fourth-quarter comeback. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday played huge roles in the win Sunday, but it’s been a true team effort for Joe Mazzulla’s team. Why? Because Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown were the ones who stepped up in Game 1. Jayson Tatum has struggled from the field, but he finished one rebound shy of a rebound in Game 2 while posting a line that had only been done in the Finals by two Boston legends, Larry Bird and Bob Cousy. It seems the Celtics are better, more organized, more experienced and more rested than the Mavericks. Even though the series will shift to Dallas for the next two games, it’s clear the Celtics should be considered the odds-on favorites, even if they’re playing on the road.
The Celtics have yet to disclose their injury report for Wednesday’s game, but Kristaps Porzingis is expected to be included. He’s dealing with a calf injury.