The Boston Celtics are two wins away from lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy and putting banner 18 in the rafters at the TD Garden Arena. The Celtics won the first two games of the series thanks to dominant performances from Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in Games 1 and 2. The 2-0 margin means the Celtics are in a strong position because 36 teams in NBA history have achieved the mark in the Finals, and only five have suffered defeat in the series. On the other hand, the Mavericks can point to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, who won 4 straight games to overcome a 0-2 deficit. Game 3 will be a pivotal point in this series as the scene shifts to the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. In this article, we will preview the four things you need to know ahead of Game 3.
1. Kristaps Porzingis rare injury-the Celtics entered Game 1 uncertain whether the Latvian Centre would feature or be effective in the series. Porzingis shocked the world and probably himself by pouring in 20 points and an anchor to protect the rim. However, in Game 2, Kristaps landed awkwardly in an attempt to grab a rebound in the fourth quarter. On Tuesday, reports indicated that Kristaps is suffering from a rare injury in which he suffered a torn medial retinaculum which dislocated the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. The injury usually requires surgery for a permanent fix but can be managed based on the pain tolerance. Porzingis was listed as day-to-day on the injury report, and his appearance in Game 3 will be based on whether he is medically cleared to play at tip-off. The injury will impact the series because the Celtics are a plus +25 with Porzingis in the series and even without him on the court. The lack of availability will mean Al Horford would log big minutes, and the previous rounds showed that the veteran struggled as the minutes piled up.
2. Will Kyrie Bounce Back?-Kyrie Irving was spectacular in the Western Conference Finals by averaging 27 points in dissecting the Minnesota Timberwolves defense. However, Irving has struggled in the NBA Finals against his former team. Kyrie is averaging 14.0 points per game so far in the NBA Finals. The Celtics have bothered Irving with their length and aggressive one-on-one defense. Kyrie has lost his last 12 games against his former team which means that heading away from the hostile confines of TD Garden to his home arena may not improve his performance. Kyrie has struggled not only to score but deliver assists to his teammates, and the Celtics have attacked him on the defensive end. As the series shifts to Dallas, the spotlight will be on whether Kyrie can be a major contributor to this series. The Mavericks will be desperate for a bounce-back performance.
3. Will the Celtics superstar duo shine on the road?-the Celtics have shown why they are the best team in the regular season because of the balanced scoring in the series. The Celtics had six players with double-digit points in Game 1 and five in Game 2. However, in Game 3, the focus will be on the superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to elevate their performances on the road. After Game 2, it was debatable who would win the Finals MVP at this juncture of the series. However, if the Celtics win either of the upcoming road games, then Brown and Tatum will have to increase their points tally given the uncertain status of Porzingis. In the playoffs, the Celtics are 20-7 in their last 27 road playoff games, which is tied with the Chicago Bulls from 1991 to ’93 for the best road playoff winning percentage over three years. Boston is 6-0 on the road in this playoff run, which means they will be ready for the moment when they enter the American Airlines Center.
4. Can the Mavericks supporting players bounce back at home?-in Boston, the Mavericks supporting players struggled to impact the series. The Celtics’ ability to switch on defense has negated Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively’s ability to grab lob dunks. However, the biggest problem for Dallas has been their ability to shoot wide open, which Boston has been daring their supporting cast to take. Maxi Kleber, Josh Green, and Dante Exum scored 7 points in Game 2 while missing open shots. PJ Washington and Derrick Jones had an improved combined performance with 28 points but were 1 of 8 from the three-point line. It will be interesting to see whether Jason Kidd inserts Tim Hardaway Jr and plays Jaden Hardy more minutes to provide an offensive punch from the bench. The Mavericks need their role players to play better, and they usually do at home!
Prediction: I think the Celtics will need to weather the storm early in this game because the Mavericks will come out and try to bury them early. However, I think this Celtics team is on a mission, and the superstar duo will step up in this game. I think this game will be close, but Tatum and Brown will deliver under the pressure.
Celtics 109-Mavericks 105.