After taking a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals, it felt that Boston Celtics would close out the series in Game 4. However, the Mavericks were not about to allow the team from Beantown to celebrate on their home floor. Instead, Dallas produced one of their best displays of this series in a wire-to-wire 122-84 drubbing to force Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The Mavericks still have an uphill task of becoming the first team in 157 attempts to overcome a 0-3 series deficit. Still, the win on Friday night prevented a sweep and now puts pressure on the Celtics to win the Larry O’Brien at home. In this article, we will discuss how the Mavericks won this game decisively, what the performance means for the Celtics, and preview what to expect in Game 5.
1. Aggressive Mavericks offense and defense- the Mavericks staved off elimination because Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving led from the forefront with 50 combined points. The team played with desperation on both ends of the court. Doncic was maligned in Game 3 for effort on the defensive end and made a concerted effort to be more aggressive. It fueled his offense in attacking the Celtics in getting to the hole and getting fouled. Defensively, the Mavericks played with greater physicality and were not allowing the Celtics to blow by the initial defender. Also, the Mavericks finally got contributions from their role players with Tim Hardaway Jr hitting five three-pointers, while PJ Washington and Dante Exum hit two a-piece. The avalanche of shots meant the game was effectively decided at halftime when Dallas led by 26 points.
2. Celtics play their worst game of the playoffs- despite blowing two home games in the playoffs, it felt like these Celtics were nearly flawless in their playoffs. However, the 2022 and 2023 versions of the team were known for their inconsistencies and the inability to fight back when they got punched in the mouth. After a stellar performance in Game 3, the dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown failed to get any traction in Game 4. The duo combined to shoot 7 of 22 from the field and only 25 points. Surprisingly, even Derrick White and Jrue Holiday struggled to impact the game with a -29 and -38 while on the floor. In Game 3, the Celtics absorbed the initial blow, but in Game 4, it feels like they caved into the pressure and laid an egg. It was a bad time to play their worst game of the playoffs, but no one said winning a championship for the first time as a group would be easy.
3. Game 5 preview-Joe Mazzula pulled a plug on this game in the third quarter as the Mavericks piled on the points to rub salt in the wound. However, the coach perhaps wanted his team to recalibrate and use the lopsided loss as motivation on Monday Night at home. The Celtics won 64 games because they rarely lost back-to-back games in the regular season. It will be interesting to see whether the Mavericks win in Game 4 will have any carry-over to Game 5. Kyrie Irving will be relieved that he won his first game in 13 attempts against his former team, but will he be able to remain poised in the hostile environment at TD Garden? Can the Mavericks role players play well on the road in comparison to the stellar output in Game 4? The biggest question is whether Kristaps Porzingis will feature in Game 5 after missing Games 3 and 4 due to injury. A Porzingis return in a limited way may prove to be the morale-boosting jolt that pushes his team and the fans towards banner 18.
Prediction: I think in Game 5, Boston will be the team playing with desperation because they need to end this series on their home floor. I think Porzingis will play some minutes off the bench, which will lift the team’s spirit. I expect the Celtics to attack Dallas and test their resolve to fight back. I think Doncic will keep his team in it beyond halftime. However, I think Boston will pull away in the third quarter as the duo of Tatum and Brown seize the moment and hold off the Mavericks to win the title.
Celtics 110-Mavericks 100