The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks will fight for the NBA title. Whoever wins it would be a crowning achievement of a great season.
There are many intriguing aspects about the upcoming Finals, with everyone involved striving for the Larry O’Brien trophy. From individual performances and statistical parameters to historical context, one thing is certain – the fire in the eyes of every individual who will appear on the court, as well as those around it, will be unmistakable.
For the first time in playoff history, the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks have played a total of 86 games against each other. This marks the first interesting fact, as these teams have never met in the playoffs before, making their debut clash one with the highest stakes – the championship trophy.
In the regular season, the Boston Celtics finished as the best team in the NBA with a 64-18 record and entered the playoffs from the top position in the Eastern Conference. On the other hand, the Dallas Mavericks were the fifth team in the Western Conference with a 50-32 record.
2024 NBA Finals preview Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks: Road to the Finals
The Boston Celtics played “only” 14 games on their way to the NBA Finals. In the first round, they defeated the Miami Heat 4-1, then eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers with the same score in the second round. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they swept the Indiana Pacers 4-0. Although it might seem that the team from Indianapolis put up no resistance, the games were much more complicated, especially the first three.
The Dallas Mavericks, on their way to the finals, played 16 games with far more “problems.” They eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers (4-2), then the Oklahoma City Thunder also in six games (4-2), and in the Western Conference Finals, they outplayed the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1. In that situation, the Mavericks were underdogs, especially after the phenomenal performance of the “Wolves” against the still reigning champion – the Denver Nuggets, but they found a way to tame Anthony Edwards and his team for the most significant step since 2011 when, in the Dirk Nowitzki era, they lifted the trophy.
2024 NBA Finals preview Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks: Dynamic duos
It is clear that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the main offensive weapons for the Boston Celtics, and much of what happens on the court will depend on their performances. Tatum is averaging 26 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, while Brown contributes 25 points, six rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Brown was even surprised when he received the award for the most valuable player of the Eastern Conference Finals, but it is evident that team success is prioritized over individual achievements.
On the other hand, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have “clicked” beyond all expectations, showing they function fantastically as a tandem. On their way to the finals, they played 17 games, with Doncic averaging 28.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. He leads in seven statistical categories in the playoffs so far, indicating his immense importance to the Dallas Mavericks’ game, despite playing through injuries (Achilles tendon inflammation, knee issues, and lower back pain). Irving is averaging 22.8 points and 5.5 assists per game.
This NBA Finals will be even more intriguing due to Kristaps Porzingis, who is one of the two reasons for the added excitement. From 2019 to 2022, Porzingis played for the Dallas Mavericks.
The Latvian center played only four games in this year’s playoffs, averaging 12.3 points and five rebounds. During the regular season, he contributed to the Celtics’ first-place finish in the Eastern Conference (64-18) by averaging 20.1 points, seven rebounds, and two assists over 57 games.
The second reason is Kyrie Irving, as it is well-known that he did not part on the best terms with the Boston Celtics, where he spent two seasons.
A few days ago, Chandler Parsons claimed that Doncic and Porzingis, as former teammates, do not have a good relationship now. The Slovenian national team player briefly refuted this:
“Chandler Parsons and I have maybe talked twice in our lives. I don’t know how he could even know that. At the end of the day, Porzingis and I have a perfectly okay relationship.”
2024 NBA Finals preview Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks: Dereck Lively could make history
Dereck Lively is playing his first NBA season and is already on the verge of winning the title. It’s clear that he’s a significant piece of the Texas franchise, and in the Western Conference Finals, he achieved something unprecedented in the history of the world’s premier league.
Specifically, in the four games he played, he scored 9, 14, 6, and 9 points respectively. He missed the fourth game as a precautionary measure due to a neck injury and a hit he took from Karl Anthony-Towns during the third game.
While this statistic might not sound impressive at first, Dereck Lively made all 16 of his field goal attempts against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It’s safe to say that such a feat is rarely seen, if ever, as it has never happened before in the Eastern or Western Conference Finals.
2024 NBA Finals preview Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks: Predictions
The Boston Celtics will be appearing in the NBA Finals for the second time in the last three seasons. Two seasons ago, they were defeated by the Golden State Warriors. On the other hand, the Dallas Mavericks will be competing for the trophy for the first time in 13 years, since the era of Dirk Nowitzki. What they have shown in the current season is undoubtedly a huge offensive potential.
Speaking of the Boston Celtics, the fact is that they have succeeded in initiating the majority of their attacks with five players outside the three-point line, and they finish a significant portion of them with outside shooting. The best indicator of this is certainly the 172 attempted three-pointers in four games against the Indiana Pacers.
On the other hand, the Dallas Mavericks have managed to focus heavily on stopping opponents in the paint. The biggest challenge, however, is the aforementioned fact that the Boston Celtics do not primarily aim to trouble opponents with interior play.
That’s why Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic will have to find a formula to control the rhythm of the NBA Finals, in terms of adapting their game to “survive” the long-range bombardment from their opponents while having a response. For such a task, they need a higher level of performance from individuals, among whom PJ Washington and Tim Hardaway are certainly key players.