Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla spoke at a press conference ahead of their matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.
After easily overcoming the Miami Heat without Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier and comfortably defeating the injury-plagued Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics now face a much tougher challenge.
The Indiana Pacers posed a significant threat throughout their series, but the Celtics managed to clinch victories in all four games. Now, they are preparing to tackle the formidable duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in the NBA Finals.
Mazzulla acknowledged the difficulty of this task, emphasizing that stopping Doncic and Irving is nearly impossible. Instead, he focused on the importance of defending them at a high level and playing a comprehensive game, as every aspect of the game is interconnected (via NBA).
“There is no ‘stopping’ them. There is defending them at a high level, and there’s playing a complete game because every part of the game is connected,” Joe Mazzulla stated.
Jrue Holiday is one of the rare backcourt defenders who might be able to hold his own against Irving. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and even Al Horford will need to work together to disrupt Doncic’s rhythm.
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ strategy of limiting the Mavericks’ supporting cast and letting Doncic and Irving do most of the scoring backfired, highlighting the challenge that lies ahead for the Celtics.
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