There’s just one crew left standing in the best way of the Boston Celtics from profitable an NBA championship and that’s the Dallas Mavericks.
Celtics followers in all probability weren’t watching the Mavericks carefully when the playoffs began. However Dallas certain has their consideration now, particularly after the Mavericks toppled three larger seeds within the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves to achieve the NBA Finals.
The Mavericks are a little bit of an unknown to the Celtics for the reason that two sides solely sq. off twice every common season — Boston took each matchups this 12 months. However we supplied some readability with these six issues it is advisable know in regards to the Mavericks earlier than they face the Celtics on the NBA’s grandest stage:
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Dallas doesn’t have a lot NBA Finals historical past
The Celtics are in the hunt for Banner 18. In the meantime, the Mavericks, who had been based in 1980, are making simply their third Finals look in franchise historical past.
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Regardless of that discrepancy, the title droughts for the 2 organizations are related. Boston is on the lookout for its first ring since 2008 whereas Dallas avenged a 2006 Finals loss to Miami by besting the Warmth for the championship in 2011 with Dirk Nowitzki main the best way in opposition to LeBron James.
The Mavericks do have a few gamers who’ve skilled profitable all of it, although. Kyrie Irving after all has a championship underneath his belt from his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Markieff Morris gained a hoop with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. The Celtics have only one participant who has made it to the NBA’s mountaintop and that’s Jrue Vacation.
Excessive makeover: Dallas version
The Mavericks shook up their roster on the NBA commerce deadline and it paid dividends. Dallas acquired P.J. Washington from the Charlotte Hornets in alternate for former Celtics ahead Grant Williams, who has obtained loads of flak just lately, Seth Curry and a 2027 first-round choose. The Mavericks additionally obtained Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards for Richaun Holmes and a draft choose.
Washington (6-foot-7, 230 kilos) and Gafford (6-foot-10, 234 kilos) instantly gave the Mavericks extra measurement within the frontcourt and upgraded their inside protection. Dallas discovered its stride with Washington and Gafford within the beginning unit because the Mavericks gained 16 of 18 video games earlier than dropping the ultimate two contests of the common season.
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Washington and Gafford have made their mark this postseason as effectively. Washington is the crew’s third-leading scorer with 13.6 factors per recreation whereas Gafford is averaging 1.8 blocks, which is third-best within the playoffs.
Every thing runs by way of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving
That is to be anticipated with the Mavericks trotting out two of the extra gifted scorers within the NBA. Solely Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid had the next utilization fee than Doncic within the common season.
Doncic, who netted 73 factors in a recreation in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks in January, and Irving have seen their utilization charges lower within the playoffs, however they’re nonetheless scoring in bunches and actually do every little thing on the court docket for the Mavs.
Doncic, 25, is near averaging a triple-double within the playoffs with 28.8 factors, 9.6 rebounds and eight.8 assists whereas Irving is contributing 22.8 factors per recreation on 48.5% taking pictures from the sector and 42.1% taking pictures from 3-point vary.
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Doncic posted two insane triple-doubles in opposition to the Celtics within the common season as he first notched 33 factors, 18 rebounds and 13 assists earlier than settling for 37 factors, 12 rebounds and 11 assists within the second go-around. Irving’s numbers had been pedestrian in comparison with that as he averaged 21 factors per recreation in opposition to the Celtics, however shot a awful 28.6% from past the arc.
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It’s a 3-point get together
Joe Mazzulla needs the Celtics to shoot as many 3-pointers as doable. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd needs his crew to do a lot of the identical.
Dallas was second to Boston with 39.5 3-point makes an attempt per recreation within the common season, however that quantity dipped again to 33.5 through the playoffs. The Mavericks have shot 37.2% from deep within the postseason, which is simply barely higher than Boston’s 36.8% from lengthy vary.
Doncic and Irving be sure to stand up their photographs from past the arc, however Washington is definitely second on Dallas within the playoffs with 6.6 3-point makes an attempt per recreation. He’s extremely efficient from the corners, too. He’s hit 28 corners 3s within the postseason to guide all gamers, in line with John Schuhmann of NBA.com.
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Mavericks are comeback youngsters
The Mavericks dealing with an enormous deficit doesn’t imply they may simply pack it in. It’s truly fairly the other.
Dallas has proven all through this season that it might probably climb out of sizable holes. The Mavericks closed out their second-round sequence with the Thunder with a 17-point comeback win and even erased a 31-point deficit in opposition to the Clippers within the first spherical earlier than falling within the last seconds.
Based on Schuhmann, the Mavericks are the one crew over the previous three postseasons with a number of wins after trailing by a minimum of 17 factors.
Improved Dallas protection
The Celtics put up 138 factors on Dallas in March, however they gained’t see the identical Mavericks protection within the Finals.
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The Mavericks have improved on that finish of the court docket due to the additions of Gafford and Washington together with the play of Dereck Vigorous II. After permitting a mediocre 115.6 factors per recreation within the common season, the Mavericks have stiffened as much as yield 103.9 factors per contest within the playoffs.
If Dallas can sustain that degree of defensive play, they might simply problem Boston’s juggernaut offense.
