The Dallas Mavericks were back home last night (Wednesday) for Game 3 of the NBA Finals after being stifled by the Boston Celtics’ masterful defensive execution in Games 1 and 2.
The Celtics opened the best-of-seven series by holding the Mavericks’ seemingly irrepressible future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame guard Kyrie Irving to just 12 points on 6-19 shooting in a 107-89 win, and then harassed him into missing 11 of 18 attempts for only 16 points as they won Game 2 105-98.
Although Irving’s backcourt mate, Luka Doncic, an offensive savant, posted 30 and 32 in Games 1 and 2 respectively, the Celtics’ blueprint, crafted by head coach Joe Mazzulla and his staff, of preventing the duo from igniting while minimizing the Mavericks role players was carried out nearly flawlessly. In Game 2, the Celtics held five Mavericks reserves, who collectively played 62 minutes, to a combined nine points.
Boasting four world-class defenders in the 2024 NBA All-Defensive Team selections, guards Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, wing Jaylen Brown—a perennial All-Defensive candidate—and forward Jayson Tatum, who has now become one of the sport’s best two-way players, the Celtics relentlessly disrupted the Mavericks at the point of attack and compelled their head coach Jason Kidd into deep contemplation as to how to counter.
Moreover, Boston’s 7-2 center Kristaps Porzingis, who returned to the lineup in Game 1 after being sidelined since April 29 with a calf injury, proved to be a force on both sides of the floor blocking and altering Dallas’ shots and netting 20 points in Game 1.
On offense, four of the Celtics starters scored at least 18 points, led by point guard Jrue Holiday’s 26, who converted 11 of 14 shots in addition to snaring 11 rebounds. The 33-year-old, 14-year pro was a key component of the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2021 title squad and has brought a championship pedigree to the franchise after being acquired by the Celtics in a trade with the Bucks last September.
Holiday was averaging 19 points and 9.5 rebounds in this year’s finals heading into last night’s matchup to augment Boston’s two superstars, Brown and Tatum.
“That’s why they are the No. 1 team in the NBA with the No. 1 record,” said Doncic after Game 2, referring to the Celtics’ NBA best 64-18 regular season record. “They have a lot of great players. Basically, anybody can get off.”
But another injury to Porzingis had the Celtics considering adjustments ahead of last night’s game. He sustained what has been termed a rare knee injury, a “torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg,” as revealed by the Celtics. It occurred late in the third quarter in Game 2.
Earlier this week Porzingis’ desire to be on the court may have contrary to the diagnosis.
“That’s something I’ll leave in the medical staff’s hands to determine whether I can go or no,” he said. “But from my side, as I said, nothing is going to stop me unless I’m told I’m not allowed to play. That’s the only reason I would not be out there.”
“It’s a serious injury and at the end of the day, our medical team is not going to put him in any bad situations,” said Mazzulla. “We’ve taken the decision to play out of his hands. He’s going to do everything he can to play and we’re going to leave it up to our medical team.” Porzingis’ status has been listed as day-to-day.
Game 4 is Friday in Dallas and Game 5 back in Boston on Monday.