DALLAS — A 122-84 Game 4 destruction of the Boston Celtics by the embattled Dallas Mavericks not only breathed life back into the NBA Finals, but it also refilled the depleted tanks with hope for the entire Metroplex.
The blowout scattered off the vultures ready to dive in to tell us why Luka Doncic isn’t actually that great, or that another Western Conference team would have put up a bigger fight in the NBA Finals against a Celtics’ squad that has been looked at as title favorites since the preseason.
Dallas now returns to Boston staring at a 3-1 deficit while trying to avoid the Finals being nothing more than a gentleman’s sweep after they tucked the brooms back in the closet. A win in Boston is the next challenge as the Mavericks look to become the first team in NBA history to ever win a series after going down 0-3.
Does Dallas have one more in them?
To make history, the Mavericks can’t be thinking about a Game 6 back home or a decider next Sunday. They merely have to worry about the next one in front of them and how they can defeat the Celtics on their home court and extend the series.
Dallas was granted this chance to keep going as Doncic had a throwback performance in Game 4 after hearing pretty much every part of his game criticized by the national media after fouling out of Game 3.
The story in Dallas’ breakthrough win was Doncic’s defensive effort on the perimeter. Through the previous playoff series, the guard had been silencing his critics on his defensive acumen. The Game 3 disappointment was the climax of a very bad defensive night for Doncic, but as we have seen before, #77 seemingly fuels his competitiveness.
Luka is leading the NBA in minutes during this postseason, despite an accumulation of injuries, and is living the “I will die out there” quote attributed to Kristaps Porzingis, who is currently on the shelf. Doncic played only 32 minutes thanks to the historic blowout, but before he got some well-earned rest, he shot 12-of-26 and scored 29 points despite missing all of his three-point attempts.
The rout also allowed Josh Green to get more minutes than Derrick Jones or P.J Washington. Even Tim Hardaway made a cameo, hitting five three-pointers in his return from the end of the bench. Getting Hardaway, Green, and Exum going as contributors will be crucial going forward as they showcased a different view for the Mavs to counter Boston’s efforts.
Meanwhile, after having a horrible time of it in the first two games in Boston, Kyrie Irving continued enjoying home cooking by following up his 35 point Game 3 by and adding 21 points on 55% shooting as Dallas pulled away to grab their first win of the Finals.
Irving was again ice cold from three after shooting 66% from deep in Game 3, which is something to keep an eye on. He now returns to Boston for a make or break test, needing to deliver for Dallas or see his former team raise a banner.
Return to Boston
The Mavs have the arduous task of a must-win game at TD Garden on Monday night where they are expected to receive the Celtics’ response to their biggest playoff point loss in franchise history.
With a chance to earn an NBA-best 18th championship, the Celtics’ Game 4 effort was subpar across their rotation. Jayson Tatum was the night’s scoring leader at just 15. Jaylen Brown shot 25% from the field, and Al Horford – stepping back in the starting lineup in place of the injured Porzingis – scored just three points.
Just like Doncic responded to his miserable Game 3, the Mavs will need to absorb the best blows from a humbled Boston as Tatum and Brown will be motivated to establish their rhythm early. The loss of Porzingis was especially noticeable in the Celtics losing effort, where his three-point shooting and rim presence has made a difference in defensive alignments.
Saving themselves from elimination allowed the Mavericks to push a coronation off their home floor. Now they will look to extend the series back to Dallas for a Game 6. The Mavs will need to make history to see their dream realized, but it will start with the goal of getting back on the plane after beating a Boston team on their home court, something that happened only four times in the regular season and twice in the playoffs.
Do you think the Mavericks can send the series back to Dallas with a Game 5 win in Boston? Share your predictions with Irvin on X (formerly Twitter) @Twittirv.
