MAVERICKS OBLITERATE CELTICS IN GAME 4 LAUGHER 122-84

The Dallas Mavericks prevented an embarrassing series sweep by blitzing the Boston Celtics from the start and winning a runaway Game 4 122-84. In doing so, the Mavericks achieved the biggest Finals blowout since 2013 Game 3 when San Antonio beat Miami by 36. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving had their most well-rounded game together in the Finals so far, while their team collectively edged the Celtics from the 3-point line for the first time and corralled 21 more rebounds. Dallas’ increased balance and distribution on offense galvanized their defense, as they obliterated Boston with a 61-35 opening salvo.

Though five Boston players scored in double-digits, the majority of that damage took place after the result was no longer in doubt. Jayson Tatum (15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) reverted back to his earlier struggles, and Jaylen Brown (10 points) joined him after several MVP-worthy performances. Sam Hauser (14 points) and Payton Pritchard (11 points) led a bench crew that nearly matched the starters tonight in defeat. Kristaps Porzingis did not play for the second game in a row.

Doncic (29 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) and Irving (21 points and 6 assists) dictated the pace of play right away tonight in the dominant win. Dereck Lively (11 points and 12 rebounds) made an immediate impact upon entering the game, and Tim Hardaway, Jr. chipped in 15 points.

After the tip, the teams’ stars set the pace offensively. Lively was brought in two minutes into the action to presumably defend better against Brown’s forays to the basket. Doncic and Irving accounted for Dallas’ first ten points. Lively hit a corner three(?!) and threw down a lob from Irving to put the Mavericks ahead by four. Tatum’s layup ended a 10-0 run by the Mavericks. Josh Green’s tipback dunk was answered by a miracle heave from 30+ feet by Derrick White. The Celtics left the sluggish quarter down double-digits for the second consecutive game.

Dante Exum’s surprising production helped the Mavericks pad their advantage to start the second period. Dallas did a noticeably better job at limiting the straight-lined drives that the Celtics had been used to. Irving bodied up and smartly drew an offensive foul on Tatum, and Doncic’s second and-1 in a row put Boston down 23. A hapless half for the Celtics ended mercifully with them buried 35-61.

While Lively had meaningful minutes in the first quarter, Daniel Gafford made the third quarter his highlight montage to help eliminate any hope of a Celtics comeback. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters late in the third after watching his players fail to hustle over several possessions, which essentially ended the evening for the Celtics.

Observations

• I can understand the desire to have a potential game 7 on a Sunday evening, but having a full weekend without NBA action seems sub-optimal.
• The last two Finals sweeps took place in 2018 (Warriors 4 Cavaliers 0) and 2007 (Spurs 4 Cavaliers 0) - San Antonio held possession for over 2+ minutes in the closing moments of that game 4 win.
• If the Mavericks get double-digit leads in the first period in Games 5, 6, and 7, they’ll win this, right?
• Maxi Kleber hit a three!
• Not sure why, but was thinking (during that boring fourth quarter) of which Spurs reserve would have made the most impact of anyone on either team, and it came down to Sandro Mamukelashvili! In my subjective simulation, he could have been a great secondary playmaking big on either squad - particularly for Dallas.
• Dallas Sequence of the Game: Derrick Jones, Jr. drove into the teeth of the defense midway through the first and converted a corkscrew lay-up to give them their biggest lead (up until that point).
• Dallas Sequence of the Game #2: Late in the first half, Doncic had the ball stripped in the paint and tipped it in the general direction of Irving in the corner. Doncic popped right back up (instead of complaining), and Irving lofted him a soft pass for an and-1.
• While Irving (lay-up) and Doncic (banker) started the Mavericks’ scoring from the tip, Brown (lay-up) and Tatum (3-pointer) answered quickly for Boston. The Celtics started 1-for-6 from behind the arc, and yet held a slight lead. Irving, Doncic, and Lively pulled off a 10-0 run to firm up a Dallas lead that it held onto for good. A pair of buckets from Tatum deep in the paint stemmed the tide of that run. Undeterred, Doncic resumed his smashing success, and behind Irving’s and PJ Washington’s threes, Dallas left the stanza up 34-21.
• An Exum floater and corner three sustained the Mavericks’ extended run to start the second period. Boston suffered its most extended period of lifeless offense since the Cleveland series, while Dallas methodically added to the Celtic deficit. Midway through the second, Doncic and Irving (11) had accumulated more field goals than Boston (9). Irving’s lay-up allowed Dallas to double the Celtics’ score (50-25). Boston did not hit the 30-point mark until 3:16 remained, and after a 14-point performance in the frame, Dallas went up 26 at the half.
• Boston capitulated in the opening handful of minutes after the half. After Gafford hit two free throws, Doncic found him soaring down the lane for an alley-oop, and he swatted a Tatum attempt at the other end. Washington’s wing three made it 70-38. Doncic walked Sam Hauser into the lane to throw in a floater and make it 75-42. Brown and Tatum looked like they were along for the ride for much of the third, and the starters were removed after Lively had two dunks to put his team up 36. Dallas exited the quarter up 92-60.
• In “tiempo basura,” Exum downed a three and lofted a baby hook in. Hardaway, Jr., having transformed into 2014 Patty Mills, treated the quarter like morning shootaround with a flurry of threes to push the lead out to 45. Neemias Queta registered a block and a dunk. A handful of players on both teams benefitted from the cardio.

Game 5 takes place in Boston on Monday night at 7:30 PM CDT.

2024-06-15T17:01:56Z dg43tfdfdgfd