Mavericks upset Celtics to keep the Finals series alive.
With a 122-84 victory, the Dallas Mavericks preserved their hopes of making it to the NBA Finals by preventing the Boston Celtics from winning the best-of-seven championship series. With 29 points from Luka Doncic and 21 from Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks broke their opponents’ 10-game winning streak in the play-offs and won the third-biggest victory in Finals history. However, they still have a long way to go before they can become the first club to win an NBA play-off series after falling behind 3-0; game five is scheduled for Tuesday at 01:30 BST in Boston.
The Slovenian remarked, “We knew we had to get it; we can’t lose any more.” “We’re going to believe till the very end, like we usually say. “Our energy level was definitely increased. Everyone had taken a protective stance.” After leading 34-21 at the end of the first quarter thanks to the play of Doncic and Irving, their team controlled the second half to lead 61-35 at the half. When the two departed the game with 1 minute and 29 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Mavs led 92-57.
For Dallas, Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed 15 points off the bench, while rookie Dereck Lively II, 20, added 11 points. In order to prepare for game five, which will be their next opportunity to win an NBA championship and end a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most titles, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla also benched his starting lineup in the third period.
The Celtics suffered their worst loss in Finals history as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for just 15 and 10 points, respectively. “I thought they played with a ton of energy and physicality,” Mazzulla remarked. “And they are a great team, that’s the reason why they are here when they play like that.”