Can the Mavericks turn this series around if Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are the only scoring threats on the floor?
BOSTON — The beauty of the NBA Finals is the last game is the last game. It carries no meaning to the next, or perhaps even the series. There’s too much evidence to support this.
That’s good news for the Dallas Mavericks, who find themselves down 1-0, and a heads-up for the Boston Celtics, who should heed the wise words of the late, great two-time champion coach Chuck Daly:
“Never trust happiness.”
So it’s on to Game 2, commonly known as the Adjustment Game, where new wrinkles are introduced and narratives often die. What’s the theme? The Mavericks get a second chance to make a first impression.
“We understand they’re going to play a lot better,” Celtics star Jayson Tatum said, “and we have to be prepared for that.”
Here are four things to look for on Sunday where the Celtics can win and maintain home-court advantage or lose and surrender it to the Mavericks (8 p.m. ET, ABC):
1. Kyrie Irving’s response
He had good looks at the hoop in Game 1 and found his spots for shots. He “just missed them.” That made him a non-factor. So, what’s next?
Something similar happened in Game 4 of the West finals when he shot 6-for-18 and the Mavs failed to sweep Minnesota. The next game, Kyrie was tricky with the ball, shook defenders, dropped jumpers and shot 14-for-27 to score 36 points for redemption.
That has been his pattern this postseason after stinkers. But against a very good Celtics team, there’s less room for error. This wouldn’t be a burden if the Mavs had multiple 20-point scorers like the Celtics. But because so much of their offense depends on he and Luka Doncic having efficient and high volume performances, this is where Kyrie is.
One could theorize that the poisonous atmosphere inside TD Garden isn’t helping, but that’s probably far-fetched. Kyrie is handling these situations better.
“I’ve been able to accept what I cannot change but also change the way that I look at things to be more positive,” he said. “So this is fun for me, man. This is healthy.”
Here’s a novel thought — he’s playing against a very good team with multiple defenders all throwing something different at him. Ultimately in the NBA, good offense trumps good defense, if only because the rules favor those with the ball. That’s the good news for Kyrie. If he’s sharper for Game 2, that’s a problem for Boston no matter who’s standing in front of him.
2. This is Jaylen Brown’s time
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd was right when he casually dropped this oh-no-he-didn’t comment:
“Jaylen is their best player. Just looking at what he does defensively, he picked up Luka fullcourt. He got to the free throw line. He did everything, and that’s what your best player does. Just understanding he plays both sides, defense and offense, at a high rate. And he’s been doing that the whole playoffs. I mean, when you talk about the Eastern Conference MVP, and it seems like he has continued to pick up where he left off.”
"Well, Jaylen [Brown] is their best player.. He plays both both sides at a high rate.”
-HC Jason Kidd on what makes going up against Jaylen Brown so challenging pic.twitter.com/nEySEph3bf
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 8, 2024
This is no disrespect to Tatum, an All-NBA 1st Teamer, an Olympian and the franchise centerpiece. Yet Brown has arguably elevated himself next to Tatum throughout the postseason and carries heavier two-way responsibility in this series than Tatum.
Brown is the opening line of defense on Luka. That alone says plenty. But wait, there’s more: Brown is also asked to produce high-volume shots and buckets, unless the Celtics believe Kristaps Porzingis, after a month off, will keep doing what he did in Game 1.
While Tatum was handcuffed by turnovers (six) and disappeared for stretches in Game 1, Brown was sneaky solid at both ends (three blocks, three steals, 22 points). So his impressive postseason run continues. He’s a No. 2 option who had a 40-piece in the previous round and boasts the biggest shot of the Celtics’ postseason.
3. A close game might favor Luka
Maybe it was good for the Celtics that they won Game 1 in a rout. Otherwise, in a close ending — which may very well be the case Sunday — who you got?
A Celtics’ team that often crumbled in the clutch during the few times they were slapped with a loss this season? Or a certified savior who, on countless occasions, showed his desire to take big shots and ability to make them?
Doncic is That Guy, perhaps more than any player in this series with the possible exception of Irving. He came up big in every round of the playoffs so far, and temporarily spooked the Celtics in the third quarter of Game 1.
So the strategy for Dallas is find a way to keep it close, then unleash the Luka Takeover and rejoice. And the Celtics need to do everything in their power to remove all suspense in the fourth quarter so it doesn’t get to that.
4. More Luka lobs are in play
The most potent play in the book for the Mavericks in these playoffs? Luka finding Derrick Jones Jr., Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II on lob for easy hoops.
The Mavericks can make it tougher on the Celtics if they find a way to fix what went wrong with that in Game 1, if those young bigs are flying to the rim, chasing lobs and crushing souls.Those high-percentage shots get them involved in the flow and reduce the load on their All-Star guards.
“Boston is going to give the layup to Luka, so he’s got to take it,” said Kidd. “They’re not going to give him the lob, and they are not going to give the corner 3. So it’s two-on-two, and we have to take advantage of that.”
That’s the strange situation that Luka and Kyrie find themselves in: Work against one-on-one defense, which can create more layup opportunities, and at the same time, eliminate chances of throwing lobs. The Celtics would rather take their chances with the layups only because they’re bringing Brown, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White for those one-on-ones.
Can the Mavericks turn this series around if Luka and Kyrie are the only scoring threats on the floor?
Given the way the Celtics are defending, there’s probably no other choice.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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