Kyrie Irving looks to get back on track as the Mavericks return to Dallas for Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
DALLAS — Everything is bigger in Texas, but does that also include the Dallas Mavericks’ odds of making this a competitive NBA Finals?
They’re down two games and haven’t inspired much hope of putting the Boston Celtics on red alert. Maybe that changes now. Because:
- The Mavs are home for the next two games.
- Kyrie Irving can’t stay in a shooting funk much longer, can he?
Kristaps Porzingis, an impactful player in Games 1 and 2, is listed as questionable for the Celtics with his latest injury.
And it’s hard to win 10 straight games in the postseason, which would be the case if the Celtics grab Game 3 Wednesday (8:30 ET, ABC).
The series therefore is open to change, and if the Mavericks realize the urgency, then change is inevitable. They don’t have a choice, right? Falling behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven is the kiss of basketball death.
Here are four things to look for in Game 3, which will be Doomsday for Dallas if the home team fails:
1. How long can Luka last?
Nobody is completely healthy this time of year, not after almost eight months of grind, but it especially takes a toll on high-usage players. Which brings us to Doncic and his sore limbs.
He’s wrapped in ice before, during and after games, and will now play two games in three nights. He’s laboring, so it’s fair to ask — will he eventually wear down?
“I don’t want to get into any details,” he said before insisting, “I feel good.”
The Mavericks need Doncic’s impact in three phases: scoring, rebounding and creating shots for others. He has delivered through two games as arguably the best player in this series. They could also use his energy late in the fourth quarter, against a persistent Celtics defense geared to make him work hard. What then?
The key to preserving Doncic is to get more offensively from Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks need both guards to be exceptional to have a chance at beating the Celtics in four out of five. Only one has delivered so far.
“They’re sending specific strategies against me to make it difficult,” Irving said.
2. Tatum’s turn
The Celtics, to a man, are rallying around Jayson Tatum, defending his poor shooting and imploring folks to look at how he’s impacting this series with rebounding, passing and defense.
All that’s true and sometimes too much is made about scoring. Plus, the Celtics are up 2-0, so his misfires don’t matter much.
But can Tatum afford to keep shooting in the 30% range?
That depends on what others are doing, whether they can compensate for his lack of buckets and if Boston’s defense is so good that they don’t need 30 from Tatum.
“I don’t want to put us in the predicament where it’s like I’m shooting not as well,” he said. “Still, we can win. I want to shoot the ball well.
“But that’s not the only thing that I bring to the table. I’m not being defined by that. You’re not going to make every shot. The best of the best players have always just found a way. That’s just all I’ve been trying to do, is find a way to do whatever I can.”
This is somewhat similar to the 1981 Finals when Larry Bird struggled with his shot — he was superb otherwise — and the Finals MVP went to Cedric Maxwell. The difference is Bird was only in his second season and first Finals. This is the second time Tatum has struggled in the championship series.
“You’re trying to just make it tough on him,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “That’s all you can do. Hopefully guard the first move, guard the second move, guard the third move and contest. Guys are doing that at a high rate.”
If this continues and Tatum never regains his touch (and the Celtics keep winning), the only loss for Tatum is the Finals MVP. And if the best player on a team fails to capture the award, well, that happened to Boston before.
3. Can the Mavs make 3s?
This can’t be emphasized enough — the Mavericks have been miserable from 3-point range in this series. They’re 13-for-53, and shooting 26% isn’t the recipe for winning.
One reason is the Celtics’ perimeter defense isn’t cheating off shooters to double on Doncic and Irving. The other reason is the Mavericks aren’t making them pay even when Boston leaves shooters open.
Doncic’s advice: “Keep shooting. We all believe in those shots. That’s how we came to the Finals. That’s how we played the whole season. We believe in those guys. Everybody believes. If you’re open, just keep shooting. You’re going to knock it down at some point.”
The only player who’s respectable from deep in this series is Doncic. Everyone else is flat — P.J. Washington, Maxi Klieber and also Derrick Jones Jr. from the corner. All three were effective in the Western Conference Finals, which means the Timberwolves must be watching this series and cursing their luck.
If those shots start falling, then everything else opens up — Doncic doesn’t need to labor, Irving’s issues aren’t as magnified and maybe Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford can see open lanes when they crash the paint for lob passes.
4. Does Porzingis play?
And if he doesn’t, who covers for his scoring and especially his rim protection?
In the first two games, Porzingis was better than expected at both ends of the floor after being inactive for more than a month.
Indeed, the Celtics didn’t have any hiccups when he was missing from the lineup; this team only has two losses in the postseason. And yet …
“We’re just so much of a better team when we have him,” Tatum said. “He’s as talented as they come. Presents so many matchup problems on the offensive end. Then on the defensive end, he’s somebody that can affect shots.
“So yes, we’ve had success and found ways to win without him. Obviously, we’re better when he’s on the team, when he’s out there playing with us. He’s doing everything he can to get out there and give us whatever he can.”
The Mavericks must seize the situation as much as possible. This means Gafford and Lively need to roam the paint and put pressure on Al Horford and whomever else the Celtics use as rim protectors and rebounders.
It’s a roll call for help by the Mavericks as they head into a game they can’t afford to lose.
Kristaps Porzingis speaks on the injury he suffered in Game 2 and how he's feeling ahead of Game 3.
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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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