• Download the NBA App

BOSTON — Game 2 of the NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV revealed this about the Boston Celtics:

They don’t need to shoot well from deep to win.

They don’t need Jayson Tatum to get buckets to win.

Luka Doncic can deliver a 30-point triple-double for the Dallas Mavericks and it might not be enough.

Notice a pattern? Notice the result? And most importantly, notice where this series stands at the moment?

The Celtics claimed another victory, not as commanding as Game 1, but style points don’t matter in the championship series. It was Celtics 105, Mavericks 98, and the Finals are still looking for hints from the Mavericks that they can inject some drama with the Celtics now up 2-0.

In the meantime, here are five takeaways from Sunday and why the Celtics are in control:

1. Just the way they Jrue it up

Here’s a fresh update on the latest non-troversy known as Who’s The Best Celtic: Last month it was Jayson Tatum. Last week it was Jaylen Brown. Game 1, Kristaps Porzingis. Now, it’s Jrue Holiday.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, who caused a stir by crowning Brown the other day, had a front-row seat to witness the so-called changing of the guard. Now that everyone’s had their fun with this topic, here’s the truth: the Celtics are loaded enough to constantly play this game of musical chairs, game by game.

“That’s why they are the No. 1 team in the NBA with the No. 1 record,” Doncic said. “They have a lot of great players. Basically anybody can go off.”

Yes, it was unusual to see Holiday so aggressive with the shot — he called himself a “utility guy” — and maybe this efficient as well. Holiday shot 11-for-14, scoring a team-high 26 points without a turnover for the second straight game. He doesn’t actively seek the role of first option, but he had his shot working early — 17 points in the first half while most of his teammates were chilly — so why not?

Here’s what wasn’t a surprise: Holiday was all-around solid, bringing defense (of course), rebounding (11) and was a constant positive in a game that was occasionally shabby.

“Jrue has been an example of just excellence,” Jaylen Brown said. “Since he’s been here, his role has been different from what it was the last few years on Milwaukee, and he’s been able to adapt. Not a lot of guys can play different roles and different styles and still have an effect on the game.

“Jrue wasn’t on the ball as much but became a corner 3-point specialist. That’s just a testament to his greatness. Jrue had a lot of opportunities and he took advantage.”

To summarize: Boston is displaying its greatest asset — abundant talent — in this series and the Mavericks through two games haven’t come close to matching that.

Which means the series MVP so far — that’s Most Valuable President — is Brad Stevens, for swinging the Holiday trade last summer, among other moves.

2. Celtics delivering defensively

Boston’s defensive rotations and switches, presence in the paint and surprise double-teams confused the Mavericks and prevented them from seizing control of these two games at any time.

“They are pretty, pretty amazing on defense,” Doncic admitted.

While Game 2 was closer, an attempted upset by the Mavs was snuffed by a pair of breathless defensive stops by the Celtics late in the fourth quarter.

The first: After a near steal by Holiday, Derrick White did manage to pick off a Doncic pass, threw to Holiday before falling out of bounds, and Holiday’s 3-pointer put the Celtics up 11 with four minutes left.

The second, and the biggest: With the Mavericks mustering a last gasp, Derrick Jones Jr. blocked Tatum, triggering a Dallas fast break and hope. But Brown and White hustled back, chasing down P.J. Washington and converging to deny him at the rim. That led to a Brown layup with 30 seconds left.

Game over.

“It’s part of the game. I think just that I’m not afraid to get dunked on allows me to get some that maybe some people wouldn’t have gotten.”

Derrick White reacts to his game-sealing block 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/1OSmoq9CAg

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 10, 2024

“It’s the playoffs,” Brown said. “You’ve got to just get back and make a play. Derrick White sprints back. I see they have an advantage. I sprint back and was able to make a play there. But those are the type of plays that help you win games. It’s just effort, that’s what it comes down to.”

The Mavericks were left scrambling for answers against the Celtics’ defense, because once again …

3. Doncic needed help

Doncic took the blame for Game 2, saying he missed too many free throws (four) and had too many turnovers (eight). That’s a bit of a stretch. Despite the flaws, Doncic was once again terrific: 32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and stayed a constant problem for Boston.

The real culprit was the lack of support. And this is especially glaring once you consider Doncic isn’t completely healthy; he’s dealing with soreness issues in his chest and legs. It’s tough for Doncic to score 23 first-half points compared to 28 by his teammates and have enough energy for the fourth quarter while playing 42 minutes.

The Mavericks also struggled shooting 3-pointers at just 23%. Doncic had four and everyone else just two. Again, the imbalance between Doncic and his teammates is why the Mavericks are trailing this series.

“Right now,” said Kidd, “we’ve got to find someone to join Luka and Ky in that scoring category.”

Kidd might need to dust off Tim Hardaway Jr., once the team’s first player off the bench, now squinting from his vantage point deep down in the rotation.

4. Still waiting on Irving

Irving played reasonably well Sunday with playmaking and defense. But that’s the problem: the Mavs need him to be exceptional and that hasn’t happened yet. Once again, Irving didn’t distinguish himself for four quarters and his Game 2 impact was mild.

“The first two games weren’t the best for me,” Irving admitted.

He shot 7-for-18 for the game. He was just 2-for-8 in the second half, when he usually takes the baton from Doncic and shines. This was particularly costly when the Mavericks fought back down the stretch.

“My teammates look to me to convert a lot of these shots and ease the burden of not just Luka but everyone else and settle our team,” he said. “We definitely made our dinner on the defensive end, but now offensively I have to play better.”

Irving has now dropped 12 straight against the Celtics. That’s the most disturbing stat of all for him … and the Mavericks, who have provided him a happy landing spot since those Boston days.

5. A pressing Jayson Tatum turns to the pass

He aimed, he missed. Once, twice, three times, more. Tatum spent this game caught in a field-goal fog, unable to shake free or find a rhythm.

He missed seven of his first eight shots and there were moments when he seemed resigned to his fate, his cold night. He finished with 6-for-22 shooting, worse than Game 1, and he’s now 12-for-38 in the series.

And if that wasn’t enough, keep in mind the Finals has maintained a spell on Tatum. He shot 36.7% two years ago in a mistake-filled NBA Finals against the Warriors and spent that summer wondering what went wrong. If he can’t reverse this, he could gain a reputation.

Here’s the good news: Tatum was otherwise solid Sunday. He constantly found teammates for buckets with 12 assists and showed growth, too. Instead of forcing shots to prove a point, Tatum found other ways to win the game.

Anyone who focuses on Tatum’s poor shooting should also salute him for coming one rebound shy of a triple-double.

“He takes pride in taking that, and that’s winning basketball,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “So that’s the first and foremost. Jayson makes greatness look easy. He does it in different ways. He does it on defense, he does it on rebounding, he does it on passing, he does it on screening.

“He’s a tremendous player and not hard to coach. When he has the ability to affect the game in different ways, we’re a different team.”

A player desperate to redeem himself for his faulty 2022 NBA Finals undoubtedly came into this series seeking a win and the Finals MVP trophy. Through two games, the second trophy might be beyond his reach.

But doesn’t the first matter most?

* * *

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.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.