NOT YET OVER: Doncic dazzles as Mavericks overwhelm Celtics to avert Finals sweep
Juan Carlo Mercado
It ain't over!
With the Dallas Mavericks on the brink of elimination, Luka Dončić powered his squad with a sterling performance as the Mavs handed a 122-84 demolition to the Boston Celtics, surviving in the Game 4 of the NBA Finals at American Airlines Center, June 15.
Dončić flashed his all-around brilliance with 25 points, five boards, five dimes, and three steals in 33 minutes of action to propel the Mavs.
In a post conference held after the game, Mavs head coach expressed his thoughts about the series deficit and historical context.
“The series numbers, I think we all understand what that is,” said Mavs Head Coach Jason Kidd.
“So, it's not so much that we are going to harp on that but understanding that we've got to play 48 minutes of our best basketball (Friday), and that's what we're talking about,” he added.
After being blown out in Games 1 and 2, while falling short in Game 3, Dallas played the best two-way basketball in the series as they found their groove early in the game while showcasing suffocating defense to establish a commanding 34-21 lead in the opening quarter.
In the second frame, Dončić and the Mavs played unselfish basketball while continuing to play rock-solid defense with Derrick Jones Jr. swatting Jaylen Brown's attempt to attack the paint and Doncic finding Maxi Kleeber on the corner for a triple to post a 61-35 advantage.
With momentum on the Maverick's side, Al Horford tried to disrupt the opposition's rhythm with a shot from beyond the arc while Dončić kept his composure as he threw a lob pass from half court as Daniel Gafford threw down an emphatic slam and blocked Jayson Tatum on the next possession as Tatum was called for a loose-ball foul.
Kyrie Irving retained his marvelous performance in Game 3, racking up 21 points, four rebounds and six assists to give his squad a push to restrict Boston from sparking a comeback.
With Derreck Lively II throwing down back-to-back jams with three minutes and 18 seconds left in the third, Boston called a timeout as they substituted their main players, knowing that it’s already even before the third period ended.
Despite Boston subbing out their main players, the Mavs’ 2nd unit still moved the ball quite well and played defense to secure their Game 4 victory.
With the suffocating defense of Dallas, Tatum, Brown, and Holiday were only restricted to 15, 10, and 10, respectively.
Dallas’ rebounds also proved to be a key factor in this win as they outrebounded Boston, 52-31 while scoring 60 points in the paint compared to Boston’s 29.