5 Ways the Mavericks can turn the tide of NBA Finals against Celtics

The Dallas Mavericks fell into a 2-0 hole in the 2024 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics on Sunday night with a 105-98 loss, and the Mavs must find a way to win Game 3 to stand a chance at winning this series.

The series is obviously first to four wins, but the writing would be on the walls if they lose Game 3 as no team has ever come back from being down 3-0. Dallas put together a much better performance in Game 2 than they did in an ugly Game 1, and now it’s time to see how they respond.

The last time the Mavs lost three games in a row was early March, and they have to find a way to make this series interesting.

5 Ways the Mavericks can turn the tide of NBA Finals against Celtics

The rowdy Celtics crowd obviously got to multiple players in these first two games, and playing at home for two straight games could be the change that everyone needs to get back on track mentally.

This series is not over by any means, but there are a handful of things that must happen if the Mavs want to defeat the Celtics in this series.

Here are five ways the Dallas Mavericks can turn the tide against the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals.

5. Contain Al Horford and Kristaps Pozingis

One of the most unique parts about the Boston Celtics offense is their ability to play five-out with either Al Horford or Krisaps Porzingis at the five. Both players are good shooters off the catch, and they can get hot at any time.

The Mavs have struggled at times this season with slowing down shooting big men, and Dallas has to contain Porzingis and Horford. They did a better job of that in Game 2 as they only combined for 17 points, and they have to limit them even more going forward.

One key to stopping Porzingis seems to be not switching and playing with physicality, and they have to keep guarding him physically in Games 3 and 4. Everyone knows that Porzingis typically shies away from contact, and the Mavs defenders have to throw the first punch in that matchup.

Avoiding smalls to switch onto Porzingis is important as well, because any time Dallas switches, Porzingis typically shoots right over the top of them.

Horford clearly is nowhere near as dynamic as Porzingis, but he can get hot as well. Finding a way to have Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II outplay Porzingis and Horford would be huge for Dallas, and it could shift the momentum in the Mavs’ favor.

4. Kyrie Irving has to play better

Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving has been horrible in the first two games of the 2024 NBA Finals, and that’s putting it lightly.

Irving is averaging 14 points and four rebounds per game in the Finals while shooting 35.1 percent from the field and zero percent from downtown on eight attempts. He is not the same player that we saw in the Western Conference Finals when he dominated in Game 5, and his struggles to begin this series have been concerning, to say the least.

Irving was clearly rattled by the Boston Celtics crowd in the first two games, and he did himself no favors by stirring the pot after Game 1. The Celtics crowd took exception to his comments, and they were even louder in Game 2.

If the Mavs want to win this series, Irving absolutely has to be better. He knows it, and so does everyone else.

The Celtics’ defense on Irving has been outstanding, but superstars don’t get taken out completely of series. Irving has to be more efficient and more poised, and playing back at home could help him do that.

He has to get back to playing his game and dominating all facets of the game, and a couple of days off and playing in front of the home crowd should be perfect for him.

3. Make free throws

In Sunday night’s Game 2, the Dallas Mavericks missed way too many free throws. Dallas shot 16-24 from the free-throw line, and compared to the Boston Celtics shooting 19-20 from the free-throw line, that is unacceptable.

You can’t leave free points on the line in the NBA Finals, and that’s exactly what Dallas did in Game 2. Luka Doncic in particular shot 4-8 from the free-throw line, and that is something he must improve as the series goes on. Doncic acknowledged that the Mavs must shoot better from the free-throw line after the game, and if Dallas would have just been average in this area, they could have won the game.

Although Dallas is flying through the playoffs right now and has put together a magical run, free-throw shooting has come back to bite them at other points in these playoffs as well. Doncic missed a clutch free throw in Game 4 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the team shot 12-24 from the free-throw line as a team in that game.

Dallas has struggled at the free-throw line in both of the first two games against the Celtics, and they’re too good of a team to blow opportunities like this. Boston will take advantage of these misses if they persist, and Doncic and company must lock in and sink free throws in these contests.

2. Limit Celtics’ 3-pointers

In Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks were plagued by a slow start. The Boston Celtics couldn’t miss from downtown, and they got out to a 37-20 lead at the end of the first quarter. Dallas played them fairly even for the rest of the game, but Boston’s shooting was much better than Dallas’ in that game.

Boston shot 16-42 from downtown in Game 1 while Dallas shot a poor 7-27. Every player in the Celtics’ starting lineup knocked down two threes, and when Boston is shooting well from downtown, they are nearly unbeatable.

Dallas did a better job of limiting Bostons’s looks from downtown early in Game 2, but as the game went on, they started to drill some threes and later pulled away. The Mavs have to keep the Celtics’ shooters in check as best as they can, and that’ll be important heading into Game 3.

Every single player in the Celtics’ rotation can knock down open shots, and the Mavs know that. Boston doesn’t have weak links like many of previous Dallas’ previous opponents have had, and it’ll be interesting to see how Kidd decides to play them in Game 3.

Kidd is never afraid to make adjustments, and if things start poorly in Game 3, he may roll the dice.

1. Dallas’ role players have to knock down open shots

As mentioned above, the Dallas Mavericks have to slow down the Boston Celtics’ shooters, but they also have to start hitting some shots of their own. The Mavs have shot below 30 percent from downtown in both of the first two games in the NBA Finals, and that’s unacceptable considering how they play.

Luka Doncic has knocked down eight threes over the first two games, but nobody else is stepping up. Kyrie Irving has shot 0-8 from downtown over the first two games, and P.J. Washington has shot 1-8. Both of those players have been players who the Mavs rely upon for threes, but they haven’t been able to contribute in that way during the Finals.

Another player who has struggled from downtown is Derrick Jones Jr., as he has shot 1-5 from three in the first two games. He is getting some good looks just like the rest of his teammates, but they just aren’t going down. Jones Jr. followed up his rough Game 1 with a more impactful Game 2, and playing at home could ignite some confidence into him and Washington as shooters.

Playing at home typically helps role players, and the Mavs need everyone to be at their best to avoid going down 0-3 in the series to the Celtics.

For all the latest on P.J. Washington, Derrick Jones Jr., and the Dallas Mavericks throughout the 2024 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, stay tuned as we’ll have you covered with all the latest.

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