The Dallas Mavericks bounced back from a Game 1 blowout Sunday night with a big game from Luka Dončić and an improved effort from the field.
It didn’t matter.
The Boston Celtics overcame poor shooting from 3 and from Jayson Tatum to secure a 105-98 win in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Jrue Holiday paced the Boston offense with one of his best outings of the season. The Celtics now hold a 2-0 series lead as the series sets to shift to Dallas for Game 3. Per ESPN, teams that take a 2-0 lead in the Finals have a 31-5 (86.1%) record.
Boston won Game 1 after blowing the game open with a 58-29 second-quarter advantage and never letting Dallas sniff the lead from there. Dallas looked like the stronger team early Sunday as Dončić took over with a 23-point first-half effort. After scoring 12 points in Game 1, Kyrie Irving had 10 at halftime as Boston had few answers for Dallas’ elite backcourt duo.
But the Celtics still managed a 54-51 halftime lead while shooting 3-of-15 from long distance. Then they turned the screws on defense to open the third quarter and take control of the game. Dallas turnovers — many of them by Dončić — were repeatedly converted to points on the other end.
The Celtics extended their lead to 83-74 in a third quarter that was capped by a miracle 3-pointer from backup point guard Payton Pritchard.
By the fourth quarter, Boston’s defense was in control, and its 3-point shooting was back to form. A Derrick White 3-pointer extended the Celtics lead to 103-89 in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.
Derrick White’s late block seals Celtics’ victory
Dallas wasn’t done, though. The Mavericks went on a late 9-0 run to trim the Celtics lead to 103-98 with 1:15 remaining. Then, as the clock ticked into the final minute, Dallas threatened to cut the game to a single possession. Derrick White had other ideas.
Derrick Jones Jr. blocked a Tatum layup at the rim to ignite a Dallas fast break. Irving then found P.J. Washington with a bounce pass for what looked like a layup to cut Boston’s lead to 3. But White — an All-Defensive Team selection alongside Holiday — chased the play down and blocked Washington from behind.
The block stunted the Mavericks’ rally and all but ended the game. Boston scored on the other end, and the Mavericks didn’t score again.
Holiday takes star turn in Game 2
While Tatum struggled from the field, Holiday took the reins on offense. The former All-Star and champion with the Milwaukee Bucks is a featured player in a Celtics offense that can count on any of its starters and now-sixth man Kristaps Porziņģis to take over on any given night. It was Holiday’s turn Sunday in arguably his best offensive outing of the season.
Holiday floated the Celtics’ offense at halftime with 17 points. He finished the game with a team-high 26 points and 11 rebounds alongside three assists, one steal and one block. He shot 11-of-14 from the field and 2-of-4 from 3.
Jaylen Brown posted another strong effort after helping lead the Celtics to victory in Game 1. He tallied 21 points, seven assists and three steals while shooting 8-of-15 from the field. Tatum overcame his poor shooting night (6-of-22, 1-of-7 from 3) with a well-rounded effort that featured his skills as a playmaker. He finished with 18 points, a game-high 12 assists and 9 rebounds.
On a night where Boston shot 10 of 39 from 3, White was a bright spot from long-distance on a 4-of-10 effort. He finished with 18 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks, including the game-sealing stop in the final minute.
Dončić TOs, Irving’s shooting woes sink Mavericks
Dončić cooled down after his 23-point first half as Boston’s defense took control. He finished with a 32-point, 11-assist, 11-rebound triple-double. He tallied four steals and shot 12-of-21 from the field and 4-of-9 from 3. But his eight turnovers helped Boston take control of the game.
Irving struggled in the second half after shooting 5-of-10 before halftime. He finished with 16 points and six assists while shooting 7-of-18 from the field. He missed all three of his 3-point attempts and has yet to hit a 3-pointer in the series after shooting 0-for-5 in Game 1.
And free throws were costly for Dallas once again. The Mavericks left points at the line on a 16-of-24 effort as the Celtics hit 19 of 20 attempts.
Game 3 on Wednesday will provide Dallas the comforts of home that could help Irving’s shooting woes. But the Mavericks face an uphill climb with NBA history working against them as they look to make this a series.
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Oh my, Payton Pritchard!
After the Celtics build an 80-67 lead, the Mavericks responded on a 7-0 run to close the third quarter … until Payton Pritchard drills a 34-footer at the buzzer. Pritchard has had a knack for those shots in the playoffs. Celtics lead, 83-74, entering the fourth quarter.
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