Jun 14, 2024, 10:56 PM
Atypical from every point of view. That’s how it was triumph of dallas by 122-84 over Boston in the fourth game of the series. Regardless of the Celtics’ manners and forgettable performance, The Mavericks achieved the third largest difference in the history of the NBA Finals. Regardless of the lead on the scoreboard, they managed to extend the series that will continue on Monday at TD Garden.
Although it was an unexpected victory due to how the series had developed, the Mavericks relied, once again, on what their two top stars produced. Luka Doncic (29 points) and Kyrie Irving (21 points) combined to score or assist on 74 of the 92 points that Dallas scored until the two left with 1:29 left in the third quarter. They did not need to re-enter.
In a match with such an advantage, although some children could not resist falling asleep, practically all of the Mavericks fans stayed until the end to accompany their players. Maybe they wanted to see what the big difference was or just enjoy what could be the last home game of the season.
You can look for different approaches and analyses, but the story was simple: The same plan that had been failing worked for Dallas. For Boston, on the other hand, nothing went well.
Already in the third quarter the Mavericks won by 32 points and registered the second largest difference in the history of the Finals up to that point in the game, only surpassed by the 36 of the Chicago Bulls over the Portland Trail Blazers in the first game of 1992, as indicated ESPN Stats & Information.
Although they led by 48 points (115-67), Dallas won “barely” by 38 and could not register a record. It was the third largest difference in the history of the Finals behind the 42 of the Bulls against the Utah Jazz in the third game of 1998 and the 39 of the Celtics against the Los Angeles Lakers in the sixth of 2008.
What the Mavericks did achieve was the largest difference for a team seeking to avoid elimination in the history of the Finals.
This fourth game was so atypical that Tim Hardaway Jr., who had not made shots from the field in the Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves or in the first three games of the NBA Finals against the Celtics, scored 15 points and was the third leading scorer on his team with a wonderful 5 of 7 in triples.
That Jayson Tatum either Jaylen Brown not shining had been acceptable for the Celtics, a team with more resources than the Mavericks. But for the two of them together to have such a poor performance was something unprecedented. Tatum and Jaylen Brown added 25 points between them, the fewest amount in a playoff game in which they both participated since 2019. Boston’s superstars had just shined in the third game and this reverse is a clear indication that the team by Joe Mazzulla nothing came of them.
“In the NBA there is no idea of letting yourself get lost to celebrate at home,” said Fabricio Oberto in the broadcast of ESPN. The former Argentine player was in that situation when the San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007.
The Celtics wanted to establish themselves as visitors. Very early in the game they realized that it would be impossible. They will try in the fifth game so that what seemed like a dream final series does not find the torments of nightmares.
