Behind ten points from the duo Luka Doncic – Kyrie Irving (16 points at 6/18 on shots), the Mavs start the match by attacking the Boston defense much more quickly than during Game 1 (13-6). Boston responded, however, by keeping Dallas silent for four minutes, but the Celtics did not take advantage.
They are 1/9 from afar, and Jayson Tatum (18 points at 6/22, 12 assists, 9 rebounds) and Jaylen Brown (21 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds) are only 1/7 on shots as Luka Doncic attacks Tatum relentlessly to score 13 of Dallas’ 28 points in the first quarter. We need another good entry from Kristaps Porzingis (12 points) and a 10/10 on free throws to keep Boston in ambush (28-25).
Doncic catches fire, Tatum continues the caviars
Luka Doncic returns to the field and immediately continues to put pressure on his opponent by scoring Dallas’ first seven points in the second quarter (35-29). Jayson Tatum’s first points followed by three assists, however, allowed Boston to regain the advantage thanks to 9-0 (38-35).
The two teams then engage in a back and forth battle until half-time. Jrue Holiday (26 points, 11 rebounds) feasts on the baseline and at the “dunker spot” while Doncic finds Derrick Jones Jr. three times to keep Dallas level with Boston. It takes the eighth assist from Jayson Tatum, who shifts Holiday in the corner, to see the Celtics take a three-point lead (54-51).
The Celtics accelerate
Jason Kidd and his men attack the second half with two tactical changes. They give the low post ball to Daniel Gafford (13 points, 9 rebounds) defended by Jayson Tatum and they resort to a 3-2 zone defense. Unfortunately for them, the Celtics continue to gain strength. They force three loose balls from Luka Doncic and the Tatum – Holiday – Brown trio launches a 15-4 which puts Boston at +13 (80-67)!
The Mavs, however, managed to stop the bleeding. A 3-pointer from Dante Exum, two free throws from PJ Washington (17 points, 7 rebounds), and two more from Kyrie Irving allowed them to respond with a 7-0, but a buzzer beater ten meters from Payton Pritchard explodes the TD Garden (83-74)!
With their backs against the wall, the Mavs are not giving up. With Doncic on the bench, it is Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford who keep them in ambush (97-89). With less than five minutes to play, Dallas’ lack of clarity killed the game. After a defensive stop, PJ Washington and Luka Doncic offer an interception to Derrick White on a plateau which turns into 3-points from Jrue Holiday. On the next action, Holiday returns the favor to White! Boston takes a 14-point lead, and despite a little scare at the end of the match, they will travel to Texas after two convincing victories.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Luka Doncic, mummified and exhausted. Uncertain before the match, Luka Doncic showed up for warm-up a few minutes before the start of the match with a large bandage on his left knee and a heating pack wrapped around his back and torso. Despite reduced mobility, the Slovenian allowed his team to take the lead with 13 points in the first quarter and 23 at halftime. However, he ran out of juice in the second half. He lost five balls after the break and only scored three points in the last quarter. Despite his 7th triple-double of the playoffs, the Mavs star needs help.
– Boston’s defense continues its undermining work. You don’t change a recipe that works. The Celtics started the game with the same defensive strategy as in Game 1, limiting Dallas to two shots in the corners and the Gafford/Lively II duo to one shot at the rim. Jason Kidd found some solutions to allow Daniel Gafford near the circle (11 points in the second half) and PJ Washington (12 points in the second half) by attacking the “close outs”, to find a little rhythm but it wasn’t enough. Kyrie Irving, after a good start to the match, missed 10 of his last 13 shots. The Mavs, other than Doncic, finished 2/17 from 3-point range, and the bench was transparent. The fault is an intractable Boston defense since the start of the Finals, which has limited Dallas to 89 and 98 points.
– Jrue Holiday and Derrick White make the Mavs pay. With Dallas’ defense focused on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, it’s the other two troublemakers in Boston’s starting five who have been excellent. Jrue Holiday finished as the Celtics’ top scorer with 26 points on 11/14 shots. He spent the game finding space behind the Dallas defense to punish them in the paint (9/9 on shots). If Derrick White lacked skill, it was his 8 points in the last quarter that allowed Boston to put the lid on this second victory.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
