The Dallas Mavericks bounced back from a Game 1 blowout Sunday night with a big game from Luka Doncic and an improved effort from the field.
It didn’t matter.
The Boston Celtics rallied from poor shooting 3s and Jayson Tatum’s 105-98 win in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Jrue Holiday led the Boston offense to one of its best outings of the season. The Celtics now have a 2-0 series lead as the series shifts 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 by opening the game with a 58-29 second quarter advantage and not allowing Dallas to take the lead from there. Dallas looked like the stronger team early Sunday, with Doncic scoring 23 points in the first half. After scoring 12 points in Game 1, Kyrie Irving had 10 points at halftime as Boston had few answers to Dallas’ elite backcourt duo.
But the Celtics still led 54-51 at halftime. They then turned the screws on defense to open the third quarter and take control of the game. Dallas turnovers — many of them by Doncic — were repeatedly turned into points on the other end.
The Celtics extended their lead to 83-74 in the third quarter, capped by a miraculous 3-pointer by backup point guard Payton Pritchard.
In the fourth quarter, Boston’s defense was in control and its 3-point shooting returned 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 sealed the victory for the Celtics
Dallas isn’t finished. The Mavericks went on a 9-0 run late to make it 103-98 with 1:15 left. Then, as the clock ticked down to 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. Then Irving found a bounce pass to PJ Washington for a layup to cut Boston’s lead to 3. But White — an All-Defensive Team selection along with Holiday — chased the play and then blocked Washington.
The interception stymied the Knights’ rally and ended the game. Boston scored on the other end, but the Mavericks didn’t score again.
Become a holiday star in game 2
While Tatum struggled from the field, Holliday took control of the offense. The former All-Star and champion Milwaukee Bucks is a standout player in a Celtics offense that can count on its starters and now sixth man Kristaps Poroshenko on any given night. Holiday had his best offensive outing of the season on Sunday.
Holiday led the Celtics’ offense at halftime with 17 points. He finished the game with 26 points and 11 rebounds to go along with three assists, one steal and one block. He was 11-for-14 from the field and 2-for-4 from 3.
Jaylen Brown had another strong effort to help lead the Celtics to a victory in Game 1. He had 21 points, seven assists and three steals while shooting 8-for-15 from the field. Tatum overcame his poor shooting night (6-of-22, 1-of-7 from 3) with a solid effort that featured his skills as a playmaker. He finished with 18 points, a game-high 12 assists and 9 rebounds.
On a night when Boston went 10-of-39 on 3-pointers, White was a bright spot from long range on 4-of-10 attempts. He finished with 18 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks, including a game-sealing stop in the final minute.
Dončić TOs, Irving’s shooting woes sink Mavericks
Danzig cooled off 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, went 12-for-21 from the field and 4-for-9 from 3. But his eight turnovers helped Boston take control of the game.
Irving struggled in the second half after going 5-for-10 before halftime. He shot 7-of-18 from the field with 16 points and six assists. He missed all of his 3-point attempts and has yet to make a 3-pointer in the series after shooting 0-for-5 in Game 1.
Free throws again proved costly for Dallas. The Celtics hit 19 of 20 attempts, leaving the Mavericks 16 of 24 on the line.
Game 3 on Wednesday will give Dallas home comfort that could help Irving’s shooting woes. But the Mavericks, with NBA history working against them, face an uphill climb as they look to make this a series.
Live coverage is over44 updates
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Oh, Baden Pritchard!
After the Celtics took an 80-67 lead, the Mavericks responded with a 7-0 run to close the third quarter … until Payton Pritchard drilled a 34-footer at the buzzer. Pritchard had a knack for those shots in the playoffs. The Celtics led 83-74 entering the fourth quarter.
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