Celtics Take 2-0 NBA Finals Lead; Series Switches to Dallas
By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk
BOSTON – Unlike Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals when Boston came out shooting bulls-eyes, hitting three-pointers, running the floor, blocking shots and creating easy baskets off the break, Game 2 was cause for concern to the Celtics as they shot only 45% from the field and 26% from the three-point line. The Dallas Mavericks had made some adjustments and it resulted in a stagnant Celtics offense and very physical play.
Boston persevered through early adversity as All-Star forward Jayson Tatum scored 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had 12 assists – an impressive line – but struggled from the field, shooting 6-for-22 and 1-for-7 from downtown. Jaylen Brown picked up the slack, scoring 21 points but it was point guard Jrue Holiday who stepped up to lead the Celtics to a 105-98 victory and a 2-0 series lead.
Holiday scored a team high 26 points, adding 11 rebounds and three assists while giving Dallas point guard Kyrie Irving fits on the other end of the floor for the second consecutive game. Irving managed only 16 points and six assists, well below his 25.6 ppg regular season average.
The Boston victory did come with one set back, as center Kristaps Porzingis tweaked his sore calf which had sidelined him for a month leading into the NBA Finals. Porzingis labored up and down the court for three possessions before Boston coach Joe Mazulla sent Al Horford to the scorer’s table to return to action. Dallas was able to score an easy basket on Porzingis as he failed to get back on defense, making the score, 97-89 Boston.
Mazulla called time out to sub with 4:40 remaining in the game.
“Obviously something happened a little bit,” said Porzingis, “but I have a couple days [to get ready] again, and believe me, we’ll do everything we can to be back and moving.”
After a key Doncic turnover, Boston backcourt took over with Holiday making a 26-footer (100-89) and Derrick White following with the back-breaker for the Mavericks, a 26-footer to make it 103-89. Dallas fought back to make it 103-98 on a Doncic lay-up and subsequent free throw, but White blocked a PJ Washington lay-in and as Boston ran down the clock, Jaylen Brown scored on a short, three-footer to end the scoring with Boston up, 105-98.
Doncic had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the losing effort.
Boston took a 83-74 lead as the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter and reserve guard Payton Pritchard banked home a 34-footer after crossing center court with no Dallas defender within reach. It capped a 29-23 third quarter tally to extend the Celtics’ lead to nine. After Dallas coach Jason Kidd subbed-out Doncic at the 3:27 mark, Kidd was forced to call a timeout and re-insert his best player into the game as his only reliable scorer. Irving continued to struggle from the field and he failed to orchestrate the Mavericks on offense as the TD Garden crowd let him have it with the jeers.
Both teams played a hard-fought, physical first half and Boston led, 54-51, behind 17 first half points by Holiday. The half was marked by tough, physical defense and poor long distance shooting by both clubs.
Boston shot a horrid 20% (3-of-15) from three-point land while Dallas shot a slightly better 30.8% (4-of-13) from downtown. Doncic was 3-of-6 from 3-point range and scored 23 first half points and leading the team in minutes played despite his pregame downgrade to questionable with a thoracic contusion added to his injury report in addition to the right knee sprain and left ankle soreness he’s been playing through for all of the NBA postseason.