The Dallas Mavericks are the 157th NBA team to lose a series, 3-0. None of the previous 156 times were able to pull off the comeback. But it all started with the first inning.
The Mavericks swept the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday, beating them 122-84 in front of a home crowd, the third-largest margin of victory in Finals history.
Dallas started strong, outshooting the Celtics 31-24 in the first quarter, but the Mavs kept scoring while the Celtics struggled to add to their lead.
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Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) embrace after the first half against the Boston Celtics during Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals at the American Airlines Center. (Jerome Miron – USA Today Sports)
Boston was trailing 27-14 in the second quarter, and their 35 first-half points were their lowest all season.
The Mavericks shot 52.3 percent from the field in the first half while Boston shot just 29.7 percent. Jayson Tatum had 15 points in the first 24 minutes and Finals MVP candidate Jaylen Brown had eight, but Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Sam Hauser and Xavier Tillman each had three points each and didn’t get much help from the supporting cast.
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) high-fives center Derek Lively II (2) and forward Derrick Jones Jr. (55) during the first quarter of Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics at the American Airlines Center. (Kevin Jairaj-USA Today Sports)
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Meanwhile, Luka Doncic nearly singlehandedly outplayed the Celtics for Dallas, scoring 25 points in the first half, and Kyrie Irving added 11 points.
The Mavs kept their foot on the gas, leading 29-17 early in the third quarter and taking a 38-point lead, their largest of the night at that point (and eventually a 48-point lead). After that, the game was smooth sailing with both teams fighting the B’s evenly.
Tatum didn’t score in the second half, Brown added two points, and Irving finished with 21 points.
That was a big one for Doncic, who was heavily criticized in Game 3 for fouling out with poor body language and yelling at his coaches about his poor play. He scored just four points in the second half, but had little to do after Dallas dominated the second half.
“I can’t lose anymore. I will keep believing until the end,” he said after the match.
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after a play during the first half of Game 4 of the NBA basketball Finals against the Boston Celtics, Friday, June 14, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
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Game 5 will be played Monday at 8:30pm ET in Boston.
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