As we inch closer to the Summer, the NBA playoffs are also nearing their conclusion. With just two teams remaining, the Larry O’ Brien trophy could be headed to Dallas for just the second time or captured yet again by the 17-time NBA champion Boston Celtics. Below, I’ll provide an overview of both teams paths to the finals and a rundown of the matchup with predictions.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics took advantage of a relatively easy path to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, Boston is widely considered to be the best team in the NBA and was expected to take care of their first two opponents regardless of injuries. In round one, the Celtics faced a familiar foe in the Miami Heat, whom they lost to in the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago. Unfortunately for the Heat, Boston’s kryptonite Jimmy Butler sprained his MCL in the play-in tournament and Miami was only able to steal one game in a first round defeat. In their second series, the Cleveland Cavaliers led by Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley posed a serious threat against Boston. Similar to the Heat, the Cavs won by double digits in game two but found themselves eliminated in five games after Mitchell suffered a left calf strain. In their third consecutive conference finals appearance, the Cardiac Celts were able to overcome three fourth quarter deficits to sweep the Pacers. Jayson Tatum was able to silence his unrelenting doubters with averages of 30 ppg and 10 rpg, while his 300 million-dollar counterpart, Jaylen Brown, also poured in 30 ppg on 37% shooting from long range.
One Bright Spot – As they head to their 23rd NBA Finals appearance, the Celtics will only get stronger as they welcome back Kristaps Porzingis from his calf injury sustained in game four of the first round.
Dallas Mavericks
Out in the wild west, the Dallas Mavericks have wrangled their way through an extremely competitive two rounds. They faced the Los Angeles Clippers in their first series, a squad that they were 0-2 against in the Luka Doncic era. In this go around, the Clippers were unfortunately debilitated by an ailing Kawhi Leonard. Despite Doncic shooting a measly 23% from three on 67 attempts, multiple heroic performances from both Kyrie Irving and trade deadline acquisition P.J. Washington enabled a series victory in six games. In round two, the Mavs faced the number one seed Oklahoma City Thunder fresh off a sweep versus the Pelicans. While Irving only averaged 15 points per game, Doncic shot an improved 39% from three and rookie Derrick Lively II provided some key contributions to eliminate the touted Thunder in six games. Unlike their disappointing conference finals loss against the Golden State Warriors in 2022, the Mavericks thoroughly outperformed the Timberwolves in nearly every game of the short series. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for nearly 60 ppg while unlikely contributions from another trade deadline acquisition Daniel Gafford helped to tumble the surging T-Wolves.
One Bright Spot – While the 2023 season ended in a massive disappointment for Dallas, a masterful roster renovation sees the Mavericks retaining the majority of their key play until the 2025-2026 season. With the multi-year extension of general manager Nico Harrison, expect this already dangerous squad to continue improving.
Mavericks v. Celtics – Now everything comes full circle, and that will be especially pertinent for Kristaps Porzingis and Kyrie Irving in this heavyweight bout. Following a blockbuster trade for Porzingis in 2019, the Mavericks were never able to breakthrough as they only won two playoff series in his three year tenure. Despite Irving only playing two years for the Celtics, his time was considered a colossal failure as he missed the Celtics playoff run in 2018 with injury and shot a dismal 35% in their second round loss against the Bucks a year later. This will be Irving’s third series against Boston since leaving in 2019, and a re-opening of old wounds for C’s fans who vividly remember his promise to resign with the team before the 2018 season. Storylines aside, the Celtics will enter the series as favorites despite the arduous gauntlet the Mavericks have plowed through. In the regular season, Boston defeated Dallas on both occasions with a combined 38-point margin of victory. It’s worth noting that both matchups came before mid-season acquisitions Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington were thrust into the lineup. This massive shakeup saw Dallas win 16 of their final 20 games and surge into the 5th seed. Ultimately, both teams match up extremely well with the Mavericks defense significantly improving since the deadline and the Celtics consistently in the upper echelon of defensive rating. Both teams are led by two elite scorers and reinforced by a multitude of role players. However, it’s hard to see a fully healthy Celtics team with the spacing Kristaps Porzingis provides falling to any team, even this dangerous Mavericks squad.
Prediction – Celtics in 7
