Celtics too strong for Mavericks again as they take 2-0 NBA finals lead

Jrue Holiday had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and Jayson Tatum made up for a tough shooting night with 12 assists and nine rebounds as the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 105-98 on Sunday night to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals. .

“It’s a little different, [Tatum and Jaylen Brown] are the superstars and I’m just here to support,” Holiday, who averaged 12.5 points per game during the regular season, said after the game while downplaying his own contributions.

Luka Dončić, who was considered doubtful to play in the hours leading up to the game, scored 32 points with 11 rebounds and 11 assists – the first NBA Finals triple-double in Mavericks franchise history. But he missed a one-footed running floater from three-point range with 28 seconds left, ending Dallas’ last chance at a comeback.

Game 3 is Wednesday night in Dallas. The Mavericks need a win then or in Game 4 on Friday to avoid a sweep and earn a trip back to Boston, where the local fans are already making room in the rafters for what would be an unprecedented 18th NBA championship banner are. The Celtics have now won nine straight games and teams that have taken a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals have a 31-5 series record.

Brown scored 21 points, Tatum had 18 and Derrick White also scored 18 points for top-seeded Boston. Kristaps Porzingis limped to 12 points. Tatum was 6 for 22 shooting and 1 of 7 from three-point range; the Celtics were 10 for 39 from the long distance overall.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game that his entire team contributed to the win.

“We’re tired of hearing about one guy or this guy or that guy and everyone trying to pass themselves off as something other than Celtics basketball. Everybody on that court played on both ends of the floor tonight,” he said.

Mazzulla added that he was not concerned about Porzingis’ possible calf injury. Asked about the Latvian’s health, Mazzulla replied: “He is doing well.”

Kyrie Irving, who has drawn hostility from local fans since cutting short his stint in Boston in 2019, scored 16 points; he has lost twelve straight games against the Celtics.

“[Irving] is a great player, we know he will be even stronger in Dallas. We just have to keep making it difficult for him,” White said after the game. “Jrue and the whole team were after him.”

Unlike their 107-89 win in Game 1, when a fast start from three-point range put them ahead by 29 points in the first half, the Celtics missed their first eight attempts from long range and were about 20% in front. most of the match. game.

Tatum scored zero points in the first quarter and had just five at halftime, when he was 0 for 3 from three-point range. Boston was still just 5 for 30 from long range when Peyton Pritchard banked in a half-courter at the buzzer in the third quarter to give Boston an 83-74 lead.