NBA Finals: Boston Celtics beat Dallas Mavericks 105-98 in Game 2
The Boston Celtics have taken a commanding 2-0 lead against the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals as Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 65 points in Game 2.
Holiday was Boston’s highest scorer on the floor Sunday night at TD Garden with 26 points, while the Celtics point guard scored 17 on 7-for-9 shooting in the first half.
Brown and Tatum, meanwhile, had 21 and 18, respectively. Tatum struggled in the first half, scoring just five points on 0-3 three-point attempts and 2-9 overall shooting.
Despite another double-double performance – 32 points and 11 assists – Luka Doncic, who was listed as questionable to play with less than two hours before the opening tip, had eight turnovers with a net score of -3 at the end of the game .
Kyrie Irving, who was part of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2016 NBA title win, was Dallas’ highest scorer of the night with 16 points. He too had a net rating of -3, as only PJ Washington (17 points) and Daniel Gafford (11 points) had positive +/- ratings of +2 and 0, respectively.
Jrue Holiday was Boston’s best offensive player in the first half with 16 points. He had 28 in total
The Dallas duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving finished Game 2 with the same negative net rating of -3
Only PJ Washington (pictured) and Daniel Gafford were the only Mavs players in double figures
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 the Boston Garden, where local fans are already making room in the rafters for what will be an unprecedented 18th NBA championship banner would be.
The Celtics won the opening pair in the NBA Finals for the ninth time. They have won the previous eight and have not been forced into a Game 7 in any of them.
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 3-point range; the Celtics were 10 for 39 from the long distance overall.
Irving, who has drawn the hostility of local fans since breaking short his stint in Boston in 2019, has now lost 12 games in a row against the Celtics.
In contrast to their 107-89 victory in Game 1When 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 around 20 percent for most of the game.
On top of Tatum’s putouts in the first two quarters, Boston was still just 5 for 30 from long range when Peyton Pritchard knocked in a half-courter at the third-quarter buzzer to give Boston an 83-74 lead.
More to follow…