Published10. June 2024, 07:51
Basketball: Boston contains a clumsy Dallas and leads 2-0 in the NBA final
Second home game, second success: the Boston Celtics fulfilled their mission at the start of the NBA final by containing the Dallas Mavericks (105-98) on Sunday, to lead 2-0.
Getty Images via AFP
Second home game, second success: the Boston Celtics fulfilled their mission at the start of the NBA final by containing the Dallas Mavericks (105-98) on Sunday, to lead 2-0 and look forward to the rest in Texas with serenity. Without the offensive orgy of the first game, the Celtics collective took the upper hand quite clearly over Dallas and Luka Doncic to find themselves two wins away from a record 18th NBA title in this best-of-seven-match series. The Slovenian Luka Doncic, first Maverick in history in triple-double (32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) during an NBA final, once again carried Dallas, without breaking through the lock of the C’s suffocating defense.
Dallas was far too clumsy from a distance (6 of 26 at 23.1%) despite numerous “open” shots to threaten Boston. A clumsiness which was also felt on the free throw line (16 out of 24 at 67%) and in ball losses (15 against 10 for Boston), because of the stifling defense of the “C’S”. “Every match lost is a missed opportunity. Shooting, free throws and turnovers, those three things were the key to the game for us. We have to get our shots in. My missed shots and my ball losses cost us the match I think,” commented Doncic.
Foul not called?
An unfortunate pass from the Slovenian (8 turnovers alone) led to two consecutive long shots from Jrue Holiday then Derrick White to increase Boston’s lead to 14 points 3 minutes 34 from time. Unsure before the match because of chest pain, inherited from a blow suffered in the previous match, Doncic indicated that he “felt good”. Against Dallas, Boston showed the density of its collective with four players with 18 points or more: Derrick White (18), Jayson Tatum (18), Jaylen Brown (21) and Jrue Holiday (26). An important recruit last summer, Holiday, crowned champion in 2021 with Milwaukee, brings his experience, his science of defense – he appreciated the “consistency” of his team in this area – and his precision from afar.
Boston took the reins of the game after the break and never let go even if Dallas thought for a time of a comeback in the last minute, after a counter from Derrick Jones Jr. on Tatum. In the process, PJ Washington, who went for a dunk to bring Dallas back to 3 points, was himself blocked by Derrick White. The action seems tainted by two contentious acts (Brown’s push and blow on White’s opposing hand), but Dallas was unable to ask the referees to reconsider this fact of play after having lost its “challenge” at the very beginning meeting. “It seems like a foul but it wasn’t called so it’s not a foul,” said Dallas coach Jason Kidd.
The Mavericks find themselves obliged to react in the next match of the final on Wednesday at home, to avoid finding themselves trailing 3-0, a start to the series that no team has managed to overcome in the history of the NBA playoffs.
Getty Images via AFP
Are you already following us on WhatsApp?
Subscribe to our whatsapp channel by clicking on the link or scanning the QR code below and activates the little 🔔. You will receive a recap of today’s newsbetween information and entertainment.
(afp)
2024-06-10 05:57:26
#Basketball #Boston #clumsy #Dallas #leads #NBA #final
