Category: NBA

Best NBA Betting Odds and Trends for Celtics vs. Mavericks NBA Finals Game 3
12 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Best NBA Betting Odds and Trends for Celtics vs. Mavericks NBA Finals Game 3

Game 3 of the NBA Finals is crucial for the Dallas Mavericks, as a loss would all be seal their fate against the Boston Celtics in this series.

Trailing 2-0, Dallas is looking to avoid the dreaded 3-0 series deficit -- something no team has ever come back from in a seven-game series in the history of the league.

On the bright side for Dallas, oddsmakers have favored Luka Doncic and company at home in Game 3.

Spread

Moneyline

Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

The spread in Game 3 has moved since Kristaps Porzingis was diagnosed with a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon on Tuesday.

Porzingis is officially questionable for Game 3, and oddsmakers have moved Dallas from -2 to -2.5 in this game since the Porzingis injury was announced.

Boston has fared well without Porzingis this postseason, but he clearly makes the Celtics a better team, especially after dropping 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field in Game 1.

Can Dallas pick up a win at home to keep its chances to win the Finals alive?

Boston Celtics on the Road

Boston has dominated on the road in the playoffs, going 6-0 straight up against the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. Can it stay perfect against the Mavericks?

The C's are 22-22-3 against the spread on the road in the 2023-24 season overall, so their playoff performance has been even better.

Boston Celtics as Underdogs

This is just the fourth time this season that the Celtics are underdogs, and it's the first time in five months that they have been in this spot.

Boston is 1-2 against the spread as an underdog in the 2023-24 season. All of those games have come on the road.

Dallas Mavericks at Home

So far this season, Dallas is 25-24 against the spread at home, but that number is slightly better as a home favorite.

The Mavs are 19-17 against the spread as home favorites, although they have lost games at home in every series so far this postseason.

Teams Down 0-2 in Game 3

Dallas is down 0-2 in this series, but there is an interesting trend dating back to 2005 for these teams entering Game 3.

However, the Celtics are the best team in the NBA against the spread in the first half this season, so bettors may want to be careful about having to lay points with Dallas, who is a slight favorite, in Game 3.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Luka Doncic, NBA
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A $1.5 Million Bet Just Dropped for Celtics vs. Mavericks NBA Finals Game 3
12 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

A $1.5 Million Bet Just Dropped for Celtics vs. Mavericks NBA Finals Game 3

Game 3 of the NBA Finals won't decide the Boston Celtics-Dallas Mavericks series, but there are 1.5 million reasons to care about it for one bettor.

A $1.5 million wager came in on Boston to win Game 3 of the Finals and take a 3-0 series lead at Hard Rock Bet. The Celtics are underdogs in this game (+105 for this bet, +114 at DraftKings Sportsbook on Wednesday morning), just the second time they've been underdogs in the last five months.

If the Celtics win, this bettor will win over $3 million!

Boston has not been an underdog all postseason, and it actually hasn't been favored by fewer than 6.5 points in any game. Here's a quick look at the latest odds.

Spread

Moneyline

Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Boston's odds have gone from +2 to +2.5 over the last 24 hours with the news that Kristaps Porzingis has a new leg injury and is now questionable for Game 3.

It's been reported that Porzingis will attempt to play, but it's possible that he's either unable to go or not nearly as effective due to the injury.

Boston has been dominant on the road this postseason, going 6-0 straight up -- which is a great sign for this bettor.

Not only that, but the Celtics have spent most of the playoffs without Porzingis, and yet they've only lost two total games.

Oddsmakers are giving Dallas the edge at home in Game 3, but this bettor could end up with an insanely huge pay day if Boston goes up 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, NBA, NBA Finals
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Peter’s Points: NBA Best Bets Today (Expert Predictions, Prop Bets for Jayson Tatum, Celtics-Mavericks Game 3)
12 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Peter’s Points: NBA Best Bets Today (Expert Predictions, Prop Bets for Jayson Tatum, Celtics-Mavericks Game 3)

Can the Dallas Mavericks avoid falling down 3-0 to the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the NBA Finals?

Oddsmakers seem to think it’s possible, giving Dallas the edge in the odds entering Wednesday’s matchup, but Luka Doncic and company are going to have to play much better than they did in Boston to have a chance to win. 

Boston got away with a poor shooting performance in Game 2, riding a huge game from Jrue Holiday to a win. Now, the C’s will put their perfect road record this postseason to the test.

There are three bets that I’m looking to place in Game 3, and Holiday is on the card for the third straight contest in these Finals. 

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Boston Celtics Moneyline (+110) vs. Dallas Mavericks

Boston is set as an underdog in this game, which is shocking to see in the 2023-24 season. This is just the second time in five months that Boston has been set as an underdog. The C’s also haven’t been shorter than a 6.5-point favorite this entire playoff run. 

I am shocked we are getting this gift in Game 3, as Boston has easily outplayed Dallas over the first two games, and it even won Game 2 despite not having its typical success from beyond the arc. 

Boston is a perfect 6-0 on the road so far this postseason, and until Dallas’ role players step up, it simply doesn't have a chance to take down the vaunted top-six players on Boston. 

The lack of production from Kyrie Irving (13-for-37 from the field) in this series has made it extremely tough on Dallas, and even if their role players are expected to play better at home, Jason Kidd’s rotation has not been consistent since he’s still looking for guys who can come in and knock down shots. 

Boston has dominated all season, posting the best net rating in the NBA in the regular season and the playoffs, and it hasn’t really played its A-game yet in this series with Tatum struggling mightily to score the ball. 

Doncic is going to need to play a perfect game for Dallas to have a chance to win, and even if he does, I don’t think the Mavs should be favored entering this matchup. 

I’ll gladly take Boston to win outright at plus money in Game 3. 

Jayson Tatum OVER 15.5 Rebounds and Assists (-108) – 0.5 unit

Jayson Tatum may not be scoring at a high level for the Celtics, but he’s doing everything else in the NBA Finals.

Tatum comes into Game 3 shooting just 12-for-38 from the field, but he’s averaging 10.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game in the series, clearing 15.5 rebounds and assists in both games. 

Not only that, but the All-NBA forward has led Boston in minutes, playing 42 in Game 1 and 45 in Game 2. That usage should help him rack up stats – especially on the glass.

Tatum has been guarding the center for Dallas to allow for more switching in the pick-and-roll, and it’s also forced him to be a huge factor on the glass. All postseason long, Tatum has filled it up in these categories, averaging 10.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.

I’ll trust him to go OVER this number for the third straight game against Dallas in Game 3.

Jrue Holiday OVER 23.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-120) – 0.5 unit

There’s a chance that Holiday wins the NBA Finals MVP award, as he’s averaging 19.0 points per game in the series and dominated Game 2, putting up 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting.

Holiday has cleared 23.5 points, rebounds and assists in eight of his last nine games this postseason, averaging 17.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game over that stretch. 

Holiday’s experience in the NBA Finals has been evident, as he hasn’t gotten sped up and is shooting an insane 65.2 percent from the field in the series. 

I have to go back to the well for Holiday with this prop only going from 22.5 to 23.5 after his huge Game 2.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Luka Doncic, NBA, NBA Finals
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Historic Trend Gives Celtics Massive Edge to Win NBA Finals Over Mavericks
11 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Historic Trend Gives Celtics Massive Edge to Win NBA Finals Over Mavericks

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics have a 2-0 series lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, and that puts them in some great company all time.

There have been 36 teams that have led 2-0 in the NBA Finals, and they are 31-5 straight up in the series all time. Not only that, but Boston as a franchise has a 43-1 record when leading 2-0 in a playoff series, only losing in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals.

The C's -- the finals favorite for most of the 2023-24 season -- are now -800 at DraftKings Sportsbook to win the title this season heading into Game 3 in Dallas on Wednesday night.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Based on these odds, the Celtics have an implied probability of 88.89 percent to win the title this season. Dallas -- at +550 -- has just a 15.38 percent chance based on implied probability.

Even though Boston is going on the road in Game 3, I wouldn't be worried as a Boston bettor.

The C's are a perfect 6-0 straight up on the road in the playoffs, and Dallas is just 25-24 against the spread at home in the 2023-24 season.

Betting strictly on a historic trend isn't the best way to wager on a series, but this is a great sign for bettors that are holding a Celtics future. In fact, there is one bettor that wagered $215,000 on the Celtics to win the series prior to the start of the NBA Finals.

Boston is set as a slight underdog heading into Game 3 despite being 14-2 straight up this postseason.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, NBA, NBA Finals
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Dan Hurley Never Made Sense as Lakers Coach, but More Opportunities Will Come
11 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Dan Hurley Never Made Sense as Lakers Coach, but More Opportunities Will Come

The Los Angeles Lakers’ courtship of Dan Hurley made all the sense in the world—for the Lakers. They don’t just need a great coach; they need LeBron James to believe they have a great coach. James has already publicly lauded Hurley. And, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski thoroughly laid out, Hurley would also be an ideal coach for James’s son, Bronny, if the Lakers draft him later this month. The plan was a classic Lakers combination of sizzle, smarts and timing.

There was only one problem: It didn’t really make sense for Hurley.

Hurley has a better chance of winning a title at UConn next season than he would with the Lakers. But this was not just a choice between staying at Connecticut and leaving for the Lakers. Hurley was also choosing between the Lakers job and whatever job offers might come his way in the next few years.

Hurley has no reason to leave UConn for another college job, but if he wants to coach in the NBA, he will have more opportunities. Billy Donovan won back-to-back NCAA championships with the Florida Gators, stayed for eight more years and then left for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Brad Stevens took the Butler Bulldogs to back-to-back national title games, stayed at Butler for two more years, and then went to the Boston Celtics.

The NBA will keep calling. The Lakers, meanwhile, offered glamour, money and a hundred ways this could end poorly. Six weeks ago, when the Denver Nuggets casually dismissed the Lakers in the first round of the NBA playoffs, who thought the Lakers were on the verge of another championship? LeBron will be 40 in December. Anthony Davis is 31 and averaged 52 games over the past four seasons. The Lakers have the 17th pick in this year’s draft, which is considered fairly weak, and their 2025 first-rounder is on its way to the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Lakers might view Hurley as a great coach for LeBron and Bronny, but how would that have worked out for Hurley? One reason LeBron is an all-time great player is that he sees and understands the game as well as elite coaches. He also has a better understanding of how to use his power than any player in NBA history. Add that up, and this is what it means if you coach him: You will win a lot of games, and you will be on notice perpetually.

Of LeBron’s last five coaches, three were fired by the end of their second year with him. A fourth, Frank Vogel, won a championship in Year 1 and still got fired after Year 3. During that same time period, NBA reality derailed the Golden State Warriors’ “two timeline” strategy: Most young players are not ready to contribute to winning, but they need playing time to develop.

How was Hurley going to satisfy LeBron’s desire for another championship and help Bronny become an NBA starter? And if he didn’t, who would pay for it?

Look, this could work out for whoever gets the Lakers job. Davis and James are still stars, and maybe the Lakers will nail a trade and create another window for a championship. But it’s unlikely, and that window would be small, anyway.

The next Lakers coach will be part of a complex and delicate power structure. James and Davis are both Klutch Sports Group clients. Lakers vice president and general manager Rob Pelinka is a veteran of NBA politics and maneuvering. Klutch CEO Rich Paul will look out for his guys, as he always does (and as he always should). Pelinka will try to balance the talents and egos of everybody in a way that produces success. They might all go into this with the best of intentions, but it is still tricky territory.

At UConn, Hurley is the singular dominant force in his program. He decides who to recruit and what plays to run. Nobody on that UConn team next season can create a weeklong story about Hurley’s job security with a single emoji, the way James did to Darvin Ham last season.

That does not make UConn a perfect situation. College sports are in a chaotic state. But Hurley has navigated the chaos as well as anybody. It is also worth noting that 16 months ago, Hurley was in his fifth season at UConn and had never led the Huskies past the round of 64. He might have harbored NBA aspirations at the time, but they were not realistic yet. This is all new to him.

Hurley just bought himself time to read the landscape and decide if he really wants to coach pros. If he does, he can figure out which jobs and circumstances would give him the best chance at success. For most coaches, an NBA job is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Dan Hurley is not most coaches.

Dan Hurley, LeBron, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, UConn Huskies
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UConn's Alex Karaban Had Perfect Reaction After Dan Hurley Rejected Lakers
10 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

UConn’s Alex Karaban Had Perfect Reaction After Dan Hurley Rejected Lakers

The UConn Huskies will have coach Dan Hurley back with the program for the foreseeable future. On Monday, Hurley turned down interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, who had hoped to lure him to the NBA to replace Darvin Ham.

Hurley officially declared his intent to remain in Storrs on Monday, prompting boisterous reactions from the college basketball world, including UConn forward Alex Karaban.

Karaban, who announced in late May that he'd be returning to Connecticut for the 2024-25 season, couldn't hide his excitement over his coach's decision. He posted a GIF on X, formerly Twitter, of the pair celebrating after one of their back-to-back national championship wins.

Karaban figures to be one of the team leaders for the Huskies in 2024-25, given how many key players from last year's roster has graduated or declared for the NBA. He averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds during the 2023-24 season while starting all 39 games. He should shoulder an even larger role next season.

Entering his junior campaign, Karaban has won national titles in each of his first two collegiate seasons. On Monday, he made clear how elated he was about his coach's decision to turn down the Lakers in pursuit of the three-peat.

Alex Karaban, College Basketball, Dan Hurley, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, UConn Huskies
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In Slight Defense of the NBA Finals Halftime Shows
10 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

In Slight Defense of the NBA Finals Halftime Shows

Halftime shows are like commercials. A necessary evil and a perfect opportunity to load up on more snack mix or perform a fluids check. Few people in the history of sitting on their couches have ever been deeply intrigued by a Coming Up At the Half tease. And the hardworking broadcasting crews that try to capture eyeballs and attention are fighting an uphill battle.

That's the bad news. The good is that all of this combines to create a low-stakes environment because, let's face it, average viewers don't really care if the halftime show is good or average or a trainwreck. As long as the second half begins on time then everyone wins and no one loses.

So it's kind of perplexing to see the aggregating of grievances concerning ESPN/ABC's mid-game fare during the NBA Finals. Awful Announcing got out the stopwatch and crunched some numbers following Game 1's halftime show.

All told, the studio crew got roughly a minute and 20 seconds of air time. And remember, that time was split between five people. Much of that time was spent on intros from and outros to commercial breaks.

Is this ideal? Certainly not. But is it a new phenomenon? Also no.

ESPN/ABC has been dinged for stuffing shot-clock-length opinions and observations between a crushing amount of bells and whistles for years. Those critiquing the operation are right when they say there's no flow and it can all be a bit disorienting. But they are also a bit silly for tuning into the Finals games and expecting anything different than what has been standard operating procedure for some time now.

It feels weird to defend something that could certainly be better yet at the same time complaining that viewers aren't getting enough opinions or analysis during what is essentially a content oasis feels a bit weird. Those are available on the network before the game and after the game, plus on-demand and on social media for anyone who may have missed the thousands of words and hundreds of segments devoted to Celtics-Mavs under the ESPN umbrella.

There simply cannot be a real world faction significant enough to warrant concern-trolling that Bob Myers and Josh Hart weren't given enough time to explore the space. Or that the real world is pining for another minute of Stephen A. Smith to fire off whatever he's going to fire off.

For as often this crew is compared to TNT's iconic foursome on Inside the NBA, which does move at a more beneficial pace, there's little apples-to-oranges consideration. First, broadcasting a champioship is going to afford the opportunity — and necessity really — to be more sponsor- and commercial-heavy. Then there's the problem of people conflating TNT's long postgame coverage with its halftime hits. Sure Barkley or O'Neal might say something hilarious and go viral during the mid-game break but more often than not the focus will be on Team X not turning the ball over or how Team Y looks sleepy out there.

Sunday night's Game 2 brought more of the same because, honestly, who would think it would change in the span of a few days. Unofficial numbers suggest the commercialization outpaced the analysis at around a 6-1 clip. But we're not going to go back and chart it ourselves because almost anything is a better use of time.

Something to keep in mind for Game 3 instead of hoping for a miracle that simply isn't going to come.

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, ESPN, NBA, NBA Draft, TNT
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Who Are the Highest-Paid Coaches in the NBA? A Full Breakdown
10 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Who Are the Highest-Paid Coaches in the NBA? A Full Breakdown

Monday brought news that Dan Hurley decided to turn down the Los Angeles Lakers and stay at UConn. Of the many aspects of the news, perhaps the most notable was that the Lakers were willing to pony up the big bucks to land their target.

In reporting Hurley is staying put, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski revealed L.A. was prepared to make Hurley one of the six highest-paid coaches in the NBA — to the tune of a six-year deal worth $70 million, good for more than $10 million annually.

Naturally, this begs the question of what coaches would have been making more than Hurley, as well as who would've been making less. NBA head coaching salaries are not the tightly-guarded secrets that NFL head coaching salaries generally are, but teams are rarely willing to plainly spell out how much they are paying their head coaches.

That does not stop the information from getting out, though. There are sourced reports on the contract value and annual salary of the top coaches in the league.

With that in mind, who are the highest-paid coaches in the NBA?

Below is a table listing the five highest-paid NBA head coaches, per NBC.

NAME

TEAM

SALARY

RECORD

Steve Kerr

Golden State Warriors

$17.5 million

519-274

Gregg Popovich

San Antonio Spurs

$16 million

1,388-821

Erik Spoelstra

Miami Heat

$15 million

750-527

Tyronn Lue

Los Angeles Clippers

$14 million

312-217

Monty Williams

Detroit Pistons

$13 million

381-404

Based on these numbers, Hurley would have slotted in behind Williams.

You may be asking why there are only five coaches listed. That's because, until recently, NBA head coach salaries were not interesting enough topics for insiders to report on. Combined with how stingy teams tend to be with this sort of information and reporters like Wojnarowski end up only reporting on the biggest numbers such as above.

That is not always the case. Mike Brown's negotiations with the Sacramento Kings, for example, were heavily covered and the news spread quickly once he reached a deal that would pay him $8.5 million annually. But for the most part there is little solid reporting on how much coaches around the league make.

The next question, then, is why do the coaches mentioned above warrant investigative reporting and high salaries?

Steve Kerr

Kerr signed a two-year extension worth $35 million with the Golden State Warriors in February, making him the highest-paid coach in the NBA. It is not hard to understand why. Kerr took over the Dubs in 2014 and immediately found success, winning four NBA titles in 10 years at the helm. Kerr is one of the winningest head coaches in the modern era and certainly one of the most respected.

The players play the game, but every great player needs a good head coach to put them in position to succeed. Kerr did that to such an extent that he created a modern dynasty behind Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Which essentially earned him the right to ask for whatever he wants in contract negotiations.

Gregg Popovich

Coach Pop needs little introduction, but we'll go full speed ahead anyway. Popovich is one of the best head coaches in NBA history from just about every angle. He's coached the San Antonio Spurs since 1994 and won more than 1,000 games on the team's bench. He helmed a dynasty of his own centered around Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. Popovich won multiple titles with that core, with the last coming in 2014 over the dying embers of LeBron James' Miami Heat team.

Popovich is a legend and that's why the Spurs gave him a massive five-year, $80 million deal last offseason to stay with the franchise until (presumably) the end of his career.

Erik Spoelstra

Spoelstra's rise from video coordinator to championship-winning head coach is the stuff of legends and the Miami Heat were happy to reward him accordingly. After winning two titles with LeBron's Big 3 and twice winning the Eastern Conference with the Jimmy Butler/Bam Adebayo core, he signed an eight-year deal worth $120 million with the Heat in January 2024.

Spoelstra is widely recognized as one of the best tactical coaches in the game and, at only 53, has many good years ahead of him. Miami was wise to lock him up for the long run.

Tyronn Lue

Unlike the names above, Lue has not won a championship with his current team. He is a title-winning head coach after helping lead the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers to the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, but Lue has spent the last few years in Los Angeles with the Clippers. He's gone 184-134 despite dealing with numerous injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, making one deep playoff run since he was hired ahead of the 2020-'21 season.

In May 2024, Lue signed a five-year $70 million deal with the Clippers. He has clearly found success with the franchise and they are happy to have him.

Monty Williams

Many an eyebrow was raised around the NBA when Williams signed a gigantic $78.5 million deal with the Detroit Pistons last summer. At the time it was the biggest contact given out to an NBA head coach in history. Williams had just finished up an uneven final season with the Phoenix Suns but was only two years removed from an NBA Finals appearance.

It took almost no time for things to go sideways. The Pistons set an NBA record for longest losing streak under Williams' watch and finished the 2023-'24 season with only 14 wins. Williams remains in place as the team's head coach but will have to start showing he's worth his high salary soon.

Dan Hurley, Erik Spoelstra, Gregg Popovich, Monty Williams, NBA, Steve Kerr, Tyronn Lue
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Dan Hurley Releases Statement After Turning Down Lakers to Remain at UConn
10 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Dan Hurley Releases Statement After Turning Down Lakers to Remain at UConn

UConn's men's basketball coach Dan Hurley announced on Monday that he would not be leaving for the NBA, despite the reported six-year, $70 million contract he was offered by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rather than make the jump to the NBA, Hurley has instead chosen to remain in Storrs, Conn. and pursue a third consecutive national championship with the Huskies.

Hurley issued a statement on Monday afternoon, in which he detailed his decision to stay at UConn.

"I am humbled by this entire experience. At the end of the day, I am extremely proud of the championship culture we have built at Connecticut. We met as a team before today's workout and our focus right now is getting better this summer and connecting as a team as we continue to pursue championships," wrote Hurley in a statement shared by UConn's Men's Basketball on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Hurley reportedly met with the Lakers' front office over the weekend and listened to their pitch, but despite calling it a "compelling vision," it ultimately wasn't enough to sway him to abandon what he's built in Storrs. After winning back-to-back national titles, the Huskies will now look to join UCLA as the only program in history to win three in a row.

UConn signed Hurley to a six-year, $32.1 million extension after the 2022-23 season. That's less than half of what he reportedly would've made in Los Angeles, though he could be in line for a new deal following his decision to return to the university.

College Basketball, Dan Hurley, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, UConn
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Luka Dončić Takes Ownership of Mavericks' 'Missed Opportunity' in Game 2
10 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Luka Dončić Takes Ownership of Mavericks’ ‘Missed Opportunity’ in Game 2

The Dallas Mavericks are down two games to none against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, and Luka Doncic admitted after the Game 2 defeat on Sunday that each loss felt like a "missed opportunity."

Despite leading the game with 32 points and recording a triple-double, Doncic wasn't pleased with his own performance on Sunday night, and he took ownership for some of his sloppy play when speaking to reporters after the game.

"Every game we lose is a missed opportunity for us," said Doncic, via Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints.

"I think my turnovers and missed free throws cost us the game. So I've got to do way better in those categories," he added, via SI's Grant Afseth.

Doncic shot an uncharacteristically poor 4 for 8 from the free throw line and turned the ball over eight times in Sunday's loss. The four missed free throws and eight turnovers were both postseason highs, and he's now 6 for 13 from the charity stripe during the NBA Finals and has as many turnovers (12) as he does assists.

Although Doncic is shouldering the blame, the 2–0 deficit is hardly his fault. The rest of the team has shot a putrid 5 for 32 from three-point territory through the first two games of the series, and Kyrie Irving has yet to connect from beyond the arc. Irving's 28 points through Games 1 and 2 were fewer than the 32 Doncic provided on Sunday night alone.

Game 3 on Wednesday night will prove crucial for Dallas as they look to claw back against the Celtics, and although Doncic noted that he'll have to take care of the ball better and get the job done at the free throw line, the onus is on his teammates to step up, too.

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, NBA
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