Things got a bit sloppy during the first quarter of Game 5 of the Western Conference finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves, as both teams turned the ball over on consecutive possessions leading to an utterly chaotic scene.
Fortunately for those viewing back at home, TNT’s Kevin Harlan didn’t miss a beat with his call, providing outstanding commentary of the moment in order to help fans better keep track of who had the ball amid the flurry of possession exchanges.
Even Reggie Miller had to take a moment to express his appreciation for Harlan’s masterful call.
“How did you get that all in there?” he asked while laughing.
Kevin Harlan calls a chaotic sequence and impresses Reggie Miller and Stan Van Gundy. đđď¸đ pic.twitter.com/BquAbI3yfn
â Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 31, 2024
A Kyle Anderson turnover led to a mad scramble for possession, with the ball being tipped up in the air and batted toward Josh Green, who then sent a high bounce pass over to Daniel Gafford, who was fouled on at attempt at a layup.
Harlan was locked in, and he didn’t miss a beat as he navigated the hectic play with precision, showcasing why he’s heralded as one of the best in the business.
A new NBA champion will be crowned come June with the official start of the 2024 NBA Finals.
This yearâs competition will feature a showdown between the top-seeded Boston Celtics and either the No. 5 Dallas Mavericks or No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves. The Mavs currently lead the Western Conference finals series, 3-1, and will play the Timberwolves in Game 5 on Thursday.
If the Mavericks manage to close out the series, they will battle Jayson Tatum and the Celtics for their first NBA championship in 13 years.
The Celtics, meanwhile, will be looking to clinch their 18th championship in franchise history, which would surpass the Los Angeles Lakers (17) for most championships all-time.
Hereâs how to watch and listen to the 2024 NBA Finals.
All 2024 NBA Finals games will broadcast on ABC.
Fans who have a cable subscription will be able to view the Finals broadcast, which is exclusive to ABC. They should check their local TV stations for specific channel info.
GAME
MATCHUP
DATE/TIME
CHANNEL
Game 1
Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves @ Boston Celtics
Thursday, June 6, 8 p.m. ET
ABC
Game 2
Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves @ Boston Celtics
Sunday, June 9, 8 p.m. ET
ABC
Game 3
Boston Celtics @ Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves
Wednesday, June 12, 8:30 p.m. ET
ABC
Game 4
Boston Celtics @ Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves
Friday, June 14, 8:30 p.m. ET
ABC
Game 5 (if necessary)
Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves @ Boston Celtics
Monday, June 17, 8 p.m. ET
ABC
Game 6 (if necessary)
Boston Celtics @ Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves
Thursday, June 20, 8 p.m. ET
ABC
Game 7 (if necessary)
Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves @ Boston Celtics
Sunday, June 23, 8 p.m. ET
ABC
All 2024 NBA Finals games will be available to stream on the ESPN app as well as the ABC app. Both the ESPN and ABC apps will require a TV provider login, though.
Streaming options that donât require cable include FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV. For fans not looking to spend exorbitant amounts on a streaming service, FuboTV offers a free one-week trial to new subscribers.
All 2024 NBA Finals games will be available to listen to on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Channel 86 nationally.
For local stations, fans are encouraged to check their local listings for channel information specific to their area.
Select NBA Finals broadcasts are also available on NBA on ESPN Radio. Fans should also check their local listings for more information as the start date of the Finals nears.
There are no issues between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Pressure? Well âŚ
Last week, the four-letter network made waves by reigniting a long-dormant debate about Tatum and Brownâs relationship. Only there is no debate. Tatum and Brown are fine. Always have been. They have known each other since high school, when they competed at an Under Armour camp. They are, as Brown noted last week, âpolar opposites.â But whenever the trade rumors swirled around Brown over the years, Tatum has backed him. When Tatum won a gold medal at the 2021 Olympics, Brown celebrated with him. In â22, while reporting a Sports Illustrated cover story on the Boston Celtics, I asked Tatumâs longtime trainer, Drew Hanlen, if he had any thoughts on the Tatum-Brown relationship.
âJayson brags about how good Jaylen is,â Hanlen told me. âHow there arenât many players he would trade straight up for him. Any narrative that they didnât like each other, that they canât win together is totally made up.â
Indeed, they can win together. Boston has made six conference finals in the Tatum-Brown era. Two NBA Finals. Four seasons of 50-plus wins. In a league that covets elite two-way wings, the Celtics have a pair of them.
Still, Bostonâs duo has reached a critical juncture. The 2022 Finals defeat was disappointing. But, in a way, excusable. The Golden State Warriors were elite. They had championship-level talent and years of experience with it. Did the Celtics gag away a potential 3â1 series lead in Game 4? Maybe. More accurate would be Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the Warriors went out and took it.
âThis time, this go-around is a lot different,â Tatum said. âYou donât always get a second chance, so really just looking at it as a second chance and trying to simplify things as much as we can.â
Curry shoots the ball against Tatum and Brown during Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals. / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Added Al Horford, âThe first time [in 2022], it felt like a roller coaster, just a lot going on, increased coverage in media, all the responsibilities we had and everything that came with it. This time around, we all have an understanding. We know what things are like and I feel like weâll be able to manage it better.â
This year, there are no Warriors. The Dallas Mavericks are good. They have Luka Doncic, a superstar. Kyrie Irving, a premiere wingman. P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II and Derrick Jones Jr. can play. The defense has improved considerably since midseason acquisitions to acquire Washington and Daniel Gafford. While the Celtics were cruising through the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, the Mavericks were muscling out the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Still, the Celtics are heavy favorites. They are six deep with All-Starâlevel talent. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are elite defenders. Kristaps Porzingis, who appears to be tracking toward a Game 1 return, is a terror on both ends of the floor. Horford, who celebrated his 38th birthday on Monday, is ageless.
And they have Tatum and Brown. This has not been a flawless postseason run. There have been some clunkers. Tatumâs 7-for-17 performance in a Game 2 loss to Cleveland. Brownâs 0-for-6 three-point stat line in the same game. But the Celtics are 12â2 in the playoffs, with Tatum (26.0 points on 44.2% shooting) and Brown (25.0 points, 54.1% shooting) leading the way.
Now, though, comes the real test. The scrutiny of Tatum and Brownâs relationship is unfair. âThe whole thing about that really pisses me off,â coach Joe Mazzulla said. Raising expectations for their play is not. Curry and Thompson wonât be remembered for conference championships. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray arenât defined by 50-win seasons. If Tatum and Brown want to be regarded as an elite duo, they need to win a title.
For years, Tatum has been among the NBAâs most scrutinized stars. Heâs a great scorer ⌠just not always in the clutch. Heâs a strong defender ⌠just not one of the best. Even as Tatumâs game has grownâin the post, at the rim, in his playmakingâheâs often viewed as a cut below the NBAâs best.
Brown, too. Brown signed the richest contract in NBA history last summer. He responded with a season (23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, a career-best 3.6 assists) worthy of it. In Boston, Brown will always be the second star. But that doesnât mean he canât be one of the best wings in the game.
Mazzulla and Brown understand the magnitude of what is at stake in the 2024 Finals. / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
âAs long as my team knows my value, my city knows my value, my family, thatâs all I really care about,â Brown said. âBut I like to set my hat on just being a versatile two-way wing [who] can do both at any point in time.â
Tatum and Brown understand the stakes. A series win springboards them into rarified air, a tandem with a title, and a chance to win more. A loss opens them up for criticism and more questions about whether the pairing really works.
âI think [itâs unfair] being compared to each other,â Mazzulla said. âTheyâre different. And you see other duos around the league donât have to go through that. And itâs because of the platform that they have. Itâs because theyâve been so successful their entire careers. Theyâve been able to long stand success at a high level.â
Now itâs time to do it at the highest. Two years ago, in the immediate aftermath of a Game 6 loss, Tatum slumped in his locker. In TD Garden, the visiting locker room is directly across from the home one, making the roar of the Warriorsâ celebration unavoidable. Walking to his car that night, Tatum could hear the Champagne-soaked afterparty still raging. He vowed never to forget that feeling. He swore he would never let an opportunity like that slip away again. Two years later, Tatum, still alongside Brown, will get that chance.
The Boston Celtics secured a 1â0 lead in the 2024 NBA Finals after taking care of business on their home court against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night in Game 1, 107â89.
The Celtics jumped out to a huge first-half lead, pulling ahead by as many as 29 points during the second quarter before heading into halftime up by 21. Although the Mavericks clawed back to within eight points in the third quarter, Boston was able to re-extend its advantage and shut the door on the series opener.
Kristaps Porzingis was sensational in his return to the lineup, making his first appearance for the Celtics since April 29, when he sustained a calf injury against the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. The 28-year-old scored 20 points off the bench, providing a major offensive boost for the team.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 38 points, coming up with big plays on both ends of the floor as they helped guide their team to a Game 1 win. Tatum recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Brown came away with three steals and three blocks, alongside a team-high 22 points.
As for the Mavs, Luka Doncic's first taste of the NBA Finals was not what he'd been hoping for. The 25-year-old played well, but it wasn't enough to keep Dallas close. He scored a game-high 30 points while adding 10 rebounds and just one assist. Backcourt mate Kyrie Irving struggled in the loss, shooting 6 for 19 in a 12-point outing.
Dallas faltered as a whole from beyond the arc, making just 7 of 27 attempts from three-point range. Boston was vastly better, shooting 16 for 42 from deep, a difference which showed up on the scoreboard. The Mavericks' 89 points were their fewest this postseason.
Dallas will look to bounce back in Game 2, which is set for Sunday at 8 p.m. ET from TD Garden.