Luka Doncic had a tremendous first half in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Doncic had 23 points on 9-of-13 field goal attempts to go along with three rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. While his scoring was on full display as he scored the second most in any Finals half by a Mavericks player ever, two of his most impressive highlights from the half were a pair of second quarter assists.
First, he found Derrick Jones Jr. for a layup with just over five minutes remaining in the half. As Luka dribbled through the defense from left to right it appeared he was going to go for a tough layup over Al Horford, but instead he dropped the ball off perfectly behind him and hit Jones in stride for the easy basket.
Then two minutes later he attracted a double team at the three-point line and picked up his dribble. With a quick flick of his wrists he threw the ball up to Jones near the rim. Jayson Tatum tried to break up the pass but it was right where only his teammate could catch it. Another dunk for Jones.
This is the kind of thing that Doncic will have to continue to do if the Mavericks are going to win this game. Despite his 23 point half, the Mavericks still trailed by three after 24 minutes.
The Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 106-99 on Wednesday at American Airlines Center to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals. The Mavericks made a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, but fell short after star Luka Doncic fouled out on a couple questionable calls that he really did not agree with.
The home crowd was understandably dead as the Celtics pulled away in the third quarter, which is when the Mavericks X account tweeted one of the saddest things you'll ever see. The X equivalent of "please clap."
This near the end of the third as the Celtics lead ballooned and Jaylen Brown prepared to put a stamp on a 35-19 quarter with a thunderous dunk that took them to the fourth with a 15-point lead. Meanwhile, back on the Internet, the team's post was getting roasted.
The funny thing is, it must have worked. During the break between quarters and the Celtics extending their lead to 21 fans must have had time to check their phones and get the message. What else could explain the team's 22-2 run?
Sure, they ultimately came up short, but what a social media effort. If there's ever been a case for posting through it, this is it.
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.
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.
Mavericks being a favorite @BetMGM in Game 3 is notable. Why? Because it's just the second time in five months that the Celtics have been underdogs. Yet another way to quantify how dominant this Boston team has been. https://t.co/2iuC9vlwta
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.
The Dallas Mavericks are celebrating their first round series win over the Los Angeles Clippers by locking down the coach who helped them get there. On Monday, the franchise announced they had reached an agreement on a multi-year contract extension with Jason Kidd.
Kidd, fresh off his third series win as head coach in Dallas, has been with the organization since the 2021-'22 season. In his first year at the helm he got an unmatched level of defensive buy-in from Luka Dončić and it resulted in a Western Conference finals appearance; there, the Mavs would fall to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors.
Kidd's squad stumbled in his second season at the helm. They finished 38-44, 11th in the West, despite trading for Kyrie Irving halfway through the year. But it's safe to stay they bounced back. Doncic and Irving's partnership blossomed under Kidd and a series of moves at the trade deadline finally gave Dallas the ideal roster to surround the two superstars. The Mavericks wrapped up the 2023-'24 season with a 50-32 record, finished fifth in the West, and beat the Clippers in six games to move on to the second round of the postseason.
Extremely good vibes in Dallas, in other words. Great business sense by Kidd to negotiate his extension right now.
"We are excited to have coach Kidd continue to lead our team throughout the coming years with this well-earned contract extension," team governor Patrick Dumont said in the release. "Kidd led our team to two playoff appearances in three seasons, and we are looking forward to his leadership in continuing to build and grow this already great franchise."
"I have known Jason for a long time, and I cannot think of a better, more qualified candidate to lead this team going forward," general manager Nico Harrison said. "As a former NBA Champion Hall of Fame player, Jason brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this role which cannot be duplicated. He has earned the trust and respect of our players and that of so many across the league, and I look forward to working alongside him as we continue to build upon the culture and foundation of success he's helped foster throughout his tenure as head coach."
Kidd's gone 140-96 in three seasons in Dallas and is now on board for a few more years. The pressure to deliver is always high when coaching a talent of Dončić's caliber, and Kidd has been rewarded for doing just that. He can now look ahead to the team's next series against the Oklahoma City Thunder with job security fully ensured.
