Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks stunned the NBA world and Boston Celtics fanbase with their performance in Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals. Those who have been following this matchup between the Celtics and Mavs will know that Boston got the better of Dallas for the first 3 games of this series to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.
As a result, the majority of the basketball community and experts believed that the Celtics would sweep the Mavs in Game 4. However, the exact opposite occurred with Dallas obliterating Boston to win with a final score of 122-84. Although this is only a small step in the right direction as the Mavericks still have a long way to go, fans must certainly wonder what the Mavericks did right to win this game against the Celtics.
Luka Doncic contributed defensively for the Dallas Mavericks
After watching Luka Doncic foul out of Game 3 and letting his team go down 0-3, many criticized him and claimed that he was a defensive liability for his team. Doncic clearly heard the criticism and ramped up his defensive impact greatly in Game 3. From Jayson Tatum to Jrue Holiday, Luka did not hesitate to guard whoever got in his way and was quite impactful and made contributions to the Mavs’ defense.
As a result, the Mavericks beat down the Celtics in the first quarter of the game to take a 34-21 lead. They increased their offensive barrage and had a 61-35 lead at the halfway point. Luka Doncic finished the night scoring 29 points and Kyrie Irving added 21 points.
While Luka and Kyrie deserved the lion’s share of the credit for this outcome, it is also important to keep in mind other players on the Mavericks who helped keep their team’s championship aspirations alive and force a Game 5 back in Boston.
Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively III dominated the Boston Celtics on the glass
Anyone who saw this game will know that the entire Dallas Mavericks roster stepped up for this game and delivered. Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively crushed the Celtics on the glass to secure multiple offenses rebounds and defensive stops. Both of them also had powerful dunks at different points in the game to rally the Mavericks’ crowd.
The Mavs also managed to shut down the Celtics’ three-point scoring and turned up their own pace, this led to an increase in their offense, just like Luka Doncic hoped they would do in Game 4. Although no team in NBA history has come back from a 0-3 deficit, the Dallas Mavericks have undoubtedly taken a strong first step in their attempt to do what has not been done.