SUMMARY
- The NBA has never witnessed two sweeps in the Conference Finals before and the Mavericks could help make it happen.
- Dallas is currently up 3-0 against the Timberwolves while the Celtics recently swept the Pacers in the ECF.
It’s been an incredible 2023-24 NBA season so far and we’ve experienced far too many upsets, reasons to celebrate, and history rewriting itself. Right now, the Conference Finals stage of the post-season is almost coming to an end. The Boston Celtics just swept the Indiana Pacers to add another championship banner to their collection of titles.
FOUR WINS FROM GLORY#DifferentHere pic.twitter.com/XkgHGlgBme
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 28, 2024
On the other hand, the Dallas Mavericks are on the verge of sweeping the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. The Mavericks were major underdogs coming into this matchup, but to go 3-0 against the best defensive team in the league is simply out of worldly. If the Mavericks pull off a Game 4 win, this will be the first time in NBA history two sweeps take place in the conference finals.
The NBA nearly witnessed two conference finals sweeps last season
While this has never happened before, the NBA almost witnessed two conference finals sweeps during the 2023 post-season. The Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets, who eventually went on to win the championship as well. The Miami Heat blew a 3-0 lead during the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics. Boston managed to push for Game 7 but was ultimately sent home by Miami.
Derrick White
May 27, 2023 ➡️ May 27, 2024 pic.twitter.com/JY1we1Ufgc
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) May 28, 2024
Interestingly, both teams that made it to the finals last year, Denver and Miami, have been eliminated this year. The Nuggets were eliminated by the Timberwolves in seven games during the semifinals. Miami had a terrible season dealing with a bunch of injuries. Jimmy Butler was not available for the playoffs either. He happens to be their best post-season player.
The Celtics and Mavericks series is bound to bring bloodshed
Even if the Mavericks don’t sweep the Timberwolves, they have the best odds of getting out of that series and advancing into the NBA Finals. But a Celtics vs Mavericks series won’t be any less of a blood bath. Even though these teams don’t have much of a rivalry, there is a connection between Kyrie Irving and the Celtics. The 32-year-old guard played with the Celtics for two seasons before leaving in 2019, and not on good terms.
THAT’S A BAD MAN 🥶 pic.twitter.com/A62L5lLp6R
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 27, 2024
Kyrie will go to any extreme to eliminate the Celtics and walk away with a lot of pride. But even if the Mavericks lose, Kyrie has very little at stake and not as much as Jayson Tatum and the Celtics. Irving has already won a title, and he’s arguably one of the greatest point guards of all time. Tatum’s MVP case depends a lot on whether or not he’s able to win a title this year. A loss would damage his legacy and the Celtics’ credibility as a top-tier team.