2024 Playoffs- 4th Round: Boston Celtics - Dallas Mavericks

[michaeltex]

I think we all agree that BOS has put together a great team with not a lot of weaknesses. I got to wondering how long they can sustain this level of performance.

According to Sportrac, none of their key contributors are on low cost contracts, in fact they are over the 2nd apron next year with only 12 players. They can get under the 2nd by releasing a few smaller non-guaranteed contracts, but then they'll have to find cheaper replacements as they will still be over the 1st. So it looks like this season and next season before the economics come into play, barring significant injuries. I'll leave it to much smarter minds here to assess the effect of the new media contracts.

I'm not saying DAL can't get better and compete, I was just curious about how the salary cap affects successful teams and BOS is the one team DAL can't get past this year. GSW has spent a flood of money keeping their gang together, but now looks to start replacing/rebuilding as they age out. Not sure how long Horford or Holiday will play, but they are still effective and key to BOS success. I guess the real question is how their ownership tolerates the tax pain.

[Chicagojk]

The Celtics were better than I thought, and I already had difficulty thinking anyone would beat this team 4 times in a series.

When I look back at this series, I will look at the missed opportunity in game 2. I also think we missed some opportunity to put some pressure on this team. Behind all the confidence, I just feel their fanbase was looking to doubt this team. We never put pressure on them to see how they reacted. They very well might have answered those questions. I just wanted to see it.

Anyway, the series is not over. This team has fought all year long. I will be very disappointed if they don't play well tonight. Small things matter. I think they did the small things for a lot of the season. They still have their issues. Those small things are killer. Difference between winning and losing sometimes. It is a punch in the gut when you play really hard and well, and then look up at the end of a quarter and you are only up by 1 because you left things on the table.

[BigDirk41]

I really hope they can win tonight and if they could some how get it to game 6, anything could happen. I'm really hoping they discovered something in the 4th last game because if they did, anything is possible.

[SleepingHero]

Boston does not play with mistakes. They are a well oiled machine.


Still, Mavs in 7

[SleepingHero]

@iztok_franko
As we are analyzing is Luka a winning player...need to consider this.

Luka & Mavs never lost a playoff series they were favoured to win. They never lost a series to a team that won less than 65% of reg season games(53 wins). They won 3 series vs teams that won 56 games or more.

[Chicagojk]

Interesting picture.

https://x.com/iztok_franko/status/1801650333371732019

Give the Celtics credit other teams tried to make the other mavs beat them. Even with this layout, Jones hasn't had a lot of wide open looks.

[SleepingHero]

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4034...on-celtics

[SleepingHero]

Just saw this comment on twitter:

Game 4 hopium and why we must fuel our delusion:

Luka and Kai come out angry and guns blazing tonight, no fear and we win by pulling away in the 4th

• Game 5: Luka engages with several fans in verbal sparring matches which fuels a mid-2nd atr run that pushes Dallas to a 25 pt lead. Celtics fight back but Kyrie hits a late dagger 3 and sends the series back to Dallas

• Game 6: Dallas begins using the "We Believe" slogan/chant.
Fans are as loud as we've ever heard. Celtics jump out to a big lead but Dallas slowly fights back. Luka outduels JB in the fourth and Mavs win and send series back to Boston.

-Game 7: with the entire NBA world watching, Luka has the signature performance of his career scoring 25 points in a 1st quarter flurry. Kyrie has a big 2nd half. Lively makes a huge impact in the 4th and Mavs win the title
Before any mouth-breathing Celtics fans inevitably come after me for posting this when they sweep tonight, understand that this is tongue-in-cheek you freaking losers

[Berknip]

Just saw this comment on twitter:

Game 4 hopium and why we must fuel our delusion:

Luka and Kai come out angry and guns blazing tonight, no fear and we win by pulling away in the 4th

• Game 5: Luka engages with several fans in verbal sparring matches which fuels a mid-2nd atr run that pushes Dallas to a 25 pt lead. Celtics fight back but Kyrie hits a late dagger 3 and sends the series back to Dallas

• Game 6: Dallas begins using the "We Believe" slogan/chant.
Fans are as loud as we've ever heard. Celtics jump out to a big lead but Dallas slowly fights back. Luka outduels JB in the fourth and Mavs win and send series back to Boston.

-Game 7: with the entire NBA world watching, Luka has the signature performance of his career scoring 25 points in a 1st quarter flurry. Kyrie has a big 2nd half. Lively makes a huge impact in the 4th and Mavs win the title
Before any mouth-breathing Celtics fans inevitably come after me for posting this when they sweep tonight, understand that this is tongue-in-cheek you freaking losers

[LukaMVP]

luka is a history maker. just because no team has come back yet from 0-3 it doesn't mean luka and the mavs can't either. KP's injury hit Boston hard and even if they bring a hobbled KP back next game he wouldn't make much more difference than Leonard did in the first round. no eastern team could challenge them even without kp but Dallas on the other hand can make the most of it and reverse the momentum completely tbh.

[audiosway]

Now it's 3-1. Kyrie has come back from down 3-1 to win a title. Boston better be careful because momentum is dangerous. Mavs win game 5 and Boston will start making mistakes.

[Chicagojk]

They don’t feel the pressure yet. Find a way to steal game 5, then….


https://x.com/barstoolsports/status/1801836182092788040?s=46&t=iwQP5yZoJF3Ulzfb9MH7Cg

[Winter]

They don’t feel the pressure yet. Find a way to steal game 5, then….


https://x.com/barstoolsports/status/1801836182092788040?s=46&t=iwQP5yZoJF3Ulzfb9MH7Cg

great video.

Game 5 would be a different story altogether. Boston would have no excuse, they would be playing at home, and they could make any necessary adjustments. They could even play Porzingas for a few minutes. They definitely don't want to go back to Dallas for Game 6, and their coaching staff would make that well-known.

If Dallas somehow took game 5, everything would look different.

[GATA]

It is weird that the media is pushing the 75 percent white Canadian

[vfromlmf]

https://x.com/StatMamba/status/1801813198804250764

[Mavs2021]

https://x.com/StatMamba/status/1801813198804250764

Price just went up to two 1st round picks.

[Chicagojk]

The national media had their story already written. Can the Mavs change that narrative? It doesn't matter what the media says but I just find it interesting how the groupthink and "hot takes" are just waiting to take off so they can be heard.

Game 5 will be the toughest of the season for the Mavs. Don't worry what lies past game 5. Just keep it close and see if you can make one more play late.

[DanSchwartzgan]

 
Game 5 will be the toughest of the season for the Mavs.    Don't worry what lies past game 5.  Just keep it close and see if you can make one more play late.

Actually, the most Mav's thing that can happen is to win game 5 and then take their foot off the pedal when they come home for game 6.

[Chicagojk]

Actually, the most Mav's thing that can happen is to win game 5 and then take their foot off the pedal when they come home for game 6.

Mavs can’t assume anything right now.  They need to take it one game at a time.  Almost one quarter at a time.

The advantage the Celtics have is they just need one game where they get hot, get the breaks or have bad foul trouble for Dallas.  Dallas needs to be almost perfect to stay alive.

We will worry about game 6 if we get there but game 5 will be the toughest of the season for Dallas