The Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks have taken different paths to the 2024 NBA Finals, but they arrived there all the same.

The C's, who held the best overall record in the league, have been heavily favored in every one of their playoff series so far. They've done a solid job at proving Vegas right, boasting a 12-2 record heading into the championship round after eliminating the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Indiana Pacers.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks haven't had the superior seed in any round this postseason. As the No. 5 seed, they've defeated the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers, the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder, and the third-place Minnesota Timberwolves. Their run to the Finals hasn't been as dominant as Boston, yet the Mavs' still went a respectable 12-5 in their first three playoff matchups.

Now, the only record that matters is 0-0. The Celtics will try and be the first to four wins in order to earn their 18th title in franchise history. Win or lose, this could be a defining moment for Boston's current championship window.

But before Game 1 of the Finals begins on Thursday, June 6th, let's delve into three bold Celtics predictions for their title fight with the red-hot Mavericks.

Al Horford will have one game with seven triples and another with zero

Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) looks to pass against Dallas Mavericks guard Josh Green (8)
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics big man Al Horford just celebrated his 38th birthday, and although his age would suggest he's more of a locker room leader than a key player, that's not the case at all.

In the absence of center Kristaps Porzingis, Horford's role has been extremely important for the C's. While he used to primarily work in the paint early in his career, he's now adapted into more of a 3-and-D guy.

Against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, 28 of Horford's 39 field goal attempts were 3-pointers. The NBA veteran drained 39.3% of his shots from deep, which was much better than his 28.6% conversion rate in the previous round versus the Cavaliers.

Since Horford isn't an automatic shooter, opposing teams tend to gamble when they defend him. For instance, there were many instances when the Cavs and Pacers left him open, practically daring him to shoot. They were thinking a 3-point attempt from Horford would be preferable to a drive from Jayson Tatum or any other form of offense from Boston's stars.

Occasionally, this gamble paid off. In Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Horford went a combined 0-for-10 from beyond the arc. In Game 1 of the Conference Finals, he hit just three triples after attempting 12.

This defensive strategy didn't always work though, as Horford doesn't lose confidence easily. He went 6-for-13 from 3-point land in Game 5 against the Cavs and notched a career-high seven triples in Game 3 against the Pacers. The Florida product isn't a knockdown shooter, but he's proven that leaving him open can be problematic.

Given his shooting volatility, the Mavs might leave Horford open as well and focus on getting the ball away from Tatum and Eastern Conference Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. As a result, the elder statesman of the Celtics could have another record-setting night from the perimeter and a cold shooting performance to boot.

No matter what, a fair amount of open looks could be in Horford's future.

The Celtics will let up 30 points to P.J. Washington

Forward P.J. Washington had zero playoff experience before he got traded to the Mavericks at the deadline. However, that hasn't slowed him down one bit.

The former Charlotte Hornets big is averaging 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds this postseason. He even scored in double figures in every game of the Western Conference Finals. And just before that, he had a playoff career-high 29 points (11-for-18 from the floor) in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Thunder.

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Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are undoubtedly the stars of the show for Dallas, yet Washington has been a key part of the Mavs' run to the Finals. Since Boston will be preoccupied with defending Dallas' dynamic duo, Washington could have the opportunity to go for 30 points and set a new personal best for the playoffs.

In fact, in the Celtics' semifinal series versus the Pacers, Indiana point guard Andrew Nembhard recorded a career-high 32 points in Game 3. The round before that, Cavs forward Marcus Morris posted 25 points in a Game 5 loss—one point shy of his playoff career-high.

Clearly, unsung heroes can perform well against the Celtics, and Washington is probably the best player out of those aforementioned names.

The Celtics win a tight, challenging series

The Eastern Conference foes the C's faced were good tests, yet Dallas (when healthy) is better than all of them.

Doncic and Irving are dangerous scorers who appear to be unguardable at times. The rest of the Mavs' roster, while inexperienced, is still deep.

Previous Celtics teams have approached the mountaintop and fallen short, and that's caused many to question whether the 2023-24 C's can go all the way and successfully counter the stardom of Doncic and Irving.

Luckily for Boston, it has one of the most balanced and star-studded lineups in the NBA. Tatum and Brown have the two-way ability to attack on offense and be boons, rather than liabilities, on defense. Furthermore, Tatum averaged 35.5 points during the Celtics' two regular season wins over Dallas. Those were his second-best offensive splits against a single team (he averaged 38.5 points per game versus Minnesota).

Brown wasn't far behind. The three-time All-Star put up 29.9 points per outing on 57.1% shooting from the field against the Mavs. Of course, the sample size for these numbers was small, but it shows that the Jays have given Dallas' defense trouble in the past.

As for the rest of Boston's starters, guards Jrue Holiday and Derrick White have been solid on both sides of the ball. The status of Porzingis, who played for the Mavs in over 130 games, remains up in the air for Game 1. If he can return for the Celtics and play akin to his old self, Boston will have another potent weapon on offense and a formidable shot blocker on defense. Without Porzingis, the high-flying nature of the Mavericks becomes much harder to defend.

Regardless of his presence, the Celtics are in for a battle with the Mavs. Boston should triumph in six to seven games, but it'll be hard-fought. Unlike the Pacers, Dallas knows how to play in the clutch and has a former NBA champion with one of the most famous shots in Finals history to his name.

Boston will have to take one game at a time and stay confident during the highs and the lows, which is exactly what it did against Indiana. A fearless, unified attitude from the Celtics will be needed during their most significant series of, arguably, the last decade.