The Dallas Mavericks dropped Game 2 of the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics 105-98 on Sunday. The Mavs will now head back to Dallas trailing 0-2 in the series.
Sunday's affair was a frustrating loss. The Mavs had opportunities to take a lead and run with it but they could not find enough consistency to do so. Although it was a much more competitive contest than Game 1, the Celtics ultimately held on for the huge victory.
So what exactly went wrong? Here are three takeaways from Game 2.
Mavericks need Kyrie Irving to step up
Heading into the game, the primary question surfaced around Luka Doncic's potential performance given his injury concerns. Doncic had a great game, though. He recorded a 32-point, 11-rebound, 11-assist triple-double. He also shot 12-21 from the field and 4-9 from beyond the arc.
Kyrie Irving, however, has not played up to his expectations.
Irving's NBA Finals experience was expected to play a pivotal role in the series. His Game 1 struggles did not stand out too much since it was only one contest. The thought was that he'd bounce back and have a big Game 2. That failed to come to fruition, though.
Kyrie finished the game with 16 points on just 7-18 shooting from the field. He also only took three three-point attempts, failing to make a single shot from beyond the arc. Irving added six assists but overall his play was far from ideal. Everyone talks about the Mavs star-studded duo but Irving has not shown up so far in the series.
In the end, Kyrie Irving is one of the best players in the entire NBA. It is entirely possible that he will find his form in Dallas and lead the Mavericks to a crucial Game 3 victory. Right now, though, Irving does not look like himself. Luka Doncic is a great player, but the Mavs need Irving to play well moving forward if they want to upset the Celtics.
Offensive gameplan
The Mavericks' offense just needs to connect on more long-range attempts. Overall, the gameplan could have worked in all reality.
They did a better job of driving to the basket and drawing fouls in Game 2. They went just 16-24 from the free throw line, but 24 is a respectable amount. Dallas also shot 47.5 percent from the field.
They did not live and die by the three-point shot, which is something that has been a problem in the past. Still, connecting on just a few more three-pointers would have helped matters to say the least. The Mavericks made only six of their 26 attempts (23.1 percent) from beyond the three-point line.
Dallas had an opportunity to seize an advantage since Boston also struggled with their three-point shots in the game. They were unable to do so, and the Mavs ended up scoring less than 100 points for a second consecutive contest.
So do the Mavericks need to completely change the gameplan? No, because if they would have made five or so more three-pointers we would be having a completely different discussion right now. But Dallas needs to start finding consistency on the long-range attempts.
Celtics have plethora of weapons
I was considering making the final takeaway based around the Mavericks' defense. Again, Dallas did a respectable job of containing Boston's offensive attack. But the fact that the Celtics still found a way to win makes this takeaway centered around their plethora of weapons.
In Game 1, it was Kristaps Porzingis who started strong and played a crucial role. Jaylen Brown ended up leading the Celtics to the victory. Of course, Jayson Tatum is also a great player, while Derrick White has emerged as one of the most underrated stars in the league.
On Sunday, it was Jrue Holiday's turn to shine. Holiday led the Celtics with 26 points on incredibly efficient 11-14 shooting from the field and 2-4 shooting from deep. Holiday also recorded 11 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block.
The Celtics are a difficult opponent without question. On any given night, any star can step up and make the difference. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum receive the most attention, but Holiday, Porzingis, and White are all able to play at high levels as well.
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