One out of four, baby! The Dallas Mavericks officially started their quest to conquer the Boston Celtics' 3-0 lead with a resounding Game 4 win on the road. After three games of struggling to crack the Boston defense, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving finally broke through, with some help from their bench players.
After the win, Irving defended his teammate Doncic from the criticism he's been getting. The Mavericks star was being criticized for his play during the Finals. Irving said that Luka bounced back really well from his first few games, and that he'll be able to handle the pressure of being in the Finals. (video via ClutchPoints)
“I think he made a few people eat their words. I’ll say that in a healthy way… I think this is his first taste of what it’s like to be on this stage and not play up to your capabilities… He responded very well. I think I expected it. I think a lot of people expected it that have seen Luka.”
Irving also reiterated that he and the rest of the Mavericks have Luka's back, as evidenced by head coach Jason Kidd's defense of the star prior to Game 4.
“If you’re not out there necessarily playing with us, it’s gonna be hard for us to connect if you’re talking sh*t about one of our teammates. We’re not gonna go for it. That’s what you’re saying not just from us, but our head coach.”
Mavericks' uphill battle
After running through the Western Conference gauntlet, many expected the Mavericks to put up a fight against the Celtics. Dallas survived the Timberwolves' assault and eliminated the top-seeded Thunder and the Clippers as well. However, the first three games proved that Boston was a much, MUCH tougher opponent than anyone anticipated.
The Celtics came in with a clear game-plan in the Finals: don't let the Mavericks' pick-and-roll game work. The PnR has been Dallas' bread-and-butter all playoffs long. Doncic and Irving running the action with Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford. With one simple adjustment, though, Dallas' offense stagnated. They also were not able to stop the Celtics' mounting attack on the other end.
In Game 4, the Mavericks capitalized on the Celtics seemingly losing focus with a fired-up front. Doncic and Irving were able to get their way, and Dallas' frontcourt abused the Kristaps Porzingis-less Boston front to get Game 4. Doncic and Irving got 29 and 21 points, and they could have gotten more if Boston did not wave the white flag early. This was Dallas' best performance in the Finals so far.
Can the Mavericks sustain this performance for three more games? It's possible, but it won't be easy. There's only one team in NBA Finals history to have come back from a 3-1 deficit: the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers. No team has come back from a 3-0 hole, ever. They do have Irving on the team, who was integral to that Cavs team's 3-1 comeback.
It's important for the Mavericks to keep it one game at a time and not look far ahead. Game 5 heads back to Boston on Monday. Can Doncic, Irving, and the team play spoiler and make history in the process?
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