The Dallas Mavericks find themselves in a major hole against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, as the Celtics downed the Mavericks by a score of 105-98 in Game 2 on Sunday night to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith thinks it's an ominous sign.
Teams that grab a 2-0 lead in the finals are 31-5 all time, but there have only been nine sweeps in NBA Finals history.
Could Dallas be the 10th victim?
Smith thinks it's a possibility, especially if Kyrie Irving doesn't get his act together.
Irving is averaging just 14 points per game while shooting 35.1 percent from the floor in this series. He has yet to make a three-pointer.
Smith also criticized the Mavericks' role players for not giving Luka Doncic enough help.
Doncic dropped 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in Game 2 and is logging 31 points, 10.5 boards and six assists while making 51.1 percent of his field-goal attempts over the first two games, but it has not resulted in any wins.
If Dallas wants to have any chance of beating the Celtics, players other than Doncic will need to step up.
Can the Mavericks turn the tables at home?
There is an old adage that says a series doesn't start until a team loses on its homecourt.
That proverb was always kind of silly, especially considering how going down 2-0 in any playoff series is essentially a death sentence. However, these finals aren't over just yet, and the Mavericks do have the opportunity to turn things around at the American Airlines Center.
Remember: role players typically play better at home, so perhaps guys like P.J. Washington, Derrick Jones Jr. and Dereck Lively II will put forth better performances in Dallas.
There is one big problem for the Mavericks, though: the Celtics have yet to lose on the road all postseason.
Boston has gone 6-0 over its first six road playoff wins in 2024 and has actually won eight consecutive road playoff games overall dating back to last spring. The C's have actually better played away from home than at TD Garden in recent postseasons.
Plus, the Mavs were not exactly world-beaters at home this season, going 25-16 in their own backyard. As a matter of fact, they posted the same record on the road.
It will take big-time efforts from Irving and at least one other role player for the Mavericks to be able to flip the script in this series. The Celtics did not even play particularly well in Game 2, but due to their depth, they were able to get just enough to beat Dallas. That came with Jayson Tatum shooting 6-for-22 and Boston going just 10-of-39 from three-point range.
You have to figure that Tatum, who has struggled with his shot over the first two games of the finals, is due for a significant scoring performance, so the Mavs also have to brace for that.
It will be a tough, uphill battle for the Mavericks against a Boston squad that won 64 games during the regular season for a reason.
We'll see if Doncic and Co. can put forth a better effort in Game 3 on Wednesday night.
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