The Dallas Mavericks were soundly defeated by the Boston Celtics 107-89 in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals on Thursday.
Despite a 30-point double-double from star Luka Doncic, the Mavericks came up short in several key areas that contributed to their lopsided loss.
Lack of Assists: The Mavericks recorded just 9 assists in the game, a far cry from their playoff average of 22.4. This was a result of over-reliance on isolation plays rather than ball movement and distribution.
The Celtics had as many blocks as the Mavericks had assists.
Poor 3-Point Shooting: Dallas struggled mightily from beyond the arc, making just 7-of-27 attempts (25.9%). This was well below their playoff average of 37.2% from 3-point range.
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The Celtics excelled, hitting 16-of-42 from deep.
Lack of Production from Role Players: Outside of Doncic’s 30 points and Kyrie Irving’s 12, the rest of the Mavericks’ supporting cast failed to step up.
The Mavs’ bench scored just 20 points, compared to 20 from Celtics reserve Kristaps Porzingis alone.
Free Throw Woes: The Mavericks also struggled at the free throw line, converting just 12-of-19 attempts (63.9%). This was well below their playoff average of 72.8%.
Kyrie Irving’s Struggles: Returning to Boston, Irving had a forgettable game, shooting just 6-of-19 from the field and scoring only 12 points.
The hostile environment seemed to impact his performance.
