The Dallas Mavericks are on the brink of a historic comeback after forcing a Game 5 on Friday. Instead of being swept, the Mavs delivered one of the most lopsided victories in NBA Finals history, crushing the Boston Celtics by 38 points.
Dallas has given fans plenty of reasons to believe in their potential to make history. The key for the organization is to stay focused on each game and ignore the distracting outside noise.
Despite their success, some critics, including franchise stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, continue to target the Mavs. On Friday, however, they managed to stay focused and perform well.
**Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving silence Bob Cousy’s criticism with Game 4 win**
One notable critic of the Mavs duo has been Celtics legend Bob Cousy. The 95-year-old icon was thrilled after the first two games of the Finals, as Boston jumped to a 2-0 series lead. Naturally, he is eager to see the Celtics win their 18th championship banner.
Cousy had some harsh words for the Luka-Kyrie pairing. He claimed that the Celtics’ defense had exposed Irving’s non-superstar status, noting that Boston had limited Irving’s effectiveness with mostly single coverage.
On the other hand, Cousy described Doncic as a “truck driver” with exceptional athleticism, mentioning that Boston had successfully forced the Slovenian star to rely on his step-back three-pointers, a strategy that Cousy believed would favor Boston.
However, in Game 4, Doncic and Irving proved “The Houdini of Hardwood” wrong.
“Luka Magic” dominated Boston’s defense in the first half, scoring 25 of his 29 points before halftime without making any three-pointers. He also showed improvement on defense, effectively addressing his previous weakness.
Meanwhile, Irving followed up his 35-point performance in Game 3 with a solid 21 points in Game 4. Eleven of those points came in the third quarter, helping the Mavs maintain their lead over the Celtics. He could have scored more, but Dallas’s dominant victory made it unnecessary.
The outcome of Game 5 between the Mavs and Boston remains uncertain.
Dallas must prepare for the Celtics’ coaching adjustments. Fortunately, the Mavericks have Jason Kidd, whose strategic decisions were crucial in securing the Game 4 win. Kidd has been exceptional as a coach throughout the 2024 NBA Playoffs and the entire season, setting the stage for an intriguing tactical battle with Boston’s coach Joe Mazulla in Game 5.
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