It’s still not clear why James crumbled back in 2011, but the modern-day Mavericks are hoping for a similarly dramatic turn of events when the Finals return to American Airlines Center on Wednesday. The Boston Celtics scored decisive victories in the first two games of this series to improve to 14-2 in the playoffs. With a Game 3 win, Boston would have a chance to become the first team to sweep the Finals since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors.
Dallas’s challenge is daunting but not impossible: Giannis Antetokounmpo and the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks won in six games after dropping the first two on the road to the Phoenix Suns, and James’s 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers erased a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Warriors in seven. What’s more, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving led these Mavericks to series victories over the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second despite Game 1 losses.
“Failure is the best teacher at times,” said Irving, who played alongside James on the 2016 Cavaliers. “It can inspire you to do great things. [Beating the Warriors] took a lot of resilience. It took a lot of will. We had time to fail together. We had time to go through our trials together. We lost [in the 2015 Finals]. A lot of guys came back in 2016 and we won, so there was an inner motivation there. … If you asked me in September or October, would I want a chance to be down 0-2 with a chance to respond in Game 3 or be out of the playoffs? I think I would choose the former.”
The Mavericks should find some consolation in knowing there is seemingly nowhere to go but up. Their 187 points in the first two games make up their lowest total in back-to-back games during this playoff run. Their 13 combined three-pointers in Games 1 and 2 were their fewest in back-to-back games this season. Their nine assists in Game 1 tied for the second fewest in franchise playoff history. And Irving, who scored just 28 points on 37 shots in the first two games, failed to hit a three-pointer in consecutive games for the first time all season.
“We can’t really score,” Doncic said. “That’s our main problem right now. Keep shooting. We all believe in those shots. That’s how we came to the Finals. That’s how we played the whole season. We believe in those guys. Everybody believes. If you’re open, just keep shooting. You’re going to knock it down at some point.”
Boston’s defense deserves credit for slowing the Mavericks by limiting Doncic’s lob passes to his centers and kick-outs to spot-up shooters in the corner. But the Celtics could look different in Game 3 after center Kristaps Porzingis was diagnosed with a rare ankle injury he suffered while colliding with Mavericks center Dereck Lively II in Game 2. Officially, the Celtics said Porzingis would be listed as day-to-day after he suffered “a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg” — an injury they said was unrelated to a right calf strain that sidelined him for 10 playoff games before the Finals.
“He’s doing anything and everything he can to be ready for the game,” Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla said. “It’s a serious injury. At the end of the day, our team and the medical team is not going to put him in any bad situations. We’ve taken the decision to play out of his hands.”
Porzingis, who said after Sunday’s Game 2 that he would “die out there if we need,” remained “optimistic” Tuesday about his chances to play in Game 3.
Mazzulla used Porzingis off the bench in the first two games, which helped maximize his effectiveness coming off the calf injury. Boston has outscored Dallas by 25 points in 44 minutes with Porzingis on the court, and the teams have played to a draw with him on the bench. Over a broader sample, the Celtics went 21-4 without Porzingis during the regular season and 9-1 during his postseason absence.
“Nothing is going to stop me unless I’m told I’m not allowed to play,” Porzingis said. “That’s the only reason I would not be out there. I’ve been through some stuff in my career. This is a rough patch coming back and having something happen right away again. It’s just a tough moment right now, but I’m feeling pretty good. My mind is good.”
While Porzingis’s Game 1 scoring punch garnered much praise, his rim-protecting presence has helped limit Mavericks centers Daniel Gafford and Lively, who score the vast majority of their points on dunks and layups. If Porzingis is out or limited in his mobility, Doncic should have more opportunities to create high-percentage chances in the paint and, in turn, draw extra attention to free up forwards P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. at the arc. Mavericks Coach Jason Kidd also could take a longer look at backup guard Dante Exum, whose ballhandling and secondary playmaking could help jump-start Dallas’s attack and shift some of the offensive burden away from Doncic.
Meanwhile, Celtics star Jayson Tatum finds himself in a LeBron-like predicament. Like James was in 2011, Tatum is 26, eying his first ring and mired in a nasty scoring slump. His 6-for-22 shooting performance in Game 2 was his least efficient outing of this playoff run, and his postseason average of 24.9 points is his lowest since 2019. Tatum has focused on distributing, rebounding and locking in defensively to make up for his scoring lapses, but his offense will receive even greater scrutiny in light of Porzingis’s injury.
Dallas’s formula for a Game 3 win will rely on an energy boost from its home crowd, improved outside shooting from its forwards and more focused play from Irving. If Porzingis isn’t himself and Tatum’s offense continues to lag, the Mavericks will have a chance to make this a series.
“I understand that it could take one game and I could explode,” Tatum said. “All the percentages and things like that could change. It’s just that mind-set of [being] one game away. I know what it’s like to be in this position and lose. This time around, I’m trying to do everything possible to have a different outcome. I know I need to shoot the ball better, and I plan on it.”