The Boston Celtics retain home-court advantage on Sunday night for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, looking to take a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Dallas Mavericks. The Celtics are heavy favorites again on the money line, keeping the backing of the bookies following a dominant 107-89 victory in Game 1. The pressure is now on the Mavericks to avoid falling behind 0-2. Historically, 70% of teams that win Game 1 go on to win the championship. The Celtics, feeding off the energy of their home crowd and the return of Kristaps Porziņģis, are in a strong position to double down on their dominance. However, the Mavericks are resilient, having overcome slow starts earlier in the playoffs. Their second-half performance, where they almost closed the 29-point lead of the Celtics at the end of the first, may indicate that they are not yet out of the championship.
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Basketball: 2024 NBA Finals, Game 2
Where to Watch: ABC
Venue: TD Garden, Boston
Date: 10.06.2024. 03:00
Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics clearly intended to win an 18th championship by dismantling the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 in Game 1. Inspired by Jaylen Brown's 22 points, five other Celtics players reached double digits in scoring. Their offensive efficiency was impressive, with 55% shooting from the field and 41% shooting from three-point range. The Celtics have the best offense and defense in the league, so it was no surprise that they limited the Mavericks to just 37.5% shooting from the field, including a dismal 25% from beyond the arc. Luka Dončić, the Mavericks' star, returned his usual scoring average, finishing with 30 points and 10 rebounds, but committed a team-high three turnovers. Kyrie Irving, a former Celtic player, was booed relentlessly by the crowd and managed only three field goals. The returning Kristaps Porziņģis, a former Dallas Mavericks player, who had missed ten games due to a calf injury, got off to a great start on his comeback, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, including three blocks.
When they cut it to eight, the game started. I liked how our team responded. We stayed composed. Offensively, we got to our spacing and pushed that lead back out and made some plays.
Dallas Mavericks
After taking a hammering in the first half, the Dallas Mavericks showed signs of life in the third quarter. Luka Dončić, who finished with a game-high 30 points and 10 rebounds, dragged his team on a run that narrowed the deficit to 8 points in the fourth quarter. However, the Celtics weathered the storm and saw the win over the line. The Mavericks coaching crew must find a way to avoid the teams' slow start on both ends of the floor in Game 2. Dallas struggled offensively, shooting a poor 37.5% from the field and 25% from three-point range. Kyrie Irving scored 12 points and earned a minus-18 rating in the first half in a difficult return to Boston. The experienced Irvin has to shrug off the antics of the Celtics crowd and support Doncic with more points on the board.
I think in those moments we were playing our basketball. We were getting stops. We didn't allow them to offensive rebound. We were having fun out there in those moments, and that's what we've got to do more.
Betting Odds
Dallas Mavericks are 3.26 underdogs on 1xBet, with Boston Celtics 1.855 odds to cover the (-6.5) spread. On Betway, over 215.5 is valuable for 1.93, with the under listed for 1.66 odds. Luka Dončić is 1.83 odds to score over 31.5 points on Bet365, while Jaylen Brown is priced at 1.83 to point 22.5. Read more.
Bet on Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks with Bet365
