NBA FINALS, Gm 1 – Mavericks @ Celtics – 8:30PM, Thurs, June 6, 2024

[bisme37]

I kinda hope the crowd doesn't boo Ky all series long every time he has the ball. It might get in his head a bit but imo it's distracting for all the players and annoying for television viewers.

How do you guys feel about that?

I feel the same way. It's lame and corny IMO. Especially now... This should be about winning banner 18. Don't make it about Kyrie. I have no doubt they will boo him though. Hopefully it's at least not all series/game long. Man that would get old fast.

Agreed. Our goal is bigger than heckling some guy who doesn't even deserve our attention at this point. Just play ball and win a title.

[Yinwest]

If the Celtics, with extra rest and time to prepare, HCA etc, still couldn’t beat a hobbled Luka, oh my.

[zoyathedestroya]

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This is where I'm at. Don't wanna get my hopes up just yet. But cool to see he's progressing with no setbacks.

[Tyakack]

If Kristaps isn't ready by game 1, that pretty much confirms to me he is either not coming back or when he does he is going to be ineffective. I don't think a few extra days is going to make some huge difference at this point.

[zoyathedestroya]

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No making history for you, Mavs. THIS IS OUR TIME.

[Triple7]

As I said to a friend like two weeks ago.

If we don’t win this season I’m not sure we ever will in the Tatum/Brown era

This is our best chance. I don’t know losing two finals would do to the Jays confidence. Plus next year every star player could be healthy.

[165bows]

[url][url]Boston beat Dallas 119-110 in January and 138-110 in March (after the trade deadline, but before the Mavericks settled on their current starting lineup).[/url][/url]

What's up folks, the new Without Middleton (TM) just dropped!!

https://www.theringer.com/2024/5/31/24168591/nba-finals-boston-celtics-dallas-mavericks-luka-doncic-kristaps-porzingis-preview

[bisme37]

[zoyathedestroya]

[url][url]Boston beat Dallas 119-110 in January and 138-110 in March (after the trade deadline, but before the Mavericks settled on their current starting lineup).[/url][/url]

What's up folks, the new Without Middleton (TM) just dropped!!

https://www.theringer.com/2024/5/31/24168591/nba-finals-boston-celtics-dallas-mavericks-luka-doncic-kristaps-porzingis-preview

Celtics have beaten the Bucks with (2018) and without Middleton (2022). But the Bucks have yet to beat the Celtics without Kyrie.

Joe Mazzulla is 4-0 against Jason Kidd.

[shackles10]

I'm struggling to remember and obviously 24 hour media is a much bigger thing than it was in 09, but I don't recall there being more than just general optimism that turned into disappointment with KG compared to KP who's at most of the games, travelling with the team, and practicing at least to some degree. That's what's giving me hope, especially as it compares to a Playoffs return from injury we went through before when the return never happened. That, and I'm telling you he looked good and healthy down that tunnel in Indy celebrating with the guys.

[zoyathedestroya]

This tweet is gonna feed families...



LOL I had the wrong date. Should read June 5.

[AKFO]

LETS GO GET IT FELLAS. 4 MORE!

[zoyathedestroya]

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[zoyathedestroya]

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[fallguy]

Hollinger.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5525343/2024/05/31/mavericks-celtics-nba-finals-preview-hollinger/

"Teams that strive to take away 3s and live with basket attacks, like Indiana, are the only ones that have a chance against the Celtics. Sure, the Pacers gave up points, but they also beat Boston twice in the regular season and had them dead to rights in Game 1 of the conference finals before fate intervened … with a late 3-pointer.

Dallas, in contrast, was a middle-of-the-pack team in preventing opponent 3s and has played that way again in the playoffs. The Mavs’ big conundrum is figuring out how to contort a defensive strategy that was close to optimal for playing the Clippers, Thunder and Wolves and adapt it to playing a very different Boston team. Recent events don’t augur well on that front; when the Mavs marched into Boston with all their new trade pieces in March, they lost 138-110, with Boston shooting 21 of 43 on 3s."

[zoyathedestroya]

Hollinger.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5525343/2024/05/31/mavericks-celtics-nba-finals-preview-hollinger/

"Teams that strive to take away 3s and live with basket attacks, like Indiana, are the only ones that have a chance against the Celtics. Sure, the Pacers gave up points, but they also beat Boston twice in the regular season and had them dead to rights in Game 1 of the conference finals before fate intervened … with a late 3-pointer.

Dallas, in contrast, was a middle-of-the-pack team in preventing opponent 3s and has played that way again in the playoffs. The Mavs’ big conundrum is figuring out how to contort a defensive strategy that was close to optimal for playing the Clippers, Thunder and Wolves and adapt it to playing a very different Boston team. Recent events don’t augur well on that front; when the Mavs marched into Boston with all their new trade pieces in March, they lost 138-110, with Boston shooting 21 of 43 on 3s."

Been saying it for a while now...

It's a random cutoff but here's the team's W-L record when...

...taking less than 44% of their shots from 3, RS: 18-11; 46-7 otherwise
...taking less than 44% of their shots from 3, PS: 4-2; 8-0 otherwise

I complain a lot about Cs "chucking threes" but when teams have limited our 3-ball attempts, they've had more success. I guess it just boils down to the type of threes we're taking and at what spots (both spots on the floor and time/situation).

This is also how the Heat beat the Cs last postseason. You even heard Spo say it in the broadcast. Take away Cs' threes.

[The Corey's]

I've never been so confident about anything ever. Celtics in 5.

You don't win this one you're never gonna win one with this code.

[165bows]

Hollinger.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5525343/2024/05/31/mavericks-celtics-nba-finals-preview-hollinger/

"Teams that strive to take away 3s and live with basket attacks, like Indiana, are the only ones that have a chance against the Celtics. Sure, the Pacers gave up points, but they also beat Boston twice in the regular season and had them dead to rights in Game 1 of the conference finals before fate intervened … with a late 3-pointer.

Dallas, in contrast, was a middle-of-the-pack team in preventing opponent 3s and has played that way again in the playoffs. The Mavs’ big conundrum is figuring out how to contort a defensive strategy that was close to optimal for playing the Clippers, Thunder and Wolves and adapt it to playing a very different Boston team. Recent events don’t augur well on that front; when the Mavs marched into Boston with all their new trade pieces in March, they lost 138-110, with Boston shooting 21 of 43 on 3s."

Been saying it for a while now...

It's a random cutoff but here's the team's W-L record when...

...taking less than 44% of their shots from 3, RS: 18-11; 46-7 otherwise
...taking less than 44% of their shots from 3, PS: 4-2; 8-0 otherwise

I complain a lot about Cs "chucking threes" but when teams have limited our 3-ball attempts, they've had more success. I guess it just boils down to the type of threes we're taking and at what spots (both spots on the floor and time/situation).

This is also how the Heat beat the Cs last postseason. You even heard Spo say it in the broadcast. Take away Cs' threes.

Pretty interested to learn more about Dallas’ recent defensive surge. I’m a little suspicious that their innovations are simply Jason Kidd recreating early teens defenses from when he played lol.

[165bows]

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That’s a pretty spicy pair of facts.

[Ben-N1ce]

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I wanna see him scrimmage with the guys. Only then would my confidence about him playing perk up.

Yep. This is like Ben Simmons 3 point sightings videos lol until he's running on the court full speed we know nothing.