The Boston Celtics walloped the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 to take the 1-0 lead. That also set a new franchise record for the Celtics for longest win streak in a single playoffs. Will the good times keep on rolling for Boston? Or, will the Mavericks steal a win in Beantown before Games 3 and 4 in Dallas?

Catch this game live on Monday, June 1, 2024 at 8:00 AM, Manila time

Away: Dallas Mavericks (0-1)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Luka Doncic
  • Kyrie Irving
  • Derrick Jones Jr.
  • P.J. Washington
  • Daniel Gafford

Game 1 was hell for the Mavericks. Nothing they did seemed to work in the series opener against the Celtics based on that game’s final score, 107-89. Luka Doncic scored 30 points but was 12/26 from the field and was held to just an assist despite playing 38 minutes. Much worse was Kyrie Irving, who scored just 12 points on a salty 6/19 shooting from the floor. How he responds in Game 2 is a big talking point heading into Monday. 

Dallas survived some games in this postseason with Irving putting up a stinker, but the Mavericks can’t afford Irving sputtering in any game against the high-powered Celtics. As for Doncic, he can be expected to be extra aggressive in finding his teammates. Derrick Jones Jr., Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II’s mouths have been fed by Doncic all playoffs long, and that needs to continue in the finals, especially with Boston’s defense so focused on slowing the production of the Slovenian.

On the season, Dallas is 24-13 against the spread in games after a loss.

Home: Boston Celtics (1-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Jrue Holiday
  • Derrick White
  • Jaylen Brown
  • Jayson Tatum
  • Kristaps Porzingis 

Boston put on a clinic in Game 1. Don’t rule out that happening again in Game 2, especially with Kristps Porzingis proving he is a hundred percent fine. In his first game back after a lengthy absence, Porzingis came off the bench and fired 20 points with six boards and three blocks, He scored 11 points in the first quarter alone. 

Porzingis could be back to the starting unit in Game 2, and that sounds like bigger trouble for the Mavericks. Dallas struggled to deal with the Celtics’ five-out attack, with even Al Horford nailing a couple of threes in Game 1. Overall, the Celtics went 16/42 from deep and should continue to serve up a heavy dosage of 3-point attempts. So far in the playoffs, Boston has a 47.6 percent 3-point frequency rate – the highest among all playoff clubs. 

Regardless of who is the Celtics’ best player, this team looks like a well-oiled machine that has everything it needs to take down Dallas again in Game 2. That’s not to mention that Monday’s game will still be in Boston where the Celtics are 5-4-1 ATS in its last 10 games there.

Picks

Spread: Boston Celtics (-6.5)

Over/Under: Over (214.5)