NBA Finals Preview: Celtics Aim for Record 18th Championship, Doncic and Irving Seek Second Title for Mavs

By June 23rd, the NBA will crown a new champion, with the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics fighting for the title. According to basketball experts, these two teams have earned their place in the championship battle, despite the presence of strong contenders in the playoffs, including the reigning champions led by NBA MVP Nikola Jokić and LeBron’s Lakers. However, the fight for the rings will be between two current powerhouses and two very different teams.

Road to the Finals

The Celtics were the first to secure their spot in the Finals. They swept the Pacers 4-0 in the conference finals and finished their playoff run with a 12-2 record. It doesn’t get much more convincing than that.

The Mavericks are in the finals for the first time since 2011. They had a tougher path, defeating three Western Conference teams that each had over 50 wins in the regular season.

The Celtics will have home-court advantage, something they didn’t have in the 2010 and 2022 finals, which were their last two Finals appearances.

The team, coached by Joe Mazzulla, entered the Playoffs with 64 wins.

Key Players

In Dallas, there’s no doubt - everything revolves around Luka Dončić. In the playoffs, he’s averaging 28.8 points per game, with 9.6 rebounds and 8.8 assists, playing nearly 42 minutes per game.

His counterpart in green, Jayson Tatum, is averaging 26 points per game, with 10.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists. Both are clear leaders of their teams, supported well by Kyrie Irving for Dallas and Jaylen Brown for Boston.

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The Celtics are expected to be stronger in the finals with the return of Kristaps Porzingis, who hasn’t played since Game 4 of the first round due to injury. This will be a significant boost for the Celtics' big-man positions.

Main Matchups

Luka Dončić and Jayson Tatum were selected to the All-NBA First Team, while Boston’s guard Jaylen Brown is All-NBA calibre with the title of MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The return of Porzingis will bolster the center line already featuring NBA veteran Al Horford, who has been waiting for his first ring in a 17-year NBA career.

Boston appears to be the more complete team with a deeper bench.

In Dallas, everything starts with Dončić and Irving. Irving returns to face a team he played for two seasons, and he didn’t leave the Celtics on the best of terms, to say the least! It's safe to say he won't receive a warm welcome in Boston.

Mazzulla’s team probably has the best defenders in the league, especially on the perimeter. Dončić will be guarded by Jrue Holiday - a player even the Slovenian has praised, while Derrick White will try to limit Irving’s abilities, another fantastic defensive option.

However, it’s clear that no one can play aggressive defence on the edge of fouling against Dončić and Irving for the whole 48 minutes, but the Celtics have solutions for that too. Tatum and Brown have shown they can step up and play quality defence when needed.

If Porzingis is indeed fit, the Celtics will have practically eight excellent options who are also a significant threat from three-point range.

Dallas has improved their defense with the February arrival of center Gafford and PJ Washington, who have seamlessly integrated into Kidd’s team.

They have adapted to Dončić and Irving, leading the team to sweep the competition in the West. Their arrival has particularly strengthened the defense, as since Gafford and Washington joined, Dallas has held their opponents to under 100 points.

Numbers

Many NBA stars and analysts see Boston as the more complete team and the favourites, but it’s hard to make big predictions in the finals, especially before the first game.

Jason Kidd will aim to become the 13th person to win the title as both a player and a coach. If he lifts the Larry O'Brien trophy with the Mavs, he will become only the sixth person to win as both a player and a coach with the same team.

On the other hand, the Celtics aim to break the tie and become the team with the most championships in NBA history. They are currently tied with the Lakers at 17 titles. Dallas has one championship from 2011.

Important Dates

The NBA Finals series begins on June 6th and will last until a maximum of June 23rd.

The Celtics will host the first two games (June 6 and 9), then the series moves to Dallas (June 12 and 14).

Game 5 would be played in Boston on June 17, Game 6 on June 20 in Dallas, and a potential deciding Game 7 on June 23 at the Garden.

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