Boston Celtics have a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals against Dallas Mavericks
Boston has averaged 54.5 drives per game in the Finals compared to their regular-season average of 39.1 drives per game
Brian Scalabrine and Eddie House believe Boston needs 'controlled desperation' to take a commanding 3-0 lead
Kyrie Irving has struggled in the series with just 14 points combined
Physical defense, particularly against Luka Doncic, has been key for Boston's success
The NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks continue with Game 3. The Celtics have taken a commanding 2-0 lead in the series, leaving the Mavericks in a desperate situation to avoid being swept.
One of the key factors for Boston's success has been their physical play on defense, particularly against Luka Doncic. In Game 2, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 15 minutes on the bench during which the Celtics outscored the Mavericks by 12 points.
Another factor has been Boston's increased drive production. Through the first two games of the Finals, they have averaged 54.5 drives per game, significantly more than their regular-season average of 39.1 drives per game.
The Mavericks will be looking to bounce back in front of their home crowd at American Airlines Center for Games 3 and 4. Kyrie Irving, who has struggled so far in the series with just 14 points combined, will be a key focus for Dallas as they look to get back into the series.
Brian Scalabrine and Eddie House, both former Celtics players, believe that Boston needs to approach Game 3 with 'controlled desperation' to take a commanding 3-0 lead. The team will need to continue their physical play on defense and maintain their increased drive production while also staying focused and composed.
Tip-off for Game 3 is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 13th.
Kyrie Irving aims to get back on track in Game 3 of NBA Finals.
Mavericks are home for the next two games.
Jayson Tatum’s poor shooting performance is a concern for the Celtics.
Accuracy
Celtics have won the first two games and could potentially win ten straight in the postseason.
Mavericks are struggling from three-point range with a shooting percentage of 26% in the series so far.
Deception
(50%)
The article contains editorializing and selective reporting. The author expresses their opinion that the Mavericks have no chance in the NBA Finals if they lose Game 3, implying that a loss is inevitable for them. They also only report details that support this opinion, such as the fact that the Celtics are up 2-0 and have only two losses in the postseason. No counterarguments or alternative perspectives are presented.
This is somewhat similar to the 1981 Finals when Larry Bird struggled with his shot – he was superb otherwise – and the Finals MVP went to Cedric Maxwell. The difference is Bird was only in his second season and first Finals. This is the second time Tatum has struggled in the championship series.
The Mavericks have been miserable from 3-point range in this series. They're 13-for-53, and shooting 26% isn't the recipe for winning.
The Mavericks need Doncic's impact in three phases: scoring, rebounding and creating shots for others. They could also use his energy late in the fourth quarter, against a persistent Celtics defense geared to make him work hard.
The upcoming quarterly refunding update from the US Treasury will provide information on how much bond supply there will be.
Jayson Tatum OVER 5.5 Assists (-142) has cleared this number in three of the last four games, including 12 in Game 2 of the Finals.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article contains editorializing and pontification by the author, as well as selective reporting. The author expresses their opinion that the Celtics are better than the Mavericks and that Dallas needs to play 'desperate' in Game 3. They also focus on specific statistics, such as Jayson Tatum's performance and Luka Doncic's shooting percentage, while ignoring other relevant information. The article does not disclose any sources for the injury news it reports.
Dallas has to play desperate...
The Celtics have just been better...
What gets lost to time is he struggled the first two games of that series...
Dallas needs Irving to turn things around...
Technically, if the Mavs lose, there will be a Game 4 on Friday night (and maybe even a game after that), but the series will be over in any real sense...
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes an appeal to authority by quoting P.J. Washington and the NBC Sports betting analysts without providing any context or analysis of their statements. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating that 'Dallas will be better in Game 3' and 'this series will be over earlier than expected' without providing any evidence to support these claims.
“They’re just better. At the end of the day, they are better than all the teams we’ve played. It’s the Finals, and we’ve just got to be better.”
“They need Irving to turn things around.”
“What gets lost to time is he struggled the first two games of that series — he scored 36 points across the two games and needed 36 shots to get there.”
The Celtics have won his 15 minutes on the bench by 12 points over the first two games, despite the Mavericks going on a meaningless run without Doncic at the end of Game 1.
Through the first two games of the Finals, the Celtics have averaged 54.5 drives per game, far more than their average of 39.1 per game during the regular season.
