Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving Lead Dallas Mavericks to Surprising Victory in NBA Finals Game 4, 122-84

Dallas, Texas United States of America
Dallas Mavericks won Game 4 of the NBA Finals with a score of 122-84.
Jayson Tatum scored all his 15 points in the first half.
Kyrie Irving contributed with 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Luka Doncic scored 29 points and had 5 assists in the game.
The Mavericks' defense was relentless, causing a shot-clock violation during one possession.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving Lead Dallas Mavericks to Surprising Victory in NBA Finals Game 4, 122-84

In a surprising turn of events, the Dallas Mavericks managed to avoid being swept by the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals with a commanding 122-84 victory in Game 4. The Mavericks' impressive performance was led by Luka Doncic, who scored an astounding 29 points and dished out five assists, while Kyrie Irving contributed with 21 points, four rebounds, and six assists.

The first half of the game saw Dallas take a significant lead over Boston. The Mavericks held the Celtics to just 35 points in this period - their lowest-scoring half under head coach Joe Mazzulla. Doncic efficiently attacked offensively, scoring 22 of his points in the paint.

Irving also played a pivotal role, battling with Jayson Tatum and forcing him into a charge call. The Mavericks' defense was relentless during this period, swarming the Celtics and getting them whistled for a shot-clock violation during one possession.

The second half of the game saw both teams exchange baskets, but Dallas maintained their lead throughout. Dereck Lively II had an impressive outing with 11 points and 12 rebounds, while Jayson Tatum managed to score all his 15 points in the first half.

The Mavericks' victory was a significant one as they look to mount a comeback in the series. The Celtics still hold a commanding 3-1 lead and will be looking to close out the series when they return home for Game 5 at TD Garden.

Despite their impressive performance, it is important to note that no source is infallible, and all information should be taken with a critical eye. The Mavericks' victory was reported by multiple sources, but it is crucial to remain skeptical of any claims made and seek out diverse perspectives to ensure a complete understanding of the situation.



Confidence

90%

Doubts
  • Are there any discrepancies between different sources' reporting on the game's events?

Sources

97%

  • Unique Points
    • Dallas Mavericks avoided a sweep by Boston Celtics with a 122-84 victory in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
    • Dereck Lively II made his first three-point shot of the season for Dallas, giving them an early lead.
    • Mavericks built a double-digit lead in the first quarter and took a commanding halftime lead against complacent Celtics.
    • Boston’s loss was the third-worst playoff loss in franchise history, topped only by a 47-point loss to Orlando Magic and a 44-point loss to Cleveland Cavaliers.
    • Dallas’ 38-point victory was the second-largest playoff margin in franchise history.
    • Jason Kidd praised his team for their performance and described it as ‘desperate’.
    • Kyrie Irving ended his personal losing streak against Boston Celtics with 21 points, four rebounds, and six assists.
    • Mavericks exploited Porzingis’ absence by finding opportunities in the paint.
    • Jayson Tatum scored all his 15 points in the first half for Celtics, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their defeat.
    • Jaylen Brown had a dismal showing with 10 points on 3-for-12 shooting.
    • Celtics suffered their first playoff defeat in eight road games and snapped a 10-game winning streak dating back to the second round against Cleveland Cavaliers.
  • Accuracy
    • The Celtics suffered their first playoff defeat in eight road games and snapped a 10-game winning streak dating back to the second round against Cleveland Cavaliers.
    • Boston's loss was the third-worst playoff loss in franchise history, topped only by a 47-point loss to Orlando Magic and a 44-point loss to Cleveland Cavaliers.
    • Dallas had an advantage in the paint with Lively and Daniel Gafford.
    • The Celtics took 56% of its shots from behind the 3-point arc and made them at a decent clip before Game 4, but in Game 4 they had only 37 attempts compared to Boston’s 41.
    • The Mavericks finally evened up the math that had been stacked against them all series by having more success with their own three-point attempts.
    • The Celtics shot far worse on open looks to start the game than they did in the previous three games
    • Porzingis was supposed to be an antidote for games where Boston didn’t shoot well but missed another game due to injury.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing the Celtics' performance as an 'embarrassing no-show' and a 'dismal showing'. He also makes a dichotomous depiction by contrasting the Mavericks' 'free' play with the Celtics' complacency.
    • ][The Celtics] let go of the rope pretty early.[/
    • This was the worst job of owning our space on the offensive end, and [not] doing what we wanted to do instead of what they were forcing us to do. We did a great job of that the first three games. This one, we didn’t.[
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

82%

  • Unique Points
    • The Mavericks held the Celtics to just 35 points in the first half, their lowest-scoring half under head coach Joe Mazzulla.
    • Doncic efficiently attacked offensively and scored 22 of his points in the paint.
    • Irving battled with Tatum and forced him into a charge call.
    • The Mavericks swarmed during a separate Celtics possession and got them whistled for a shot-clock violation.
  • Accuracy
    • Luka Doncic put up 29 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in Game 4.
    • Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had their lowest totals of the series with respectively, 15 and 10 points.
    • The Mavs swarmed during a separate Celtics possession and got them whistled for a shot-clock violation.
    • Doncic competed on defense, forcing misses on the Celtics’ first six attempts with him as the primary defender.
    • Dallas had an advantage in the paint with Lively and Daniel Gafford.
    • Boston took 56% of its shots from behind the 3-point arc and made them at a decent clip before Game 4, but in Game 4 they had only 37 attempts compared to Boston’s 41.
    • The Mavericks finally evened up the math that had been stacked against them all series by having more success with their own three-point attempts.
    • Doncic and Irving combined for a total of 50 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists in Game 4.
    • Dallas reserves, particularly Dereck Lively II, gave the team an inside presence and took advantage of Boston’s lack of rim protection with Kristaps Porzingis absent due to injury.
    • The Celtics shot far worse on open looks to start the game than they did in the previous three games
    • The Celtics’ defense was uncharacteristically shaky, particularly in the third period
    • Porzingis was supposed to be an antidote for games where Boston didn’t shoot well but missed another game due to injury.
    • Irving finally beat his former team for the first time since stepping on that cartoon leprechaun logo’s eye but still hasn’t won in Boston since the 2021 playoff series when he was with the Brooklyn Nets
    • The Celtics need to regroup, take a deep breath and force Dallas to rotate by moving the ball better.
    • Boston’s style of play and willingness to compete on both sides of the floor should eventually win out.
  • Deception (50%)
    The article contains editorializing and pontification from the authors. The authors express their opinions on the performance of Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4, as well as the reasons for their dominating win against the Boston Celtics. They also make assumptions about what will happen in future games, such as 'This series ends in Game 5 if [the Celtics shoot better than 36% from the field]'. These statements are not facts and are therefore examples of deceptive practices.
    • It probably would have helped if Porziņģis and his rim protection were available, but Dallas was determined to be the aggressor, and Boston didn't respond to getting punched in the mouth.
    • The Mavs swarmed during a separate Boston possession and the Celtics got whistled for a shot-clock violation.
    • Those elements helped Dallas hold the Celtics to just 35 points in the first half -- their lowest-scoring half under head coach Joe Mazzulla.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    There are some informal fallacies in the article. The author makes use of the 'appeal to authority' when they mention statistics and historical records, such as Boston's plus-49 differential in 3-point attempts being the largest through three games in NBA history or that Boston's offense was 'uncharacteristically bad'. Another example is when they say 'Boston lives by the 3 and dies by it too, sometimes.' This is a generalization based on past performance, not specific to this game. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the Celtics' play in Game 4 as a 'dud' and saying that they seemed to think they were 'set for the duck boats and the championship parade'.
    • Boston's plus-49 differential in 3-point attempts was the largest through three games in NBA history.
    • Boston lives by the 3 and dies by it too, sometimes.
    • The Mavs scored 22 points in the paint in the first quarter, an embarrassing total for the Celtics to concede.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

  • Unique Points
    • Luka Doncic scored 25 of his 29 points in the first half (article)
    • Mavericks led by as many as 38 points in the third quarter (article)
    • Dereck Lively II had 11 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas (article)
  • Accuracy
    • Luka Doncic put up 29 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in Game 4. (other article)
    • Mavericks led by as many as 38 in the third quarter (article)
    • The Mavericks had an advantage in the paint with Lively and Daniel Gafford. (other article)
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication