Dallas Mavericks win NBA Finals Game 4 against Boston Celtics with a score of 122-84
Jayson Tatum leads scoring for Boston with 15 points but unable to prevent defeat
Kyrie Irving adds another 21 points to Dallas' total
Luka Doncic leads Dallas with 29 points in the first half and three steals
Mavericks outrebound Celtics by a significant margin of 52-31
Series is tied at 2-2 and both teams will face off in Game 5 of the NBA Finals
In a thrilling turn of events at the NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks managed to keep their season alive with a dominating 122-84 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 4. Luka Doncic led the charge for Dallas, holding Celtics' primary defenders to poor shooting performances and recording noticeably improved defensive numbers with three steals. The Mavericks also outrebounded the Celtics by a significant margin of 52-31.
Despite facing criticism from some quarters, Doncic silenced his critics with an impressive performance that saw him contribute 29 points in the first half alone. His teammate Kyrie Irving added another 21 points to the Mavericks' total, ensuring a much-needed win for Dallas.
The Celtics, who had previously shown strong form in the finals, struggled to keep up with Dallas' offensive prowess and defensive tenacity. Jayson Tatum led the scoring for Boston with 15 points but was unable to prevent his team from falling behind.
With this win, the Mavericks have avoided a sweep and will now face the Celtics in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The series is currently tied at 2-2, and both teams will be looking to secure a place in basketball history by winning the championship.
Jrue Holiday committed five turnovers in the series, including one in Game 4.
Dallas had a 52-31 rebounding advantage over Boston.
Accuracy
][The Mavericks outscored the Celtics in the last five quarters (151-105).][] This fact is not contradicted by any other article.
[]Luka Doncic had a big first half with 25 points and four assists in Game 4.[
Deception
(50%)
The article contains editorializing and pontification from the author. The author expresses their opinion that the Celtics 'missed shots, fell behind early, never mustered a rally and hardly showed the flex of a team with the league's best record.' They also state that 'the Mavericks lending him a hand was the surprise.' These statements are not facts but rather opinions and interpretations of events. The author also uses emotional manipulation by describing how 'hundreds – thousands? of Celtics fans who made the trip and gobbled up tickets at American Airlines Center in anticipation of an 18th title, and certainly to the Celtics themselves.' This is intended to elicit an emotional response from readers. The article also contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position, such as the Mavericks scoring on dunks and making open 3-pointers in the first half. It does not mention any mistakes or poor performances by the Mavericks.
The Celtics missed shots, fell behind early, never mustered a rally and hardly showed the flex of a team with the league's best record.
The Mavericks lending him a hand was the surprise.
Fallacies
(75%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(95%)
The article does not demonstrate any clear bias towards a specific political, religious, ideological or monetary position. However, the author does use language that depicts the Celtics as having a 'killer instinct' problem and being complacent with their series lead. This could be seen as implying that they are less motivated or committed to winning than the Mavericks. Additionally, there is a disproportionate number of quotes reflecting negatively on the Celtics' performance in Game 4, with only one quote mentioning the Mavericks' positive play. These factors suggest a slight bias against the Celtics.
He seemed bothered by the calls that went against him – not to the same degree as Luka in Game 4, but still – and never generated any momentum for himself or his team.
It was Mavericks 122, Celtics 84, a margin inflated and influenced by nearly 15 minutes of lopsided and meaningless garbage time.
One: It was an elimination game. Two: A championship was on the line and Tatum, by his own admission, expressed how important it was for him to grab a trophy and align himself with Celtic greats.
The Celtics missed shots, fell behind early, never mustered a rally and hardly showed the flex of a team with the league’s best record. Their previous – and only – two losses this postseason were similar whiffs.
Game 4 of the Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks NBA Finals will be played on Friday, June 14, 2024 at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT).
To watch the game without cable, subscribe to Sling TV’s Blue tier for $45 per month or Orange + Blue tier for $60 per month (currently offering a discount of $25 off the first month).
Accuracy
The game will air on ABC and stream on Sling TV and other platforms.
Luka Doncic thanked Jason Kidd for his support and expressed appreciation for having a coach who always has players' backs.
Boston's vaunted defense was shredded and their potent offense was thwarted during the game.
Dereck Lively II, the Mavericks’ rookie, admitted he was not comfortable and needed to adapt every game.
Accuracy
Luka Doncic scored 25 of his 29 points in the first half of Game 4 for Dallas, helping them build a large halftime lead.
The Mavericks defeated the Celtics with a historic margin in Game 4 to avoid being swept.
Boston’s vaunted defense was shredded and their potent offense was thwarted during the game.
Luka Doncic had noticeably better defensive performance, finishing with three steals in Game 4.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd predicted Luka Doncic would be better defensively in Game 4 after criticisms following his sloppy performance in Game 3.
The Celtics shot just 36.3% from the field as a team, gave up 13 offensive rebounds, and only grabbed four rebounds themselves in Game 4.
Boston will need to be better in every way to close out the series in Game 5.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The article contains several informal fallacies and a dichotomous depiction. The author uses the phrase 'shredded' to describe the Mavericks' defense against the Celtics, implying that it was easily defeated when in fact they held Boston to 36.3% shooting from the field as a team. This is an example of hyperbole, which is a type of informal fallacy. The author also uses the phrase 'potent offense was thwarted', which implies that the Celtics' offense was completely shut down when in fact they took four more 3-pointers than Dallas did and only had a lower field goal percentage due to garbage time buckets. This is an example of a false dilemma, as it presents two extremes (the offense being 'potent' or 'thwarted') when the reality is somewhere in between. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing the Celtics' performance as an 'aberration' and implying that they did not deserve to win due to their poor performance in Game 4. However, no formal fallacies were identified.
]The Mavericks left no doubt that its season would continue.[
