The 2024 NBA Finals are here.
The Boston Celtics are back in the Finals, making a return trip after losing to the Golden State Warriors back in 2022. For the bulk of the season the Celtics were the class of the Eastern Conference, finishing with a 64-18 record — the best in the NBA — and 14 games ahead of the New York Knicks in the East.
That led many to wonder if the Celtics would be ready for the playoff run, and to many neutral observers, Boston’s path to the Finals was a little easier than expected. Boston squared off with the Miami Heat in the first round, but without Jimmy Butler who was lost with an MCL sprain, Miami struggled against Boston.
Then came the Cleveland Cavaliers, who began the series against the Celtics without rim protector Jarrett Allen, who missed the entire series with broken ribs. Add in a knee injury for Donovan Mitchell and you have a 4-1 series win for Boston, who moved on to face the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Who were without Tyrese Haliburton for the final two games of that series, as the guard entered the Conference Finals with a groin injury that hampered him in the first two games, and saw him shut down for the final two.
Now they’ll take on the Dallas Mavericks, who stormed to the NBA Finals thanks to a tremendous playoff run from Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić. Dončić might be playing the best basketball on the planet right now, and in our ranking of the top 15 players in this series, he was a fairly easy choice for the top spot. He has averaged almost a triple-double in the playoffs, averaging 28.8 ppg, 9.6 rpg, and 8.8 apg over Dallas’ 17 postseason games. With him, the Mavericks have the best player left standing, even if he is doing it on just one healthy leg as he deals with a knee sprain.
They also could pose some problems for the Celtics, given their length and athleticism. As outlined above Boston has seen a somewhat easier path to the Finals, but that will change starting Thursday night. Around Dončić and Irving the Mavericks have players who can frustrate the Boston offense, including P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr.
Washington is big with a massive wingspan, and expect to see him on Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum for most of the series. Jones Jr. is one of the better athletes in the league, who can pose problems both near the rim and around the arc.
Down low Dallas can turn to the combination of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. The rookie Lively is 7’1, has a massive wingspan, and has been Dallas’ third best player on this run. Gafford is another springy rim protector who can disrupt shots and harrass Boston’s scorers near the tin.
Those players will need to step up if Dallas has a shot at pulling this off, but in the NBA Finals, anything can happen.
It all gets started this Thursday. Here is how to watch.
2024 NBA Finals Schedule
- Game 1: Boston 107, Dallas 89 (Boston leads series 1-0)
- Game 2: Boston 105, Dallas 98 (Boston leads series 2-0)
- Game 3: Boston 106, Mavericks 99 (Boston leads series 3-0)
- Game 4: Dallas 122, Boston 84 (Boston leads series 3-1)
- Game 5: Dallas at Boston | Monday, June 17 | 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+
- Game 6: Boston at Dallas | Thursday, June 20 | 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+*
- Game 7: Dallas at Boston | Sunday, June 23 | 8:00 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+*
*If necessary