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Celtics-Mavericks 2024 NBA Finals preview, odds and prediction originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The 2024 NBA Finals matchup is set: The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks will square off with the Larry O’Brien Trophy at stake.
The Celtics are in the Finals for the second time in three years after going 12-2 in the Eastern Conference playoffs, including a sweep of the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals. The Mavericks are back in the Finals for the first time since 2011 after beating three 50-win teams in the Western Conference playoffs. Dallas eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the conference finals in five games.
This series doesn’t lack compelling storylines. The star power is tremendous. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Mavs guard Luka Doncic are two of the top five players in basketball and were both recently voted to the All-NBA first team. Boston guard Jaylen Brown is an All-NBA caliber player playing the best basketball of his career. He was the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Celtics big man Al Horford is looking for his first championship ring in Year 17. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is attempting to become the 13th person to win a title as a player and a head coach. He would be the sixth to win as a player and head coach for the same team.
Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis has not played since Game 4 of the first round due to a calf injury. Getting him back in the lineup for the Finals would be a huge boost for the C’s. If Porzingis does play, he should be highly motivated to beat his former team.
And, of course, Kyrie Irving’s return to Boston will be a huge topic of discussion leading into the series. Irving is an elite scorer with championship-winning experience. He also played for the Celtics for two seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19. He left the team as a free agent in 2019 despite telling fans at an event before the 2017-18 campaign that he planned to re-sign. Irving also stomped on the Celtics’ iconic logo at center court as a player for the Brooklyn Nets in the 2021 playoffs. Even though it’s been five years since Irving left Boston, he is still likely to be the No. 1…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/celtics-mavericks-2024-nba-finals-030430407.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-05-31 03:15:15
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