Will Tatum’s scoring improve? Five questions for Celtics-Mavs Game 3

Will Tatum’s scoring improve? Five questions for Celtics-Mavs Game 3 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals technically isn’t a must-win matchup for the Dallas Mavericks, but in reality, it very much is a game that the Western Conference champs can’t afford to lose.

Another defeat would put the Mavs in an 0-3 hole against the Boston Celtics. No team has ever won an NBA Finals — or any NBA playoff series — after trailing 0-3.

Luckily for the Mavericks, they are going back home, where they own a 5-3 record in the playoffs. But aside from Luka Doncic, pretty much every Mavericks player has underwhelmed in the series so far. The Celtics have been content with allowing Doncic to do his thing and not let his teammates get into a rhythm.

Boston’s defense held Dallas under 100 points in each of the first two games at TD Garden. The Mavericks scored less than 100 points just four times in their previous 17 playoff games.

Can the Mavericks make the series interesting, or will the Celtics move to within one victory of a championship?

Here are five key questions to consider entering Game 3 on Wednesday night.

Can the Mavs close the 3-point gap?

The Mavericks averaged 34 3-point shots per game over the first three rounds of the playoffs, and they hit 37.2 percent of those attempts. But in the Finals, not only is Dallas shooting 24.5 percent from 3-point range, it’s taking about seven fewer 3-pointers per game.

The Mavs shot 27 3-pointers in Game 1 and 26 in Game 2. The Celtics, meanwhile, have attempted 40.5 3-pointers per game in the Finals. That difference of 14 attempts from beyond the arc is massive. The C’s don’t have to shoot a crazy percentage when they take 40-plus 3-pointers. The Mavs need to hit a high percentage of their 3s to keep pace if they’re only attempting 27 per game.

So, why is Dallas not attempting enough 3-pointers? Credit the Celtics defense.

Boston’s ability to guard Doncic and Kyrie Irving without doubling results in fewer open shooters on the perimeter. Previous playoff opponents doubled and blitzed Doncic, which often resulted in at least one Mavs role player being open…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tatums-scoring-improve-five-questions-181759824.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-06-11 19:43:51

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