Ohonsi's NBA Blog

Game 1 Expected Boston to win. In game 2, they're probably not going to be nearly as hot from 3 and Porzingis is most likely not gonna go crazy. But they didn't allow any lobs or corner 3s (when the game mattered) so their defense is what impressed me the most by holding Dallas to a very small number of assists. However, Kyrie is probably going to be much better and they almost blew a 29 point lead. No answer for Luka either. I think Dallas wins on Sunday. Game 2 Still picking Dallas to win the series. They've been great defensively the 1st 2 games. All they need is a good Kyrie game which hasn't happened yet. However, Boston's defense limited them again in terms of lobs and corner 3s which has to change for the Mavs to win. I think Dallas' crowd will propel them to fix the aforementioned issues. But Tatum is due for a big game and since Boston has a much better roster, Dallas might be in trouble. Game 3 Even if Dallas wins game 4 (I don't think so), Boston ...

Luka is by far the best player heading into the series. There might not be a better scorer in the NBA than him. He's also arguably at the top of the league as a passer who's surrounded by corner 3-point shooters (PJ/Jones/Green) and lob targets (Gafford/Lively). If Boston traps Doncic after he uses a screen, Dallas' centers will have the opportunity to find shooters beyond the arc who can shoot or attack a closeout to bend the defense even more. Conversely, the Celtics can hedge or play drop coverage on the Slovenian which can lead to lobs or crafty mid-range jumpers/floaters by Luka which'll be caused by his manipulation of the defender chasing him after being screened. The Mavs superstar is also a 3-level iso scorer who often looks to demoralize his opposition with step back j's from long range. It gets worse for Boston because Kyrie is essentially the B+ version of Doncic. Irving is going to test the Celtics in a similar way. However, the perimeter defense (Holid...