The NBA Finals are starting and we will have very interesting duels between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics. The Mavericks arrive after having a reconstruction project with important figures like Kyrie and Luka, the Texan team finished the regular season of the Western Conference with a record of 50 wins and 32 losses to place in sixth place. The Dallas team comes from having complicated series in the Playoffs with victories against the Clippers 4-2, the Thunder 4-2 and the Timberwolves 4-1. The Mavericks have come from less to more in the season and the Irving-Doncic duo is performing great so that they seek their second NBA title. On the other hand, the Celtics arrive in a great moment and looking to become the most winning team in the NBA and achieve their 18th title, breaking the tie with the Lakers. Dallas has been criticized for the not-so-complicated path the team has had to these finals with victories against Miami by 4-1, Cleveland by 4-1 and a sweep of Indiana by 4-0. The team finished at the top of the Eastern Conference with a record of 64 wins and 18 losses. A very interesting matchup is expected between both teams and this has caught the attention of fans as it is a duel between the two best teams in the league and both know that a victory against their rival is of utmost importance to put the series in their favor. This game has several stars such as Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis. Likewise, we will have very interesting duels in different areas of the court with Porzingis and Al Horford against Lively II and Gafford in the paint, in addition to the direct clashes between Irving and Doncic against Tatum and Brown.
Players to follow?
The players to watch are Luka Doncic for the Mavericks and Jayson Tatum for the Celtics.
Luka Doncic, the Dallas point guard, is leading the team offensively as the best scorer and best assist man with an average of 34.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game. The Mavs star is taking advantage of the team's great moment to be fighting at the top of the Western Conference and with important possibilities of being considered for the All-Star game and entering the conversation for the MVP of the season. Without a doubt, the point guard's connection with Kyrie Irving and PJ Washington is the most important for Dallas' good moment and its immediate future. Luka's goals are to get the team to the NBA Finals with this new group of players and seek his first title.
On the other hand, Jayson Tatum, the Boston guard, is the Celtics' top player and is the current leader of the team's offense as the best scorer and best rebounder with an average of 32.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. The Celtics star is back on the court and is taking advantage of the team's great moment to be at the top of the Eastern Conference and, after being considered for the 2023 All-Star game, he was considered one of the great players of the season and postseason for his good moment. Without a doubt, the guard's connection with Jaylen Brown and Al Horford will be essential for Boston to meet the objectives set.
Other important figures in this game are Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II for the Mavericks, as well as Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis from Boston. This will be the last time the two teams will face each other this season and it is certainly a very interesting duel to follow closely. During the regular season, the two teams faced each other twice, with Boston winning both games.
Where and at what time are the games?
The NBA Finals series will be held at TD Garden and the American Airlines Center, with the first two games in Boston and the second two in Dallas, with the last three games being played one in each stadium until the winner is determined.
The duels between the Mavs and Celtics will take place from Thursday, June 6 to Sunday, June 23 with the following schedule:
- Game 1 - June 6 // 6:30 p.m. (CDMX); 8:30 p.m. (ET) // TD Garden
- Game 2 - June 9 // 6:00 p.m. (CDMX); 8:00 p.m. (ET) // TD Garden
- Game 3 - June 12 // 6:30 p.m. (CDMX); 8:30 p.m. (ET) // American Airlines Center
- Game 4 - June 14 // 6:30 p.m. (CDMX); 8:30 p.m. (ET) // American Airlines Center
- Game 5 - June 17 // 6:30 p.m. (CDMX); 8:30 p.m. (ET) // TD Garden
- Game 6 - June 20 // 6:30 p.m. (CDMX); 8:30 p.m. (ET) // American Airlines Center
- Game 7 - June 23 // 6 p.m. (CDMX); 8 p.m. (ET) // TD Garden
The Celtics are the big favorites because they have a better moment within the roster, compared to the Dallas roster, however, the Mavs arrive showing improvements and will want to add a victory on the road to get closer to the title, it is expected that this series will go to Game 6 or 7 to define the NBA champion.
All information about the 2024 NBA Finals can be followed via VAVEL.
