NBA Finals Boston vs Dallas (poll)

Who will be Champions?


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    36

Hoop Head

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Got to credit Boston fans for providing a raucous home court for their team.

I was surprised they kept up their energy all game, especially their boo'ing Kyrie.
 

Covert Rain

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Dallas have to score. They aren’t going to win a game scoring under 100 and having multiple offensive cold spells in a game. Boston’s paint defense was great. Dallas still missed some shots that they can make, even in the paint. Dallas missed a lot of shots that they can make to at least make the game closer. With that said Boston thoroughly outplayed Dallas in every way.
The funny thing is that they looked very much like the Suns offensively. ISO with Irving. ISO with Luka. Rinse, repeat. The one good run they had (when they cut it to 8) the ball was moving better.
 

Lorenzo

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The funny thing is that they looked very much like the Suns offensively. ISO with Irving. ISO with Luka. Rinse, repeat. The one good run they had (when they cut it to 8) the ball was moving better.
I saw that doncic had one assist. Yikes.
 

Lorenzo

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Luka and Kyrie had 3 assists combined. The Mavs had 9 assists as a team. That makes for ugly basketball. Boston had the right approach on defense, make someone other than Luka and Kyrie carry them. It worked really well.

Boston won by almost 20 while not shooting that well. They were 47% from the field and 38% from 3. They kept jacking up 3's though, shooting 42 attempts to Dallas' 27. I don't think Dallas has the shooters to match that total when Luka and Kyrie aren't setting up their shooters. Guys like DJJ, Kleber, and Washington can't create their own 3pt looks.


Many of the Dallas shooters had open looks and didn’t make or some wouldn’t take them. Kidd had to address their lack of aggression after the game(from 3). If Kleber is going to play he has to shoot the 3 or Boston won’t have to guard him. He was on fire vs. the clippers and now doesn’t even appear to want to shoot. Dallas has to make 3’s to close that gap, regardless of either team’s shooting percentage. Boston are going to make 3’s either way. It’s not like Dallas can’t make 3’s, but one of their problems is that many of their role players are the ones that shoot them and they don’t always do it well on the road. This game was a lot like some of their other game 1’s. I expect them to respond. But Boston proved their depth last night. Dallas can respond well and still lose game 2.
 

ajcardfan

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Many of the Dallas shooters had open looks and didn’t make or some wouldn’t take them. Kidd had to address their lack of aggression after the game(from 3). If Kleber is going to play he has to shoot the 3 or Boston won’t have to guard him. He was on fire vs. the clippers and now doesn’t even appear to want to shoot. Dallas has to make 3’s to close that gap, regardless of either team’s shooting percentage. Boston are going to make 3’s either way. It’s not like Dallas can’t make 3’s, but one of their problems is that many of their role players are the ones that shoot them and they don’t always do it well on the road. This game was a lot like some of their other game 1’s. I expect them to respond. But Boston proved their depth last night. Dallas can respond well and still lose game 2.
Dallas' role players, more than Luka or Kyrie, are why they are in the Finals at all. Not by stats of course, but by all the big shots and defensive plays they made when they needed too. But Boston is a step up in competition with their depth and skill. I really thought this would be a good series with the Celtics winning. I hope it is.
 

Lorenzo

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Dallas' role players, more than Luka or Kyrie, are why they are in the Finals at all. Not by stats of course, but by all the big shots and defensive plays they made when they needed too. But Boston is a step up in competition with their depth and skill. I really thought this would be a good series with the Celtics winning. I hope it is.
I agree with everything here except for I hope the mavs find a way to win. The celts are a great team. I won’t be surprised if Dallas continue to struggle. It won’t make me anymore disappointed in the mavs either if Boston win early. I think Dallas will respond and make this a series.
 

Hoop Head

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This was done by the Celtics media team. Very cool highlight video that is edited seamlessly

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Phrazbit

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If Boston wins this... holy smokes, that Holiday/Lillard trade looks terrible.

Basketball is, IMO, the ultimate team sport. There is one ball and everyone plays on both sides of it. You get multiple guys who only do one thing well, multiple guys who need the ball in their hands to be effective. You might have the most individual talent, but it won't add up to much.

The obsession with star power over players who compliment each other is something that has wrecked a lot of franchises.
 

Lorenzo

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dallas are going to have to knock down shots. you can tell Boston made it a point to not give away dunks to dallas. if dallas can make mid-range shots in the paint and from 3 it might open up some of those plays.
 

Lorenzo

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If Boston wins this... holy smokes, that Holiday/Lillard trade looks terrible.

Basketball is, IMO, the ultimate team sport. There is one ball and everyone plays on both sides of it. You get multiple guys who only do one thing well, multiple guys who need the ball in their hands to be effective. You might have the most individual talent, but it won't add up to much.

The obsession with star power over players who compliment each other is something that has wrecked a lot of franchises.


it makes me wonder why the bucks not only let Holliday go in the first place, but how they let him get to a conference rival.
 

Hoop Head

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it makes me wonder why the bucks not only let Holliday go in the first place, but how they let him get to a conference rival.

ESPN had an excellent piece up detailing the Lillard and Holiday trades. It's worth a read. Seems Portland controlled things, saying if Milwaukee wanted the deal it was done as is as they weren't waiting to include Holiday to another team as part of it, that would be done independent of Milwaukee. That's what allowed them to basically double dip in value, getting a haul for Lillard and another for Jrue, who barely ended up in Boston. The Clippers and I believe Knicks were other suitors.

 

Lorenzo

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ESPN had an excellent piece up detailing the Lillard and Holiday trades. It's worth a read. Seems Portland controlled things, saying if Milwaukee wanted the deal it was done as is as they weren't waiting to include Holiday to another team as part of it, that would be done independent of Milwaukee. That's what allowed them to basically double dip in value, getting a haul for Lillard and another for Jrue, who barely ended up in Boston. The Clippers and I believe Knicks were other suitors.

thanks for posting that. One of the long tenured and local Dallas talk radio guys that I listen to is a Bucks fan and he was talking about this, but I did not know all of the details of the trade. It could make for an interesting playoff matchup between Boston and Milwaukee on day.
 
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