Julio Cortez/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks: NBA Finals – Game 4
The Boston Celtics have a chance to win their first championship in 16 years when they visit the Dallas Mavericks for Game 4 of the NBA Finals at American Airlines Center on Friday.
The Celtics are one step away from the championship
The Boston Celtics took a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals series with a 106-99 Game 3 win. The third quarter was crucial to the Celtics win, as they won that period 35-19. Jayson Tatum played the best game of the final series, leading the Celtics with 31 points, while Jaylen Brown scored 30. Sam Hauser had a solid role coming off the bench, making 3 of 4 three-point attempts in 14 minutes of action. Tatum is the best player for the Celtics in the playoffs, averaging 25.2 points per game, while Brown is at 24.9.
Can the Mavs stay alive in the finals series?
The Dallas Mavericks had a tough road to the finals and simply could not beat the Celtics in the first three games of the series. They took an early lead in Game 3 but could not hold on to it and fell behind in the second half. Kyrie Irving had the best game of the series with 35 points, followed by Luka Doncic with 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. The Slovenian is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 28.9 points per game in the playoffs.
Betting Trends
The Mavericks are 1-4 SU in the last 5 games overall, 0-5 SU in the last 5 games against teams from the Atlantic Division and 0-5 SU in the last 5 games played in June. They are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 games played at home and 5-1 ATS in the last 6 games played on Friday. Dallas has played under the total point line in 5 of their last 6 games against Boston, 5 of the last 6 games at home against the Celtics and the last five against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Celtics have won the last 10 games overall, the last 7 games against the Mavericks, the last 7 games on the road and the last 11 games against teams from the Western Conference. They are 6-0-1 ATS in the last 7 games against Dallas and 5-0-1 ATS in the last 6 games against teams from the Southwest Division. Boston has played under in 4 of their last 5 games overall and in the last 6 games played in June.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Boston Celtics have full control of the series and will go into this game trying to sweep the Mavs and win the 18th championship in franchise history. The Mavericks will need a miracle to get back in the series, but the real question is: can they win this one? Both Irving and Doncic had solid individual performances in Game 3, but still, that wasn’t enough for the Mavs to win. Kristaps Porzingis is listed as questionable for tonight’s game but is not expected to play. Despite having a shorter rotation, the Celtics simply have a system that works well and that will take them to their 11th consecutive win in the playoffs and a championship celebration tonight in Dallas.
