Players With Something to Prove in a Finals Rematch

A special kind of Mavericks-Boston preview

Photo by Mike Lawrie / Getty Images

With all the injuries—and a quick reminder for those who slept through the recent injury news trauma, seven Mavericks missed the last two games—it’s almost impossible to write a preview that makes sense.

EDIT: The latest injury report lists Dončić, Lively, Exum, Marshall (illness), and Powell as OUT for tonight, while Thompson and Hardy are questionable.

Especially in my typical format of comparing teams with rankings, because the Mavericks are literally morphing into a different team on any given night. They can beat the best team in the NBA three times when Kyrie Irving suits up and P.J. Washington sees a Thunder uniform, or lose to the lowly Hornets and Pelicans when the role players land on the wrong side of the inconsistency spectrum. So, anything is possible tonight when Dallas faces the surprisingly struggling Boston Celtics, who are just 5-5 in their last ten games.

Instead of the usual preview, I’ll do something different for this game. Let’s flash back to last June’s Finals and talk about which Maverick has the most to prove in this first rematch since their 4-1 defeat. Especially as the Mavericks, despite the current health problems, still hope to get another crack at the Celtics next June.

Kyrie Irving: facing the Celtics demons

Finals stats against the Celtics: 5 games, 19.8 points per game, 41.4% shooting from the field, 27.6% from three, and just nine total free-throw attempts.

Finals Stats Against the Celtics in Boston: 3 games, 14.4 points per game, 34% shooting from the field, 17.6% from three, shoot -9.3 percent below expected shot quality.

Finals Halfcourt Matchups on Offense (Who Defended Kyrie the Most): 129 vs Jrue Holiday, 98 vs Derrick White, 29 vs Jaylen Brown 29, 26 vs Jason Tatum.

Point to Prove: That he can deliver a great, Kyrie-dominant game against the Celtics.

Much has been made of Irving's struggles against the Celtics, especially in Boston. He won’t have the chance to quiet the TD Garden crowd tonight, but he can prove he can score against an elite Celitcs’ defense. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are both All-Defense guards, while Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown hold a significant height and length advantage over Irving. Holiday and White troubled Kyrie in the Finals, but they might not even be his primary defenders tonight. With Luka Dončić out, Jaylen Brown could take that assignment, freeing Holiday and White to lurk in the gaps.

Irving showed in recent games against OKC—and plenty of other times—that when he’s on top of his game, even the best defenders can’t stop him. He also talked about how his challenges against Boston are mental at this point, how the outcome of the Finals bothered him, and how he worked in the summer to get better and redeem himself if he gets another chance. Tonight won’t really count as that, but it could be a small first step toward it.

P.J. Washington: forcing the Celtics’ adjustments (🎞️VIDEO)

Photo by Adam Glanzman / Getty Images

Finals stats against the Celtics: 5 games, 10.8 points per game, 40.9% shooting from the field, 27.3% from three, 1.8 turnovers per game.

Finals Halfcourt Matchups on Offense (Who Defended Washington the Most): 78 vs Derrick White, 42 vs Al Horford, 40 vs Sam Hauser, 39 vs Jayson Tatum, 31 vs Jaylen Brown, 31 vs Jrue Holiday.

Point to Prove: That he can punish the smaller Celtics defenders and force potential future adjustments.

P.J. Washington proving he can score and overpower the Celtics’ smaller defenders might be even more critical than Irving’s point. Because if he does, it makes the job a little bit easier for both Dončić and Irving.