The Dallas Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics 98-105 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and the two teams will now travel to the American Airlines Center where Dallas will attempt to recover from a 0-2 series deficit.
Dallas opened the game well but went down in the second quarter and was never able to recover as the majority of the team failed to convert on the offensive end in a low-scoring game.
The Mavericks started out shooting well from the field, jumping out to an early 7-2 lead and making all three of their field attempts within the first 1:30 of action.
Boston responded with its own six-point run as the Celtics cut the Mavericks’ lead to 13-12 with 5:58 remaining in the quarter after two free throws by center Kristaps Porzingis.
Dallas ended the quarter well, finishing the first 12 minutes of the game with a 28-25 lead.
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic finished the first quarter with 13 points, making five of his seven field goal attempts. Guard Kyrie Irving finished with eight points and shot 4-5 from the field.
The Mavericks clocked 52.4% from the field and made two of their five three-point field goals, but they struggled from the free throw line, going just 4-9 in the quarter.
Boston was held to just 36.8% shooting from the field and 11.1% from behind the three-point line. However, shooting a perfect 10-10 from the free-throw line helped the Celtics keep the game close.
Doncic opened the next quarter attacking as he scored the first seven points for the Mavericks, with Dallas slightly extending its lead to 35-29 following three straight jump shots from the guard.
Boston took their first lead of the game after a seven-point run gave them a 36-25 lead with 8:01 left in the first half following a three-point jump shot made by guard Derrick White.
The two teams continued to trade shots until Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd called a timeout to give his players some rest with 3:56 left in the half. The teams were tied 42-42. Although the Mavericks continued to make difficult shots, the Celtics went into halftime with a 54-51 lead, scoring eight points in the final two minutes of the half.
Doncic finished the half with 23 points while shooting 9-13 from the field. He accumulated three assists to already outdo the total number from Game 1.
Dallas shot 48.8% from the field in the first half despite shooting just 30.8% from the three-point line and 45.5% from the free-throw line. The Mavericks also finished the first half with eight total assists while also turning the ball over eight times.
Neither Dallas nor Boston opened the second half shooting well. The teams combined for 21 points in the first five minutes of action, with Boston leading 65-61 following a jump shot from Porzingis.
Boston continued to attack the Mavericks as the team took its largest lead of the game following a 10-2 run, giving the Celtics a 75-63 lead with just under three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
The Mavericks cut this lead slightly by the end of the quarter, but a half-court shot made by Celtics guard Payton Pritchard made it 83-74 Boston going into the final portion of the game.
Both teams opened the fourth quarter with solid shooting as the Celtics managed to extend their lead slightly following a three-point jump shot by forward Jayson Tatum, giving them an 88-78 lead just minutes into the action.
Dallas was able to cut the lead slightly as center Daniel Gafford made an alley-oop dunk off an assist from Irving, but the Mavericks still trailed 97-89 with 4:40 left in the game, forcing the Celtics to call a timeout.
However, the Celtics quickly extended their lead as White and guard Jrue Holiday made back-to-back three-point jump shots to give Boston a 106-89 lead.
Dallas went on a 9-0 run near the end of the game, but the Mavericks were unable to regain the lead, as the Boston Celtics secured the 105-98 victory.
Doncic finished the game with a triple-double, scoring 32 points while also accumulating 11 assists and 11 rebounds.
Despite the impressive offensive performance by Doncic, the rest of the Mavericks made a combined 26 of 59 field goal attempts and only nailed 2 of 17 from the three-point line.
This loss gives the Boston Celtics a 2-0 series lead. The two teams will now head back to American Airlines Center for Games 3 and 4, where the Mavericks will look to win two straight games and even the series.
