The Boston Celtics fell short of securing an NBA Finals sweep against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday (June 14). Joe Mazzulla’s team was bullied from start to finish as Dallas asserted their will onto the game and controlled every aspect on both sides of the floor. The Celtics will now head back to Boston, hoping to close out the series in front of their hometown crowd on Monday (June 17).
During his postgame news conference, Tatum admitted that the Celtics fell short of their usual standards. He revealed that the team failed to control their space and assert their will in the game, leaving the offense stagnant as a result.
“I think this is the most stagnant that we’ve been this series and the worst job of owning our space on the offensive end and doing what we wanted to do instead of what they were forcing us to do,” Tatum said. “And, you know, we did a great job of that the first three games, and this one, we didn’t.”
Dallas did a fantastic job in limiting Boston’s offensive rhythm. We rarely saw the style of basketball that has allowed the Celtics to surge into the NBA Finals and secure three wins in the first four games.
Three observations: Celtics not prepared from start, obliterated in Game 4 https://t.co/st2MdZrJaV pic.twitter.com/ztIG1CvzOf
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) June 15, 2024
Tatum and his Celtics teammates must figure out how to implement their offensive and defensive schemes before Monday. If they can do that, a championship won’t be far behind.
The last thing Boston should want is to travel back to Dallas for Game 6, where the Mavericks could potentially even up the series and take full control of their own destiny.
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