It’s often said that the best way to fight fire is with fire.
It sounds catchy, but the reality is that water is a far more reliable antidote. Water is simple, sound, and effective. It smothers fire and turns it into smithereens. Fire doesn’t stand a chance.
Luka Doncic and the Mavericks came at the Celtics with fire early in the second half of Game 1, but Boston calmly put out that fire in one fluid swoop.
Luka Doncic lit up the living room, but the Celtics ensured the damage didn’t spread to the rest of the house. Mavericks not named Doncic shot 39.7 percent from the floor and 20 percent from 3-point range on the night.
The Celtics were relatively content with Doncic letting it fly, as long as they contained everyone else. Boston had the perfect formula in a resounding 107-89 triumph over the Mavericks on Thursday.
“Obviously somebody like [Doncic] is going to score, and get his points,” Jayson Tatum told ABC’s Lisa Salters. “Our job is to try to limit the other guys as much as we possibly can.”
The Celtics essentially let Doncic run around like a kid in a candy store and tire himself out. He finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds, but he had just one assist compared to four turnovers. That was the first time all season Doncic has had one assist or fewer.
He tried to play hero ball, recognizing the Mavericks were in trouble, and it wasn’t close to enough.
Boston threw different looks at him, and Jaylen Brown and Co. made Doncic work for everything. Brown genuinely believes he’s among the best defenders in the NBA, and he proved it Thursday night.
Brown acknowledged Doncic still got his, which is true, but he approached an essentially unwinnable task with the right mind-set. He was a formidable adversary against a stallion who fears no one.
“What you saw tonight is the challenge he took for himself coming into the year,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters.
“What you saw tonight is the challenge he took for himself coming into the year. Not wanting to be defined by one thing.”
Joe Mazzulla on Jaylen Brown’s defensive performance in Game 1 pic.twitter.com/vpJJ5Hsh56
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 7, 2024
The Mavericks looked surprisingly disorganized in the pick-and-roll. The lob and corner 3 threats that have been there throughout the playoffs largely disappeared. Brown noted taking away the lobs was a point of emphasis – a task that’s much easier with Porzingis back in the fold.
The Celtics have a luxury that no other team in the league has. They can switch just about everything and trust whoever ends up on Doncic. Obviously, the Mavericks will continue to look to exploit Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, but both fared admirably in their first test.
Heck, slingin’ Sam Hauser stymied Doncic on multiple occasions. Hauser is underrated defensively, but still, that’s a tall order.
“What makes our team really special is we don’t have guys we hide on defense,” Tatum told reporters.
The defense on Doncic was strong, but it was really the effort everywhere else that won the Celtics the game. Kyrie Irving looked shockingly human, finishing 6 for 19 overall, 0 of 5 from 3 and a game-low minus-19.
He even dribbled it off his foot once and was called for a travel on another play. That just doesn’t happen. But there’s a reason it happened. Derrick White, Holiday and the rest of the Celtics got in his face and threw him off his game.
“Guys did a great job communicating to each other and keeping defense first,” Mazzulla told reporters.
The Celtics defense smothered the Mavs and took them completely out their game. Like I said earlier this week – the Celtics just have more depth and firepower than the Mavs and it was on full display tonight!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 7, 2024
Irving missed some easy shots he usually makes, and hit some wild ones that only he can, but the Celtics largely kept him in check.
P.J. Washington had a solid game, but Derrick Jones Jr. was 2 of 9 and Josh Green 1 of 4. Boston had nine blocks, while Dallas had just nine assists. That’s unheard of, especially in the Finals.
The Celtics made the Mavericks play primarily isolation ball and forced them into low-percentage looks. Boston is extremely tough to beat when it’s rolling offensively, but when the defense is also clicking, doing so is dang near impossible.
“Just good individual defense,” Mazzulla said. “Everybody’s got to take on the challenge of guarding those guys. They’re an amazing team, and they put a ton of pressure on you in different ways, with their ability to score. Everybody’s got to take their matchup personal, have personal pride in individual defense.”
They did that Thursday night. If the Celtics continue to play with that same focus, level of intensity and discipline on that end, they should find themselves in an ideal spot.
