How will Celtics/Mavs Series Finish?

How will Celtics/Mavs finish?

  • Celtics Sweep

    Votes: 78 38.0%
  • Celtics in 5

    Votes: 112 54.6%
  • Celtics in 6

    Votes: 9 4.4%
  • Celtics in 7

    Votes: 2 1.0%
  • Mavs in 6

    Votes: 1 0.5%
  • Mavs in 7

    Votes: 3 1.5%

  • Total voters
    205

BigSoxFan

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May 31, 2007
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Alright, Celtics held serve and look like the better team, as most of us expected. However, there is work to do and the Porzingis situation to monitor. Tatum is playing a very good all around game but isn’t shooting well. Luka is playing awful defense but remains an offensive force. So, based on what you’ve observed in G1 & G2, how do you predict this series ends?
 

Ale Xander

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Oct 31, 2013
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If they win Game 3, they roll in 4. (voted 4)

If they lose, it could even go 6.

The healthy of both Euros is key.
 

Red Averages

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Apr 20, 2003
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For the Celtics in 5 crowd: Is the assumption they lose game 3? Or do you think if the Celtics win game 3 the Mavs will be able to win game 4?
 

fairlee76

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I think people are "selfishly" wanting them to win at home.
And I am selfishly hoping they win when I am in the house for Game 4. Was there for Game 6 in 2008 so it only feels fitting. Hope you're listening, basketball gods!
 

jezza1918

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I voted 5 because sweeps are hard? But I selfishly want it to be a sweep because my normal sleep cycle will return sooner and I want that 80-20 record.
 

jsinger121

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Jul 25, 2005
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I voted 5 because sweeps are hard? But I selfishly want it to be a sweep because my normal sleep cycle will return sooner and I want that 80-20 record.
5 is probably right but if they take Game 3 I think they are probably going to be the 10th team to do it. There have been only 9 sweeps in finals history for a reason. It shouldn't be easy.
 

jezza1918

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5 is probably right but if they take Game 3 I think they are probably going to be the 10th team to do it. There have been only 9 sweeps in finals history for a reason. It shouldn't be easy.
Agreed. No outcome would really surprise me in game 3...but if celts win id be a bit surprised if they then lost game 4.
 

Spelunker

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Jul 17, 2005
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For the Celtics in 5 crowd: Is the assumption they lose game 3? Or do you think if the Celtics win game 3 the Mavs will be able to win game 4?
That's my most likely scenario: we lose 3 and win 4/5.

But I'm like 51%/49% that we do that instead of taking 3 and sweeping.
 

Dr. Gonzo

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It's a sweep.

Mavs had a chance last night with the Celtics shooting poorly from three and still should have had their doors blown off if not for a late run in the waning minute or two in the fourth.
 

DGreenwood

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For the Celtics in 5 crowd: Is the assumption they lose game 3? Or do you think if the Celtics win game 3 the Mavs will be able to win game 4?
I was just thinking they'd split on the road because it's the finals and a sweep would be too easy, there's usually some adversity along the road because there's a lot to play for. But when pressed to think which game the Celtics lose, I guess it would have to be game 3 because Dallas does seem like the type of team that will lay down if down 3-0.

I don't think Dallas has shown anything that makes me think they should win one, it's just that things happen sometimes.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Agreed. No outcome would really surprise me in game 3...but if celts win id be a bit surprised if they then lost game 4.
I voted 5 as I think DAL lost the shooting variance game so BOS will win G3 comfortably and then Luka will be done for the series but DAL will win G4 as some rando will go off; DAL's defense will be improved; and BOS will let up.

It would be hilarious if BOS lost the only game Luka didn't play in.
 

Koufax

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I moved from Celtics in 6 to Sweep. Dallas had its best chance last night. Luka is at least as hurt as Porzingis.
 

RorschachsMask

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I voted 5 as I think DAL lost the shooting variance game so BOS will win G3 comfortably and then Luka will be done for the series but DAL will win G4 as some rando will go off; DAL's defense will be improved; and BOS will let up.

It would be hilarious if BOS lost the only game Luka didn't play in.
I also think Luka sits for a game 4 if the Celtics win Sunday.
 

Valek123

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The Celtics played an incredibly solid Defensive game in G1 and G2, but didn't shoot as well in G2, rebound as well(47-43 vs 41-43) and outscored the Mavs by almost the same margin in the Paint. The difference was early Doncic on fire, and the Celtics poor early 3 point shooting to even make this a contest. The Mavs showed little to defensive effort and they are wearing Doncic down with the defensive pressure so that he has nothing left in late Q3/early Q4.

My prediction is we are going to see a Kyrie Game Wednesday night where he catches fire, but it's going to be fully neutrilized by Tatum breaking his funk as the Mavs make a defensive adjustment to go more 1 v 1 on Tatum. Pick your poison vs the Celtics, but the droping 2 on Tatum is blowing up in their faces even with the poor shooting performances. I think Game 3 ends up being 113-107 Celtics stretched out by two late 3's to seal the game, and Game 4 is a trophy tour game with the Mavs broken(Game 1 again).

Maybe the Mavs get lucky and win Game 3, but nothing in this series has shown that they can beat the Celtics 4 times unless Tim Donaghy is suddenly a Game 3 official. Everything went their way in Game 2 and they still lost and a strong start to Game 3 might just wrap this up. They just have so so much depth, it's silly.
 

m0ckduck

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I also think Luka sits for a game 4 if the Celtics win Sunday.
I don't see this. He'd take a huge hit in the realm of public opinion. Easier to just go out there and half-ass it for a few quarters. He clearly loves shooting and hates playing defense, so why stop at three games (unless he's really direly injured).

Edit: I'll personally go with C's winning in 5, winning G3 but losing G4. I see them coming out really sharp on Weds, determined not to let Dallas make a series of it, and putting on one of their typically strong road performances with the shooting (Tatum's in particular) bouncing back into form. But then, losing intensity for G4 and letting the Mavs have one at home. It's just not a cold-blooded "step on the neck" group of players— they're too decent, seemingly.
 
Last edited:

RorschachsMask

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I don't see this. He'd take a huge hit in the realm of public opinion. Easier to just go out there and half-ass it for a few quarters. He clearly loves shooting and hates playing defense, so why stop at three games (unless he's really direly injured).
Gotta play up the injured angle.

I do think he’s playing hurt out there, but so are multiple other guys. You’re probably right though.
 

astrozombie

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Originally I had Celtics in 6, but now in 5. They weren't their best last night and still won. But, my feeling is that KP plays light minutes in game 3 or 4 when he starts feeling something off, Kyrie finally shows up and the Mavs get one at home before losing in 5. All of this is very scientific, clearly.
 

ElUno20

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Jul 19, 2005
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Sweep. Luka and Kyrie shit the bed at home. I'm stunned the mavs made it this far. Happy to watch a sweep.
 

bankshot1

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As most of us will experience the ending of this series watching the game on ABC, with Mike Breen, notorious Celtic hater making the call, the ending will likely be accompanied by a BANG followed by a whimper.
 

Eric Fernsten's Disco Mustache

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For the Celtics in 5 crowd: Is the assumption they lose game 3? Or do you think if the Celtics win game 3 the Mavs will be able to win game 4?
Don't have a prediction on which game, but I'd guess that Dallas has one night of punching above their weight class in them. While teams that are ahead in seven-game series can have a night when they (inadvertently) ease up a little. Put those two together, and like the Miami and Cleveland series, I'd guess the Mavs take one from us before it's all said and done.

In favor of the sweep: all the things that people have already said. Combined with the fact that this Celtics squad seems to get the yips more often at home and then settle down on the road (maybe this will change after they get their first ring, and ghosts don't loom over them as large?). It wouldn't surprise me at all if shots start falling easier for Tatum once he gets out of Boston.

On the other hand: Dallas has been through a lot, their pride is hurt, and role players classically play better in front of big home crowds. The Mavs are going to have a few punches left in them before they go gentle into that good night (if they ever do). We're (over)due for an insane Kyrie Irving game, and while I'm not surprised that he once again played below himself in Boston, get him back in front of his adoring fans in Dallas and there's a decent chance he shows why he's once of the very best in the league at shot creation and shot making.

Long story short: I think Dallas has at least one lights-out, low-probability, incredible offensive game in them. And it's coming.

Of course, we might sweep them before they get around to having it. I wouldn't object.
 

lovegtm

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I predicted a 6-game win before the series started. I also know that letdown is real, and that shooting variance happens.

That said, I have to revise after watching these first 2 games. The team is ridiculously locked in. Haven't seen anything like it this year...and they already were locking in well. They had their bad-shooting-on-good-looks game, and Dallas still lost.

I am going to sack up a bit and say sweep.
 

Justthetippett

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I feel more comfortable about this sweep than Indiana. I know Dallas could get hot, Cs get cold etc. but I just don't see it. I think the Cs have the answers to what Dallas can throw at them and they are mature enough to weather any stretch.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

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After the Celts found a way to win last night without shooting well at all, it does seem like they should sweep. But I think the Mavs will get an incredibly friendly whistle on Wednesday and manage to squeak out a win. And that will piss the Celts off and they'll blow Dallas out on Friday so the refs can't become a factor.
 

tims4wins

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Celts were up 14 late last night and it really could have been 25-30 with just normal shooting let alone hot shooting. And that was with Luka going off in the first.

I think we’ve seen the closest game we will all series.
 

JakeRae

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For the Celtics in 5 crowd: Is the assumption they lose game 3? Or do you think if the Celtics win game 3 the Mavs will be able to win game 4?
Neither. I think it’s more likely than not they lose 1 of the next 2 in Dallas. I don’t think there’s a particularly meaningful difference in the probable outcome of either game as against the other. In other words, I think the Celtics are like 65% favorites in both games and that the probabilities are mostly independent.
 

Toe Nash

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I don't think Kyrie can handle the adversity and checks out in the second half when down by ten or so in game 3, and I don't think they have other guys who can step up. Sweep
 

bgo544

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I'm at the point where I think a sweep might just be the most likely outcome, but I'm tryna be a gentleman here, so I said 5 games.

I think we'll know by halftime on Wednesday. If Boston comes out focused and with high intensity, and runs out to a big lead by the half, I think Dallas will be done.

Edit: I'll personally go with C's winning in 5, winning G3 but losing G4....It's just not a cold-blooded "step on the neck" group of players— they're too decent, seemingly.
I can see where you're coming from here, but I have the feeling that this group will really lock in once they are within one game of winning the whole thing finally.
 

lexrageorge

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Lots of things can happen on the road, so a G3 loss by the Celtics would not surprise me, which is why I voted Celtics in 5. However, the Celtics have played really well on the road during this playoff run, especially in the 4th quarter. So, my prediction is that Game 3 will be close.

If the Celtics pull out the win win Game 3, and get out to a decent lead (15+ points) in the first half of Game 4, expect to see a blowout as Dallas just checks out.
 

americantrotter

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I picked 5 to start. So I picked 5 now. But what felt like hubris in the face of the masses at the time now feels like modesty to my original pick seeing how things have gone.
 

themuddychicken

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In polls before the series I picked Boston in 5 and listed shooting variance as the biggest potential issue. Either they got the bad shooting game out of the way and they'll be good going forward, or even if they shoot poorly again we now know they can win despite it. Either way I'm now going with a sweep here, even though I am concerned that the NBA is incentivized to stretch the series out if at all possible.

My takeaway from the two games so far is that Boston is just much better than Dallas, that Dallas's best hope at 4th quarter offense is visibly exhausted in every 4th quarter, and that Dallas is a bunch of quitters that are quick to wave the white flag. The question now is whether they wait until Game 4 to quit on the series.
 

lars10

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I feel more comfortable about this sweep than Indiana. I know Dallas could get hot, Cs get cold etc. but I just don't see it. I think the Cs have the answers to what Dallas can throw at them and they are mature enough to weather any stretch.
Tatum at least has said how much he likes being in other crowds stadiums.. not sure if it was Cleveland or Indiana but he fed off the crowd.. I could see the young Mavs waking up at home.. but I also think this Celtics team has had their letdown game.
 

bigq

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I said Celtics in 6 in the initial poll and I will revise to Celtics in 5. I think Kyrie shows up in one of the Dallas home games combined with one or more of the Mavs role players stepping up so that Luka does not need to carry the team offense by himself. Celtics winning G5 in Boston will be a fun way to end this lopsided series.
 

tims4wins

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I said Celtics in 6 in the initial poll and I will revise to Celtics in 5. I think Kyrie shows up in one of the Dallas home games combined with one or more of the Mavs role players stepping up so that Luka does not need to carry the team offense by himself. Celtics winning G5 in Boston will be a fun way to end this lopsided series.
Kyrie showing up against the Celts has been a losing bet for a while now. He hasn't hit 30 in his last 10 games, I believe, shooting under 40% in that stretch.
 

brendan f

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The Mavs have been soo bad in this series. Kudos to those who predicted this would be an awful match-up for them. Their role players have been dreadful. I suppose Kidd's hope is that home cooking gives them their shooting confidence back but Jones Jr. and Green have been less than zeros and that's with the C's not even bothering to guard them. Lively has turned into a pumpkin and looks helpless when KP is out there.

Their main weapons were lob dunks and corner 3's and the C's have completely shut off those valves. Not sure there's a lot they can do other than hope shooting variance goes their way, but the C's are getting up so many more 3's, that might not help too much. Their greatest hope probably lies with KP actually being injured.

Hard to see the Mav's winning a game at home, let alone two.

If I'm Kidd, I take Green and Jones Jr out of the rotation and sub in Exum (who was good in the last game in short mins) and Hardaway. Hardaway might hurt their D but it's not like Green and Jones have been stopping anyone. Have to fix the offense first and hope the D holds up. Exum might actually help them on the perimeter, where Brown and Tatum have blown by everyone.
 

Curt S Loew

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I think they'll sweep unless they have a hiccup on D somehow. They are rolling right now as a complete team. I'm not concerned watching the 3's not fall because they do so much more. Such a great team to watch.
 

Curt S Loew

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I see there's one vote for "Mavs in 6". I assume this is trolling, but if not, I'd love to hear how Dallas is going to win 4 in a row against these Celtics. I don't think the 83 Sixers would win Fo in a row against them.
 

tims4wins

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I have a hard time believing that the Mavs can win a single game this series aside from either extreme shooting variance or extreme officiating variance. I suppose that it is valid to think one of those things could happen in game 3 or 4, but we did see the Celtics shoot horribly in game 2 on mostly good looks, and Dallas still lost. For Dallas to win via extreme shooting variance it will take both the Celts shooting poorly AND the Mavs shooting well. We have already seen the Celts shoot poorly once. I doubt it happens again given the looks that they have been getting. And as we've discussed ad nauseum, Dallas doesn't have much (any?) of a path to forcing the Celts into worse looks.
 

benhogan

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Yea, like Tudor I had a Sweep in the first poll.

As long as Brown/Jrue apply pressure on the ball handler & Boston hunts Luka defensively they'll win the math game.
Nothing changes from the game plan before the series.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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My heart says 5 because I have a ticket to the game and would love to both go to a finals game and see them clinch on home court.

My head says that I don't really see how the Mavs win. Seems like the Celtics got their bad game out of them in game 2 and still won fairly comfortably.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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I don't see this. He'd take a huge hit in the realm of public opinion. Easier to just go out there and half-ass it for a few quarters. He clearly loves shooting and hates playing defense, so why stop at three games (unless he's really direly injured).

Edit: I'll personally go with C's winning in 5, winning G3 but losing G4. I see them coming out really sharp on Weds, determined not to let Dallas make a series of it, and putting on one of their typically strong road performances with the shooting (Tatum's in particular) bouncing back into form. But then, losing intensity for G4 and letting the Mavs have one at home. It's just not a cold-blooded "step on the neck" group of players— they're too decent, seemingly.
Isn't his image better if he doesn't play in G4 after "willing himself" through injuries to play the first 3 games?
 

Tony C

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Sweep. Luka and Kyrie shit the bed at home. I'm stunned the mavs made it this far. Happy to watch a sweep.
I'm stunned, too. Partly it has been about a green OKC team that really should have traded for the stud power forward they need. And partly about an injured Clippers team. But was genuinely surprised they beat the T wolves. Unfortunately was traveling overseas during that series so didn't see it and wasn't really paying attention to commentaries on the games, either. I guess I need to go back and try to find out more about how that series went down. But, point being, also surprised they made it through. Granted the West is very good in depth but without a dominant team like the Celts in the East. That said -- the Mavs are just a very good team, but not a particularly scary one.

Per this series I'd be surprised if the Mavs don't win a game in Dallas. I suspect it'll go 5 but maybe 6. Would be surprised/not shocked if a sweet, and shocked were it to go 7 games.
 

Ed Hillel

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I'm stunned, too. Partly it has been about a green OKC team that really should have traded for the stud power forward they need. And partly about an injured Clippers team. But was genuinely surprised they beat the T wolves. Unfortunately was traveling overseas during that series so didn't see it and wasn't really paying attention to commentaries on the games, either. I guess I need to go back and try to find out more about how that series went down. But, point being, also surprised they made it through. Granted the West is very good in depth but without a dominant team like the Celts in the East. That said -- the Mavs are just a very good team, but not a particularly scary one.

Per this series I'd be surprised if the Mavs don't win a game in Dallas. I suspect it'll go 5 but maybe 6. Would be surprised/not shocked if a sweet, and shocked were it to go 7 games.
I think all of Dallas's opponents got badly outcoached. Minnesota, in particular, did absolutely nothing to target Luka on the defensive side of the ball. Ant and KAT hogged the ball and their other wings sat around and did squat. Not that they have anything like the Jays, but they could have done a lot better at least making Luka work and tiring him out.