Celtics, Mavs playing waiting game: Kyrie Irving is returning to Boston. Luka Doncic’s first trip to the title match. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have another chance to get in the ring. Kristaps Porzingis is also facing his former team.
Pick a story. There are several in these NBA Finals.
Now the matchup is set: Boston and Dallas will face off for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, with the series set to begin on June 6 at the Celtics’ home field – meaning everyone will be sitting and waiting for about a week as the Celtics and Mavericks sweep their respective conference finals with ease.
Dallas beat Minnesota 124-103 on Thursday night to advance to the Western Conference finals 4-1. Boston clinched its spot on Monday night when the Celtics beat Indiana 108-105 to take a 4-0 series lead in the East.
“We’re going to the NBA Finals,” Doncic said as he celebrated on the court in Minneapolis on Thursday night. “Just can’t believe it, man.”
This is Boston’s second Finals appearance in the last three seasons, after losing to Golden State in six games in 2022. Dallas is in the title game for the first time since winning the championship against Miami in 2011.
There will be a lot of talk about Irving and the Celtics meeting, and rightfully so. Boston made a blockbuster move by trading for Irving in 2017 with the hopes of seeing him on their hardwood floors in the NBA Finals.
Hey, it will happen now — just not in the way both sides thought seven years ago.
Irving was an All-Star in both of his Boston seasons, then left as a free agent to join the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, months after he said – in fact – that he would stay with the Celtics. His return to Boston has had some interesting moments; he has been regularly booed and had water bottles thrown at him, while he has been fined for making an obscene gesture and sparked outrage by stepping on the Celtics’ leprechaun logo at midcourt after a Brooklyn playoff win.
“Boston is right in the middle of our pursuit,” Irving said after the West finals concluded Thursday night.
Irving’s message to the Mavericks: Enjoy the moment.
“Nothing is certain in this league, especially getting to the Finals every year,” said Irving, who won the title in 2016 playing for Cleveland alongside LeBron James. “We couldn’t have done it without collective responsibility, working together every single day, working hard, doing the little things. We should work hard and reward ourselves.”
Porzingis spent nearly three years in Dallas after being traded there by the New York Knicks in 2019. He’s in his first season in Boston and has been a big part of the Celtics’ success — but got injured in Round 1 against Miami and hasn’t played since, though it seems reasonable to think he could be ready for the NBA Finals.
“He’s progressing well and working hard to get back,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.
The Celtics won the two head-to-head meetings against the Mavericks in the regular season, 119-110 in Dallas on Jan. 22 and then 138-110 in Boston on March 1.
The Mavericks didn’t have an answer for Tatum; he had 39 points in the January game, 32 in the March matchup. The Celtics didn’t have an answer for Doncic; he had triple-doubles in both games — 33 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists in January, then 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in March.
Now those games will not hold any special meaning.
“This group believes,” said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, who played on the Dallas team that won the title in 2011. “They believe in each other. … This is a special group.”
The Celtics are seeking their 18th title overall, which would tie the Los Angeles Lakers for most titles in NBA history, and their first championship since 2008.
Two years ago against the Warriors, Golden State’s championship experience prevailed. Lessons were learned since then, Boston has insisted, and the Celtics will have a chance to finish the season differently this time around.
“It’s a new challenge. It’s a different situation,” Celtics center Al Horford said. “I’m excited to be in this position and have this opportunity.”
The Celtics won’t have to play a game for more than a week before the Finals begin. Mazzulla said all that free time won’t be spent idly.
“Nothing is really valuable if you let it go to waste,” Mazzulla said. “Between now and June 6, we have to take every bit of experience we have, and we have to make sure we take advantage of it and we use it to put ourselves in the best position to win.”
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