DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks now trail the Boston Celtics 0-3 in the NBA Finals after dropping Game 3 by a final score of 106-99. Dallas is not prepared to give up, though. Kyrie Irving discussed the Mavericks’ mindset heading into Game 4 and explained what they need to do while using an attention-catching “metaphor.”
“I just really think about going home and… this is a metaphor here so just be ready. Just go home, get the ammo ready,” Irving said. “Get the bazooka… Get everything ready because when we come into Game 4 we know that we gotta shoot our shots. We gotta do it with an aggression.”
Irving understands that the Mavericks need to be aggressive in Game 4. They started Game 3 strong and held an early lead. Boston came back but the Mavs still had a one-point lead heading into the half. The Celtics ultimately took control in the third quarter, as they led by 21 points heading into the fourth quarter.
Dallas then came back and made things interesting. Luka Doncic fouled out with just over four minutes remaining in the game which obviously negatively impacted the Mavs’ chances of winning. The Mavericks still made things interesting as aforementioned, but they were ultimately defeated in the end.
“Defensively, we gotta continue to do the things that creates that separation for us,” Irving continued. “When we’re playing against them, they shoot a lot of tough threes. They really rely on their three-point shot to create that separation for themselves offensively… We just gotta stay positive. For me personally, again, I’m just going home just dusting off the tools and getting ready for a tough Game 4.”
Mavericks’ challenging NBA Finals vs. Celtics
The Celtics lead the Mavericks 3-0 in the 2024 NBA Finals. It is not over, but it will require a historic effort from Dallas in order to upset Boston.
The Mavs have peached resiliency all season long. If there is a team that still has an opportunity to come back in the series, it is the Mavericks.
Of course, most of the NBA world will not give them a chance. After all, it is an 0-3 deficit in the NBA Finals against a team that had the best record in the NBA during the regular season. Nevertheless, Dallas is going to do everything they can to challenge the Celtics.
“It’s not over until it’s over,” Luka Doncic said after Game 3. “We just gotta believe. I know we say it’s first to four. We got to stay together. We lose together, we win together, so we got to stay together.”