Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks – Who Will Win the 2024 NBA Finals?

Game 1 is finally here! After a week’s wait, the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks will begin their battle in the NBA Finals, going 1-on-1 for the Larry O’Brien championship trophy. Will it be Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving leading Dallas to the franchise’s 2nd title? Or will it be Boston adding an 18th championship banner to their rafters?

The Participants…

The Boston Celtics were expected to be here. They won the Eastern Conference by 14 games, finishing 64-18 during the regular season. They were by all means the #1 team all season long. Their inconsistent/uninspired on-the-court play will have you scratching your head at times. That said, when the C’s are focused and playing together (and healthy), they are tough to beat and are worthy of that #1 record. With a starting lineup of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and with Al Horford coming off the bench, could the Celtics have the Best Top 6 to ever make it to the Finals?

While it is not a surprise to see the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals, they were not a clear-cut choice in the deep and heavily talented Western Conference. From the start of the regular season, the Mavs were looking more like a team that would be competing in the play-in games come playoff time. And then the NBA trade deadline hit. The trade adding PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford (without losing a regular contributor) is paying off the Mavericks, and it’s a BIG reason they are four games away from a championship. Dallas posted a 21-9 record after the trade.

The Matchup…

At first glance, this finals matchup is viewed as Luka & Kyrie vs Jayson & Jaylen. These four talented players will need to play consistent and play strong all series long, that’s a fact. These four, on any given night, can go for 30, 40, even 50 points in a game. Which tandem plays more consistent and more cohesive will be a significant factor.

Now let’s look at the support cast for both teams. These are the players that have the ability to be that “x-factor” that can swing a game and swing a series. You have the Mavericks quartet of Washington, Gafford, Dereck Lively II, and Derrick Jones Jr. vs the Celtics four of Holiday, White, Porzingis, and Horford.

This Dallas quartet plays solid individual and team defense, which in turns helps Luka and Kyrie better team defense players. This four-headed monster plays well together and on top of their strong defense, they are all capable of providing a scoring punch when needed too. Here’s the tricky part… the same can be said about the Celtics four. They provide the ‘D’ and they are all more than capable to put points on the board.

The Prediction…

So here we are, time for a prediction. There can only be one winner. The mind says Boston in Six. The heart says Dallas in Seven. In this writer’s opinion, the talent of these two teams, collectively and on both sides of the ball, is too close to call. When it’s all said and done, it will come down to who wants it more and who has the better team chemistry. Luka and Kyrie have been mentally strong throughout the playoffs and they have been the best 1-2 punch. They don’t just play well WITH each other, they play well OFF each other (there’s a difference). This tandem is peaking at the right time and that will be the ultimate difference maker.

Dallas Mavericks in Seven. Final Answer.

[Featured Image Source: cbssports.com]