The NBA Finals got off to a roaring start on Thursday as the Celtics blitzed the Mavericks to take an early lead in the series. Dallas will look to steal Game 2, but it'll be a tough task given how well the Celtics have played all season. Let's take a closer look at the matchup and find some plays for a critical Game 2. Here are our top NBA picks for Game 2 of the Finals between the Mavericks and Celtics.
NBA Finals Odds & Picks: Mavericks vs. Celtics
Boston rode a scorching hot shooting start in Game 1 to an 18-point win at home. Although Dallas made a run to cut the once 29-point lead down to just eight late in the third quarter, Boston rallied to pull away for an easy cover. Understandably, Boston heads into Game 2 as a large favorite again.
We've seen Dallas in this position twice during these playoffs and they responded strongly both times. In the first round, a Game 1 blowout by the Clippers was erased the following game by a strong defensive performance by the Mavericks. In the next round, Oklahoma City took a commanding 1-0 lead after a 22-point blowout only to be upset by an impressive shooting barrage by the Mavericks in Game 2. The Mavericks again had a poor Game 1 shooting performance against Boston, making only 25.9% of their three-pointers, and missing many open shots.
I expect the Mavericks to come out early and put some offensive heat on the Celtics. Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and P.J. Washington struggled shooting from deep on Thursday, combining to go just 4-20, with Irving and Washington putting up a goose egg in the three-pointers made column. Additionally, I don't expect Kristaps Porzingis to maintain the shooting display he showed in Game 1. It was his first game in about a month and the adrenaline was likely high. After his showing in quarter one, the Celtics only outscored the Mavericks by one point the remainder of the game. I'm looking for Dallas to start hot.
Pick: Mavericks First-Half Moneyline (+190)
Game 1 in this series went under as the two teams only combined for 196 points, nearly 20 points under the total. There is some steam going towards the over for Game 2, but the game script likely lends itself to another under. As I indicated earlier, Dallas shot well below their year-long averages on Thursday. I expect them to score more than the 89 they put up. For Boston, though, their numbers were pretty on par with what they've done all year.
If Dereck Lively II can stay out of foul trouble and play more than 18 minutes, Dallas should improve defensively. They had some strong stretches of defense after the first quarter but were done in by bad shooting on the offensive end. Even with an improved shooting performance, the pace indicates this is still an under. I expect the Dallas defense to contest better.
Pick: Game Total Under 215 Points (-110)
The Celtics may be an inevitable juggernaut this season. As great of a story as Dallas has been, the depth of the Celtics is just too much. However, the Mavericks have the horses to make this series more competitive than the first game indicated. I like Dallas' chances to win the first half outright and their chances to cover the full game line.
As indicated earlier, after the first quarter of Game 1, Boston was only +1 the rest of the game. That was with a poor shooting performance by Dallas and especially Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks have recovered from brutal Game 1 losses throughout the postseason and I expect them to do the same Sunday.
Pick: Mavericks +7.5 (-115)
