Sad News: Jaden Springer has been suspended for 1year from the team of Boston Celtic due to……..Read More..
BOSTON — As Jayson Tatum sat on the podium early Friday morning, a little more than an hour after the Boston Celtics’ defense had suffocated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he was asked about Boston’s ability to throw several elite individual defenders at two of the game’s elite scorers in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
“What makes our team really special is we don’t have guys that we hide on defense,” Tatum said. “Bigs and guards, we switch, we take on the challenge of individual defense, understanding that we have help. … If you want to play on our team you have to be able to guard.
So much this season has been made about Boston’s record-setting offense, and the insistence of Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla to lean into shooting as many 3-pointers as possible. But, as Tatum said, the bedrock principle that has driven Boston’s success is its unparalleled versatility on defense. It’s what powered the Celtics to a 107-89 victory over the Mavericks in Game 1 on Thursday night and it’s the same virtue Boston hopes will lead to three more victories and an NBA-record 18th championship banner.
The lack of ball movement led to plenty of struggles for the Mavericks offensively. Boston smothered Dallas’ perimeter shooters, forcing them to go just 7-for-27 from deep; Mavs other than Doncic were a combined 3-for-15. Meanwhile, Boston — which, under Mazzulla, always makes an effort to win the math by controlling the 3-point line — made 16 3-pointers, creating a 27-point edge behind the arc.
Boston also clamped down on Irving. The former Celtic finished the game just 6-for-19 from the floor, including 0-for-5 from 3-point range, and has now lost 11 consecutive games against his former team.
Between White and Holiday, Boston has two of the best on-ball guard defenders in the league, both of whom have the combination of quickness and agility to hang with Irving — who might be the league’s most dynamic ball-handler. And, at least for one game, they had the desired impact, as Boston forced Irving into his worst plus-minus (minus-19) and assist totals (2) of the playoffs, while shooting his second-worst percentage (32%) from the floor.
When Dallas decided to drive into the paint instead, the Mavericks ran into a healthy Kristaps Porzingis, who returned after missing five weeks with a calf strain. Porzingis finished with three blocks and several other altered shots, immediately shoring up the porous rim defense Boston had against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers.
