The Dallas Mavericks were punished for their slow start and subsequent inefficiency in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics took a big early lead and never looked back on their way to a punishing 107-89 victory at TD Garden, improving their postseason record to 13-2 and putting them three wins away from a first championship since 2008.
Dallas‘ hopes of responding in Game 2 rest on the shoulders of Luka Doncic. The star point guard had a 30-point double-double in Game 1, but he shockingly registered just one assist as the Mavericks‘ offense appeared stuck in quicksand. Doncic in Game 2 will do his best to get Dallas back on track — but there are currently doubts as to whether he will even play.
A battery of injuries for Doncic
Reports from Boston on Sunday have stated that Doncic’s status is now in question for the vital second game of the Finals. The Slovenian superstar has been downgraded to “questionable” in the hours before tip-off as he continues to battle through injuries that have accumulated throughout the playoffs.
The latest injury for Doncic is a thoracic contusion — a deep bruise often caused by a direct hit to the chest. The new injury appeared to slow down Doncic during practice on Saturday and does not appear to have gotten better with rest.
Doncic guided Dallas through the Western Conference playoffs despite battling knee and ankle injuries, and the toll of a long season — now 100 games long including the playoffs — looks to be catching up to the 25-year-old, who led the Mavericks to the Finals for the first time in 13 years.
If Doncic is not a go Sunday night, it will put the scoring burden all on Kyrie Irving in the Dallas backcourt. Irving struggled mightily in Game 1, when he scored just 12 points on 19 shots against his former team. The Celtics would look to benefit from another star player on the opposing team suffering an injury — Boston reached the Finals after eliminating the Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers sans Donovan Mitchell, and the Indiana Pacers without Tyrese Haliburton.
