The Boston Celtics took a commanding 2-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals on Sunday night, and now, they will look to grab a stranglehold on the series as things shift to the American Airlines Center on Wednesday. Teams that go up 2-0 in the finals are 31-5 overall, so one can already look at this hole as an essential death sentence for the Mavericks. Plus, the Celtics are 6-0 on the road in this postseason and have won eight straight road playoff games dating back to last spring. However, we shouldn't start planning Boston's parade just yet. The C's still have work to do, and Dallas made it this far for a reason. Here are a few bold predictions for the Celtics as they enter Game 3 with dominance on their minds.
Jayson Tatum will finally break through with a 30-point performance
Jayson Tatum has struggled to find his shot in this series, as he is averaging just 17 points per game while shooting 31.6 percent from the floor. He has absolutely affected the game in other ways, as evidenced by Game 2 when he rattled off 12 assists and nine rebounds. However, Tatum would certainly make things easier for the Celtics if he does what he usually does: score.
This is especially vital on the road, where superstar players tend to shine in these moments.
The Mavericks have been sending multiple defenders at Tatum throughout the first couple of games of the finals, daring the other Boston players to beat them. It hasn't worked, as Tatum has done a tremendous job distributing, and his Celtics teammates have more than picked up the slack.
Perhaps Dallas will move away from focusing too heavily on Tatum and will be more comfortable giving him more one-on-one coverage in Game 3.
Even if the Mavs still blitz Tatum, expect him to put forth a stronger scoring performance. He is due. Look for Tatum to come through with his first 30-point game of the series on Wednesday night, and he will do it in efficient fashion, too.
Kristaps Porzingis will continue to be a plus-minus god
In Game 1, Kristaps Porzingis made his return from a calf injury that had sidelined him since the first round of the playoffs. When he checked in early, the Celtics were up by one with seven minutes and change remaining in the first quarter. By the time the period was over, they were up 17. He finished with 20 points in 21 minutes.
Then, in Game 2, Porzingis logged a game-high plus-12, as his mere presence continued to cause problems for the Mavericks.
When Porzingis is on the floor, Boston is a different beast. In spite of the Jaylen Brown lovefest of late, a legitimate argument can be made that Porzingis is the Celtics' second-best player behind Tatum. His defensive impact is immeasurable, and he completely changes the complexion of the game when he is in the court.
Porzingis did get a bit banged up at the end of Game 2, but he says he will be ready to go for Game 3. Expect more of the same from him: efficient scoring and game-altering defense that will result in his plus-minus numbers looking great again.
The C's are very good without Porzingis. With him, they are virtually unbeatable.
Payton Pritchard and the bench guys will step up
Typically, bench players play better at home than on the road, but with an experienced team like the Celtics, the location shouldn't matter.
Payton Pritchard has had strong performances on the road in the playoffs before. Heck, he was making big shots for Boston against the Golden State Warriors in the finals two years ago—in San Francisco. Pritchard also has a fearless attitude, which plays a significant role in his ability to drown out adversity.
Pritchard hasn't played particularly well in this series. At least offensively. He went 0-for-7 in Game 1, and in Game 2, his only bucket was a prayer at the end of the third quarter, which he banked in from three. Make no mistake: it was a huge shot that extended the Celtics' lead to nine points entering the final frame, but this is a guy who averaged just under 10 points per game during the regular season this year. He can do better.
Sam Hauser, Boston's three-point marksman, has struggled the last couple of playoff series, but he made a couple of triples in Game 1 that demonstrated he may finally be turning things around. Then, he went scoreless in Game 2, missing all five of his long-range attempts.
I'm expecting Pritchard and Hauser to have stronger outings in Game 3, even though it's on the road. One of the two is due for a breakthrough performance.
The Celtics will go up 3-0
Going into this series, I had the Celtics in six. But after seeing these first two games, I may be changing my pick.
Boston did not even play well in Game 2. It went 10-for-39 from three-point range. Tatum went 6-for-22 overall. Yet, in spite of all of their hiccups, the C's still found a way to build a double-digit lead in the second half and end up with a seven-point win.
It seems pretty clear that the Celtics present a serious matchup problem for the Mavericks, especially with Porzingis healthy. Luka Doncic is getting his. He dropped 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in Game 2 and also put up a 30-spot in Game 1. It didn't matter. Boston won both games anyway.
Surely, Kyrie Irving will play better in Game 3 after a couple of miserable outings in Beantown, but even if he does, Dallas is going to need more to beat the Celtics, especially considering how well Boston plays on the road.
The Mavericks will give the Celtics their best shot on Wednesday evening, but Boston smells blood in the water. The C's will grab a 3-0 lead.
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