Celtics survive late Mavericks rally to extend NBA finals lead

The Boston Celtics secured a 105-98 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, thanks to Jrue Holiday's impressive 26-point performance.

Despite struggling with their three-point shooting early on, the Celtics displayed a strong overall effort on both ends of the court, securing their second consecutive home win.

With a 2-0 lead, they now head to Dallas for game three with a commanding advantage. Jaylen Brown contributed 21 points, while Jayson Tatum showcased his versatility with 18 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists.

Despite a challenging shooting night, Tatum's leadership and ability to make the right plays were praised by Holiday, who credited him for the Celtics' offensive success.

Holiday emphasized Tatum's ability to handle double-teams and make the necessary passes, highlighting his crucial role in the team's victory.

Luka Doncic, the star player for the Mavericks, suffered from a chest contusion in addition to his ongoing knee sprain and ankle soreness during the playoffs. Despite these injuries, he managed to achieve a triple-double with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. However, Doncic expressed his disappointment in not receiving enough support from his teammates.

P.J. Washington contributed 17 points, while Kyrie Irving, an eight-time All-Star, scored 16 points. Irving made seven of his 18 shots but missed all three of his three-point attempts. Doncic also acknowledged that turnovers and missed free-throws played a significant role in their loss. He was responsible for eight of the Mavericks' 15 turnovers, and the team only made 16 of their 24 free-throws. In contrast, the Celtics made 19 of their 20 free-throws.

Doncic admitted that his turnovers and missed free-throws were costly and emphasized the need to improve in those areas. He also stressed the importance of making shots to secure a victory. The pressure now falls on the Mavericks as they return to Dallas, with the Celtics remaining undefeated on the road this postseason.

Doncic acknowledged that whether playing at home or away, the key is to play better basketball in order to win.

The Mavericks, down by 14 with less than four minutes left, mounted a late surge and reduced the deficit to five with 1:15 remaining, as Doncic drove for a layup and converted the free-throw after being fouled.

Derrick White of Boston came up with a huge block against Washington, and Brown scored a layup as the Celtics sealed the victory.

Dallas, who took a heavy blow from the Celtics in the first quarter of the opening game and couldn't recover, showed great energy and determination on defense.

Doncic put up 13 points in the first quarter, while Irving added eight.

The Celtics, who hit seven three-pointers in the first quarter on Thursday, didn't make a long-range shot until Al Horford connected in the final seconds of the period, with Dallas leading 28-25 after the first quarter.

Tatum got going with an early layup in the second quarter, then assisted Kristaps Porzingis for a pull-up jumper and Derrick White for a three-pointer that gave Boston their first lead of the game, 36-35, with 8:01 left in the second quarter. The Celtics went into halftime with a 54-51 lead.

A 10-0 run in the third quarter allowed the Celtics to take control and extend their lead with a collective effort.

Celtics veteran Horford expressed his pride in the team, saying, "We knew we had to defend our home court. We expected them to come out more aggressively. We managed to withstand their surges and protect our home court."

The only downside for Boston was a potential injury to center Porzingis, who shined in game one after returning from a calf injury that kept him out for 38 days.

Porzingis seemed to injure his leg in the middle of the fourth quarter and had to leave the game after playing through discomfort for a few more minutes.

Nonetheless, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated that he had "zero" concerns about Porzingis suffering a serious setback.