The 2024 NBA Finals are here.
THE Boston Celtics are back in the final, making a return trip after losing to the Warriors of the Golden State in 2022. For most of the season, the Celtics were the class of the Eastern Conference, finishing with a 64-18 record – the best in the NBA – and 14 games ahead of the New York Knicks in the East.
This led many to wonder whether the Celtics would be ready for the playoffs, and for many neutral observers, Boston’s path to the Finals was a little easier than expected. Boston faced the Miami Heat in the first round, but without Jimmy Butler losing with a sprained MCL, Miami struggled against Boston.
Then came the Cleveland Cavaliers, who started the series against the Celtics without rim protector Jarrett Allen, who missed the entire series with broken ribs. Add in a knee injury to Donovan Mitchell and you have a 4-1 series win for Boston, who then faced the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
Who were without Tyrese Haliburton for the final two games of this series, as the goaltender entered the conference finals with a groin injury that hampered him in the first two games and saw him stop for the last two.
Now they will tackle the Dallas Mavericks, who advanced to the NBA Finals thanks to a tremendous playoff run from Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić. Dončić may be playing the best basketball on the planet right now, and in our ranking of the top 15 players in this series, he was a pretty easy pick for the top spot. He averaged almost a triple-double in the postseason, averaging 28.8 ppg, 9.6 apg and 8.8 apg during Dallas’ 17 playoff games. With him, the Mavericks have the best player left standing, even if he does so on one healthy leg while dealing with a sprained knee.
They could also pose some problems for the Celtics, given their length and athleticism. As noted above, Boston has had a somewhat easier path to the Finals, but that will change starting Thursday night. Around Dončić and Irving, the Mavericks have players capable of thwarting Boston’s offense, including PJ Washington and Derrick Jones Jr.
Washington is big with a massive wingspan and expect to see him on Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum for most of the series. Jones Jr. is one of the best athletes in the league, who can pose problems both near the rim and around the arc.
Down low, Dallas can turn to the combination of Derek Lively II and Daniel Gafford. Rookie Lively is 7’1, has a huge wingspan and was Dallas’ third best player on this run. Gafford is another springy rim protector who can disrupt shots and harass Boston’s scorers near the box.
These players will need to step up if Dallas has any chance of succeeding, but in the NBA Finals, anything can happen.
It all starts this Thursday. Here’s how to watch.
2024 NBA Finals Schedule
- Game 1: Dallas to Boston | Thursday June 6 | 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+
- Game 2: Dallas to Boston | Sunday June 9 | 8:00 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+
- Game 3: Boston to Dallas | Wednesday June 12 | 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+
- Game 4: Boston to Dallas | Friday June 14 | 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+
- Game 5: Dallas to Boston | Monday June 17 | 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+*
- Game 6: Boston to Dallas | Thursday June 20 | 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+*
- Game 7: Dallas to Boston | Sunday June 23 | 8:00 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+*
*If necessary
