Boston Closes Out Dominant 16-3 Playoff Run With Blowout Win
Celtics Went 4-1 vs. Miami, Cleveland, Dallas, 4-0 vs. Indiana
It was over early Monday night. Well, the 2024 NBA Finals were over a few days ago. Boston established clear superiority vs. Dallas in the first few meetings. A Game Four road loss was basically a tank job that set up a home celebration. Celtics led 28-18 after the first quarter, 67-46 at halftime, and 106-88 when the final buzzer sounded for the postseason.
A lot of contributing factors to this amazing stretch. Great team defense. Great ball movement. A true team concept that that showcased (and celebrated) the brain trust of the front office AND the selflessness of the players. Boston was the best team in the league all season. Very hard for opponents to even make it interesting since the playoffs started.
Oddly, it was Indiana…the team that DIDN’T get a win…that looked most like kryptonite. Boston had an OT win in that round, and a pair of three-point squeakers. Look at this comparison in victories (throwing out the tank job loss to Dallas in G4).
Indiana Scored
128 points on 114 possessions (OT)
110 points on 95 possessions
111 points on 97 possessions
102 points on 95 possessions
Indiana’s OFFENSE was kryptonite for this great Boston defense. Couldn’t ever get over the hump for an outright win. But…nobody else scared Boston like that!
Dallas Scored
89 points on 93 possessions
98 points on 95 possessions
99 points on 93 possessions
88 points on 90 possessions
When Boston wasn’t taking a night off (only happened once), Dallas just couldn’t get anything going. Pace stayed slow, so the Mavs had to score out of a set offense. Even with TWO great weapons (Luke and Kyrie), they couldn’t make a dent. Boston had it figured out in the first game. Dallas never adjusted. That sequence above literally SCREAMS “lack of adjustment.”
In playoff-style basketball vs. intense defense, Dallas only going to score about a point per possession. You can’t beat Boston on that little.
Final numbers from the series and season finale…
Boston (-6.5) 106, Dallas 88
2-point Pct: Dallas 59%, Boston 50%
3-pointers: Dallas 11/37 (30%), Boston 13/39 (33%)
Free Throws: Dallas 7/13, Boston 17/20
Rebounds: Dallas 35, Boston 51
Turnovers: Dallas 13, Boston 7
Estimated Pace: 90 possessions
Two-point percentages are a bit misleading because Dallas only shot inside when it had great opportunities. Almost the same number of two-point attempts as three-point attempts (41 to 37). Boston actually made more two’s on the night (25 to 24). Celtics dominated everything else in the extreme.
Three-pointers were interesting in that they were much more important when the game was being decided early on. Dallas starters were only 6 of 27 for the night. Boston starters were 10 of 30. Not that 10 of 30 is great. But, 33% is a lot better than 22%!
At least this series helped us remember that three-point shooting differentials aren’t “all” luck. Boston has unlocked something defensively that helps deny open looks. And, offensive teamwork at least helped the team maintain consistency at a high number of attempts. Celtics percentages weren’t stellar. But, they made 16, 10, 17, 14, and 13 treys through five games anyway. Tough for opponents to over come THAT without performing at a very high level.
To the degree Boston’s had a strategic breakthrough that’s helped it lead the pack…it’s likely in the way the Celtics at least “won’t often take the worst of it” from long range, while often getting the best of it. That right there puts them on the winning side of the equation.
Let’s look at Boston’s “scores” in made treys through each round. This is going to read kinda like volleyball scores. Makes the point fairly well I think…
Versus Miami: 22-12, 12-23, 11-9, 14-9, 16-3
Versus Cleveland: 18-11, 8-13, 13-12, 12-15, 19-13
Versus Indiana: 15-13, 15-11, 16-5, 14-10
Versus Dallas: 16-7, 10-6, 17-9, 14-15, 13-11
Boston made the most fickle stat its loving spouse. Went 15-4 in that category with a clear emphasis on BOTH sides of the floor. That’s where the rest of the league has to catch up. Not just launching treys. But, figuring out what Boston is doing right in terms of logic and execution.
Celtics aren’t a team of superstars. It’s a collection of skill sets and brains that gets the best of it in a variety of important categories on an almost nightly basis.
Can’t call it a night without mentioning the fifth straight Under. Games landed on 196, 203, 205, 206, and 194 against market totals that never fell below 210 (and started in the mid-teens).
It’s tempting to rave about Boston’s defense again. Mavs had trouble getting near their team total. But, so did the Celtics! Boston scored 107, 105, 106, 84, and 106. Market projected more like 111, 111, 105, 106, and 108. Market greatly over-projected pace, clearly overrated the Dallas offense, and slightly overrated the Boston offense. Weird to see that combo. Maybe in baseball during cold months or football when the wind is blowout at 15 mph or more. Consistent through this series (indoors, at room temperature).
That wraps up basketball coverage for the season. Coming up in the next 24 hours, catch-up articles for the UFL championship win for Birmingham over San Antonio and our MLB run prevention study for innings 4-8. I’m now caught up on paper with my estimated “market” Power Ratings and game stats for what’s happened so far at the Euro soccer tournament. That will become part of the mix very soon (won’t get super-interesting until the “final eight” round most likely). Had some ideas for NFL articles on the flight overseas as well.
Thanks for reading and subscribing. Should be a flurry of fun content ahead as we work through the summer in advance of college and pro football. See you again soon.