Celtics jolt out of lackluster first half to beat Mavericks, 105-98, in Game 3 behind 26 points from Jrue Holiday - The Boston Globe (2024)

What Joe Mazzulla had to say after the game — 11:40 p.m.

By Katie McInerney

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla opened his press conference by praising Payton Pritchard’s buzzer-beating 3 to end the third quarter.

“I think the play of the game can’t go unnoticed, the humility of our team, is Payton’s shot at the end of the quarter,” he said. “You see guys around the league pass up on that shot or fake like they want to take it, so that their numbers don’t get messed up. He takes pride in taking that, and that’s winning basketball. So that’s the first and foremost.

“That should have been the first question, is the ability of everybody on our team to do different things that lead to winning. I’m really tired of hearing about one guy or this guy or that guy and everybody trying to make it out to be anything other than Celtic basketball. Everybody that stepped on that court today made winning plays on both ends of the floor, is the most important thing.”

He then addressed the question he was asked, which was about how Jayson Tatum handles shooting struggles this year compared to the 2022 NBA Finals.

“To answer your question, Jayson makes greatness look easy,” Mazzulla said. “He does it in a lot of different ways. He does it on defense, he does it on rebounding, he does it on passing, he does it on screening. He’s a tremendous player and not hard to coach him. When he has the ability to affect the game in different ways, we’re a different team. But it takes everybody to do it. That should answer everyone’s question.”

Other highlights from the postgame press conference:

On Tatum playing a distributor role: “The emphasis and where he’s grown over the last two years is to take what the defenses give him and learn to impact the game in many different ways. Because of the type of team that we’ve had, especially this year, he’s seen a bunch of different coverages and he’s seen different matchups because teams have to match up with him. So coming into a game, it’s kind of similar to a puzzle and he’s done a great job learning how to solve the puzzle and do different things.

“Tonight, with the way that they were rotating and the way that they were defending, the most important thing was making the right play at the rim. We were able to stay out of transition because our guys made that. So I thought he did a tremendous job doing what the game called for.

On Jrue Holiday’s impact: “It’s connected and that’s what people don’t realize, is like every guy on our team can’t be at their best if this guy doesn’t do that. So Jayson’s facilitating, Jaylen’s decision-making. That leads to Jrue’s playmaking, and the way that they’re defending us, we have to make multiple plays. We have to have multiple drives. I think Jrue did a great job — guys did a great job finding him, he did a great job attacking closeouts and then either kicking it back out for a second drive or getting an open shot. And then what he can do defensively. It just goes back to everybody on the team works to impact the game differently every single night.

On why he trusts Pritchard in big moments: “He has the humility and selflessness to not care if he misses it. He practices it and has an understanding of how a shot like that can impact the end of a quarter and it can impact the run that a team makes. So they had went on a run to end the quarter, and I thought that shot kind of gave us a little bit of poise and a little bit of momentum that we needed heading into the fourth quarter. That was big-time.”

On sticking with the shots even when they’re not falling: “You have to look at the other side of the coin. If you get away from the discipline and doing what you do in those situations, it’s going lead to other things, and it goes to the trust that the guys have in each other. So as long as you’re taking great shots, you have to trust the process.

“On the back end of that, you got to have your offensive rebounding rate to help you. When things aren’t going that way, you have to keep them off the free-throw line, which we didn’t do a great job of, but we had three 25-point quarters.

“So usually what happens is you have those empty possessions on the offensive end, your defense starts to weigh in or you start to mistrust the discipline of your spacing and your shot selection, and you end you giving transition and getting cross-matched. So the guys trusted and stayed discipline and we were able to stay out of cross-matches and we were able to kind of keep the game in the way we wanted to play it.”

Adam Himmelsbach | Instant analysis

It’s Derrick White delivering yet again in the clutch, and other observations — 11:30 p.m.

Throughout this season, Celtics guard Derrick White has wowed his team with one startling blocked shot after another. And in the final minute of Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, after the Mavericks quickly sliced a 14-point deficit to 5 and were well-positioned for more, White swooped in and swatted Mavericks forward P.J. Washington’s dunk attempt, helping preserve Boston’s 105-98 win that gave it a 2-0 series lead.

“Whatever means necessary,” White said. “Just sprint back and meet him at the rim.”

Game 3 will be played in Dallas on Wednesday night.

At the start of these NBA Finals, there was a widespread belief that the Mavericks’ best chance would come if the Celtics, who have relied on the 3-point shot all year, struggled through a tough night from beyond the arc. That night arrived in Game 2, but it did not matter, because the Celtics 10 for 39 effort from the 3-point line was more than offset by the Mavericks’ 6 for 26 shooting.

Luka Doncic erupted for 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the Mavericks, but at times he appeared to be on an island against the best team in the NBA. The other Mavericks combined to go 2 for 17 from the 3-point line.

Jrue Holiday poured in 26 points to lead the Celtics, and Jaylen Brown added 21. Jayson Tatum made just 6 of 22 shots and scored 18 points, but chipped in with 12 assists and 9 rebounds.

For the Celtics, the night’s only concern arrived midway through the fourth quarter, when center Kristaps Porzingis, who returned in Game 1 after missing five weeks due to a calf strain, took a bad step while battling Washington for a rebound and fell. He was limping a bit, checked out about a minute later and did not return.

After the game he acknowledged that “something happened” and that he would be evaluated on Monday, but he mostly downplayed the situation, insisting that he will be ready for Game 3. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he had “zero concern” about Porzingis’s leg.

Neither team was able to create much separation through the first three quarters. But with the Celtics leading, 65-63, they unspooled a key 10-0 run that was capped by a Holiday layup.

With the Mavericks trailing, 97-89, Doncic tried to push the ball upcourt before White came up with a steal that led to a Holiday 3-pointer. On Boston’s next possession, Holiday chased down an offensive rebound after a missed dunk by Tatum and found White, whose 3-pointer with 3:34 left gave Boston its largest lead, 103-89.

But the Mavericks then went on a quick 9-0 run and pulled within 103-98 on a Doncic three-point play with 1:15 left. After Tatum’s dunk attempt was blocked by Derrick Jones Jr., the Mavericks rushed the other way with an advantage. But White, one of the game’s elite shot-blocking guards, met Washington in mid-air and sent back his offering.

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Jrue on Derrick White block: ‘elite’ — 11:20 p.m.

No injury worries for Porzingis — 11:00 p.m.

Kristaps Porzingis finished with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting in 23 minutes in just his second game since April 29.

But toward the tail end of the fourth quarter, he was moving very gingerly after getting tangled under the basket.

After the game, coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis was fine.

Doncic doesn’t know who Wyc Grousbeck is — 10:55 p.m.

Apparently Wyc Grousbeck employed a little gamesmanship from his front-row seat near the benches. The Celtics’ owner reportedly taunted Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic, and Doncic responded by hitting his next shot and barking back.

Listen: Luka likes to talk his trash. Doesn’t matter if you own the team or not. That said, it appears Doncic had no idea the person he was responding to was, in fact, Grousbeck.

Luka Doncic on Game 2 loss — 10:50 p.m.

Luka Doncic was hard on himself after the loss to the Celtics.

“At the end of the day we’ve got to make some more shots,” he said. “I think my turnovers and my missed free throws cost us the game, so I’ve got to do better in those two categories. But at the end of the way, we’ve got to make shots to win the game.”

He continued: “We’ve got to make shots, we’ve got to make free throws, and less turnovers. We need to do those three things to win.”

Celtics win Game 2 — 10:27 p.m.

Luka Doncic led all scorers with 32 points. Jrue Holiday led the Celtics with 26.

Game 3 is Wednesday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Under two minutes — 10:22 p.m.

P.J. Washington is fouled by Brown and makes both free throws.

It’s 103-95 Celtics with 1:49 to play.

Celtics 103, Mavericks 89 — 10:20 p.m.

Porzingis came out of the game and is using a resistance band to flex his left foot, seemingly stretching out his calf — it’s not the one he injured earlier in the playoffs, it should be noted.

Elsewhere, back-to-back 3-pointers from Jrue Holiday and Derrick White have the Celtics up by 14 and Jason Kidd wants a timeout. It’s a long way back for the Mavericks now, especially if Doncic is hobbled. Boston leads, 103-89, with just 3:32 to play. — Touri

We’re under five minutes to play — 10:15 p.m.

Celtics 97, Mavericks 89 | 4:40, fourth quarter

Doncic doesn’t look particularly great physically from my vantage point. Seems to be moving more slowly and deliberately right now, with much of the offense flowing through Kyrie Irving. Something to keep an eye on.

A lob from Irving to Daniel Gafford draws another timeout from Joe Mazzulla. Celtics nursing a 97-89 lead with 4:40 to go here at TD Garden. — Touri

Porzingis moving very gingerly after getting tangled up under the basket. No idea why Mazzulla didn’t take him out immediately rather than letting him labor up and down the floor a couple of times.

Gulp. — Finn

Celtics 90, Mavericks 83 — 10:08 p.m.

Celtics 90, Mavericks 83 | 8:06, fourth quarter

Joe Mazzulla takes a timeout after Kyrie Irving hits his first shot of the second half, a pretty lefty layup that cuts Boston’s lead to 7. Jayson Tatum finally broke out of his 3-point shooting slump to his first attempt from beyond the arc, but he’s still just 1 of 7 from deep and 6 of 18 from beyond the arc. Tatum is impacting the game elsewhere: along with his 16 points, he has a game-high 12 assists plus 7 rebounds. Celtics lead, 90-83, with 8:06 to play in Game 2. — Touri

Tatum has those 12 assists, and I’d still like to see him move the ball just a little more. Hopefully he doesn’t get caught up trying to force his own offense in the final 8 minutes here. (That means no step-back 2s early in the shot clock, for starters.) — Finn

No love for Kyrie — 10:04 p.m.

The loudest “Kyrie Sucks!” chant of the night, and Irving waves on the crowd a little bit. He’s 0 for 4 in the second half after a 5-for-10 first half. — Touri

Pritchard hits a buzzer beater to close the third — 9:56 p.m.

Payton Pritchard and those buzzer-beaters, man ... — Thompson

What do Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser have in common tonight? They’re both 0 for 5 from 3. — Finn

Mavericks chip away the Celtics’ lead, and two Kyrie Irving free throws cut the gap to 6 points, but Payton Pritchard banks in a 3-pointer from near half-court to bring the gap back to 9. Celtics lead, 83-74, with a nice little momentum boost to cap off the quarter. — Touri

Not a bad way for Pritchard to get his first points of the Finals. — Finn

Celtics 75, Mavericks 63 — 9:48 p.m.

Celtics 75, Mavericks 63 | 2:57, third quarter

Porzingis re-entered the game — he’s pretty much split minutes evenly with Al Horford, who has played 18 minutes to the Latvian’s 16 in this one. Curious to see if he starts getting more run as the series goes on, or if Joe Mazzulla is happy with a 50-50 split with his bigs.

The first real Celtics run of the night is capped off by a brilliant dump-off from Jayson Tatum to Jrue Holiday, who lays it in to give Boston a game-high 12-point lead. Celtics are on a 10-0 run, led mostly by Holiday — he’s got 23 to lead Boston tonight. Celtics 75, Mavericks 63 with 2:57 to go in the third. — Touri

Celtics take their biggest lead of the night — 9:42 p.m.

Every now and again Jayson Tatum remembers that he’s 6-foot-9 and one of the NBA’s premier slashers and at-rim finishers, and he becomes unstoppable unless you send multiple defenders. Other times, he forgets that, and starts chucking up stepback 3-pointers. It’s a real battle.

Anyway, Jaylen Brown lays one in, and the Celtics have their biggest lead of the night as Jason Kidd takes a timeout. 69-63 Boston with 4:56 to play in the third quarter. — Touri

Tatum’s shooting will be a topic of discussion no matter how this plays out, but the Celtics could use a little more from Derrick White on offense. He’s 3 of 10 and 2 of 7 from 3, and he’s had some great looks. – Finn

Celtics 63, Mavericks 61 — 9:35 p.m.

Celtics 63, Mavericks 61 | 7:29, third quarter

That is why the Celtics don’t like blitzing Luka Doncic on the pick-and-roll — they send two defenders at him and he whips a perfect pass to a rolling Dereck Lively for a dunk, an element the Mavericks were sorely missing in Game 1. Doncic has 25 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds, all with 7:29 to go in the third. Celtics still lead, 63-61, after a timeout from Joe Mazzulla. — Touri

Horford should have stayed with Lively there. Holiday, as usual, got through a hard screen. — Finn

The trouble with Doncic is if you choose to play drop coverage like you’re suggesting, he kills you once he can get Holiday on his hip and dictate tempo on the drive. But if you switch, he kills you in isolation against the big. But if you blitz — you get the idea. —Touri

I’ll take my chances with Jrue, on Luka, and in all phases of basketball and life. — Finn

Jrue Holiday is here to play — 9:30 p.m.

Celtics 62, Mavericks 59 | 8:50, third quarter

Man, Jrue Holiday just has a way of making big plays out of little moments. After an ugly start to the half, with the Celtics giving up that 3-point halftime cushion before most of the fans had returned from the concessions, Holiday rebounds an errant Derrick White three and drops one off to Tatum for an and-one, then lays one in on the break to twice restore Boston’s lead. Such a winning basketball player. — Touri

Adam Himmelsbach’s first-half observations — 9:25 p.m.

By Adam Himmelsbach

Takeaways from the first half ...

▪ Luka Doncic was downgraded to questionable earlier Sunday due to a chest contusion. Of course, there was never really a doubt that he would play, but he was wearing a big wrap when the starting lineups were introduced. Once the game began, though, he seemed unbothered. He converted a fadeaway in the paint on Dallas’s first possession and had little trouble getting to his spots for mid-range jumpers.

Doncic is constantly looking for some source of motivation, and after hitting a couple of shots from the right wing he appeared to bark at a group of fans sitting in the front row there. He started the second quarter with a jumper, a 3-pointer and a paint fadeaway and went to halftime with 23 points on 9 of 13 shooting.

The Celtics mostly continued to play Doncic straight-up, without sending double teams. And although many of his shots were tough ones, he could not really be stopped. Nevertheless, the Celtics would probably point out that the other Mavericks were just 1 for 7 from the 3-point line in the first half, and, most importantly, the Celtics had the lead.

▪ Porzingis said Saturday he remains on a minutes restriction, and he came off the bench for the second game in a row, but at some point Boston might go back to perhaps its hottest player. He had an immediate impact in this one, with a pair of free throws, a block and a post-up. The Mavericks continue to switch smaller defenders on to him, and there will be opportunities for more of that.

On one play late in the first quarter, Irving picked up Porzingis at the elbow soon after picking up his second foul. This is an obvious mismatch regardless, but particularly when Irving will do whatever he can to avoid collecting his third foul.

▪ Many were curious to see how Tatum would respond on the court Sunday after Mavericks coach Jason Kidd twice called Brown the best player on the Celtics on Saturday. It’s impossible to know whether Kidd’s words had any impact, but it was another slow start for Boston’s superstar. He smoked a layup on his first shot, then missed a 3-pointer and baseline jumper soon after, part of his scoreless 0 for 4 opening quarter.

Tatum had been playing the entire first quarter for much of these playoffs, but coach Joe Mazzulla altered his substitution pattern a bit and went back to his regular-season approach that included a first-quarter break, perhaps in an attempt to get Tatum untracked.

His first points came on an acrobatic finger-roll with 9:29 left in the second quarter, but that did not ignite him. He followed it up with a pair of turnovers and missed his next three shots. The Celtics remained tied at 42 after Tatum’s messy opening, however, and Tatum’s eight first-half assists at least helped negate his five-point half.

▪ The Mavericks burned their lone challenge on a puzzling first-quarter decision. P.J. Washington was called for fouling Derrick White on an attempt at the rim. The Celtics recovered the ball on the play, so Boston probably would have maintained possession even if the Mavericks had won the challenge, but they lost it, and were left without another one for the rest of the night.

▪ Jrue Holiday has sacrificed offensive opportunities more than any other Celtic this season, but during these playoffs he has continued to provide reminders that he can provide scoring pop when that is required. Holiday scored eight consecutive Celtics points at one point in the second quarter and went to the break with a team-high 17 on 7 of 9 shooting,. His 3-pointer on a pass from Tatum in the final minute of the second quarter gave Boston a 54-49 lead, its largest of the half.

▪ Sometimes the game boils down to the simplest variables. In the first half Sunday, the Celtics were 13 for 13 from the foul line and the Mavericks were 5 for 11. Flip those two figures around and the Mavericks’ have a comfortable lead.

Halftime takeaways: Celtics 54, Mavericks 51 — 9:10 p.m.

By Amin Touri

At halftime, the Celtics lead, 54-51. Luka Doncic leads all scorers with 23 points, while Jrue Holiday leads the Celtics with 17. Jayson Tatum has just 5 points on 2 of 10 shooting, but has a game-high seven assists.

Here are five takeaways from the first 24 minutes of action:

• Luka Doncic is doing Luka Doncic things. He’s got 23 points at the half on a very efficient 9 of 13 shooting, including 3 of 6 from deep. He’s only got three assists as the Mavericks continue to struggle with hitting kickout 3-pointers when Doncic is double-teamed, but Dallas finally rediscovered its lob game when Doncic hit Derrick Lively for an alley-oop.
• Tough scoring start for Jayson Tatum, who has 5 points on 2 of 10 shooting from the floor. He does lead all players with seven first-half assists, and did have a nice and-one late in the second quarter after blowing past Doncic and finishing through contact over Derrick Jones Jr.
• Jrue Holiday has flashed some excellent touch inside. The Celtics’ smallest starter has 17 points, all within 5 feet of the basket or from the free-throw line until he hit a corner triple in the final minute.
• Kyrie Irving has 10 points on 5 of 10 from the field, a much better first half than his Game 1 performance.
• The Celtics are a perfect 13 of 13 from the free throw line, bust just 3 of 15 from deep. Dallas, meanwhile, has struggled at the line, shooting 5 of 11 from the charity stripe.

Bill Belichick in the house — 9:04 p.m.

The former Patriots coach is rocking what appears to be a University of Washington polo.

Celtics 42, Mavericks 42 — 9:01 p.m.

Celtics 42, Mavericks 42 | 3:56, second quarter

The Mavericks take a timeout with the game tied, 42-42, with 3:56 to play in the first half. Tatum continues to struggle scoring: he’s got just 2 points on 1 of 8 shooting, but has dished out five assists thus far. Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis lead the Celtics with 10 first-half points. — Touri

Tatum is now just 1 of 8, but he does have a game-high five assists. Brown is actually second among all players with four. Dallas has just five as a team. — Finn.

Celtics 36, Mavericks 35 — 8:55 p.m.

Celtics 36, Mavericks 35 | 7:00, second quarter

Luka Doncic scores a quick 7 points in the first two minutes of the second quarter, and he’s already got 20 with seven minutes to play in the half.

A Derrick White 3-pointer gives the Celtics their first lead of the night, and Joe Mazzulla opts for a timeout after a chaotic sequence on both ends. Jayson Tatum finally has his first points of the game after a smooth layup, but he’s just 1 of 7 from the field so far. — Touri

Matthew Slater honored — 8:51 p.m.

Former Patriot Matthew Slater is in the house tonight to be honored as the “Hero Among Us” for the his work volunteering in the community.

“With unwavering passion, Matthew has devoted countless hours to uplifting the lives of underserved individuals across New England,” the Celtics said in a release. “Slater’s commitment to serving others is rooted in his belief in the power of community. A testament to his desire to make tangible differences for those around him, Slater remains dedicated to supporting foster families, youth leaders and mentorship programs even in retirement.”

End of first quarter: Mavs 26, Celtics 25 — 8:40 p.m.

Ten of the Celtics’ 25 points have come on free throws. – Finn

Celtics fans hated that loose ball foul on Jaylen Brown, and so intervened the principle of “ball don’t lie” — Daniel Gafford misses both shots from the line, and Kristaps Porzingis tied the game with a jumper on the other end.

Not quite the free-scoring Celtics of Game 1′s first quarter — after one, Dallas leads, 28-25, after Porzingis fouled Josh Green on a 3-pointer with 0.1 on the clock. Just before that, back-to-back layups from Kyrie Irving to close the quarter were answered by Boston’s first triple of the night when Al Horford drilled one to the corner, but the Celtics are just 1 for 9 from deep. Luka Doncic scored 13 points in the opening period to lead all scorers. Porzingis has 8 for Boston. — Touri

Celtics have to feel OK being down 3 considering six different players are 0-for-something from 3 and Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have combined for 2 points. — Finn

Celtics can’t hit from 3 — 8:32 p.m.

Mavericks 22, Celtics 16 | 2:38, first quarter

Slow shooting start for the Celtics, who are now 0 for 7 from deep after that Jaylen Brown miss. Two bricks from Sam Hauser — he’ll need to hit those open looks if he wants to stay on the floor in this series.

Brown makes the dunk of the night — 8:27 p.m.

By Khari Thompson

I know it’s early ... but I think we just saw the dunk of the night.

Jaylen Brown just put a sick crossover on Doncic for a two-handed slam. Maxi Kleber made a business decision not to jump to contest Brown. SportsCenter Top 10 worthy.

Swayman in the house — 8:25 p.m.

The Bruins goalie got a big cheer when shown on the jumbotron.

Kidd’s challenge is unsuccessful — 8:22 p.m.

Jason Kidd opts to use his challenge very early, asking for a second look on a PJ Washington foul as the Dallas forward tried to block Derrick White. No dice — challenge is unsuccessful, and White will shoot two. — Touri

Wow, that looked clean.

Bad angle on ESPN! Second angle made it clear. Also, I miss TNT. — Finn

Mavericks 13, Celtics 6 — 8:15 p.m.

Mavericks 13, Celtics 6 | 8:18, first quarter

The Mavericks needed a little more from their stars, and their stars are off to a strong start. Luka Doncic hits a couple fallaways and a little floater and Kyrie Irving slashes to the rim for an early layup and a stepback jumper in a quick start for Dallas. The Celtics are already throwing different bodies at Doncic right away — Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White have each picked him up at least once already. Timeout Boston with the Mavericks leading, 13-6, with 8:18 to play in the first quarter. — Touri

I like the version of Joe Mazzulla that uses timeouts. — Finn

And we’re off — 8:09 p.m.

Predictions? Thoughts? Chat in the comments with other subscribers. — McInerney

Luka spotted with heating pack — 8:05 p.m.

Noting that Luka Doncic appears to be wearing a large bandage — probably a heating pack — covering the lower right side of his torso ahead of tip off. Doncic was listed as questionable ahead of the game with ankle/knee/chest issues; the last one seems like it might be the real culprit for his status. — Touri

After the Jaylen > Jayson stuff from Jason Kidd, I don’t believe anything from the Mavs — it’s all desperate gamesmanship. And I’m sticking with that until Luka can’t go anymore. So there. — Finn

It will be interesting to see how much the Celtics attack Luka when they’re on offense. His defense was already suspect, and if he’s at all hobbled going at him may be part of the gameplan. — Thompson

They knew what they were doing — 7:50 p.m.

By Amin Touri

Just before the Celtics entered the court ahead of tip off, the in-game entertainment staff stirred the pot a little by displaying Kyrie Irving’s post-Game 1 quote — “I thought it was going to be a little louder in here” — on the jumbotron.

The response from the TD Garden was predictable. Irving will be getting no reprieve tonight.

How loud does TD Garden actually get at a Celtics game? We measured it. — 7:45 p.m.

If you’ve ever been in the building for a big Celtics win, you know TD Garden can get pretty loud.

But how loud are we talking? Globe video producer Olivia Yarvis wanted to find out. She bought a decibel meter off Amazon and put it to the test during Game 1.

Here’s what she found:

Sam Cassell visits an old friend — 7:40 p.m.

By Amin Touri

As former Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich received the NBA’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday, he had a little support from the Boston bench in the room.

Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, a two-time champion with the Rockets before winning one with Boston in 2018, snuck away from the Celtics’ pregame preparation to see his old friend honored ahead of Game 2.

Cassell played for Tomjanovich in Houston from 1993-1996, winning titles in 1994 and 1995.

Stars are in the building for Game 2 — 7:25 p.m.

By Katie McInerney

It’s another star-studded crowd here at TD Garden.

Former Celtic Paul Pierce is among a handful of team alumni at the game, including Jason Terry, Sam Vincent, Sam Perkins, Dana Barros, Leon Powe, Tacko Fall, ML Carr, Glenn McDonald, Mal Graham, and Kevin Stacom.

Karen Russell, Bill Russell’s daughter, will also be at Game 2.

Shaquille O’Neal is in the house, as is rapper Travis Scott and producer Metro Boomin. Singer Bia is performing at halftime.

Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman will be at the game, as are Bruins players David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman.

On the Patriots’ side, Matthew Slater, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Deatrich Wise, and KJ Osborn are in the building.

Luka’s available — 7:05 p.m.

By Amin Touri

No surprise: Luka Doncic is playing tonight, according to the Mavericks. He was listed as questionable with ankle and knee issues, but it would’ve been a big shock to see him miss a crucial Game 2.

Kidd addresses Luka’s status for tonight — 6:35 p.m.

Highlights from Mavericks coach Jason Kidd’s press conference ...

On Luka: “Luka’s questionable so we’ll see how he feels when he warms up and make that decision. I think [he got hurt] taking the charge or diving on the floor for a loose ball.”

On how game plans might change if Doncic can’t play: “Just one game plan. If he’s out, we’re prepared to go without him, next man up. If he’s going, the game plan doesn’t change. We’ve been in this seat, the whole playoffs, hopefully nothing changes.”

On Saturday’s practice: “I thought yesterday was a great day for us on the floor and also watching the game, and I think for our group, [those] who’ve been around, we tend to be loose, and I thought yesterday was perfect example of us getting better and understanding what we have to do tonight.”

On how he expect Kyrie Irving to bounce back after a rough Game 1: “I think when you look at Ky, he’s a vet, he’s been on this stage multiple times, but he’s played the game where he wasn’t effective offensively, or up to his standards, and he will take a look at what he can do better, and again understands what he has to do tonight. Hopefully we get those same shots, we truly believe he’ll knock them down, and that’ll put us in a good position ton win.”

On the difference between playing in the Finals and coaching in the Finals: “I think as a player it’s different. But as a coach, there’s a lot of waiting, when it’s spread out, so you got to be able to pace the information that you’re giving the guys, don’t want to overload them too early, have to understand that with the break in between, the off days or the days you’re not running over to the court, they’re getting stimulated to understand they still have a job to do. That’s as a coach. As a player you’re just trying to figure out how to put yourself fin a better position, whether you just won or you lost, anticipating the adjustments and what a team is going to do to slow you down. Two totally different things. One involves the physical activity, one has you standing or sitting, so definitely different.”

What Joe Mazzulla had to say before the game — 6:20 p.m.

By Amin Touri

The highlights from his pregame press conference ...

On defending in isolation: “First it starts with our transition defense. If we don’t get back and make it 5-on-5, it’s hard to be able to do that. Then the ball pressure and just the individual pride, taking pride of guarding you, and the guys off the ball, being able to do both. It’s just team defense, most important thing.”

How his coaching style suits the team: “I feel like we got a group of guys that want to win, been around along time and want to do it together. When you have a locker room that has ownership, takes it upon themselves to hold each other accountable, you’ve got a chance. The guys want to win, they make that decision, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to win.”

On addressing blind spots: “We still do have blind spots. We’re always going to have blind spots. I think it’s just recognizing those and understanding that we can leverage them by using the guy next to us to do better.”

Was Kidd stirring the pot? — 6:00 p.m.

By Adam Himmelsbach

Maybe Mavericks coach Jason Kidd was just giving his honest opinion. Maybe he was trying to create some unease within a Celtics locker room that has mostly coasted through this season without a speed bump.

Whatever the reason, Kidd raised some eyebrows Saturday afternoon, as his team prepared to face the Celtics in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night, when he made an against-the-grain proclamation about his opponent.

“Well, Jaylen [Brown] is their best player,” Kidd said. “Just looking at what he does defensively, he picked up Luka [Doncic] full court. He got to the free throw line. He did everything, and that’s what your best player does. Just understanding he plays both sides, defense and offense, at a high rate. And he’s been doing that the whole playoffs. I mean, we talk about the Eastern Conference [finals] MVP, and it seems like he has continued to pick up where he left off.”

Read more.

Kyrie Irving welcoming TD Garden adversity — 5:45 p.m.

By Khari Thompson

Kyrie Irving didn’t have much to say about basketball strategy when asked what adjustments he expects will be made heading into Sunday night’s Game 2.

Instead, he talked about adjusting to the environment at TD Garden. He mentioned that this Mavericks group is playing together in the NBA Finals for the first time.

Although he has a wealth of experience playing both for and againstthe Celtics over his 13-year career, Irving looked rattled at times Thursday, missing several wide-open shots and producing more turnovers (3) than assists (2) while shooting 6 of 19 from the field.

“Going out there, TD Garden, playing against the Boston Celtics, who are having a historic season,” Irving said. “We knew they were going to come out with a lot of verve, a lot of energy. And they have been doing it all year. They have been consistent on their end. I think it’s pretty easy to say we can focus on our end and pay attention to what we can control.

Read more.

Tatum, Brown unfazed by Kidd — 5:30 p.m.

By Gary Washburn

Don’t let his affable, low-key personality, the backward baseball cap, and the whisper-quiet voice fool you. Jason Kidd is a cutthroat competitor. After his Dallas Mavericks were outclassed in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he decided to intensify the series by throwing the first verbal grenade.

In case you didn’t hear it the first time Saturday at TD Garden, Kidd said it twice, just to make his gamesmanship point.

It’s a sly psychological move, especially if it motivates Tatum, who has masterfully played distributor and unleashed his versatility to offset the heavy defensive emphasis, to use Game 2 to show Kidd who is really the man in Boston.

Perhaps a few years ago, this ploy would have worked. Tatum, who has become more tolerant of the criticism, especially during this postseason, wasn’t fazed when informed of Kidd’s comments. It was intended to be divisive, and Tatum reads that. He’s been in the league for seven years. He’s 26 (young to us, but not in NBA years) and he’s heard his share of putdowns, even if they are disguised as compliments.

Read the full column.

Latvia loves the Celtics — 5:15 p.m.

By Katie McInerney

The NBA released some interesting statistics ahead of Game 2 that demonstrate the global impact of the league — and the influence of one very tall Latvian.

The NBA reports that subscriptions to their League Pass streaming package increased by 63 percent year-over-year in Latvia. In addition, Latvians are watching the Celtics five times as much as they were last season, before Boston traded for Kristaps Porzingis.

Because of this increase in international popularity, Jayson Tatum’s No. 0 is now the third best-selling jersey in the world behind Steph Curry and LeBron James.

Slovenia’s Luka Doncic is having a similar effect in his home country.

Of the 20 most-watched games this season on League Pass in Slovenia, 19 of them were Mavericks games. League Pass subscriptions increased by 49 percent in the country year over year.

The Mavericks love lobs. Here’s how the Celtics stopped them. — 5:00 p.m.

By Julian Benbow

The Mavs throw lobs like spaghetti at a wall. The offense leaned heavily on lobs in the regular season. They threw 182 of them, second only to the Utah Jazz (198). In 18 playoff games, they’ve thrown 67. No other playoff team has thrown more than 15.

Dallas’s only lob attempt in Game 1 was a dud. Doncic used a high screen from Lively to draw four defenders toward the paint. He couldn’t quite get Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis to commit, but he still hoisted a pass over him. Lively launched himself in the air, but a bump from Porzingis made sure he didn’t come down with it. Lively got the foul, the Celtics snuffed out the lob.

Read the full story here.

Commentary

Why Celtics fans should thank Kyrie Irving — 4:30 p.m.

It’s fitting that former Celtic Kyrie Irving is the final obstacle Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown need to overcome to lead the Celtics to a long-sought championship.

It’s a full-circle moment for the Celtics and their young stars. It was Irving’s season-ending injury as the Celtics leading man during the 2017-2018 season that opened the door for the rise of The Jays as franchise frontmen.

And fans should be grateful Kyrie was once on the Celtics’ roster. Chris Gasper explains why in his “Write or Wrong?” segment on this week’s episode of Boston Globe Today: Sports.

Amin Touri can be reached at [email protected]. Katie McInerney can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @k8tmac. Khari Thompson can be reached at [email protected]. Chad Finn can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GlobeChadFinn. Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach. Conor Ryan can be reached at [email protected].