The Boston Celtics’ dominant run through the regular season and playoffs was met with more of the same in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, as they earned a 107-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
But while winning can be the standard, it can’t be the expectation. Head coach Joe Mazzulla has made that clear all season.
“I just hope [a game like that] happens 10, 12 more times so we can get rid of the entitlement that we’re always supposed to be winning,” he said after the Celtics’ January 29 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. “So, I hope we blow leads.”
At the time, that quote was met with scrutiny. “I hope we blow leads.” Some laughed, others got angry, and many didn’t know what to make of it.
The intense standards of the Boston market came raining down on Mazzulla. Yet when the Celtics faced a blown lead on the biggest stage—the NBA Finals—their lack of entitlement did more than just shine through.
It won them the game.
With the roar of a boisterous TD Garden crowd behind them, the Celtics shot out of a cannon to open Game 1 of the NBA Finals. They jumped the Dallas Mavericks, earning a 37-20 lead after the first quarter and a 63-35 lead with 1:48 to go in the first half.
That’s when the game turned.
Dallas closed the second quarter on a 7-0 run that spiraled into a 31-12 onslaught. Bucket after bucket, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and PJ Washington picked apart a Celtics team that had completely lost its mojo.
As Boston’s offense wilted, the Mavericks finally found a way to get consistent buckets. What was once a 29-point lead at its peak was down to eight.
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
A Doncic three brought the score to 64-72. As he backpedaled down the court, he nodded his head to a now-hushed TD Garden crowd as if to say, “I’m finally here.”
Joe Mazzulla called a timeout, and the Celtics coaches huddled on the court, just as they always do, leaving the players to gather their thoughts.
“Out of the three minutes, two and a half of it, they’re by themselves,” said Mazzulla. “They communicate well with each other. They have great relationships. So, I’m sure during the time the coaches are meeting that they’re having that communication with each other. They do a good job of communicating with each other throughout the game.”
In the midst of blowing a near-30-point lead, the message was…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CelticsBlog – All Posts…