The Celtics know their NBA Finals opponent. And, as expected, the Mavericks are waiting for the C’s on the greatest stage the sport has to offer. The Mavs finished off the Timberwolves in the West Finals in five games on Thursday, setting up what should be a highly-anticipated matchup in the Finals.
Game 1 of the series is set for 8:30 p.m. June 6 at TD Garden. Here’s a look at the full schedule. The C’s finished a league-best 64-18 on the season, earning the top seed in the playoffs. The Mavericks were 50-32 and fifth in the West, meaning they haven’t had home-court advantage this entire postseason.
There will be plenty of storylines as it should be one of the more intriguing Finals in recent memory. The obvious headliner is Kyrie Irving making his return to Boston after some contentious time with Celtics fans. But elsewhere, there should be some high-quality basketball between some of the best players in the world like Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum.
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Here are four things to know about the Celtics vs. Mavericks matchup in the NBA Finals:
Old friend, kind of: Immediately, Celtics fans are going to pinpoint Irving whenever he’s on the court. That’s natural as there’s plenty of hate. It’s been tame in recent memory after Irving was traded to the Mavericks last season. But there’s going to be plenty of visceral from the Celtics fans toward Irving. On the flip side, Irving hasn’t had many controversial moments despite a Nets tenure that was full of those moments. So it’ll be interesting to see how he reacts engaging with the Boston fans in the Finals. Irving has had a strong playoffs, including a clutch West Finals. So he certainly has a chance to hurt his old team throughout the series.
Old friend, the other way: At this point, it’s unclear when Kristaps Porzingis will make his return from his strained right soleus. But considering there was a chance he could be back in the East Finals, a 10-day break between series should have Porzingis healthy going into the Finals. And don’t forget: Porzingis was also an important Mavericks member from 2019-22. But it was an unceremonious end to his Dallas tenure, getting traded to the hapless Wizards, as Porzingis didn’t make a strong impact. There was seemingly some friction with Doncic in Dallas, plus Porzingis couldn’t stay healthy. So Mavs fans aren’t the biggest Porzingis supporters, though the big man has had a strong season for the Celtics to rehabilitate his personal image. It remains to be seen when Porzingis could be back, but there will certainly be a little extra when he’s in Dallas.
Stars clash: Doncic has had his highlight moments these playoffs as the 25-year-old is having his time in the spotlight. The Mavs were also in the conference finals in 2022, but they weren’t ready for the moment as they lost to the Warriors. But this time, Doncic has elevated his superstardom in getting the Mavs this far in the playoffs. On the other side, Tatum also has a chance to etch his name into Celtics lore as they look to hang Banner No. 18. Those young stars were both named first-team All-NBA this season. It’s not just them: Irving and Jaylen Brown are also some of the best players in the league. Brown is coming off an East Finals MVP showing as he’s elevated his game as a two-way star.
How they got here: The Celtics had little trouble dominating the rest of the East through an easy three rounds. They went 12-2 in the playoffs, 6-0 on the road and 3-0 in closeout games. While there were a few hiccups and injuries, the Celtics flexed their dominance over the rest of the conference. The C’s beat the Heat then Cavaliers in five games, respectively, then swept the Pacers in the East Finals. The Mavs had some struggles, but they’ve impressed themselves. They beat the Clippers and Thunder in six games, respectively, before downing the Wolves in the West Finals in five games. So a few more losses, but the Mavs went 12-5 through the opening three rebounds.
Here’s the full Celtics vs. Mavericks schedule (all games on ABC):
Game 1: Mavericks at Celtics on Thursday, June 6, 8:30 p.m.(Tickets: StubHub | Vividseats)
Game 2: Mavericks at Celtics on Sunday, June 9, 8 p.m.(Tickets: StubHub | Vividseats)
Game 3: Celtics at Mavericks on Wednesday, June 12, 8:30 p.m.(Tickets: StubHub | Vividseats)
Game 4: Celtics at Mavericks on Friday, June 14, 8:30 p.m.(Tickets: StubHub | Vividseats)
Game 5: Mavericks at Celtics on Monday, June 17, 8:30 p.m. (if necessary)(Tickets: StubHub | Vividseats)
Game 6: Celtics at Mavericks on Thursday, June 20, 8:30 p.m. (if necessary)(Tickets: StubHub | Vividseats)
Game 7: Mavericks at Celtics on Sunday, June 23, 8 p.m. (if necessary)(Tickets: StubHub | Vividseats)
