BOSTON — Is it possible to shoot 12-for-38 through the first two games of a series (and 4-for-14 from deep). and still be a pretty good candidate to be the NBA Finals MVP?
Jayson Tatum had 18 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds in the Celtics’ Game 2 victory that put them up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. But he shot 6-for-22 from the floor and 1-for-7 from 3-point range. His candidacy will depend on whether voters give him credit for impacting the game when he’s not scoring or if they’re critical of his poor shooting in a big spot.
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But the Finals MVP usually goes to the biggest star on the winning team. That’s Tatum
Other Candidates
Jaylen Brown — Jason Kidd thinks Brown is the Celtics’ best player so maybe he’s the guy. Coming off winning the Larry Bird Trophy for Eastern Conference Finals MVP, he’s shooting and scoring better than Tatum and has been very good defensively. He’s averaging 21.5 points per game through two games.
Luka Doncic — If the Mavericks come back and win the series, he’s the runaway leader so far. Despite battling injury, he had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in Game 2 and is averaging 31.0 points, 6.0 assists and 10.5 rebounds through two games.
Jrue Holiday — Here’s the Andre Iguodala Darkhorse candidate. Holiday was the best player on the floor in Game 2 with 26 points and 11 rebounds. He’s averaging 19.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game through two games and he’s made several big plays in big spots.
Kristaps Porzingis — Even after his monster output in Game 1, he was still a long shot given how unlikely it was he’d sustain it over a full series. His 12 points and four rebounds were helpful, but not enough to keep him in the lead pack.
