DALLAS — Before the game with his team down 3-0 to the Celtics in the NBA Finals, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd predicted there was going to come a point where desire would determine the outcome.
“There’s going to be a point where either team is going to have to make a stand or they let go of the rope,” he said.
BetMGM BET UP TO $1,500! BONUS BET REFUND AFTER A LOSS
STATES: AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org. US Promotional Offers not available in New York.
In his team’s 122-84 win over Boston that extended the series to Game 5 (Monday at TD Garden), Kidd thought the Celtics wilted and fulfilled his prediction.
“Our group was ready to go. They were ready to celebrate. Understand, we made a stand. We were desperate. We got to continue to keep playing that way; understand they’re trying to find a way to close the door,” Kidd said. “The hardest thing in this league is to close the door when you have a group that has nothing to lose. Tonight you saw that. They let go of the rope pretty early.”
The Mavericks led by 13 after the first quarter and were up 61-35 at halftime. The Celtics trailed by as many as 48 and pulled their starters in the third quarter.
Mazzulla didn’t disagree with Kidd.
“They just played harder,” he said. “You have to prepare to put yourself in the best possible position, but it doesn’t guarantee anything. At the end of the day, we have to just maintain our process and get ready for Game 5.”
