5 Takeaways from Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals

The 2024 NBA Finals is not over yet, and that’s thanks to the Dallas Mavericks finally getting a win after blowing out the Boston Celtics in Game 4.

Dallas dominated for the entire contest, using a multitude of runs to torch Boston 122-84 and keep the NBA Finals alive for at least one more game. Not only did Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving lead the way with productive scoring nights, the Mavericks’ bench finally arrived with significant contributions to make Boston’s night a very long one.

Here are some takeaways on what went right for Dallas and what went wrong for Boston.

Defense, Defense, Defense

Dallas held Boston to 36.3 percent shooting from the field

The Mavericks have done well at keeping Boston from averaging the 120.3 points they scored throughout the regular season and the 111.4 points they put up prior to the NBA Finals.

However, their inability to prevent the Celtics from igniting their signature runs to create sizable leads cost them greatly in Games 1 and 3.

Down 3-0 in the series, it was all hands on deck to fight for their season. This time, the Mavericks relentlessly forced the Celtics to take difficult shots from everywhere on the field. Even though Boston made 14 triples, it came at a cost of their efficiency, seeing them go 36.3 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from deep.

The Mavericks accomplished what they needed to do in Game 4, putting intense pressure on Boston’s stars and role players to defend their home court and send the series back to TD Garden. Now they must repeat that tone to force a potential Game 6 back at American Airlines Center.

Celtics’ Starters Weren’t Feeling Their Shot

Only 14 made shots on 41 attempts

It can be easy to chalk up Game 4 as an off night for the Celtics’ starters. They only made 14 shots on 41 attempts for a shooting efficiency of 34.1 percent.

It also didn’t help that stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown couldn’t get much going throughout Friday night. Facing a Dallas defense that refused to give up easy shots, the duo was unable to put their elite scoring on display, having one of their worst shooting nights this postseason. The two stars combined for just 25 points on 31.8 percent shooting overall and 22.2 percent from deep.

The numbers are far from what they have showcased throughout the postseason. Prior to Game 4, Brown was averaging 24.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.3 blocks on 55.1 percent shooting from the field while providing excellent on-ball defense against Dallas’ stars. As for Tatum, he was putting up 21.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while being heavily involved on both sides of the ball.

It won’t be expected for both Tatum and Brown to struggle at the same time, especially with the Celtics looking to close out the Finals at home. The duo will look to be at their best to finish off Dallas, so be on the lookout for them in Game 5.

Dallas’ Bench Arrived At Last

Outscored Boston’s starters 54-44

The Celtics did an excellent job at not allowing the Mavericks’ role players to catch fire in the first three games of the Finals.

With Dereck Lively II, Jaden Hardy, Josh Green, Maxi Kleber and Tim Hardaway Jr. coming off the bench, the Mavericks struggled to find offensive production from those players at first. From Game 1 to 3, they only averaged 15 points on disappointing shooting splits of 37.8 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc.

That all changed in Game 4 with Dallas catching fire thanks to Lively’s first career three-pointer in the opening quarter, sparking a run where the Mavericks never looked back. Unlike their shooting woes in the first three games, the bench shot 51.4 percent from the field and a red-hot 61.1 percent from downtown.

Three players scored in double-digits off the bench for Dallas: Hardaway Jr., Lively II, and Dante Exum. With five three-pointers in the fourth quarter, Hardaway Jr. made NBA Finals history as the only player to make five or more triples in any quarter. Lively II finished with a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds, while Exum provided 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field.

For the Mavericks to make a successful comeback in the series, the bench must continue scoring at a similar pace. It does not have to be 54 points every night, but they must figure out a way to provide at least 25 points to give the team a chance at beating Boston’s prolific offense, which will probably not be as ice-cold as they were in Game 4.

Rebounds Galore

Dallas out-rebounded Boston 52-31 on the glass

Rebounding has been one of Dallas’ advantages over Boston throughout the series. With players like Dončić, Lively II, and Daniel Gafford boxing out rebounds, this allowed the Mavericks to average 43 boards per game.

They expanded on this area in Game 4, knowing it had to be done to deny second-chance opportunities from Boston. They grabbed a series-high 52 rebounds, 13 of them being on the offensive glass.

Lively II was the only who obtained double-digits in rebounds with 12, while Dončić got five throughout the night. Almost everyone who played for Dallas on Friday got at least one rebound, with the lone exception being AJ Lawson.

This should be an area that Dallas emphasizes for the remainder of the series, especially as Boston will look to amp up their aggressiveness on the glass to hype up their home crowd in Game 5.

Mavericks Finally Edged Celtics in Three-Pointers

Mavericks made 15 triples to the Celtics’ 14

Three-point shooting has been a massive advantage for the Celtics throughout the regular season and playoffs, especially with the shooters they have in their arsenal.

For the Mavericks, they have not been able to get a solid rhythm with their perimeter shooting in the first three games. They have only averaged 7.3 made three-pointers on 25 percent shooting, seeing Doncic and Irving have their struggles from beyond the arc as well.

Even though their star duo shot an abysmal 1-of-14 from three in Game 4, the Mavericks’ bench picked up the slack with 11 three-pointers. Doncic and Irving still had great scoring displays in the end, combining for 50 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds.

With the Celtics making at least 14 three-pointers throughout the series, the Mavericks will need everything they can get from downtown to keep up with the opposing offense and make a historic comeback for the ages.

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