NBA Finals preview
Tonight, June 6th, is the start of the 2024 National Basketball Association’s finals. This year’s summer classic should be highly competitive for the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks.
The Boston Celtics, preseason favorites, rolled into the finals with a 12-2 playoff record in the Eastern Conference competition. Some experts have called their season one of the greasiest in league history. The Indiana Pacers hadn’t lost a game at home in nearly three months until the Celtics won Monday, May 27, with a score of 105102.
But enough about the Celtics’ green machine. Let’s talk about the Dallas Mavericks run to the finals, which may be as challenging, if not harder, than the Celtics. The Mavericks defeating the L.A. Clippers was a challenge. The Mavericks finished off the Clippers with a 114-101.
My pick for NBA’s Most Valuable Player was the talented Oklahoma City Thunder team member Shari Gilgeous-Alexander, but Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic received the award.
Lastly, one of the most formidable defense basketball players, Anthony DeVante Edwards, nicknamed “AntMan,” led the Minnesota Timberwolves in game one. Edwards ended game one, 108-105 loss to the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals with 19 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and two steals across 41 minutes.
Will the Boston Celtics win their 18th Championship, or will the Dallas Mavericks bring home their second? The Celtics will be seeking an unprecedented 18th title, which would break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics are favored to win the series, while the Mavericks are the underdogs, mainly because the Celtics have the home-court advantage. This will be the Mavericks’ third appearance in the finals, and they hope to win their second.