Sunday night’s Game 2 matchup of the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics delivered mixed results. Luka Doncic came into the night battling several injuries yet was still clearly the best player on the Mavericks. Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum struggled with his shot, but still had a big impact in Boston taking a commanding 2-0 series lead. Who were the biggest winners and losers from Game 2?
Winner: Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis clearly played at less than 100% in Game 2, his second game back after missing the past two playoff series. Yet, despite coming off the bench and seeing just 23 minutes, Porzingis still found a way to be an impact player, chipping in 12 points, four rebounds, and two blocks to help Boston execute on both ends of the floor.
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Loser: Kyrie Irving
After an excellent Game 5 performance in the Western Conference Finals, Kyrie Irving came up short in this one. He’d shoot just 38.8% from the floor, taking 18 shots, and came up with just 16 points. Dallas will need a much better version of their starting point guard to turn this series around in Game 3.
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Winner: Joe Mazzulla
When Joe Mazzulla was promoted to head coach of the Boston Celtics, many anticipated it to be a short-term move, with the inexperienced coach replaced at the first sign of failure. Yet, here he is, just two wins away from delivering the Celtics their first NBA Championship since 2008.
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Loser: Mavericks bench
As important as the Mavericks’ star backcourt is, Dallas still needs strong contributions off the bench to be able to hang with Boston. Yet, the bench only contributed nine points on a night where Boston’s reserves chipped in 17 in what ended up being a seven-point loss. You have to wonder how this game could have ended differently if the Mavericks only had a bit more bench production, but it didn’t happen tonight.
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Loser: Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd’s in the midst of his most successful season as a head coach yet, but he’s also on the verge of facing nearly insurmountable odds of winning the NBA Finals. Already down 2-0, the Mavericks cannot afford to let another game slip as the series heads back to Dallas, meaning Coach Kidd better make some effective adjustments before Wednesday.
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Winner: Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum, we could probably put him in the loser category tonight, but being that he had an off night and the Celtics still won, it makes him a winner. Thanks to the Celtics boasting the deepest roster in the NBA, Tatum doesn’t always need to be at his very best to get the win, but despite shooting just 6-of-22, he found ways to be effective, such as dishing 12 assists while grabbing nine rebounds.
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Winner: Jaylen Brown
Before the game, Jason Kidd called Jaylen Brown Boston’s best player. On Sunday, Brown did his best to prove the Mavericks coach right, by dropping 21 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and three steals while proving to be a feisty defender. Brown was a big reason why Boston heads to Dallas with a 2-0 series lead.
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Loser: Luka Doncic
Pre-game workouts showed Luka Doncic was nowhere near 100% and at times he did take a moment or two off, as usual for the Slovenian superstar. But when he did rev his engine, Doncic was a force to be reckoned with, scoring 32 points, with 11 rebounds and 11 assists to go with four steals. Unfortunately he also turned the ball over eight times in the seven-point loss.
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Winner: Jrue Holiday
Give Jrue Holiday the MVP award for Game 2, he was nearly flawless. Holiday shot 11-of-14 from the field, scoring 26 points, and ending up with three assists, 11 rebounds, a steal plus a block in an all-around performance. There was nothing getting in Holiday’s way on Sunday night.
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Loser: Dallas Mavericks’ title hopes
It’s hard enough to come back from 2-0. Teams who go up 2-0 are 31-5 all-time, with an 86% series win percentage in NBA history. The Mavericks have their best chance yet, now that the series heads back to American Airlines Center, but they also know this is pretty much their last chance to sway the series in their favor before facing near-certain elimination.
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