Just when everyone counted the Dallas Mavericks out, they came roaring back in Game 4, swinging the momentum back in their favor with a dominant 122-84 win over the Boston Celtics. The series is still at 3-1 in Boston’s favor, but now Dallas has newfound confidence. We’ll have to wait until Monday to learn whether the series gets extended to six games or more, but here were the biggest winners and losers from Friday’s NBA Finals game.
Winner: Jason Kidd
No one wants to get swept, especially in the NBA Finals. Jason Kidd deserves credit, not just for getting the Mavericks back on track, but for leading a sharp turnaround that gives Dallas hope to make history as the first team to overcome a 3-0 series deficit. It’s just one win, but it was a very convincing one.
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Loser: Joe Mazzulla
Joe Mazzulla had a chance to become a Boston Celtics coaching legend of sorts by joining the great Red Auerbach as the only Celtics coach to sweep another team in the NBA Finals. Only nine coaches have won all four games in the NBA Finals, but it didn’t happen for Mazzulla. Instead, we saw one of the most lopsided losses in NBA Finals history. But it won’t matter if Boston wins Game 5.
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Winner: Tim Hardaway
Much of his production came in garbage time, as the Mavericks were able to bench their starters for the entire fourth quarter. Yet still, Tim Hardaway’s 15 points in just 12 minutes, which came by sinking 5-of-7 3-point attempts, gives Coach Kidd more confidence in plugging the sharp-shooter into the lineup next time the Mavericks need a scoring jolt.
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Loser: Derrick White
Often looked at as a super reserve who is fully capable of stepping in as a starter, tonight wasn’t Derrick White’s best effort. Like many other Celtics, he had trouble with his shot, sinking just 2-of-8 3-point attempts to finish with six points, four rebounds, and an assist. And his defense clearly didn’t do enough to limit the Mavs’ offense either.
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Winner: Dereck Lively II
Dereck Lively doesn’t typically attempt 3-point attempts, he hadn’t taken a single shot attempt outside the perimeter all postseason. But tonight was different. For the third time in his NBA career, the rookie was feeling confident enough to pull the trigger from distance, and on a night where the Mavs could do no wrong, he actually made the first 3-point shot of his career. Lively ended with a respectable 11 points and 12 rebounds plus a block in arguably the biggest moment of his basketball career.
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Loser: Jrue Holiday
A two-time All-Star, Jrue Holiday is typically a big asset to the Celtics. He hadn’t committed a single turnover in the NBA Finals, but something about Game 4 led him to a very bad performance. Holiday would finish with just 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, and somehow a rare five turnovers. He’ll have to be much better in Game 5.
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Winner: Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving knew what was at stake coming into Friday night. Win or go home. Irving shot well (55%), and while his 21 points could have been even more had he made more than 1-of-6 3-point attempts, Irving helped set the tone early on, leaving the Celtics feeling defeated thanks to a strong start.
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Loser: Jaylen Brown
Nothing could stop Jaylen Brown in the first three games of the series, but we didn’t see nearly the same form from the All-NBA guard in Game 4. The Mavericks played suffocating defense, giving Brown no room to work with. This led to a woeful 3-of-12 shooting night, leading to just 10 points. Brown only added two assists and a rebound while committing two turnovers and three fouls. That’s replacement-level production from a three-time All-Star.
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Winner: Luka Doncic
Coming into the game facing heavy amounts of criticism, Luka Doncic needed a big game. While he still missed all eight three-point attempts he took, Doncic was much better in that he gave a more consistent energy and effort on defense, swiping three steals and grabbing five rebounds. He still could have been more efficient as a scorer after dropping 29 points on 26 shots, but this was a step in the right direction on a need when the Mavericks needed it most.
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Loser: Jayson Tatum
While he hadn’t had a particularly strong series coming into the night, this criticism is all about Jayson Tatum’s effort in Game 4. He simply wasn’t effective, but to be fair, no one in a white jersey played well tonight. Still, as the team leader, Tatum needs to be better than shooting just 40% on 10 shots to get 15 points. Tatum tried contributing in other ways, grabbing five rebounds, dishing three assists, swiping a steal, and blocking two shots, but the scoreboard is a strong reminder that it was nowhere near enough.
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