A Commanding Performance
Dallas rarely missed. Boston mostly did. The result was a commanding double-digit Mavericks lead. And that was just the first quarter.
The Mavericks rolled in all 48 minutes and led by as many as 48 points before wrapping up the 122-84 Game 4 win on Friday. The 38-point margin of victory is the third-largest in NBA Finals history. Only the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls (against Utah in 1998) and Boston Celtics (against the Lakers in 2008) have beaten a team by more points in a Finals game.
Historic Victory Margins in NBA Finals
| Margin of Victory | Winning Team | Losing Team | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | Chicago Bulls | Utah Jazz | June 7, 1998 | 96-54 |
| 39 | Boston Celtics | L.A. Lakers | June 17, 2008 | 131-92 |
| 38 | Dallas Mavericks | Boston Celtics | June 14, 2024 | 122-84 |
| 36 | San Antonio Spurs | Miami Heat | June 11, 2013 | 113-77 |
| 35 | Washington Bullets | Seattle SuperSonics | June 4, 1978 | 117-82 |
| 34 | Boston Celtics | St. Louis Hawks | April 2, 1961 | 129-95 |
| 34 | Boston Celtics | L.A. Lakers | May 27, 1985 | 148-114 |
Doncic’s Record-Breaking Performance
Luka Doncic fueled the Mavericks’ rout, scoring a franchise-record 25 points in the first half.
“It’s real simple. We don’t have to complicate this. This isn’t surgery,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “Our group was ready to go. They were ready to celebrate and we made a stand. We were desperate. We’ve got to continue to keep playing that way. They’re trying to close the door. 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.”
Celtics’ Historic Loss
In contrast, Boston saw the worst loss in its own illustrious Finals history. Before Friday, the worst championship round defeat for the 17-time champion Celtics was 137-104 to the Lakers in 1984. This was worse. Much worse, at times. Dallas’ biggest lead in the fourth was 48 — the biggest deficit the Celtics have faced all season.
“Preparation doesn’t guarantee an automatic success,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I thought we had a great process. I thought we had a great shootaround. Thought we had a great film session yesterday. I thought the guys came out with the right intentions. I just didn’t think it went our way, and I thought Dallas outplayed us. They just played harder.”
Looking Ahead
Dallas will need more wins to keep making history, particularly that which has never been done before: a team rallying from a 3-0 deficit in an NBA playoff series. Four teams have forced a Game 7 after trailing 3-0, but none have finished off the series win.(Jiliasia)
