The Dallas Mavericks avoided defeat in the NBA Finals in an uncharacteristic game against the Boston Celtics.

Atypical from all points of view. That’s how it was triumph Dallas with a score of 122-84 over Boston in the fourth game of the series. Despite the Celtics’ manners and unforgettable play, The Mavericks achieved the third-largest margin of victory in NBA Finals history.. Despite the advantage on the scoreboard, they managed to extend the streak, which will continue on Monday at TD Garden.

While it was a surprise win due to the way the series unfolded, the Mavericks once again relied on what their two top stars had built. Luka Doncic (29 points) and Kyrie Irving (21 points) combined to score or assist on 74 of Dallas’ 92 points before the two left with 1:29 left in the third quarter. They didn’t have to go back.

In a match with such a lead, although some children could not resist falling asleep, almost all Mavericks fans stayed with their players until the end. Perhaps they wanted to see what the big difference was or just enjoy what could have been the last home game of the season.

You can look for different approaches and analyses, but the story was simple: The same plan that failed worked in Dallas. On the other hand, things turned out badly for Boston..

Already in the third quarter, the Mavericks won by 32 points and registered the second-largest margin in Finals history to that point in the game, behind only the Chicago Bulls’ 36-point win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1. 1992, as listed by ESPN Stats & Information.

Although they led by 48 points (115–67), Dallas won by “barely” 38 and failed to set the record. It was the third-largest margin in Finals history behind the Bulls’ 42 points against the Utah Jazz in Game 3 in 1998 and the Celtics’ 39 against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 in 2008.

What the Mavericks did achieve was the biggest achievement for a team trying to avoid relegation in Finals history.

This fourth game was so atypical that Tim Hardaway Jr., who had not made a field goal in the Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves or in the first three games of the NBA Finals against the Celtics, scored 15 points, third in scoring. his team’s top scorer with a remarkable 5 of 7 on threes.

What Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown the lack of brilliance was acceptable for the Celtics, a team with greater resources than the Mavericks. But for the two of them to perform so poorly together was something unprecedented. Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 25 points, the fewest points they’ve both played in in a playoff game since 2019. Boston’s superstars just came into their own in Game 3, and the failure is a clear sign that Joe Mazzulla’s team is in trouble. their.

“In the NBA there is no idea of ​​letting yourself get lost to celebrate at home,” Fabricio Oberto said on the show ESPN. The former Argentine player found himself in a similar situation when the San Antonio Spurs beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007.

The Celtics wanted to establish themselves as visitors. Very early in the game they realized that this was impossible.. In the fifth game they will try to ensure that what seemed like a dream of the final series does not become the torment of nightmares.