NBA Finals: Jrue Holiday helps power Celtics past Mavericks for 2-0 series lead

Boston guard Jrue Holiday shoots over Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington during the Celtics’ 105-98 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday.

 

(Steven Senne / Associated Press)

Jrue Holiday scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Jayson Tatum offset a tough shooting night with 12 assists and nine rebounds, leading the Boston Celtics to a 105-98 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night. This win gives Boston a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

Luka Doncic, initially questionable to play, delivered a historic performance for the Mavericks, recording the first NBA Finals triple-double in the franchise's history with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. However, his missed one-footed, running floater from three-point range with 28 seconds left dashed Dallas’ final hopes for a comeback.

Game 3 is set for Wednesday night in Dallas. The Mavericks must secure a win then or in Game 4 on Friday to avoid a sweep and push the series back to Boston Garden, where Celtics fans are eagerly anticipating an 18th NBA championship banner.

The Celtics have now won the first two games in the NBA Finals for the ninth time, a streak that has historically led them to win the championship without ever being forced into a Game 7.

Jaylen Brown added 21 points, while Tatum and Derrick White each scored 18 for top-seeded Boston. Kristaps Porzingis, despite an injury, contributed 12 points. Tatum struggled with his shooting, hitting just 6 of 22 shots and only 1 of 7 from three-point range. The Celtics as a team went 10 for 39 from beyond the arc.

Kyrie Irving, who has faced ongoing animosity from Boston fans since his departure in 2019, scored 16 points but has now lost 12 consecutive games against the Celtics.

Unlike their dominant 107-89 win in Game 1, where they raced to a 29-point first-half lead thanks to hot three-point shooting, the Celtics missed their first eight three-point attempts and hovered around 20% for much of the game.

Tatum was scoreless in the first quarter and had just five points by halftime, still without a made three-pointer. Boston was a dismal 5 for 30 from long range until Payton Pritchard banked in a half-court shot at the third-quarter buzzer, giving the Celtics an 83-74 lead.

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