Jason Kidd calls out Celtics mentality after Mavs win in Game 4 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Dallas Mavericks aren’t done in the 2024 NBA Finals yet, and head coach Jason Kidd isn’t done pushing for the Boston Celtics.
Facing elimination and a series sweep Friday night at the American Airlines Center, Dallas rallied for a 122-84 win against Boston in Game 4. The Mavs stifled the Celtics’ offense and limited them to the worst shooting percentage ever in an NBA Finals match. contest. 36.3 percent) on the way to the third biggest blowout in the history of the finals.
So, was this result a case of Dallas stepping up, or Boston just not showing up? Kidd believes the answer is both.
“It’s very simple. We don’t need to complicate this. This is not surgery,” Kidd said at his post-match press conference. “Our group was ready to go. They were ready to celebrate.”
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That’s a direct stab at the Celtics’ mentality entering a potential closeout game, but it’s also an accurate statement. The C’s were never really in this game, trailing by 13 after the first quarter while playing uncharacteristically sloppy basketball on both ends.
“You understand, we’ve taken a stand,” Kidd added. “We were desperate. We have to keep playing this way; understand that they are trying to find a way 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. They let go of the rope pretty early.”
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and veteran big man Al Horford both admitted that the Mavs played with more effort, in addition to executing at a much higher level: Dallas made 52.3 percent of its shots and dominated nearly every part of the box score, from rebounding ( 52-31) to second-chance points (16-2) to points in the paint (60-26).
That’s a recipe for a blowout loss. But while it’s frustrating that the Celtics “dropped the rope” on the game’s biggest stage, they have generally responded well to similar duds: They are 2-0 after losses this postseason, with a win of 20 points on the Miami. Heat in Game 3 of the first round and a 13-point victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of Round 2.
And if the franchise’s Finals history is any indication, Mazzulla’s club is primed for a big response Monday night in Game 5 at TD Garden.
The Celtics have lost by 20 or more points six times in their finals history. In the next game, Boston is 5-1.
1963, L at 20, W 108-105
1964, L at 24, W 98-95
1965, L at 21, W 112-99
1984, L at 33, W 129-125
1985, L at 25, W 107-105
2010, L at 22, L 83-79— Dick Lipe (@DickLipe) June 15, 2024
“I’m not sure there’s much change,” Celtics guard Jrue Holiday said of the Celtics’ mentality after Friday’s loss. “(We need) to go home, get our rest, hydrate and lock up again.
“…I think the sequence is we’re up 3-1 going back to Boston.”
