The NBA Finals continue tonight as the Boston Celtics host the Dallas Mavericks for Game 2 of the best-of-seven series. The Celtics currently lead the series 1-0 after a big 107-89 victory in Game 1. Tonight’s game will be pivotal for both teams as they look to either extend or even the series.

Celtics Rolling

The Celtics, led by head coach Joe Mazzulla, have been dominant throughout the playoffs, finishing with a 64-win regular season, rolling over Eastern Conference opponents. In Game 1, the Celtics showcased their balanced scoring attack. Jaylen Brown led the team with 22 points, while Kristaps Porzingis, who had been out for over a month with a calf injury, made a strong comeback with 20 points, six rebounds, and three blocks.

Mavs Keep Fighting

The Dallas Mavericks, coached by Jason Kidd, have defied the odds as the No. 5 seed from the Western Conference. Despite bring underdogs, the Mavericks have fought through adversity in the playoffs. In Game 1, the Celtics managed to slow down the Mavericks’ star duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Doncic, the team’s leading scorer, was held to 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting, while Irving struggled with 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting. The key for the Mavericks in Game 2 will be finding a way to get their dynamic duo going early. Doncic and Irving will need to step up their scoring, while the supporting cast will need to step up and provide a more consistent offensive as well. The Mavericks have been in this situation before. They went down in Game 1 against the LA Clippers 109-97 and in Game 1 against the OKC Thunder 117-95. They came back to win both Game 2s and both series 4-2.

A Big Game Two

As the series shifts to Game 2, the pressure is on the Mavericks to find a way to even the series before heading back to Dallas for Game 3. “We’ve got to be better,” Kidd told the press after game 1. “Nerves or not being in this situation, we can’t use that as an excuse. It’s just basketball, and we’ve got to be better at the game of basketball on Sunday.” The Celtics, on the other hand, will look to build on their Game 1 victory and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. The Mavericks shot just 41.7%, including 7-of-27 on 3s, and managed only nine assists in game one. Doncic had one, Irving two, though together the pair had seven turnovers. The duo will need to clean that up to have a chance to even the series in Boston. In Game 1, the Celtics made 16 3-pointers. They outscored Dallas by 27 points in that department in their 107-89 victory Thursday night. You can catch game 2 of the NBA finals tonight (Sunday June 9) at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

Reggie Sanderson, “We Like Sportz” Dallas Sportswriter.

Co-host of the “Sons of the Star” Podcast.

Follow him on X at @Cowboy_Regg