The dream playoff run for the Dallas Mavericks leads to the most dominant team in recent NBA history as the Boston Celtics await them in the NBA Finals.
The dream season for the Dallas Mavericks will extend to the NBA Finals. After throttling the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, the Mavs officially punched their ticket to the NBA's championship round. Luka Doncic and the Mavs are now just four wins away from an NBA Championship. However, keeping this miracle season alive could prove to be difficult considering the team standing in the way of an NBA title.
After beating the LA Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves en route to winning the West, the Mavs must now face the most dominant team in recent NBA history: the Boston Celtics.
Throughout their playoff run through the Eastern Conference, the Celtics have been dominant in every step of the way. With the 12-2 playoff record, the Celtics have a net rating of nearly 11. They're beating teams by an average of 10 points per game in the postseason and haven't shown many weaknesses, even in their defeats. What has to be considered the most impressive feat for Boston in these playoffs is that they managed to throttle the East even without Kristaps Porzingis healthy.
He's missed the entire conference semifinals and conference finals after suffering a calf injury during the team's first-round series win against the Miami Heat. But as the Celtics prepare for the NBA Finals, Kristaps is expected back in the lineup.
What makes the Celtics so dangerous is they can beat you in so many different ways on any given night. Boston can beat you with Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, or even Kristaps as their leading scorers. They could also win on the defensive end of the floor. They have no holes on their roster.
The Dallas Mavericks deserve their flowers
All that said, the Mavs will likely be the biggest test for the Celtics. Dallas will be the best team Boston has played thus far in the NBA Playoffs. And even though the Mavs may not be as complete of a team on paper as the Celtics, they certainly deserve their credit.
The Mavs just overwhelmed a Wolves team that crushed the defending champs and beat them on their home floor in Game 7. That's not a small feat. What Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have been able to do with a lesser supporting cast around them is nothing short of impressive.
Heading into the NBA Finals, if the Mavs are able to do what no one expects them to do again, it's going to be difficult to not consider this championship run as one of the most impressive in recent history.