Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the third NBA Final series match.
Dallas Mavericks
Jason Kidd really had to make changes after the terrible first game. The teams improved the defensive actions. The opponent played the second worst game of the season in 3-points shots (26%), with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown performing poorly. The former scored 6 out of 22, and the latter lost the ball on 6 occasions. If the Mavericks keep on being that aggressive in defensive actions and their key players start to be more brave and accurate (which is possible), the home team has a chance to win.
Boston Celtics
The main issue the Celtics have prior to the third game is how Kristaps Porziņģis feels. He’s sure he will play. But it’s a matter of tests. With him playing the Celtics have +25 in net rating. Without him, the results are neutral. He performed poorly in the 4th quarter and had to leave the game.
Mavericks vs Celtics prediction
The Celtics weren’t as good in the second game as they were in the first one. However, they have a 2-0 lead in the series. The Mavericks will try to resurrect the intrigue.
The sides that have nothing to lose usually perform better playing at home. Since 2006, a side losing 0-2 in the series has covered an even handicap in the first half in 66% of the games (91 out of 138). The fans are ready to make the Mavericks run from the first minutes of the game. Kyrie Irving has to wake up.
