NBA

Limited to 14 minutes in Game 1, Gafford was more impactful as a finisher and rebounder in Game 2. As a result, he played 23 minutes while backup center Dereck Lively II (two points and seven rebounds) logged 19. Dallas broke even in Gafford’s minutes, but they were a minus-15 with Lively on the floor. Regardless of which big man is on the floor, they’ll need to be better if the Mavericks are to have any chance of knocking off the Celtics. Game 3 is on Wednesday night in Dallas.

After scoring 14 points in Game 1, Washington was three points better in Game 2. However, his struggles from beyond the arc continue, as he was 1-of-5 on Sunday. Since making 3.8 3-pointers at a 46.9% clip during Dallas’ second-round series against Oklahoma City, Washington has gone 9-of-40 from beyond the arc. He’s 1-of-8 in the NBA Finals, and the Mavericks will need a more accurate Washington moving forward. Game 3 is on Wednesday night in Dallas.

After shooting 6-of-19 from the field in Game 1, Irving was slightly more accurate in Game 2. However, Dallas needs more production from him, especially with Luka Doncic continuing to play through multiple injuries. Luka looked worn down during the second half after going off in the first, and this is a spot where one would expect Kyrie to step up. However, he shot 2-of-8 from the field in the second half, scoring six points. Irving has lost his last 12 games against the Celtics, and the Mavericks head home in a 2-0 hole. Game 3 is on Wednesday night.

White came up big on both ends of the floor, hitting four of Boston’s 10 3-pointers while also tallying five “stocks” in Game 2. One of his biggest plays was a block of a PJ Washington dunk attempt with a little under one minute remaining and Boston holding a five-point lead. Jaylen Brown, who some argued fouled Washington on the shot, would score a layup on the other end to extend the Celtics’ lead and put the game away. The focus in championship series tends to be on the stars, but White and Jrue Holiday came up big for Boston in the first two games. They’ll look to continue that as the series shifts to Dallas for Game 3 on Wednesday.

Porzingis, who returned from a right soleus strain in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, appeared to be laboring during the fourth quarter of Game 2. The 7-foot-3 big man played 23 minutes, finishing with 12 points (4-of-7 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), four rebounds, one assist, and two blocked shots. According to Mazzulla, Porzingis did not aggravate the calf strain and should be “good” moving forward. Al Horford remained in the starting lineup and played 28 minutes, finishing with five points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one 3-pointer. With Porzingis reportedly limited to 20-25 minutes, expect Mazzulla to stick with Horford as his starting center.

Boston has a 2-0 series lead in the NBA Finals, and Brown was one of five Celtics to finish the game in double figures. He has now shot 50% or better from the field in six straight and seven of the Celtics’ last eight playoff games, picking up the slack for the slumping Jayson Tatum. The only negative for Brown in Game 2 was the turnover count, as he was responsible for six. However, this was the first game in which he exceeded three since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semis when JB racked up five in a win over the Cavaliers. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd may have gone the gamesmanship route when he said Brown was Boston’s best player, but that approach did not impact Game 2. Game 3 is on Wednesday night in Dallas.

After shooting 6-of-16 from the field in Game 1, Tatum was even worse in Game 2. However, he contributed in other areas as the Celtics took a 2-0 series lead. Finishing one rebound shy of a triple-double, Tatum was responsible for 12 of Boston’s 29 assists on the night. And he made some history, becoming the third Celtics player to account for at least 18 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists in an NBA Finals game (Larry Bird in 1986 and Bob Cousy in 1959). While the Celtics will need their star forward to snap out of this slump, especially if Kristaps Porzingis has to miss time after appearing to aggravate his calf strain, Tatum is capable of impacting the game in other ways. He and the Celtics will look to strengthen their grip on the series in Game 3 on Wednesday.

Dealing with chest, ankle, and knee injuries, Doncic once again shouldered most of the offensive workload for the Mavericks. While he did record his seventh triple-double of these playoffs, this was not the Mavericks’ star’s cleanest performance. In addition to shooting 4-of-8 from the foul line, Doncic was responsible for eight of Dallas’ 15 turnovers. And he did a lot of his damage in the first half, shooting just 3-of-8 from the field after halftime. With Boston willing to let Doncic get his while keeping the “others” in check, he will need to play a more efficient brand of basketball moving forward. Game 3 is on Wednesday night in Dallas, with Boston holding a 2-0 lead.

With Jayson Tatum struggling from the field, the Celtics needed someone to step up in Game 2. Holiday was that man, as he led the Eastern Conference champions with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field. This was his first 20-point effort since Game 1 of the conference finals and second of the postseason overall. Also, Holiday recorded his first double-double of these playoffs and a full stat line. As a result, he and the Celtics will head to Dallas with a 2-0 series lead, with Game 3 set for Wednesday night.

Already dealing with ankle and knee issues, Doncic’s status for Game 2 was downgraded from probable to questionable due to a chest contusion. He has since gone through his pregame routine and will play as the Mavericks look to even the series. Doncic should take on his usual workload after failing to play at least 40 minutes for just the third time this postseason in Game 1.