Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla took a couple questions about his team’s effort after Friday’s 122-84 annihilation at the hands of the Mavericks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Both times he credited Dallas, which managed to avoid a series sweep with its blowout win. But what about Boston’s effort, specifically?
“It wasn’t as good as Dallas’s was,” he said. “I thought theirs was a lot better.”
The Mavericks controlled play from the get-go Friday, following a rejuvenated Luka Doncic who scored a game-high 29 points around five rebounds and five assists. No Celtic scored more than 15, and Mazzulla pulled his starters midway through the second half. Dallas’ 38-point win registered the third-largest win in Finals history.
Mazzulla seemed at a loss for why Boston couldn’t match the Mavericks’ intensity after controlling play most of the series.
“I don’t know. I thought Dallas played really — I said it, because you have to give them credit. It’s not about us,”Mazzulla said. “It’s about our opponent and having respect for them. And you have to give them credit for how well they played, and that’s the most important thing. So it’s less about us and more about how they played. They played well. They played hard. We have to be more disciplined in how we defend and attack them.”
Celtics center Al Horford, who started in place of an injured Kristaps Porzingis for a 13th straight game this postseason, admitted Boston was out-classed.
“Ultimately, I thought they were the better team tonight,” he said. “They clearly outplayed us. That’s tough to take, but that’s the reality.”
Horford also said the Celtics now need to adjust for the first time in the Finals. For most of this series, the Celtics have played the same defensive schemes and emphasized a drive-and-kick attack that’s broken Dallas’ elite rim protection. On Friday night, Boston finished with just 26 points in the paint, one of their lowest totals in years.
Game 5 is set to tip off Monday at TD Garden at 8:37 p.m.
