SI

NBA Fans Roast Celtics for Getting Blown Out by Mavericks in Game 4

Tom Dierberger

Mavericks stars Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic embrace after the final buzzer of the first half in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Mavericks stars Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic embrace after the final buzzer of the first half in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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The Boston Celtics dominated the first three games of the 2024 NBA Finals and were one win away from securing their 18th championship in franchise history Friday night.

The Dallas Mavericks would not go down quietly, however.

Behind 29 points from Luka Doncic and another 21 points from Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks thrashed the Celtics from the opening tip and won 122–84, the third-largest margin of victory in NBA Finals history.

The Mavericks, who shot 50.5% from the field and led by as many as 48 points, outscored the Celtics 60–26 in the paint and out-rebounded Boston 52–31. Doncic and Irving checked out of the game for good with 1:29 remaining in the third quarter.

Calling Game 4 a blowout might be an understatement. As expected, basketball fans had plenty of reactions to share on social media:

The series now heads back to TD Garden, where the Celtics posted a 37–4 record during the regular season and an 8–2 mark in the playoffs. Game 5 is scheduled to tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET Monday night.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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