There are two NBA teams I watch play every game: The Celtics, and the Dallas Mavericks.

I was at the first game the Mavericks played, a win over the San Antonio Spurs and George “The Iceman” Gervin. Ice had 33. Dallas would win only 14 more games in that 1980-81 season which culminated in Larry Bird’s first championship leading the 62-win Celtics over Houston. Here’s a look at the Celtics’ NBA Finals foe Dallas:

Starters

Luka Doncic: The 5-time first-team All-NBA swingman, NBA scoring leader (33.9 ppg) and WCF MVP is, at 25, one of the best players in the world. Doncic (6-7, 230) is second all-time in playoff scoring ppg (31.1) behind only Michael Jordan. The hype is real. Luka has incredible range and shot-making ability, gobbles up rebounds, and is an elite passer. Part of the reason he was in the MVP discussion this season is that he improved his defense and free-throw shooting, a career high 78.6 this year (80.6 in these playoffs).

He basically has no weakness, although being so ball-dominant, he led the NBA in turnovers this year with 282. He’s also a bit of a hothead, beefing with referees, but has toned that down a bit during the playoffs.

Teams throw their best defenders at him, and some of them try to rough him up (Lu Dort of OKC, Russell Westbrook of the Clippers, for example). Doncic is beefy and plays physically, and Boston has an array of choices to try and slow him down (Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jayson Tatum) but all are smaller and lighter than Luka. Double him, and he has the passing ability to find the open man. Go one-on-one, long night ahead. He plays big in the biggest games and how well the Celtics can moderate his play will be something to watch.

Kyrie Irving: Irving’s two seasons in Boston ended ugly. Fans in Boston don’t like him, but guys like Doncic and Irving tend to actually feed off of that kind of hate. Dallas had success this year with the two-headed backcourt because in crunch time (where Dallas was very successful this season, winning over 70% of those games), doubling one of them means a) the other one is loose and b) role players like P.J. Washington have been capable on three-point shots.

Irving, 32, is undersized at 6-2, 195 but his elite handles allow him to get wherever he wants on the floor. He’s deceptively quick and explosive and most likely will draw single coverage. How the Celtics choose to guard these two will be a test of coach Joe Mazzulla’s “pick your poison” strategy.

Dallas’ giving up on Kristaps Porzingis (who had injury issues … sound familiar?) indirectly led to the acquisition of Irving after Jalen Brunson left to join the Knicks.

Irving’s eccentricities and questionable off-court decisions (logo-stomping, the anti-semitic tropes, the flat earth views, and refusal to take the Covid vaccine forcing his limited availability while with Brooklyn) were packed amongst his baggage when he came to Dallas, but by all accounts he’s been a model citizen there and has many supporters, with his current team and around the league. Part of that seems to be his determination to get another ring, and this is as close as he’s gotten in a long time. He’s a great shooter, deadly at the foul line (88.6 career), and hard to rattle, even when water bottles are thrown at him.

Even more than Doncic, Celtics fans dread the idea of Kyrie being successful. Breaking up is hard to do.

P.J. Washington: The Dallas-area native languished in Charlotte before coming to the Mavericks when they gave up on poor fit Grant Williams. Washington’s been a wild card contributor during his first playoffs, with three 20-point games against the Thunder and a tendency to show up in key moments. Washington also handles much of the primary on-ball defense against an opponent’s top threat, so he’ll see lots of time against Tatum and Brown. He’s had some foul troubles and that has forced Mavs coach Jason Kidd to shuffle his rotation at times. If Washington avoids fouls, he can be a factor.

Derrick Jones Jr.: Pulled off the scrap heap, Jones’ 5th NBA team in 8 seasons has benefited from the high flyer’s acceptance of his role in Dallas. He established career highs in virtually every category this year while making 66 starts. He specializes in on-ball defense and attacking the rim

Daniel Gafford: Rescued from the Wizards at the trade deadline, Gafford and rookie C Dereck Lively II have given Dallas top-notch rim-running and shot-blocking. Gafford at one point this season made 33 consecutive shots, just two off Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time streak.

In the rotation

Dereck Lively II: The Duke rookie turned 20 mid-season, and the team has embraced him as he deals with the death of his mother in April. Kidd has been reluctant generally to give younger players minutes, but Lively opened the year as a starter and while being displaced by Gafford still usually finds his way onto the floor in crunch time. He’s been getting coaching from Tyson Chandler, who had a similar skill set as a member of Dallas’ only title team in 2011.

Josh Green: One of 8 foreign-born Mavericks (including fellow Australians Dante Exum and Irving), Green is an energy guy who plays fast and can dunk and shoot 3s. He’s often Kidd’s first sub after Lively.

Maxi Kleber: The second-best player ever to come out of Wurzburg, Germany (Dallas had the best one, too), Kleber is a “3-and-D” guy who isn’t really great at 3-ing or D-ing. He’s slowing down, and his shot is less reliable. He also suffered a severe right shoulder dislocation mid-playoffs and is less confident on the floor. Kidd liked to play Kleber in crunch time, a go-to that was affected by Kleber’s injury.

Jaden Hardy: The explosive second-year player has surprisingly gotten more minutes as the playoffs have gone on. Hardy is seizing the opportunity as Tim Hardaway Jr.’s game has deserted him.

Deep bench

Tim Hardaway Jr.: He came to Dallas in the Porzingis trade. The shoot-first guard has the potential to light up the scoreboard but has had the yips since mid-season and has fallen out of Kidd’s rotation.

Dante Exum: Another player who the Mavs took a flyer on, he was solid earlier in the season but now rarely leaves the bench as Kidd has shortened his rotation.

Coach

Jason Kidd: Has taken Dallas to the WCF twice and the Finals once in three years after replacing Rick Carlisle. Unlike in the regular season, he’s kept guys on a short leash and substitutes aren’t getting a lot of run time if they don’t show results quickly.

Overview

Dallas knocked off seeds 1, 3 and 4 in the West to get here. They’re legit. They don’t have anyone who can guard Porzingis, if he’s back, and would likely stick Washington on him on the perimeter. Doncic will be the engine on offense, and if the Mavs hit 3s, it will be a series. They’re a better defensive team than they get credit for and will be tougher to beat than Miami, Cleveland or Indiana was. They’re a little ahead of schedule to make it this far, so all the pressure is on the 64-win team with home court advantage. The Celtics won almost every game in the playoffs when it came down to crunch time, but that’s also when Dallas has been one of the league’s best at closing games. If the Celtics try and play with their food, they’re playing with fire.

DALLAS — As the Dallas Mavericks near the beginning of their first NBA Finals series since winning the championship in 2011, Dereck Lively II remains an instrumental element of their success. At 7-foot-1 with a near 7-foot-8 wingspan and a rare combination of agility and explosiveness, he’s made the most of his potential this season. While those attributes stand out on the court, his coachability, communication, and mentality set him apart.

“He’s able to rim run without plays being called for him, benefiting from Luka and Kai getting downhill. Offensively, he’s gotten some big rebounds for us throughout the season,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of Lively. “His growth in understanding his role and playing at a high level is impressive. Defensively, he can switch, guard on the perimeter, and protect the rim. As we’ve always said, the only way to have a good defense is by rebounding the ball, and he does that for us.”

After earning a spot on the All-Rookie Second-Team, he’s averaged 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 16 playoff games. It’s safe to say the 20-year-old rookie has exceeded everyone’s expectations, even his own. “I don’t think any of us expected this,” he said. “I didn’t expect this. My mom didn’t expect this. Tyson [Chandler] didn’t expect this. Jason Kidd didn’t expect this. They just expected me to come to the Dallas Mavericks and learn. I feel like that’s what I did. I don’t think they expected me to learn this much this quickly.”

How quickly Lively learns and adapts has been clear covering him throughout the early stages of his performances in Las Vegas Summer League and NBA Global Games. He took on the challenge of going up against names like Chet Holmgren, Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Naz Reid in those settings, using them as a chance to get acclimated to the NBA level and grow. Ever since, he’s felt he’s been granted the room to grow and play through mistakes.

“I’ve been very fortunate for them to put me in a position to learn,” Lively said. “There were many times I was unsure of play calls, unsure of positions, but I’ve been able to lean on my team. They backed me up. They understand that I’m a rookie and haven’t been in this situation before, but I’m faking it until I make it.”

Despite dealing with injuries leading into the postseason and during the Mavericks’ run, Lively has remained an apparent difference-making force on both ends. It has still been less than a year since he was acquired after being selected No. 12 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, and now he’s set to appear in the NBA Finals as an essential contributor, something he felt wouldn’t happen this soon. Dallas has outscored opponents by 13.4 points per 100 possessions in the 348 minutes Lively has played in the postseason, ranking best among all Mavericks players.

“It just doesn’t compare. The feeling of being able to win, to go through hardship, and to enjoy this moment with your teammates is amazing,” Lively said. “It’s a family, knowing there’s a lot of time and many days stacked to get to this moment. You dream of it, and being in the finals is something I didn’t expect for a very long time. Being able to do this in my first year, I just want to learn and grow as much as I possibly can.”

Playing for Kidd, who has already earned a multi-year contract extension, has been one of the many elements of Lively’s development. Even before the team departed for Abu Dhabi, it was clear that the rookie big man would be given the chance to have an immediate role, and he has never looked back since after initial expectations of being a developmental prospect.

“I feel like he’s been one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. He’s put me in positions where he’s expecting me to fail,” Lively said of Kidd. “Even if I fail, he’s going to leave me in there to learn. His coaching style fits me very well. He walks into the locker room and asks, ‘What do we think?’ Having a coach like that, who makes the players speak and talk to one another before sharing his thoughts, is an amazing process.

“We can talk about what we need to do together as a team. When the staff comes in, they bring their perspective from the court,” Lively explained. “Players and coaches see the game in two different ways, and we help each other. There’s been a lot of criticism of Coach Kidd, and I don’t understand why. I think he’s an amazing coach and an amazing person.”

The Mavericks knew they needed to find a rim-running lob threat like Lively to build the type of team Doncic sought around him. Lively displayed more than the necessary qualities the organization sought when identifying him as a potential option. Given how Lively embraces learning as much information as he can and is quick to apply it, he’s continued to grow, reaching impressive heights that were expected later in his career.

“Yeah, I think when we got Lively, we felt that he was going to fill one of the holes that Luka was looking for, a vertical guy with some similarities to Tyson, not just in his physical build but his voice,” Kidd said of Lively. “As a rookie, he talked a little more than usual. You could see the future of him being the anchor of the defense. The future just happened to come a lot faster.”

After the 12-day international trip that included stops in Abu Dhabi and Madrid, Kidd recognized just how eager Lively was to learn and embrace challenges, making him a clear candidate to be a Day 1 contributor on a winning team. “After Abu Dhabi and Madrid, you could see he wanted to be the sponge and take on responsibility,” he said. “Sometimes young players shy away from that, but he ran to it.”

After drafting him, the Mavericks organization was vocal about comparing Lively to Tyson Chandler, and his on-court impact has undoubtedly met those expectations. Dallas has afforded Lively a rare opportunity to work directly with his pro comparison since Lively spends time around the team to help contribute to Lively’s development, even though he’s not officially on the coaching staff.

“Being able to know that I look at [Tyson] and see myself in 20, 25 years, seeing someone who has been in my position, who has been in this seat, who has played in the championship, who has won the championship, guiding me, it makes me that much better and more confident in who I am, knowing that he has my back and is confident in me,” Lively explained. “It makes me want to go out on the court and play with that much more aggression.”

Before the midseason trade deadline, the Mavericks used a three-team deal to acquire Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards along with adding P.J. Washington from the Charlotte Hornets in a separate transaction. Gafford emerged as the starting center in front of Lively, but both players have embraced a one-two punch at the position, leading to strong success collectively.

“I feel like Gafford’s and my dynamic is amazing,” Lively said. “I look at him as an older brother. I’ve leaned on him many times, understanding different schemes in a game, knowing when to make a push, when to take care of the ball, and just understanding the flow of the game.”

Whether Lively starts or comes off the bench, he’s continually communicated his mature mindset, valuing doing whatever it takes to help the Mavericks win games instead of focusing on personal success. When both players are available, there is always a dirty work big man ready to bring energy on offense and defense, doing everything between protecting the rim, grabbing rebounds, and throwing down emphatic dunks.

“I’m here to win games. I’m not here to care about how many points I put on the board, how many rebounds I get, or how many times I start. It’s the same way with him,” Lively said. “I feel like we have a great dynamic of picking each other up. No matter if I’m having a bad game, he’s having a bad game, or if we’re both having a good game, we’re going to pick each other up no matter what’s going on. Having both of us setting screens, getting lobs, throwing elbows, catching rebounds, it makes our teammates trust us. Since we’ve got the paint, they know they need to lock down the perimeter. If they don’t, they’ll just send it to us, and we’ve got it covered.”

Lively is impressed with how quickly Gafford made a dynamic impact after joining the team. When adjusting to the Mavericks, Lively acknowledged the process it took to get acclimated to Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic’s approach and timing.

“It has a lot to do with understanding people’s tempos, what they like to do, and what makes them uncomfortable, but being able to uplift your teammates because you know what’s possible for them or understand the rhythm they like to get into,” Lively said. “It took me a little while to understand Kyrie and Luka. But when PJ and Gaff were here, they just picked up the things we were trying to do. They hopped right into the scheme we were running and fit like a perfect puzzle piece.”

One of the factors Lively credited to the on-court connection the team has built is the relationships they have off the floor. “Being close off the floor helps us lean on one another, see one another, and enjoy time together, which makes us tighter and more of a team on the floor,” he said.

The Mavericks have continued to punish teams at the rim, with Doncic and Irving finding Lively and Gafford for finish attempts. Lively finished the Western Conference finals, having made all 16 field goal attempts while producing 1.4 points per possession at the rim in the postseason. He trails only Anthony Davis and Nikola Jokic for at-rim efficiency among 30 players with 50 or more attempts.

“It’s just connection and chemistry. Trusting he’s going to throw the ball at the right time, in the right area, and knowing that I’m going to jump and get it, or Gaff is going to jump and get it,” Lively said. “There have been times in practice where we mess up or the timing might be wrong, but we’re going to do it again and again until we get it right. That’s what we’ve done throughout the entire season, whether on the defensive end or the offensive end. We’re going to rep it out as many times as needed until we get it perfect.”

In the NBA Finals, the Celtics pose a clear challenge as a matchup, as they would for any team. Lively highlighted Boston’s talent and shooting options, making it vital to lock into tendencies. They can initiate the offense with any of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, or Derrick White throughout games while spacing out with five shooters.

“They’ve been one of the top teams in the league the entire year,” Lively said. “They can shoot the ball, one through five. They’re an amazing team. They can space the floor and get to the rim. They have a lot of weapons they can use on the floor. We need to understand when they’re going to use their weapons and when we can use a weapon against them.”

After losing a blowout to the Celtics in March, Kidd explained the decision to close the game with Maxi Kleber as a small ball center was due to the need to have an option to guard the perimeter. “Just understanding that they have struggled against playing small,” he said. “If your bigs cannot guard the perimeter, it will be a shootaround for them. So we felt comfortable going small.” In the NBA Finals, it’ll be essential that Dallas manages to have its rim protectors manage to contain in space.

Dallas was the league’s least efficient drop coverage team for a large stretch of the season, often predictable. Since late in the regular season, the team has experienced significant success by mixing it up more. It has expanded on that in the postseason, emerging as an elite defensive squad. Lively has focused intently on improving his ability to guard the perimeter, even resulting in being granted far more responsibility to switch in ball screen coverages. He acknowledged it was “a little shaky” at first and midway through the season for him guarding in space, but he’s improved and embraces it.

“At the start of the season, it was a little shaky, and throughout the middle of the season, definitely shaky,” Lively said. “But when it comes down to those key moments and we have to sit down and guard, I love it. I love being in those moments. Your adrenaline is pumping, your heart is pumping, and you just feel alive. In those moments where people try to break you down as a big, you sit in front of them. It kind of makes you chuckle because they look at you differently. It’s definitely been a long journey to be able to stay in front of people, especially those as talented as they are.”

The improvement the Mavericks are benefiting from Lively achieving when guarding in space this postseason was the result of a patient approach with his development. Playing through mistakes and leaning on the advice of Chandler, who entered the NBA as a small forward and finished as a rim protecting center, has helped translate on the court.

“We had to fail, um, first and then, um, to help him to understand what the smalls were going to try to do to him,” Kidd said of Lively. “Even though he’s not officially on the coaching staff, Tyson has done an incredible job with him. Tyson’s played in this league, he came in as a three and finished as a center. So to understand what the smalls are going to try to do to you, I thought Tyson has done a really good job with him.”

When guarding a five-out offense, Lively emphasized the need for trust and communication with the rest of the unit. It will require a lot of defensive rotations to contain and the Mavericks cannot hang their head after making mistakes when they happen.

“It comes down to a lot of talk and trust, communication, and trusting the next man behind you,” Lively said. “There’s going to be a lot of rotations, a lot of scrambling, but I feel like we’re going to be able to talk to each other. Even if you mess up, we’re going to move on to the next play and learn because if you don’t learn, you shouldn’t be here.”

Both sides of the finals matchup have former star players that are now thriving in new situations. Irving continues to command heavy boos from the TD Garden crowd years after his departure, even as recently as March of this season. Kristaps Porzingis surely will get booed by some Mavericks fans at American Airlines Center as well. Lively doesn’t buy into those narratives.

“The media is going to try to turn it into something, looking at Kristaps and Kyrie, but we’re going to go out there and just play,” Lively said. “There’s a lot of tension on the floor and in the locker room, but it doesn’t matter to us. We’re focused on getting four wins, stacking them, and knowing there will be ups and downs. We’ve got to stick together, talk, and have each other’s backs.

If the Mavericks manage to win the NBA Finals, Lively will be an important factor in doing so. His ability to adapt to new situations and challenges will be tested against the Celtics’ offense with the goal of stressing the rim protector by having five shooting threats on the court for much of the game. On the other end, Boston has often tried to neutralize pick-and-roll by crossmatching onto the center position, requiring Lively to be at his best offensively, particularly on the boards.

Stick with MavericksGameday for more coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the NBA Playoffs.

Follow Grant Afseth on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

The Stars are in the same position that they were in last season when they took on the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals. They will take on the Edmonton Oilers later tonight in an elimination game. The Stars can’t look back and think what could have been if they won any of the previous games in this series. Their only task is to win by any means necessary tonight. That means attacking Stuart Skinner to the point that the Oilers pull him from the game.

Everyone has to step up tonight if they want to play in another hockey game back in Dallas on Tuesday. That means veterans like Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Joe Pavelski must find the back of the net tonight. The young talent on the roster must step up as well. Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, and Wyatt Johnston must find ways to contribute to keeping their postseason run alive. Here are the three keys of the game tonight if the Stars want to force a game seven on Tuesday.

The Stars can’t afford the Oilers to go on the power play tonight. If you remember game five, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins found the back of the net on two straight power plays. The Stars must play clean to achieve that tonight. That means no unnecessary penalties against the Oilers, such as cross-checking a player in the back in front of the head official. If the Stars can stay out of the penalty box tonight, they have a shot of forcing game seven back in Dallas on Tuesday night.

Another key to the game is making sure Connor McDavid doesn’t make a difference tonight. Right now, McDavid has the pressure of Canada on his shoulders as they look to be the first Canadian team in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1993. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Miro Heiskanen receive the duties of covering him all night long in the Stars’ zone. If the Stars can shut down Connor McDavid tonight, it could help them win tonight’s game.

Lastly, the Stars must fire the puck at Skinner tonight if they want to force a game seven back in Dallas. They only had six shots on goal midway through game five. That won’t cut it if the Stars want to play the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They must attack the net with relentless force and chase him from the game. The Stars must stop the fancy passing in the Oilers’ zone tonight. If the Stars can pressure Skinner with shots tonight, it could help force a game seven in Dallas.