Who will win NBA Finals? Writers from Dallas, Boston make their Mavs-Celtics predictions

Ahead of the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics, columnists and beat writers from The Dallas Morning News and The Boston Globe collaborated to answer several questions and predict an outcome for the series, which starts Thursday in Boston.

Here are their predictions:

Mike Curtis

I’ve been 3-for-3 in predictions over the last three series, even though I was off by one game in the second and third rounds. The Celtics will be the toughest opponent the Mavs have faced during these playoffs, and the same can be said for Boston because of Dallas’ superstar backcourt and versatility on both ends of the floor. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are in a good rhythm, and if their offense is taken away, they can resort to a potent lob game with their two big men, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II.

I don’t foresee many blowouts, and I think almost every game will go the distance, but I’m choosing the Mavericks in six games.

Tim Cowlishaw

Dallas goes where Luka goes, and Luka is the best player in the league today. Certainly he’s the best player in the league still active. I think the Celtics can do a better job on Kyrie Irving than the Wolves did — probably with Jrue Holiday guarding him — but there’s not that much to be done against Luka.

The teams have had a week or more to rest, and there’s an extra off day in the Finals between all games except 3 and 4 here in Dallas. That’s to Luka’s benefit more than anyone’s. The Celtics have had a soft playoff run against Miami without Jimmy Butler and others, Cleveland without Donovan Mitchell and an Indiana team that’s new to the playoff hunt.

Boston has been just as good as Dallas (maybe better) at closing out games, but I’ll still take Doncic with the ball in his hands for the final shot over Tatum, Brown and the rest. Sometimes teams just get on a roll, and Dallas is on one. Mavericks in five.

Shawn McFarland

Celtics in seven games. That’s no disrespect to the Mavericks, either. The Celtics had the best net rating in the regular season and postseason, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are playoff-tested, and Boston has lost just twice in three rounds.

This clearly isn’t the same Mavericks team that Boston beat twice in the regular season, of course, which sets up a competitive series. Don’t be surprised if Dallas takes one of the first two road games, though, to create a pivotal stretch at American Airlines Center.

Kevin Sherrington

Picking the Mavs to beat the Celtics feels like an affront to logic. Boston was, by record, the league’s best team and has been one of the best three years running. Some of us can still remember when the Mavs lost five of six after the deadline and Kidd’s job seemed in jeopardy. Still like to know what all went down in that famous team meeting.

Even as well as they played against Oklahoma City and Minnesota, the Mavs benefited from facing unseasoned players. Boston is a different story. But, these days, so is Dallas. I don’t think the Mavs will beat the Celtics, but I’m tired of being wrong. Mavs in seven.

Brad Townsend

Boston was the best NBA team over the course of the season, but Dallas has been the best team of the past 2.5 months.

The Celtics’ 10-day layover between games, and [Kristaps] Porzingis not having played in two months, will be factors early in the series — along with the fact that Boston hasn’t faced competition of Dallas’ caliber since the regular season, as the Celtics’ playoff path has been paved against injury-racked opponents.

Those factors will help Dallas win one of the first two games in Boston. After that, the series will come down to the Mavericks having the series’ best player, Doncic, and the series’ best two closers, Doncic and Irving. Mavericks in six.

Chad Finn

Celtics in 6. The Mavericks have the best player in the series in Luka Doncic, and the biggest wild-card in Kyrie Irving, who has been playing magnificent basketball but has some, uh, baggage with the Celtics. They are a duo to be reckoned with, capable of stealing games on their own. But they will not steal the series, because the Celtics are the better team. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are a dynamic duo, but it’s the depth and versatility of the Celtics’ top six that will deliver Banner 18 to Boston, particularly the selfless backcourt duo of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.

Adam Himmelsbach

Celtics in 5. I think this is the first time I’ve ever picked the Celtics to win a title. But it’s going to happen. There’s a reason they won 14 more games than the Mavericks during the regular season, and even though they’ve traveled a smoother road during these playoffs, they’ve mostly dismantled their competition.

Everyone will be watching Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and their wizardry with the basketball, but the other end of the floor will be most important, as the Celtics relentlessly hunt mismatches against both players, tiring them out in the process.

Christopher L. Gasper

Celtics in 6. The Celtics finally face a team with its full complement of talent. The dynamic duos of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving cross each other out. But Boston’s path to Banner 18 is strength in numbers. The Celtics have multiple players who can form a Big Three with The Jays any given night — Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Al Horford, and a returning Kristaps Porziņģis, who like Irving is seeking Finals redemption against a former team. The Celtics margin for error and victory is simply greater than that of the peaking Mavs.

Dan Shaughnessy

Mavericks in 7. Please don’t be offended. It’s Jayson Tatum’s time. It’s Jaylen Brown’s time. The Celtics have the best roster, won the most games, and are 12-2 in the playoffs. But I still don’t trust them and have nightmares about Kyrie Irving winning it here.

Khari Thompson

Celtics in 6. The Celtics have too much depth on both ends of the floor for Dallas to match. All five starters, plus Al Horford, have shown that they can take over a game offensively. They’ve rolled through the first three rounds without Kristaps Porzingis. Jayson Tatum’s 3-point shot isn’t falling, but his game is so well-rounded that it hasn’t mattered much. Stopping Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving will be a tall task, but there’s arguably no team better equipped to contain them than the Celtics, who have one of the league’s best defensive backcourts in Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.

Gary Washburn

Celtics in 6. The Celtics have a deeper team, have had more than a week to prepare and appear ready for this moment. There are no excuses. They are healthy with Kristaps Porzingis returning, rested, and motivated. The Mavericks will be their biggest challenge and it will take more than this team has ever given to win a playoff series, but they are capable and it’s their time.

Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.