The Boston Celtics will take the court against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals on this coming Thursday (June 6) evening at TD Garden. And despite the fact that Boston was widely seen as a chief contender even before the 2023-24 regular season and the Mavs much less so, both clubs share a number of parallels that should make this an absolutely scintillating finals matchup.
The prodigal sons of Kyrie Irving and Kristaps Porzingis not only returning to face their former teams, but also a place that amplifies their talents. Two younger coaches finding their stride at the same time, and two stars in Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic battling to be the next face of the NBA.
The lists go on and on, but perhaps more important than any other, these teams are both highly adaptable, extremely skilled, and deep. The tactical aspect of this series in particular should be one of the best we've seen in a long time.
To talk it over, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with former Mavs Moneyball editor Andy Tobolowsky. Join us for everything you need to know ahead of Game 1.
Prize Picks! Get in on the excitement with PrizePicks, America’s No. 1 Fantasy Sports App, where you can turn your hoops knowledge into serious cash. Download the app today and use code CLNS for a first deposit match up to $100! Pick more. Pick less. It’s that Easy! Go to https://PrizePicks.com/CLNS
Gametime! Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed. Terms apply. Go to https://gametime.co !
The prodigal sons of Kyrie Irving and Kristaps Porzingis not only returning to face their former teams, but also a place that amplifies their talents. Two younger coaches finding their stride at the same time, and two stars in Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic battling to be the next face of the NBA.
The lists go on and on, but perhaps more important than any other, these teams are both highly adaptable, extremely skilled, and deep. The tactical aspect of this series in particular should be one of the best we've seen in a long time.
To talk it over, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with former Mavs Moneyball editor Andy Tobolowsky. Join us for everything you need to know ahead of Game 1.
Prize Picks! Get in on the excitement with PrizePicks, America’s No. 1 Fantasy Sports App, where you can turn your hoops knowledge into serious cash. Download the app today and use code CLNS for a first deposit match up to $100! Pick more. Pick less. It’s that Easy! Go to https://PrizePicks.com/CLNS
Gametime! Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed. Terms apply. Go to https://gametime.co !
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Celtics Lab podcast. I am your guest host for today.
00:03 You've got to start over.
00:04 Why?
00:07 Okay, because I hit record and it didn't start recording until after you started talking.
00:11 Also, Andrew, what's your last name?
00:13 Tomilovsky.
00:14 Tomilovsky?
00:16 Yes, I put it in there.
00:17 And if I can edit name and headline.
00:21 T-O-M-A-L-S-T-O-B-L-A. Ah, gotcha. Just writing that into the copy.
00:33 Anytime you want, you're recording.
00:35 Yeah. Welcome to another edition of the Celtics Lab podcast. It's NBA finals time, and I am taking over hosting duties for Cameron Thomas-Dubai, who's at a wedding? Something like that. It's your co-host Alex Goldberg.
00:51 Along with Dr. Justin Quinn, as always, repping the Celtics Lab crew.
00:55 And today we have a special guest.
00:57 Andy Tabieloski, former editor of Mavs Moneyball, is here to break down the Dallas Mavericks side of things as we head into a critical NBA finals matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks.
01:11 Andy, how are you doing today?
01:13 Doing good. Glad to be here, guys.
01:15 Well, thank you for being here.
01:18 We always appreciate some guest scouting reports and intel from the other side.
01:23 So, you know, pleased to have you.
01:26 And, you know, hopefully things won't get too spicy between you and Dr. Quinn.
01:30 And, you know, we can keep this civil.
01:32 The bell pepper of spiciness.
01:34 What are you talking about?
01:35 Yeah, maybe so.
01:37 I don't know. I think I've cooled off from my earlier playoff spice against the Miami Heat.
01:43 They activate me in a different way.
01:45 So this episode of the Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you, as always, by PrizePix, the exclusive fantasy basketball partner of the CLNS Media Network.
01:54 Celtics Lab is also brought to you by Game Time Tickets, last minute tickets, lowest price guarantee.
01:59 And if you enjoy this pod for all of its spice or lack thereof, check out some other Celtics related pods like the How 'Bout Them Celtics podcast, First to the Floor, and the many other New England sports podcasts available to the CLNS Media Network.
02:14 But mostly check out this one.
02:15 This episode, we're going to break down the Boston Celtics, their run to the NBA Finals, as well as the Dallas Mavericks and their run and what we should be watching specifically around some of the key matchups and just generally breaking down the rest of this finals series.
02:33 So we're going to go straight into the lab.
02:36 We're just going to rip here.
02:37 Let's get started.
02:39 So, Andy, talk to us a little bit about the Dallas Mavericks.
02:43 How do the Mavs...
02:44 What can Celtics fans expect as far as the Dallas Mavericks and their play style and kind of the way that they approach things?
02:52 That's a great question.
02:54 Yeah, so I think the Mavericks are a big surprise to a lot of people, maybe not to their fans, which is, you know, off in the way.
03:00 Since the trade deadline, they've had a really good formula.
03:04 You know, they've got two of the top shot makers in the league, two of the top offensive players.
03:10 They both can pass a little bit.
03:11 Luka can pass more than a little bit.
03:13 And then they have really good defense.
03:14 So there are a lot of the action comes with the lobs.
03:18 You know, Derek Lively and Daniel Gafford are big down low.
03:23 A lot of the offense is their two guards.
03:26 And then they got a bunch of other guys who can make some shots.
03:30 You know, DJJ has been great for them.
03:33 And PJ Washington, you know, has had some really big games in the playoffs, but I think surprised a few people.
03:38 So they're deep.
03:39 They're talented.
03:40 You know, I don't think they're quite as deep as the Celtics.
03:42 Maybe they're a little bit more top heavy, but they're, you know, since the trade deadline have been really a pretty good team.
03:50 JQ, you've spent some time watching the Mavericks this year, both when they've matched up with the Seas and also I'm sure you caught some of that Western Conference finals as well as the rest of the playoffs.
03:59 What have you seen from the Dallas Mavericks in terms of play style and the way that they kind of approach the game?
04:06 Well, I mean, apart from what we've already heard, another interesting thing that really has differentiated them from anyone else that the Celtics have really played so far is that they can play several ways.
04:17 They can play big, they can play small, they can play inside, they can play outside.
04:20 So it's going to be a bit of a chess match between Joe Mazzuola and J.
04:27 Kidd, which is not really the sort of thing that we would be expecting to say in the year of our 2024 if he went back in time, like even like a year ago, possibly in some quarters.
04:37 So I'm going to be really interesting in seeing the many adjustments that we are going to see, because there's going to be many adjustments in this series.
04:47 Yeah, you know, it's interesting, I think the Mavs in kind of previous iterations really developed a reputation as a half court first team, particularly because Luka and Kyrie are just like two of the absolute best half court creators in the NBA.
05:03 They're extremely good at taking their time, using the whole shot clock, getting the play kind of called out and set and then executing accordingly.
05:12 And one of the big things I'm going to be watching for, which we'll talk about a little bit later, is how Boston's defense responds to some of those half court actions.
05:20 But the thing that's jumped out to me about this playoff run in particular is that in some ways the Mavs have kind of turned that previous identity on its head.
05:29 The Mavs are really getting out and running.
05:32 And I think one of the things that kind of startled me about their approach to the Wolves series is how aggressive they were in pushing the pace.
05:39 Luka Doncic in particular has really started to embrace the hit ahead pass.
05:44 And I think in part because of how athletic some of this team is with Derek Jones Jr., with PJ Washington, with Derek Lively, all of these guys who can really jump.
05:56 And I feel like embracing a more aggressive transition attack has really benefited Kyrie Irving, who I think in particular is really starting to find his comfort zone.
06:09 I mean, he's always been an incredible transition ball handler, right?
06:13 But I think he's really starting to find lanes and opportunities to get easy looks around the rim, which opens up the entire rest of this game in transition.
06:26 I'm curious, Andy, in terms of the more granular stuff, what have you seen about the way that Dallas' offensive approach has changed?
06:35 And then also, what is your thoughts on Jason Kidd's defense and kind of the way that they approach things there?
06:41 Yeah, let me start with Kidd actually, because I would have sworn up and down until a month ago that he was a bad coach.
06:47 And I was really disappointed when they hired him too, because all of the coaches that they've had before him, except for Avery Johnson, whether or not you thought they did a good job,
06:56 it made a lot of sense to hire Don Nelson, one of the winningest coaches of all time, Rick Carle, an incredible coach.
07:02 So when they turned to somebody who had only done a very mediocre job in a lot of different places, what was going on in the defense?
07:11 He was supposed to be good if he was good at anything at defense.
07:15 And we had some pretty good defensive players, and it was still a bad, bad defense.
07:20 Then you get the trade deadline.
07:22 Lively starts coming on.
07:24 They pick up guys like Gafford and Washington.
07:26 And I know that Gafford, the plus/minus stuff doesn't look as good.
07:30 I mean, the advanced test don't look as good as they do with some other people.
07:33 But the Mavericks, when you think about their history, have virtually never had anybody who could grab a rebound.
07:38 They've had Dyson Chandler for one year.
07:40 They had Eric Dampier for a little while.
07:42 That's probably the best they did.
07:44 And so just seeing him, I think you saw it in the last two games of the last series, where getting those rebounds and getting those athletic finishes.
07:53 It was really big for their offense.
07:54 But yeah, now that they said they had really one bad game against the Wolves, it could have gone a lot of different ways because all those games were close.
08:02 But they came back from that.
08:04 You know, Lively was out.
08:05 He came back.
08:06 Bam, good defense again.
08:07 They feed off that.
08:08 They got the best offensive players are not scoring at the rim.
08:12 So then they get the ball out and they run.
08:14 And I think early on in the playoffs, I didn't think they were going to have a deep run, even though I thought they had the team for it.
08:22 Because it seemed like Luka was very injured.
08:24 And then something happens in the Wolves series and he didn't look injured anymore.
08:29 And all of a sudden I was like, this is this is a great team.
08:32 So I think you can expect them to look at the Celtics and I see a lot of really good defenders.
08:37 You know, I think the Wolves had a great team defense, but I'm not sure that they had the individual players that the Celtics do.
08:43 I expect the Mavs, like you say, to be able to make different kinds of adjustments.
08:50 And the interesting thing about the Mavs is they have a lot of people who are scoring for them in the regular season who are not playing at all right now.
08:56 You know, Josh Green really had a lot of good games in the regular season, rarely back to back, but a lot of good ones.
09:03 In the beginning of the season, Tim Hardaway was a six man extraordinaire.
09:06 Now it looks like he's playing with 13 minutes a game, scoring 4.6 points.
09:11 And that just speaks to the flexibility they have with those two guys scoring up top.
09:16 You don't necessarily need a lot of help, and they have enough guys who can score 10 points a game that they are getting the help they need.
09:23 That might change against the Celtics.
09:24 But yeah, I expect a tough interior defense.
09:27 If the C's hit their threes, that might be tough for the Mavericks.
09:30 And I expect the Mavs to keep trying to lob it up and open up threes that way.
09:33 So, JQ, one of the questions that I had about this Mavs run, and I'm curious to hear your take on this, is that, you know, the Mavs defense, I think, has, to its credit, looked a lot better since the trade deadline.
09:45 But one of the points that Cameron, our co-host, made on the last pod is that the Mavs' trade deadline, post-trade deadline schedule, was also one of the easiest in the NBA.
09:55 And in particular, with the playoff matchups that Dallas encountered, the Clippers, you have a pretty decidedly OK, not great offense, particularly with Kawhi Leonard hampered for most of that series.
10:11 With the Oklahoma City Thunder, regular season offense was terrific, but that declined pretty significantly in the playoffs.
10:17 I think in part due to the Mavs' defense giving them credit there.
10:20 But also, you know, a lot of the role players that were getting open looks and making them in the regular season got some open looks in that series and did not make them.
10:31 I think the lights got a little bright for the Jett Holmgren, Jalen Williams of the world.
10:35 Not so much Shea Gillesis Alexander, because the lights are never too bright for that guy.
10:41 And then, of course, the Timberwolves, you know, the one flaw that we heard about them all year is what happens when the game slows down and they have to execute in the half court in offense.
10:50 And over the course of that series, it became clear that that was a somewhat unsolvable problem for them.
10:55 So I guess I'm curious with regard to the Mavericks defense.
11:00 And I would actually like both of you to chime in here. How much of this is the Mavericks being a vastly improved defensive team versus getting the right matchups at the right time?
11:12 I mean, I think it's a little bit of both.
11:15 I do think, you know, for people who point to the Celtics shellacking post deadline of the Mavs, it was only like two weeks, right?
11:24 They had not even come up with a rotation that is bringing them the success that they're experiencing now.
11:29 They weren't playing anything like the way that they were playing now.
11:32 And since then, as I've said before, you can make all of the same arguments about the Celtics.
11:38 And for whatever reason, the media is all too happy to pounce on the Celtic side of things.
11:45 But realistically, both of them had a fairly favorable path to the finals in terms of matchups, as well as in terms of styles of play.
11:55 In terms of defense, I think Kyrie Irving is catching attention for defending.
12:02 That is not evidence that they are a vastly improved team on the defensive end of the floor.
12:09 I really don't know what it is.
12:11 It's not that Kyrie can't defend.
12:13 It's just he's never really cared to because he puts all his effort in the defensive end of the floor and has worked for him in the past.
12:19 Here, he's been convinced to buy in and that in itself, like this, this like team player Kyrie should have Celtics fans worried because he's never been like this before.
12:31 And him being like this is not a small part, I think, of their success.
12:37 Andy, your thoughts on Dallas's opponents so far?
12:41 Yeah, I mean, it's, you know, I think the matchups were favorable, but it's also at some point, you know, when you talk about.
12:49 Who they could possibly match up with, they were the fifth seed coming in, so they only played higher seeded teams, right?
12:54 They beat the first seed in the West, they beat the third seed in the West, they beat the fourth seed in the West.
12:59 The only team in the West that was higher seeded than they didn't beat was the Nuggets.
13:03 They were last year's champions.
13:04 And, you know, I don't know how that one would have gone.
13:07 I would have been fascinated to see Luke Covers, Jokic maybe someday.
13:11 But, you know, I think at some point you have to say that if they're like, we agree that the West is extremely talented.
13:17 If we agree that the Mavericks beat three of the four top seeded teams in the West, they beat some good teams with that defense.
13:24 So maybe they all play the same way and maybe the Celtics play a different way.
13:28 But I think it's real.
13:30 At the same time, I do think the Celtics have more individual talent than I agree to play.
13:34 You know, it was when he played OKC, you know, SGA, played great.
13:39 I wouldn't say when you're talking about the MVP race that I ever felt he was as impactful as Luka during the season.
13:46 And if he was during that series for some of it, I think it was it was mostly Luka's injury.
13:50 But a lot of the other guys who had done well in regular season basketball turned into pumpkins.
13:55 And, you know, that's that's what happened to them.
13:58 But when you're talking about the Mavs stopping Anthony Edwards and Kat pretty well, when you're talking about, you know, Kawhi was injured for a lot of the Celtics, that's a big break.
14:06 Kawhi and Luka have had a rivalry for some time now.
14:10 But, you know, the other guys couldn't get anything going either.
14:13 So eventually you get to a point where it's like they played a lot of good teams.
14:17 They're still pretty good.
14:18 They've been winning a lot.
14:19 Now, when I think about, you know, Derek White and Drew up front, I think that like the Mavs have a great frontcourt.
14:25 They haven't faced that kind of frontcourt defense.
14:27 That's, you know, that's where it is.
14:29 But at some point, it's, you know, they've beaten everybody in the West and you got to give them flowers for that.
14:36 Yeah, no, I think that's probably fair.
14:39 I think ultimately the reality is that if you make the finals, you've got to be doing something right.
14:44 It is it is a fairly simple concept.
14:47 And you know what else is a simple concept?
14:50 If you're looking for a great opportunity to bet on your favorite players and to do so using a bunch of simple concepts like turning ten dollars into a thousand dollars in a single game, watching your favorite sports this summer, then the best place to head over and do that is prize picks.
15:09 Where you can make a very simple lineup in as little as 60 seconds.
15:13 If you just pick more or less on two to six players stat projections, you're locked in and you have a chance to double, triple, quadruple or more for your money.
15:23 We're talking about the NBA finals and the finals need more on prize picks.
15:28 So do the star players.
15:29 You get boosted payouts on selected basketball stars that you won't find anywhere else.
15:34 One of those stars that we're going to talk about in just a moment, Kristaps Forzingas, who is expected to make his return to Boston sometime this series.
15:41 And if you're trying to make a bet on Kristaps effectiveness, such as betting on his rebounds and his made threes and putting that together for an easy, quick payout, that is something that you can do on prize picks.
15:54 Another narrative you can also bet on, finals MVP.
15:57 There's a lot of contenders, Jason Tatum, Jalen Brown, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, or maybe somebody out of the blue that you have the right beat on before everyone else.
16:06 Regardless, if you have a finals MVP pick, then the place to make that pick is on prize picks.
16:14 And speaking of finals MVPs and potential key players in this series, folks, let's transition into some matchup discussion.
16:22 So I am going to swing things first to you, Andy.
16:27 Let's talk about some of these matchups.
16:29 For you, who are the key players for Dallas heading into this series?
16:35 That's a good question.
16:38 I think that, you know, obviously everything goes around Luka if you're Dallas.
16:42 He has the most points.
16:45 He has the most assists.
16:46 Everything comes down to him.
16:48 But I think the Mavs have struggled this playoff.
16:51 So Kyrie has been incredible much of the time.
16:54 Then there have been times when he couldn't quite get it going.
16:57 You know, this is the most games he's played in a long time.
17:01 Sometimes I think it shows.
17:02 So when you look back to the game five, shellacking really good, the Mavs put on the wolves.
17:09 It started with Luka and Kyrie making some really difficult shots.
17:12 If those two guys show up, they can make it tough for the Celtics.
17:17 But I think Kyrie is the guy where it's a question of whether the stamina, the ability to assert himself,
17:26 while also staying within the team concept is a question.
17:28 After that, I mean, you know, the Mavs have a lot more guys who I would classify as role players than the Celtics do.
17:34 The Celtics have a lot of guys who would be higher options than other teams if they were on the Celtics.
17:38 You know, PJ Washington, Derrick Jones Jr., lively playing in his first finals at 20 years old.
17:47 They're guys you don't expect to score more than 10 points a game,
17:50 but they're going to have to score 10 points a game to be able to have a chance against a really talented Celtics team.
17:56 So, you know, I mean, we can talk about KP.
17:59 I look forward to that.
18:01 We've all got some insights there.
18:03 But, you know, the Mavs are going to want to avoid being hurt by guys like Pritchard and Sam Hauser,
18:09 these sort of bench players by the Celtics, trying to minimize the damage there and have their own bench players show up.
18:15 And if they do that, they'll have a good shot.
18:17 Andy, if you had to pick one key X-Factor player, like the series will be determined
18:23 depending on how this role player handles their situation.
18:27 And I'm going to exclude Luka and Kyrie because we know that they need to play big.
18:31 Who's your key X-Factor role player heading into this series?
18:36 I think it's going to be on the Mavs side, it's got to be PJ.
18:38 You know, and I think that he's a lot better than he looked in Charlotte.
18:42 A lot of people were talking about how well he shot against three, from three against the Thunder when he hadn't done that before.
18:48 But he used to be a pretty good three point shooter in his career and he's still pretty young.
18:53 But on the other hand, in general, when you have a trade deadline move, you don't really expect that to gel until the next season.
19:00 And we've seen that sometimes.
19:01 You know, I think that the Celtics have more guys who can chase him off the three point line.
19:05 He has often looked a little lost when he started dribbling towards the rim.
19:10 And I think the Celtics are in a good position to get in trouble.
19:12 So if he can figure it out, I think that really gives the Mavs a good shot.
19:17 And otherwise, they might struggle.
19:18 On the other side of that, I would say, you know, Derek White is a guy that I love.
19:22 You know, he was on my fantasy team this year.
19:25 He did a lot for me.
19:26 But the combination of his ability to break out and to play great defense against guys like Kyrie and Luka.
19:33 You know, if he has a great series, I think that could decide it the other way, too.
19:37 JQ, for the Celtics, who are your key guys and who is your one X factor pick?
19:42 Oh, boy.
19:44 Well, I'm going to make it key guy and X factors, if that's OK.
19:49 Fair enough.
19:50 All right. So the key guy is Jason Tatum.
19:54 Is Jason Tatum going to be mature enough to give the game what it needs this time around in his second chance that he's so happy for?
20:00 So many players have never had a chance at.
20:04 So will he see the moment for what it is and trust his teammates?
20:08 Or will he try to challenge narratives about who he is as a player and ultimately end up playing into what they would like to see him do from the Mavericks side of the equation?
20:18 As far as the X factors, we could call it Peyton Houser.
20:23 We could call it Sam Pritchard.
20:25 Whatever you want to say about the Celtics bench, those two are going to get some time on the floor in this series.
20:31 And they have to make baskets if they aren't shooting and connecting.
20:36 They do not need to be on the court.
20:38 And Boston's going to need them just just to spell the rotation.
20:42 So that's my guys.
20:43 For me, I think this series is going to come down to the bigs on both sides, I really do.
20:49 I think Tatum, Brown, Kyrie, Luca, you can book those guys are going to get theirs.
20:53 They're both all four of those guys are playing outstanding basketball right now.
20:58 I think they are all pretty much in the zone where you can reliably bank on them to contribute pretty much every game at this point.
21:06 The big man matchup is fascinating to me, because on the one hand, you have a super athletic and springy Mavs team with Gafford, with Derek Lively, with Derek Jones Jr., who I think can kind of play in one of those big spots if needed.
21:22 You also have these kind of weird little wrinkles like Maxi Cleaver, you know, at the five and things like that.
21:29 The Mavs front court is very fast.
21:32 It's very athletic.
21:33 And it has some versatility on the offensive end, where Jason Kidd can kind of tinker with some of these matchups and play different guys looking for different looks.
21:42 The vertical spacing of Lively, to me, feels like the single most important thing that's happened to the Mavs offense in a lot of ways.
21:50 Having an actual lob threat for Luka, who is the best lob passer in the game, bar none at this point, I think, is pretty astonishing what they're capable of doing.
22:01 I think one of the things that stands out to me on the tape is how good Luka is at just kind of chiseling into the lane, late in the shot clock, keeping guys on his back, and then forcing help defenders into a really difficult choice.
22:18 Do you try and step up and contest Luka's midrange, which is basically automatic?
22:23 And in doing so, if you step up and contest that, are you okay giving up the lob?
22:29 Because the lob is coming, whether it's Gafford, whether it's Lively, he's going to throw that thing up.
22:34 And he's going to throw it up super late in the shot clock, at the point where you think you've probably beaten Luka or you've probably played enough defense.
22:43 That's when he's going to throw the lob, and those guys are such good catch lob finishers.
22:48 It's a really, really dangerous element to this team.
22:51 And then the alternative is, if you stay back and if you guard the lob, it's like, well, Luka Doncic is one of the best midrange shooters that the game has to offer.
22:59 And there's only so many of those that you can give up before things start to get really, really dicey.
23:05 Then on the other end, Boston, you've got this huge question mark in Chris Japs Porzingis, who I think by all accounts is going to be coming back probably for game one.
23:16 I would think at a minimum game two.
23:19 It by all accounts seems to be pretty ready to go.
23:23 When Porzingis was on the floor for Boston, they were a juggernaut this year.
23:27 The spacing that he provides on offense, this is a guy who's nearly a 40% three-point shooter.
23:34 He's averaging 20 and 7.
23:36 I mean, the amount that that guy can do with the ball on the offensive end really breaks pretty much every defense that I can think of that they've come across and makes things incredibly hard.
23:48 But if Porzingis is hampered, if he's limited, if he's shaking rust off, suddenly things get a little challenging.
23:55 Because Al Horford has quietly been playing some very, very good basketball for most of the postseason.
24:01 And I have some concerns about Al Horford guarding Luka in the drop in particular, just given how in the drop-
24:08 We can talk about drop, man. Yeah.
24:10 I don't want to see very much of it.
24:12 I think the Celtics' base defense is going to still probably be pretty drop heavy.
24:18 That tends to be what they run.
24:20 But it looks different when it's Porzingis in that drop versus Horford.
24:23 Horford has, I think, a lot of lateral quickness and speed.
24:27 But if you get him backpedaling, he can't really turn that around and come back in the same way that he used to.
24:33 And I think Luka is going to be trying to hunt that matchup whenever he gets a chance.
24:38 Particularly, one of the things that the Mavs do really well is pull people really, really far out on the perimeter.
24:45 They set screens super high up, which becomes really challenging for bigs who have to backpedal with guys like Danta Junkairi.
24:53 But if Porzingis is hampered, if Porzingis is limited, if he doesn't have full mobility,
24:59 then you have an interesting decision to make for Joe Mazzuola.
25:03 Do you go with Porzingis and trust that the legs will come?
25:06 Or do you return to Al Horford, who has been so reliable in these playoffs?
25:11 To me, the series-
25:12 Go with Jason Tatum.
25:13 You could go with Jason Tatum, who at the five in limited doses during the Indiana series looked really good.
25:18 I think the front court, to me, is where this series is decided in a lot of ways.
25:24 And if you're looking for help with decisions, there's some other decisions that you can make with regard to places that you would want to buy.
25:33 I don't know, finals tickets, things like that.
25:35 I would be really excited to buy a finals ticket, God knows.
25:39 But one of the decisions that you could make would be to buy those on game time.
25:44 Because game time makes getting to the NBA finals even faster and easier.
25:49 You see, prices on the game time app actually go down the closer it gets to tip off.
25:54 Here in Brooklyn, New York, for my birthday, I'm planning on going to see the New York Mets.
25:59 Because while the Mets are not necessarily my favorite team, they are dirt cheap to buy tickets for.
26:04 And you better believe that when I'm going to a Mets game, I'm looking on the game time app.
26:08 Because those tickets will get down to like $3 right before a game time, right before the game starts.
26:16 And the game time app is the best place to find those flash deals, last minute deals, all in prices.
26:22 I can even pick out what seats I'm going to sit at and get a good view of the ballpark.
26:27 See the big old Apple thing that they have in center field.
26:30 And I know I'm going to get the lowest price guaranteed.
26:34 Game time takes the guesswork out of buying tickets for NBA, MLB, WNBA,
26:39 or any other sport that you're trying to attend during this summer.
26:43 If you're trying to go to the NBA finals, browse through the game time app.
26:47 Take a look, see what tickets are available.
26:49 You can also catch things like concerts.
26:52 You can check out all sorts of different events using the game time app.
26:56 And you are going to find the lowest ticket price.
26:59 You're also going to be able to do things like customize your spot.
27:03 You can, again, last minute tickets, flash deals, zone deals.
27:07 If you're trying to go to a baseball game, you can find those for any event,
27:12 either in your area or somewhere else.
27:14 And you're going to get the lowest price guaranteed.
27:17 You can also get things like event cancellation protection, job loss protection, etc., etc.
27:23 With flash deals, zone deals, all in pricing, seat views, and the lowest price guaranteed,
27:28 as well as those last minute deals where you can save up to 60% off
27:32 from buying last minutes for sports, concerts, comedy, theater, and so much more.
27:37 The place that you want to go is game time.
27:39 And if you do go to the game time app,
27:41 you can use the code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase.
27:46 Terms apply.
27:47 Again, create an account, redeem your code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase.
27:54 Download game time today.
27:55 Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed.
27:59 So, a couple other things that we want to talk about as we kind of get into this series.
28:05 Obviously, we've got the Xs and the Os.
28:07 We've got the return of key players like Christophe Porzingis.
28:11 We've got key strategies, front and backcourt matchups, things like that.
28:16 That is all very important.
28:18 And so I'm going to turn it over to both of you for quick...
28:23 Give me your 60 seconds.
28:26 Strategically, what do the Dallas Mavericks need to do to win this series, Andy?
28:31 You hit those threes.
28:33 I mean, Luka's going to do it and Kyrie's going to do it.
28:35 But if they get other guys hitting those threes, that's what opens up that lob.
28:39 And if they don't, it's a lot easier for...
28:41 Especially if KP's back there, it's a lot easier to block that off.
28:45 And then, you know, there were some games in this playoff series.
28:48 The Madison won most of them throughout the playoffs.
28:50 But there have been some games where the threes aren't falling
28:53 and the paint gets pretty clouded and Luka can't do that much.
28:56 So that's a big thing to me.
28:57 JQ, strategy.
29:00 What's the key that Boston needs to employ to win this series?
29:03 Well, I could say everything that Andy just said, because for the Celtics,
29:08 it often pans out that way as well.
29:10 We've seen many games where the shots don't fall, the opposing team junks it up,
29:16 the things get ugly, and the Celtics get nervous
29:19 because their game plan isn't working, their usual game plan.
29:23 This season, compared to last and prior seasons,
29:25 we have seen them learn to adapt more,
29:27 to attack the cup in a variety of ways that isn't just relying on jump shooting.
29:31 They need to do that.
29:34 In particular, Jason Tatum being okay with crashing the boards, attacking the cup.
29:40 But the most important thing for this team, no matter who they're playing,
29:44 is instead of leaning into offense when their offense isn't going so great,
29:49 they need to take that number two defense,
29:52 put the clamps on until they start feeling the game come to them again,
29:57 and then they can relax.
29:59 As long as they can remember to do that,
30:01 I have confidence that they will win this series.
30:03 The question is, can they remember?
30:06 And can the Mavs force them out of that?
30:08 For me, I think there's two areas where it comes down to for Boston.
30:13 The first is this, on offense,
30:16 I think the really important thing is finding a balance between
30:20 the egalitarian pass-heavy, spray-around-the-arc offense
30:25 that Boston has kind of made its name on for the vast majority of this season,
30:30 and taking advantage of key matchups.
30:32 To me, Kyrie Irving has to be someone that you hunt on basically every possession.
30:37 Whether it involves actually shooting over him or putting him in the action directly,
30:43 or using him in the initial action, trying to get him screened.
30:47 The key is you need to make Kyrie Irving feel this series on the defensive end.
30:54 I think Kyrie has done a very good job stepping up and becoming a better defender.
30:58 I am not sure that I'd buy that over the course of a seven-game series
31:02 against an elite offense that is directly targeting him.
31:06 That is going to hold up.
31:07 So for me, the modus operandi for Boston is keep moving the ball,
31:12 keep getting back to your fundamentals, don't throw your system off.
31:16 But when you have the opportunity to put Kyrie in the action,
31:20 put Kyrie in the action over and over and over and over and over and over again.
31:26 Then on defense, this is going to be such a fascinating matchup for Boston.
31:30 Boston has actually, despite having played, I think, a pretty easy
31:37 comparative schedule in the postseason,
31:39 one thing that they have done is go up against some elite offenses.
31:42 The Pacers offense was absurd in that four-game series.
31:47 The Cavs offense was really good.
31:49 And I think one thing that Boston has done pretty well,
31:55 particularly in kind of late-game situations,
31:57 their defense has really stepped up
31:59 and they've been able to tighten the screws when games are close,
32:02 which I think has been a welcome sight for most Boston fans.
32:05 This Mavs offense is a different beast, though.
32:07 It's much more skilled, it's much more patient.
32:11 And I think for Boston, solving the chess match on the defensive end
32:17 of how exactly do you approach the coverage for a guy like Luka,
32:21 because Luka is going to get his, he's going to score, he's going to get assists,
32:24 he's going to shoot a good percentage.
32:26 How can you take that and limit that impact?
32:29 Is it going to be trapping?
32:30 Is it going to be blitzing?
32:31 Is it going to be going to a zone?
32:33 Are you going to pull dudes back and drop and dare him to beat you with pull-ups?
32:37 These are things that you have to take into consideration.
32:41 The answer to that last question is yes.
32:43 Because if you don't change it up, he is going to, Luka is going to roast Boston.
32:50 So expect, that's what I was hinting at earlier when I said,
32:53 expect a lot of adjustments.
32:54 If you see the same defense for more than like five plays in a row,
32:59 that just means that the Celtics are kicking their ass,
33:02 because that's the only scenario I see that happening.
33:04 And to his credit, I think Joe Mizzoula,
33:07 if there's one thing that I've really liked about his approach this year,
33:09 it's that he is really emptying the entire bag
33:12 when it comes to throwing different defenses at superstars.
33:16 I'll be very interested to see how that works against Luka,
33:19 because I think Luka is pretty unique in terms of
33:22 what he's capable of doing on the offensive end.
33:25 I don't think there's a single player in the NBA
33:27 that can execute in the half court at the level that that guy can
33:31 on every phase of the game,
33:33 whether it's shooting, passing, drawing fouls, getting to the line.
33:37 Like Luka, the thing that stands out to me about Luka is
33:41 he gets to his spot literally every play.
33:44 There is no situation in which he's not going to get to his spot.
33:47 So how do you adjust to that and find ways to make it
33:50 so that even if he does get to his spot,
33:53 you can still offer good sound defense?
33:56 For me, another key to this series is rebounding.
33:59 Boston cannot afford to give up second shot attempts.
34:02 Boston cannot afford to give up long rebounds to this Mavs team
34:06 that loves to shoot threes and loves to get those kick out plays,
34:09 just to bang, bang plays where it's like long rebound,
34:13 kick to a shooter, that's that,
34:15 or long rebound, Derek Lively's jumping in the air, lob.
34:18 Boston has to control the glass.
34:20 And I think it will be really interesting
34:22 because this Mavs team has been very, very good on the glass
34:26 throughout the postseason.
34:27 And if they continue to own the glass,
34:29 that's going to be hard for the Celtics.
34:32 X's and O's are great.
34:33 We love X's and O's at the Celtics Lab Podcast.
34:36 I in particular am a big tape and film nerd,
34:40 but we all know what the next week is going to be about,
34:43 particularly from an NBA media landscape.
34:47 This series has got some pretty juicy narratives.
34:51 Oh yes, we've got off the court stuff,
34:53 we've got on the court stuff, we've got weird personalities,
34:56 we've got potentially toxic relationships
34:59 between cities and players.
35:01 So I'm going to swing it to you first, Andy.
35:03 We've got the prodigal son returning for Kyrie Irving.
35:08 So I guess my question to you is,
35:11 is this, so this version of Kyrie Irving has been,
35:16 I think, pretty much the best version we've seen
35:20 since Cleveland in 2016 in a lot of ways.
35:22 But the one thing that Kyrie Irving has struggled with
35:26 for really the past four years is playing in TD Garden.
35:30 Boston Celtics have had that guy's number
35:33 basically since the second time that the Nets
35:35 and the Celtics matched up in the playoffs
35:37 in that really impressive sweep
35:40 that the Celtics had on their way to the titles,
35:42 since, or to the finals.
35:45 Since then, TD Garden has been a house of horrors
35:47 for Kyrie Irving.
35:48 And I would love to say that Boston fans have moved on
35:52 and have gotten to a more mature place
35:54 when it comes to Kyrie Irving,
35:56 but we all know that is not true.
35:58 And I am perhaps guilty of that as well.
36:00 So why is this series different for Kyrie Irving
36:04 as far as his relationship to Boston goes?
36:07 - That's a great question.
36:10 So, I mean, I really mixed feelings about Kyrie, right?
36:15 You know, I'm Jewish.
36:16 I think he's had some really terrible things.
36:19 I think he, about that, about COVID and some other things.
36:23 So I was really unhappy with the trade on a personal level,
36:25 unlike a lot of other Dallas fans
36:27 I really thought it was gonna work.
36:28 And I felt that way even when they lost a bunch of games
36:32 the first season.
36:33 But, you know, I think that it is easy to see
36:37 why his teammates like him in Dallas.
36:41 It's easy to see why they seem to like him in Brooklyn,
36:43 even though there was some trouble there.
36:44 And I think that, you know,
36:48 hey, I'm bitter about Dillon Brunson.
36:51 Dillon Brunson seems like a great guy.
36:53 Personally, he seems like a really good person
36:56 who is, you know, getting what he deserves.
36:58 And I'm mad about it because I'm a fan
37:00 of the Dallas Mavericks, and that's just how it works.
37:02 So I get, you know, Boston's perspective.
37:03 I think that Luca and Kyrie have a lot of synergy
37:09 that has developed mostly over the last couple of months.
37:12 And that can make things really different
37:15 for him in Boston this time around.
37:17 I, you know, remain conflicted, but I have rarely...
37:23 Dallas certainly has never had a second best player
37:26 who's nearly as good as him.
37:28 You know, I'm 40.
37:30 I grew up in the Dirk years.
37:31 If there was a player half as good as Kyrie on that team,
37:35 most of the time, I would have been happy.
37:37 It's incredible basketball,
37:39 and I expect it to keep being incredible basketball.
37:42 But then again, that's the Kyrie thing.
37:43 You never know.
37:44 - JQ, we're gonna flip it to the other player-city rivalry.
37:48 Christoph Porzingis has not been a particularly well-liked man
37:52 since his tenure in Dallas,
37:54 at least in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
37:56 There's talk that he and Luka Doncic
37:58 do not get along on a personal level.
38:01 Obviously, the Dallas fans do not have a whole lot of love
38:05 for Christoph, considering that he's probably gonna be back.
38:08 And I think it probably will be a center of attention
38:11 for a lot of this series.
38:13 How is this series different for Christoph Porzingis
38:17 heading back to Dallas this time on the other side?
38:20 - How is it different?
38:23 Well, unlike how he seemed to be,
38:25 I mean, I only saw him in person with Dallas
38:28 when they came to Mexico City, being where I am in the world.
38:30 But I mean, they seemed okay there,
38:34 but he did not have that smile that's on his face constantly
38:39 when he's playing for the Celtics.
38:40 So I think him being a place
38:43 where he really feels happy and comfortable
38:45 in a very similar kind of a way that Kyrie does
38:48 in his new home is probably a big part of that.
38:52 As far as anything deeper than that,
38:55 honestly, I don't think that the Mavs
38:59 as an organization dislike him.
39:01 Probably there's some not so great relations
39:05 between Luca and Kyrie,
39:06 but I haven't personally heard anything to that effect.
39:09 It's probably just Luca being competitive
39:12 and using whatever he can to motivate himself,
39:14 as he's well-known to do with the handkerchief stuff,
39:17 among many other examples.
39:20 So I'm not so sure it's gonna pack the same punch
39:23 as Kyrie will in the other direction,
39:25 but I will be really curious to see
39:27 how he's treated by the fans when he comes back there,
39:29 because they weren't like burning jerseys
39:32 or anything like that,
39:33 but there was some palpable disappointment visible
39:37 on the outside from the Celtics side of things
39:39 when that was happening.
39:40 I'm curious, Andy, your opinion on the whole situation.
39:44 Like, what is your read on how they look at Kristaps
39:49 from a fan perspective?
39:51 I think most fans feel like it was just something
39:53 that didn't work out,
39:55 that we sort of wish him well.
39:56 I can't say that with certainty,
39:59 but unlike a lot of people who have left,
40:01 I think the feeling was the Mavs made a big swing.
40:03 We're glad they made a big swing.
40:05 It had a lot of potential.
40:07 Probably there are some people
40:08 who wonder about the injuries.
40:10 Anytime you get an injury for a guy,
40:11 you wonder about the injuries.
40:13 And I'll say, for you guys,
40:14 the main reason that I think it didn't work out
40:18 with the Mavericks was not the injuries.
40:21 I do think he's a more mature player now.
40:22 I do think that he has a more well-rounded game,
40:26 even though his stats are not really so much different
40:28 than they were three or four years ago with the Mavericks,
40:30 except for a slightly higher field goal percentage.
40:33 But the thing was, and this is what I would be thinking
40:35 about if I was you guys,
40:36 when he came back from the injuries,
40:38 he looked like a person who had never touched the basketball
40:41 for like seven or eight days.
40:42 So that I think was, they could not get the flow.
40:46 That's what I'm saying.
40:46 So, for now, I don't know, but he would be out with an injury
40:52 and he would come back
40:53 and they could not get into an offensive flow
40:54 because every time he started clicking,
40:56 then he would get injured again.
40:57 So I think he is, as the third man in the totem pole,
41:00 in a much better place to succeed over there.
41:01 I think they don't need him.
41:02 That's a big thing for him.
41:03 But yeah, that's what I'd be worried about.
41:06 As a Celtics fan, this might be more than most players.
41:10 It seems like it took him a while
41:12 to figure out basketball again
41:13 after even relatively minor injuries.
41:15 I think that's definitely high on my list of concerns
41:18 for Boston heading into the finals.
41:20 But the one thing that I would really stress
41:22 from an approach standpoint
41:24 is that I think Boston needs to enjoy that Kristaps is back,
41:29 but not go out of their way to make him,
41:32 you know, to kind of fold him in,
41:36 in the sense that I think he should get some shots, right?
41:40 He should get, you know, if he's going to play,
41:41 he should get shot attempts.
41:43 You know, you should give him a chance to actually produce.
41:45 Don't go out of your way to disrupt
41:49 what you've already been doing, if you're Boston,
41:52 to try and get Kristaps going.
41:54 Because as important as he is to this series,
41:56 and I think he is very important,
41:57 Boston has really found something
42:00 with how they've been playing lately with Jalen Brown,
42:02 Jason Tatum, Drew Holiday.
42:04 In particular, those three guys,
42:06 the synergy between those three guys
42:08 has really stood out to me.
42:10 And I feel like it's going to be very important for Boston
42:14 to make sure to not pull too far away from that
42:17 in an effort to get Kristaps going,
42:19 because a lot of what they've done lately
42:21 has worked very, very well.
42:22 Speaking of those duos, quick hitters, Andy,
42:26 who's the better duo?
42:27 Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, or Jalen Brown, Jason Tatum?
42:31 - I gotta go with my guys.
42:33 I mean, I think you would go one Luka,
42:36 two Tatum, three Brown, four Kyrie.
42:39 But I've never seen an offensive player
42:42 like Luka Doncic in my life.
42:43 You know, I lived through all the dark years.
42:45 They were incredible.
42:46 We remember all the great players from that era.
42:48 Huge fan of Tracy McGrady back in the day.
42:50 There were times when he was on,
42:51 you know, that was a lot like it,
42:53 but he can do everything.
42:54 And I think that that gives him the edge.
42:56 - JQ, who's better, a top two, JT and JB, or Ky and Luka?
43:01 - I like defense, so I think you know
43:04 where I'm going to be going on a Celtics-oriented podcast.
43:08 But I do think it's closer than a lot of Celtics fans
43:10 would like to admit.
43:11 - I'm with you.
43:13 I think two-way stuff matters a lot,
43:15 even though Luka is the best offensive player in the league.
43:17 I would lean my boys,
43:19 but this is the Celtics Lab Podcast for a reason.
43:22 On the Celtics Lab Podcast,
43:24 we've talked a lot about Joe Mizzoula,
43:26 a coach that has come under a lot of scrutiny.
43:29 In your end, Jason Kidd,
43:30 we've already talked about a little bit,
43:31 has undergone some scrutiny as well.
43:34 So who has the edge in the battle
43:36 of the formerly scorned,
43:37 now very laser-focused head coaches here?
43:42 - It's hard to believe in Jason Kidd.
43:46 There was a long time that he was here
43:48 where I just did not think he was a good coach at all.
43:50 But I have been very impressed with his playoffs.
43:53 So I still think it's likely that Mizzoula has the edge.
43:55 I have not been able to pay as much attention to that.
43:57 I'll let you guys speak to that.
43:58 I will say, you look at somebody like Rick Carlyle,
44:01 who you just faced,
44:03 those series where there was an incredible offense
44:06 that couldn't quite get it done,
44:07 but was more competitive against the higher seed
44:09 than you might think,
44:09 that was my Rick Carlyle experience
44:11 for many years after 2011.
44:13 Kidd has done more than that.
44:15 I think he has now won more playoff series
44:18 than any other Mets coach,
44:19 which is crazy to think about,
44:20 'cause they made the finals,
44:21 the Western Conference finals two years ago as well.
44:24 So, I think it's likely Mizzoula is a better coach,
44:28 but I've been very impressed with Kidd.
44:30 - JQ, your thoughts on the coaching matchup?
44:33 - I have to agree,
44:35 only because we've seen both
44:36 vastly outperforming their prior experience.
44:39 I think some of that last season,
44:41 as we have discussed in the past,
44:43 was due to Mizzoula just basically being
44:45 throwing a team in his lap at the last second.
44:47 But we have seen more of a track record this season
44:51 compared to last season,
44:51 where he was very...
44:52 I don't know if he could really change
44:55 what the Celtics were doing
44:57 based on everything else that was going on with them
44:58 that season.
44:59 This season, he's been a lot more open,
45:01 particularly in the post-season,
45:03 to experimentation.
45:04 So, just because of the track record
45:07 or what has been making him a better coach
45:09 has been going on for several months longer.
45:11 I will give Mizzoula the edge,
45:13 but I will say,
45:14 I think they are both performing
45:15 at a relatively similar level right now.
45:17 - I would give Joe my slight edge
45:19 just from what I've seen,
45:20 but again, I'm biased too.
45:23 I haven't watched a lot of Joe Mizzoula's growth
45:25 over this past year or so.
45:27 This is in some ways a historic matchup,
45:29 even if these two teams have never actually met
45:32 in the NBA finals,
45:33 as before.
45:33 Of course, we've seen a lot of shared players
45:36 between these teams,
45:38 you know, guys like Rajon Rondo,
45:40 Dwight Powell, Jay Crowder,
45:42 et cetera, et cetera.
45:43 So, my kind of wrapping up question,
45:46 I have two.
45:47 I'm gonna start with this.
45:48 Andy, to you,
45:51 who should Grant Williams be rooting for in this series?
45:53 - I gotta think the Celtics.
45:55 It did not last long in Dallas.
45:57 It was not happy.
45:58 There wasn't a minute where anybody
46:02 probably made him feel appreciated
46:03 and vice versa.
46:05 It was a brief time.
46:06 We're very grateful to PJ Washington.
46:08 I'd be a Celtics guy if I were him.
46:10 - JQ, anything to add on the Grant Williams bull?
46:14 - Given that our own Husway Pavone interviewed him
46:19 and he went on record saying Celtics in six,
46:21 I'm gonna guess he's rooting for the Celtics.
46:23 - And speaking of going on record with predictions,
46:27 to get you out of here,
46:28 Andy, who's winning this series and why?
46:31 And in how many games?
46:32 - Well, I'm gonna go with my guys.
46:34 It's an act of faith
46:36 and that's why we're all in the sports fan business.
46:38 But I think it'll be six games at least.
46:41 The Mavs have had a pretty bad record
46:45 this postseason in game one,
46:47 but they've had a pretty good record
46:49 in responding to those more embarrassing losses.
46:52 So, they may take a minute to get into the series,
46:55 but if they can win game two or three,
46:57 I think they have a real good shot.
46:59 - Good stuff.
47:00 Well, so Andy, if we wanna get more in-depth Mavs analysis
47:05 and on other basketball related subject matter,
47:08 where can we find your stuff?
47:09 - Oh, nowhere.
47:11 I'm mostly retired.
47:13 You can find several books that I have written
47:16 in various places on subjects relating to the ancient world
47:19 and ancient history.
47:21 I have written a bunch about people
47:22 who have identified as Israelites throughout history,
47:25 which might be useful if you wanna know more
47:26 about Kyrie Irving.
47:27 - Hmm.
47:28 - Other than that.
47:29 - Good plug.
47:29 (laughing)
47:30 - It's when I got tenure, I stopped writing sports.
47:34 And when I got a kid, I super stopped writing sports.
47:37 So, glad to be here.
47:39 - Fairly reasonable.
47:41 Well, if we wanted to swing back to our own Dr. Justin Quinn,
47:45 you got anything coming up that you wanna plug here, boss?
47:47 - Well, I do have, hopefully, all things happening.
47:53 It's a little bit hard to nail these people down
47:55 at this time of year,
47:57 but I do hopefully have some finals-related interviews
48:00 coming up to keep an eye out for
48:02 in the same vein as the Kendrick Perkins one
48:05 that I was talking about on the last episode.
48:07 So, check Celtics Wire for that.
48:08 And of course, check this podcast often.
48:11 Make sure you subscribe
48:12 because we are not recording anything
48:15 like a normal schedule.
48:17 This is coming out more or less when we usually record,
48:19 but we'll have at least one more pod this week
48:21 after game one, most likely.
48:22 But maybe not.
48:24 You never know.
48:26 So, subscribe.
48:27 - And speaking of this podcast,
48:29 if you like the music at the top of this podcast,
48:31 that's my band divide sweater.
48:32 Check us out on all streaming platforms, Spotify,
48:36 SoundCloud, Bing, Apple Music,
48:38 wherever you like music, we're there.
48:39 You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook,
48:43 whatever, we're all in those places too.
48:46 And if you like this podcast,
48:48 the Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by PrizePix,
48:50 the exclusive fantasy basketball partner
48:52 of the CLNS Media Network.
48:54 And we're also brought to you by Game Time Tickets,
48:56 last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed.
48:59 Again, if you do like this podcast,
49:01 love for you to check out the How 'Bout Them Celtics podcast,
49:04 the First to the Floor podcast
49:05 and the many other New England sports podcasts
49:07 available to you on the CLNS Media Network.
49:09 And if you really like this podcast,
49:12 check us out on YouTube, check us out on Twitter.
49:14 We have an Instagram now.
49:16 Like, follow, subscribe.
49:18 We'd really appreciate it.
49:19 And we're gonna keep coming to you
49:21 as the finals progress.
49:22 And hopefully we get one step closer to banner 18.
49:26 Andy, thank you so much for being here.
49:28 We appreciate the Mavs perspective,
49:30 even if you are our enemy.
49:32 And we hope to have you back on
49:38 to talk Dallas Mavericks in the future.