The Celtics had a chance to make history as the first team to sweep the conference finals and the NBA Finals, to improve their overall record to 80-20 this season, to claim a place by any measure objective or analytical among the greatest single-season teams in professional basketball lore.
The pummeling was so thorough and the outcome decided so early - the Mavericks led 70-38 with 9 minutes, 30 seconds left in the third quarter - that one adjective is not enough to describe what Luka Doncic (29 points, 25 in the first half) and his fellow Mavs did to take apart the Celtics.
"A simple way," said the Celtics guard. "An [expletive]-kicking."
The Celtics should still be fine. Presuming they play to their capabilities in Game 5 Monday at TD Garden, they will secure the franchise's 18th banner and first in 16 years.
Collection
[
|
...
]