“The Mavericks will be a whole another story” – Skip Bayless says cakewalk ends for Boston Celtics after ECF triumph
Skip Bayless says cakewalk ends for Boston Celtics after ECF triumph.
Skip Bayless was not impressed with the Boston Celtics after winning the Eastern Conference finals, sweeping the Indiana Pacers. He also warned the Celtics that they would have not an easy series in the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.
In a tweet, the Fox Sports analyst assumed that the Mavericks would beat the Minnesota Timberwolves and qualify for the NBA Finals. He described the Celtics’ path as a “cake walk” but said that it won’t be the case against Dallas:
“No more cake walk for the Celtics in the Finals. The Mavericks will be a whole nother story,” Bayless wrote.
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Skip Bayless’ “cakewalk” comment is perhaps warranted, considering that all three teams the Boston Celtics beat in the playoffs had a major injury.
The Miami Heat didn’t have Jimmy Butler in their five games against the Celtics. Donovan Mitchell was unable to play Games 4 and 5 for the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Tyrese Haliburton missed the final two games of this series for the Indiana Pacers.
Nevertheless, it’s not the Celtics’ fault that the top players are injured against them. They have been without Kristaps Porzingis since Game 5 of the first round, but there’s a chance that he could be back in the NBA Finals.
If the Dallas Mavericks make the NBA Finals, there are plenty of storylines to follow. Kyrie Irving will be playing against his former team, and the Celtics fan base has always been hostile toward him.
The Dallas Mavericks traded Porzingis when his partnership with Luka Doncic didn’t work out.
Doncic’s superstar matchup against the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum is being touted as the battle for the next face of the NBA. With LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry all on the wrong side of 30, the league is desperate to have their next poster superstar.
Boston Celtics sweep Indiana Pacers to earn NBA Finals berth
The Boston Celtics are back in the NBA Finals after sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
It might have looked easy on paper because of the sweep, but it wasn’t a dominant series for the Celtics. They could have easily lost Games 1, 3 and 4 if not for the Pacers’ failure to close things out.
Indiana had the lead late in Game 1, but a couple of turnovers gave the Celtics a chance to force overtime. They failed to foul Jaylen Brown, who knocked a game-tying 3-point shot, with Boston taking the win in overtime.
Game 2 was a blowout, but Games 3 and 4 were different. The Pacers choked an 18-point lead in Game 3, while failing to close Game 4 after holding the advantage for most of the fourth quarter, with Tyrese Haliburton watching on the bench in both games.
Nevertheless, the Celtics are in their 23rd NBA Finals and capitalized on their opportunities. They made the most out of their matchups despite the advantage they had in personnel.
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