Washington: NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic and shooting guard Kyrie Irving lead the Dallas Mavericks as they take on the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals on Thursday.
Former Celtics standout Irving is preparing to take Boston as the best team in the league, five years after leaving the franchise in Brooklyn, where he and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for an NBA record 64-win season.
“The best team in the NBA,” Doncic said. “They have the best record, good weapons on offense and defense, so we have to play good, great basketball to beat them.”
Tatum led the Celtics to the Finals in 2022, where they lost to Golden State, but planted the seeds that could lead to a championship starting with seven of Boston’s best players.
“I have a lot going for me and we can learn from the experience going into the finals and this game is different,” Tatum said. “I really look at it as a second chance and try to keep things as simple as possible.”
The Celtics are seeking an unprecedented 18th NBA crown, surpassing the record they share with the Los Angeles Lakers. Boston’s last title was in 2008.
After reaching the 2006 Finals, the Mavericks won their only NBA title in 2011, losing to Miami.
Irving will be the emotional heart of the series after his time in Boston and the playoffs with Brooklyn.
“It’s better to keep the emotions in check now,” Irving said. “You call it hostility. We call it hatred. We call it ‘It’s going to hell in Boston.’
“The last time I was in Boston (in the playoffs against Brooklyn), I didn’t think it was the best … everybody saw me flying on the bird and it was kind of cool.
“I wasn’t the best person at that time. Since then I can grow … I look forward to it. I will take everything, shout and comment.
