Jrue Holiday amassed 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the way as the Boston Celtics opened up a 2-0 lead on the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals with Sunday's 105-98 win. (More Basketball News)
Holiday made good on 11 of 14 field goal attempts to help 🌟offset a rare off-shooting night fro♊m Jayson Tatum and help the Eastern Conference champion Celtics move within two wins of their first NBA title since 2008.
Tatum struggled to a 6-of-22 performance from the field, though the All-Star forward did contribute 12 assists and nine rebounds as Boston with🗹stood a triple-double from Dallas' Luka Don🐈čić and earned its ninth straight win of this post-season.
Doncic compiled 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in 42 minutes despite being a game-time decision. The NBA MVP finalist was listed as questionable for Game 2 due to a chest contusion he pr🦂esumably sustained during Dallas' 107-89 loss in Thursday's series opener.
He added four st🐓eals but committed eig🌠ht of the Mavericks' 15 turnovers on the night, while backcourt mate Kyrie Irving was held to 7-of-18 shooting while managing 16 points.
The Western Conference champions will attempt to avoid an 0-3 hole when they return home to host Wednesday's Game 3, though the Celtic♛s are 6-0 on the road in these 💞play-offs.
Dallas co♌uldn't overcome a 21-point half-time deficit in Game 1, but it led 55-54 early in the second half of this one before the Celtics began to assert control late in the third quarter.
Boston used a 10-0 run, capped by Holiday's layup off a Tatum feed, to build a 75-63 advantage with under thr💙ee minutes leftಌ in the period. The Celtics never trailed thereafter, though Dallas made a bid to get back in it late.
Down 14 with under 3 1/2 minutes remaining, the Mavericks scored nine straight points♐ to pull within 103-98 on Doncic's 3-point play 💎with 1:15 to go.
🎃Dallas had a chance to move closer, but PJ Washington's dunk attempt in the final minute was blocked by Derrick White. Jaylen Brown then drove the lane and scored on the ensuing possession to extend Boston's margin to s꧟even points with less than 30 seconds left.
Br🍒own finished with 21 points and seven assists, while White had 18 points and went 4 of 10 from 3-point range.
Holiday recorded 17 first-half points on 7-of𒅌-9 shooting, though the Celtics took a slim 54-51 lead into the break as Doncic kept Dallas close with 23 points on a 9-of-13 success rate.
