The Boston Celtics get another opportunity to close out the NBA Finals on Monday night.
With their backs against the wall, the Dallas Mavericks extended the series with a 122-84 win on Friday. Following the blowout, they go back to Boston trailing 3-1.
As of Sunday afternoon, ESPN Bet lists the Celtics as 6.5-point favorites to celebrate their 18th championship on Monday. ESPN Analytics also forecasts a Celtics triumph, giving them a 67.7 percent chance to win Game 5.
ESPN’s Matchup Predictor assigned Boston a 59 percent probability of completing a sweep at Dallas. However, the Mavericks had other plans.
After fouling out late in Game 3’s 106-99 ross, Luka Doncic registered 29 points, five rebounds, and five assists on Friday. Dallas shot 50.5 percent from the floor and dominated the glass, grabbing 52 rebounds to Boston’s 31.
On the other hand, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored a combined 25 points after respectively scoring 31 and 30 in Game 3. The dud snapped a 10-game playoff winning streak in Boston’s first road loss of the postseason.
“It’s a great opportunity to respond,” Brown said after the loss, per Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press. “We just regroup. We keep our same mentality, and we come out and get ready to fight in another battle on our home floor.”
Kristaps Porzingis missed the last two games with a rare leg injury. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said before Game 4 that the center would be available in “very specific situations,” so it’s unclear if he’ll get the green light to return Monday.
Game 5 starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Related: Charles Barkley Made Bold Prediction After Mavericks Won Game 4