Getty Magic Johnson
The Boston Celtics handled their business against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. After their win, Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson praised the Celtics for how well they’ve played as a team.
More specifically, Johnson praised how well they played despite neither Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown leading them in scoring.
“The Celtics continue to prove that their overall talent is too much for the Mavs, winning tonight even without their stars Tatum and Brown as the lead scorer! They dominated both the paint and the perimeter – Jrue Holiday went 9-9 in the paint in his 26-point performance, and 4 other Celtics scored in double figures (Brown, Tatum, White, and Porzingis),” Johnson wrote via his X account.
Johnson won five titles throughout his career, two of which came against the Celtics. Despite being on the other side of their storied rivalry, Johnson still shows respect to the Celtics when they succeed.
With the win, the Celtics are going back to Dallas up 2-0. The Mavericks could potentially even the series back home, but the Celtics have yet to lose on the road.
Magic Johnson Criticizes the Mavericks After Game 2
After praising the Celtics for going up 2-0, Johnson also criticized the Mavericks for their approach.
“The Mavs are doing too much standing around and watching Luka and Kyrie go one-on-one. If they want to win, they need more ball movement and to start pushing the pace to get more easy buckets,” Johnson wrote.
Luka Doncic has been productive since the finals began. In both games, he’s scored 30 points or more. Kyrie Irving, on the other hand, has struggled mightily against his former team. Irving has scored 28 total points on 13-for-37 shooting from the field. Combine his struggles with the rest of the Mavericks, and they are now down 0-2.
The Mavericks have scored under 100 points in both losses to the Celtics. While they haven’t gotten the results they wanted, their struggles can be attributed to the Celtics’ defensive execution.
Magic Johnson’s Game 1 Thoughts
After the Celtics wrapped up their Game 1 victory, Johnson singled out Kristaps Porzingis’ performance. He added that Porzingis set the tone for his teammates.
“Kristaps Porzingis was the key to the Celtics win tonight! He ignited their offense, scoring 10 points off the bench in the first quarter and finishing out the game with 20. Five other Celtics followed his lead – Brown (22 points), Tatum (16 points), White (15 points), Holiday (12 points) and Horford (10 points),” Johnson wrote.
Johnson also praised the Celtics for how well they played against the Mavericks.
“The Celtics defense smothered the Mavs and took them completely out (of) their game. Like I said earlier this week – the Celtics just have more depth and firepower than the Mavs, and it was on full display tonight,” Johnson wrote.
Having their team at mostly full strength has changed the Celtics’ dynamic. Even if Porzingis isn’t fully healthy, his presence has helped the Celtics a lot. Playing him has also kept Al Horford fresh when he comes in. That level of depth could very well be what helps the Celtics win Banner 18.