THE FINALS
The Mavericks Might Not Have a Counter for These Celtics
Michael Pina, The Ringer
Celtics putting Mavericks through physical test in NBA Finals
Jay King, The Athletic
Jayson Tatum Has Learned He Doesn’t Need “Luka Magic” to Win
Howard Beck, The Ringer
Two years ago, Tatum and the Celtics coughed up the Finals by forcing the issue. Now they’re letting the series come to them—and picking the Mavericks apart in the process
Jason Kidd needed the Celtics to beat themselves, because the Mavericks can’t
John Hollinger, The Athletic
Finals Game 2
Gibson Pyper, Half Court Hoops
Luka Doncic Is the Finals’ Best Player, but That’s Not Enough
Zach Kram, The Ringer
Jrue Holiday is an NBA Finals hero for the Celtics and he’s exactly where he belongs in Boston
Sam Amick, The Athletic
5 NBA Finals takeaways so far
Ricky O’Donnell, SBNation
The Jruth
Adam Taylor, The Celtics Chronicle
Some thoughts on Jrue Holiday's performance in Game 2, and what made him such a valuable member of the rotation
Celtics’ block party keeps Boston rolling through shaky shooting
Jay King, The Athletic
The Celtics have neutralized the Mavericks defense’s biggest strength
Josh Bowe, Mavs Moneyball
Film Study: Celtics win Luka Doncic vs. Jayson Tatum matchups in Game 2
John Schuhmann, NBA.com
Tatum powered the Celtics to Game 2 win
Bill Sy, Celtics Blog
It’s been a rough shooting postseason for him, but he’s finding ways to make winning plays
5 Ways the Mavericks can turn the tide
Noah Weber, The Smoking Cuban
Mavericks need scoring outside of Luka Doncic, but who will step up?
Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News
Mavericks have no answers for Celtics in NBA Finals: ‘We’ve just got to be better’
Tim Cato, The Athletic
5 takeaways as Celtics move closer to championship
Shaun Powell, NBA.com
Inside the Mavericks' proving grounds for Luka and Kyrie's next magic tricks
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
The Celtics Needed a Killer Instinct. Their Coach Made Them Watch Killer Whales
Robert O’Connell, Wall Street Journal
Brad Stevens has built Boston Celtics team capable of winning multiple NBA Finals
Jeff Zillgitt, USA Today
The unlikely 20-year bond that has the Celtics on the brink of an NBA title
Baxter Holmes, ESPN
The NBA Finalists Who Went Down 0-2 on the Road... And Won Anyway
Neil Paine
Pritchard’s buzzer-beating three-pointer was the play of the night
Noa Dalzell, Celtics Blog
Pritchard has only scored three points in these NBA Finals — but they were the biggest points of the series so far
After years of pain and learning, the Celtics have gotten it right
Jerry Brewer, Washington Post
The Celtics are winning with character, chemistry and lessons learned by their two selfless stars
Who’s the biggest star on the Celtics? Let me submit Jrue Holiday for consideration
Chad Finn, Boston Globe
PODCASTS
Dean Oliver on the NBA Finals and his new book
Mike Shearer/Ray LeBov, Basketball Intelligence
Kerry Eggers on Bill Walton’s life and legacy
Mike Shearer/Ray LeBov, Basketball Intelligence
LEAGUEWIDE
Those late whistles NBA fans and players hate? There’s a method to the madness
Law Murray/Josh Robbins, The Athletic
It happens almost every NBA game, stirring frustration in players and groans from fans: the dreaded late foul call, otherwise known as a conditional foul. A referee appears to wait to see if a shot goes in before blowing the whistle. If the shot falls, play on. If it misses, the official belatedly awards free throws.
To understand what’s really happening, according to the league executive in charge of officiating, you need to understand referee mechanics — where they’re positioned on the court and how their line of sight informs when a whistle is blown. So everyone should purge “conditional foul” from their basketball vocabulary and replace it with something called a “cadence whistle.”
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