(MEDIA VOICE/AFP) The Dallas Mavericks did not hold back to avoid a humiliating sweep in the fourth game of the NBA final, and instead they handed the Boston Celtics one of the heaviest defeats (122-84) in history in the last round of the competition. Luka Doncic, once again the Texans' most outstanding player, was finally well accompanied by Kyrie Irving. While the Boston team, for which Porzingis did not play a single minute due to injury, were unable to bring their best game.

"Believe until the end"

The Celtics, who were unbeaten in 10 games, had their worst offensive performance of the season. Jayson Tatum was the team's leading scorer with just 15 points, while Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday each had 10 for the Celtics, reduced to 36.3% field goal effectiveness. However, they have an advantage that no team in history has squandered, none of the 156 teams that were 3-0 down in the playoffs managed to come back from the tie, including 14 finals. They will have another chance to become champion, for the first time since 2008, in the fifth game on Monday in front of their home crowd.

Much of the credit for the loss goes to Doncic. The Mavericks' franchise player once again put the team on his back with a display of 29 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 33 minutes and allowed himself to rest the entire last quarter at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. However, the Slovenian kept his feet on the ground at the end of the match: "This victory doesn't change anything ... it's first to four and we're going to believe until the end. I have a big belief in this team that we can do it, so we just got to keep believing."

Boston, one of their worst games of the NBA season

This time, Doncic had a team to lean on. Mainly in his partner Kyrie Irving, who added 21 points and, after two gray first games, continues to recover the excellent level that propelled the Mavericks to become the unexpected guest of the Finals. But, in addition, the Dallas bench also showed signs of life for the first time in the tie, especially rookie Dereck Lively II. The center, who at 20 years old is one of the youngest players to play in the Finals, had 11 points and 12 rebounds with several huge dunks in the paint that until now was a protected reserve for the Celtics.

Boston, which only dropped below 100 points in four of its previous 99 games this season, experienced a true offensive collapse, falling to a paltry 35 points in the first half, the worst number since Mazzulla's arrival at the end of 2022. "This time it's not about us. We have to give them a lot of credit, they played very well, with a lot of energy and in a very physical way, that's why they are here," the coach conceded.