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By Tim McMahon, ESPN staff writer
BOSTON — The Dallas Mavericks proved they were a dangerous team when they found themselves down 1-0 in a playoff series. They've had plenty of practice.
The Mavs' 107-89 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals marked Dallas' sixth opening-round loss in seven series under coach Jason Kidd.
Dallas has bounced back from behind to win five of its last six series, including the first two rounds of this season's playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
By contrast, other NBA teams are 9-30 in Game 2 of a series after losing the first game in the past three postseasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
“There's no panic on this team,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said after practice Saturday, the day before Game 2. “We didn't play well in Game 1. Give Boston credit, they were good, but it's a series. We're not just looking at one game and capitalizing on that. We've lost a lot of Game 1s and we've responded. I believe we can respond in Game 2.”
The Mavs became the first team in NBA history to trail by 25 or more points in the first game of a trio of the same postseason series, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Dallas lost Game 1 to the Clippers and Thunder by double digits before evening the series with road wins in the following games.
The Celtics are well aware of how their opponents have responded to setbacks to open the series.
“They're coming back in Game 2, so we're going to be playing a stronger, more aggressive team on Sunday,” Celtics forward Jaylen Brown said, a comment echoed by co-star Jayson Tatum. “We've got to be prepared. They come back really strong after a loss, so we shouldn't be surprised. That's why I'm preparing my team.”
In particular, Mavs superstar Luka Doncic has a strong track record coming off Game 2 and playoff losses.
Doncic is averaging 33.9 points in Game 2, the highest Game 2 scoring average in NBA history (minimum five games) and 0.6 points higher than Michael Jordan's mark.
Doncic averaged 34.3 points immediately following that playoff series loss, the highest scoring average in NBA history in such a situation (minimum 10 games) and one higher than Michael Jordan.
Doncic finished Game 1 with 30 points on 12-of-26 shooting but had just one assist, the lowest of his playoff career. Kidd encouraged Doncic to “shoot a layup” if the Celtics continue to prioritize preventing him from driving into an alley-oop or corner 3-pointer.
“I think we need to be a little more aggressive,” Doncic said. “I think we all came into the game with not a lot of energy, so I think we have to bring more energy, especially at the start of the game.”
