The Celtics won Game 2 of the NBA Finals despite shooting just 26 percent from 3-point range, their second-worst shooting night of the season.
The Mavericks were even worse, converting on only six of their 26 attempts (23 percent).
The Mavs now face an 0-2 deficit, but as the series shifts to Dallas, they find themselves 1.5-point home favorites.
Luka Doncic was masterful with a 32-point triple-double in Game 2, but his teammates haven’t offered nearly enough support in this series.
Dealing with a chest injury, Doncic’s fatigue was evident in his eight turnovers, highlighting the urgent need for Kyrie Irving to step up his production.
Irving, however, has averaged just 14 ppg on 35 percent shooting in the Finals.
P.J. Washington has been excellent for the Mavs, logging 31 points and 15 rebounds through two games.
His 3s haven’t been falling but he has provided impact on defense and ancillary scoring.
Count on the Mavs to come out desperate in Game 3.
Since 2006, the team down 0-2 in the series is 91-47-1 ATS (66 percent) in the first half.
Per Action Network, teams coming home for Game 3 off a road loss of five-plus points are 110-64-6 ATS (63 percent) in the first half; that improves to 19-6 (76 percent) in the conference finals or later.
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This is the kitchen-sink spot for Dallas.
While there’s a strong chance Boston wins Game 3 and goes on to complete a sweep, the historical first-half trends are hard to ignore.
The play: Mavericks win first half/Celtics win game (+450, DraftKings).