The Boston Celtics entered Game 4 of the NBA Finals with a 3-0 lead and with the opportunity to sweep in the Finals for the first time since 1959. It would also be the first time ever that a team swept the Conference Finals and Finals, but it unfortunately didn’t happen for the C’s.

This loss also broke Boston’s 10-game winning streak in the postseason and was the first loss on the road in the playoffs. Heading back to Boston with the chance to win a record-setting 18th championship on their own court playing underneath the 17 banners in the TD Garden rafters, they’ll need to be better on every level in Game 5.

The Mavericks produced a 25-14 lead early in the first quarter and went on to take a 13-point lead at the end of the quarter. Dallas doubled it in the second quarter to take a 26-point lead at halftime. Luka Dončić had 25-points while Kyrie Irving had 11-points, totaling more than the Celtics as a team, 36-35, at the half.

Nothing went right for the Celtics in the first half and it didn’t get much better in the second half, as Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters with 3:18 still remaining in the third quarter after a huge dunk by Dereck Lively II.

As a team, Boston committed 14 turnovers that Dallas turned into 17-points and lost just about all of the metrics that they usually strive for as part of their game-plan. The Celtics were out-rebounded by 21, scored 34 less points in the paint, only had two second chance points, and six fastbreak points.

The Celtics did attempt four more 3-pointers than the Mavericks, but they finished the game taking 11 less shots overall, 91-80, and far less efficient: BOS- 36/34/92, DAL- 51/41/68 shooting splits.

Throughout the entire game, Dallas played more desperately, with urgency, and with full effort. The Celtics didn’t play with any of these elements and it cost them winning Game 4.

The most disappointing part of this game was seeing the lack of effort and intensity from the Celtics. Dallas played harder from opening tip and it showed, which Al Horford commented on during his postgame press conference.

“Ultimately, I felt like they were the better team tonight. We can say all these things about us… They played much better than us.”

Jaylen Brown gave credit to Dallas, saying the work they did on the boards put pressure on Boston but they were unable to respond.

“Give credit to Dallas. I think they played hard physically, and then they dominated the glass. I think that was the key that put a lot of pressure on us. And then we didn’t make shots tonight, and I think that’s where, you know, we allowed them to play free, once we get them multiple opportunities to make shots, and then also we didn’t hit shots on the other end.”

Dallas needed to win this game to keep their championship hopes alive. Perhaps there was some looking ahead too soon for Boston as the taste for winning it all was on the tip of their tongues in Game 4.

The Celtics will get another chance to win it all on Monday night back in Boston. If they can play up to their standards, then the Celtics will win and raise the record-setting 18th banner in TD Garden.

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Photo Credit: Tim Heitman, Getty Images