Dallas Mavericks stave off NBA Finals sweep with Game 4 rout

The GIST: And just like that, the NBA Finals are no longer destined for the broom closet — the Dallas Mavericks staved off a sweep by the Boston Celtics (now up 3-1), routing the Cs 122–84 in Friday’s Game 4. These balls just keep bouncing.

Mavs’ Luka Dončić dominates Game 4: After a chorus of criticism following his distracted Game 3 performance, Dončić kept his focus on the hardwood rather than the refs in Game 4, pouring in 29 points, forcing turnovers, and working in offensive tandem with his other half, Kyrie Irving (21 points).

• And while the Dončić-Irving duo danced the night away, Boston’s twosome — Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — were held to 15 and 10 points, respectively, aka their worst performances of the series thus far.

Celtics have a chance to clinch 18th franchise championship in Boston tonight: Just one win away from their first title since 2008, the Cs failed to meet the moment in Game 4, struggling to score (they shot a mere 36.2%, the worst-ever performance in NBA Finals history) and looking unusually shaky on defense.

• But the last time Boston lost two consecutive games was April 11th — nearly two months and 20 games ago. Let’s see what they can do with a chance to hang that elusive NBA record 18th banner on their home floor tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET.