How the Celtics outsmarted the Mavs | NBA Finals Game 3 analysis

What big halftime adjustment killed Dallas's scheme and swung the game for Boston? This detailed film breakdown & scouting report explores the Celtics brilliant answer to the Mavericks big Game 3 adjustment, Coach Joe Mazzulla's spacing principles, the high IQ plays of Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and more.
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#ThinkingBasketball

[@Madonkadonk]

That breakdown of the entire Celtics team playing floor general was crazy

[@Jonteponte71]

That was a lot of pointing that you miss when watching in realtime!

[@akllls617]

Seriously ! Loved how no one had ego and everyone gave direction to someone else it wasn’t a one person calling the shots like Lebron

[@Oscar-gv1si]

Best ball channel 💯

[@cvgodd1432]

@@Jonteponte71seriously, I watch every Celtics game and I miss those plays sometimes. Dude who made the video knows his basketball. I never played organized ball so idk the details. I know how good my Celtics are though, mavs fans had no idea 😂. It was so funny reading people’s comments and they were SO CONFIDENT. “Boston fans will be crying soon Luka and Kyrie 😈 will end them! I’ll be back when mavs end this in 5!😂😂😂” 😒😒😒riiiight. Celtics in 5! 😂

[@classingamer]

This is a testament to how much Joe has improved as a coach overall.

[@BigA678]

Agreed I thought his first year was rocky but with the guidance of Brad I think he found his niche

[@chokloconqueso8446]

he was always good, Smart just had to get out of the way. it was the same way with Rondo when Brad came in. Rondo just wasnt the guy for that situation & neither was Smart, as fun as he was to watch. that allowed everyone to buy into Joe’s system & Jaylen to become the vocal leader amongst the players. Jrue was the last piece, along with guys like Sam who helped Joe get this team right.

[@j-us-t_be-in-g]

Joe and his coaching staff.

[@derbagger22]

It's not one thing. The moves made last off-season brought in talented, high IQ players. And the ones that were here have bought into the coaching. And I think the coaches have gotten the experience.

[@KK-pm7ud]

And how teams should focus less on former players becoming coaches

[@psychomafia]

This is so good. Idiots (like me) are yelling at their tv: "do something! run a play!" But you're showing this is on another level. Fantastic analysis! Makes the game even more fun.

[@uncledraw7050]

I can recommend channel Awful Coaching for a more insane analysis.

[@jugo1944]

​@@Edd_LShore How does it feel being turned into a NPC by the Internet?

[@Larez121]

​@@uncledraw7050Second Awful Coaching, he's very objective.

[@4thqtrphil]

@@uncledraw7050Why is no one talking about this

[@maruwapofilms815]

i realized how tough it is for the mavs when he showed the clip of derrick white and jrue perfectly recovering that kyrie drive. they make it look impossible to attack offensively

[@pi_za8214]

Celtics spacing is quite literally insane

[@hollister2320]

I never realized how every single one of their starters can bring up n handle the ball--how is this the first time I’ve ever seen something like that. Wow

[@AfrooBlack]

@@hollister2320 This is what i was telling my brother. This is where the NBA is going. Every player should be able to bring up the ball or handle the ball and defend.

[@homomagii]

@@hollister2320the pacers almost got something similar to that it’s the future of the nba, role players are going to be even better in the future.

[@AfrooBlack]

@@homomagii same with OKC.

[@OrigEntertainmentOfficial]

It helps when every player is a legitimate scoring threat. On teams like Dallas where the role players are sporadic at best or simply looking to return the ball back to Luka or Kyrie, you can space all you want the defense just needs to focus on kyrie, Luka, and the center.

[@drich008]

Media was saying the Cs don’t run plays, they just win games off talent with no ball movement or man movement. This is why people have to watch games for themselves, great analysis as usual 💯

[@JHouston62]

Some teams switch everything which makes running plays more difficult but gives up mismatches, which might have been what people were seeing Boston do and tricking them into thinking there wasn't any organization

[@E2Gtube]

Who's media 😂😂

[@Mitch_Feral]

Honestly, the C's kept some stuff in the bag down the stretch of the regular season - entire sets disappeared, stuff, especially with KP, got way less intricate - they bogged down a lot more. I think it was to ensure there was as little tape as possible to gameplan for. And, you know, hero ball did still happen.

[@Godhorus]

Never heard the media say such a thing...about the mavs..yes, not the C

[@anthonyespejo8165]

They're doing a lot of the same defense OKC did, but they don't have a weakness like giddy and the guys that were going crazy like PJ have been ice from three this series.

[@seanaes]

There were many Celtics fans that hate Joe Mazzulla. I hope now they can appreciate how great he is.

[@geordiejones5618]

Fr he was thrown into the job at the last minute and still helped them get to game 7 of the ECF and the very next year he's coaching the hottest NBA team with a record of 79-20, one win away from #18. Him and Brad have been an incredible pair.

[@jakeferreira1211]

I don't think many people hate him anymore. I understand the frustration with him last year. He was definitely thrown into the fire pretty much of of nowhere, so it's completely understandable why he struggled a bit. And some of his philosophy decisions weren't great. Like how he wanted the team to play through bad stretches instead of calling timeouts. But he's fine in this year having reworked all of that, and he actually has defensive schemes instead of just playing pretty much straight up all of last season. If Most Improved Coach was an award, he definitely earned it. He's made himself into one of the best coaches in the league.

[@newcastleenjoyer69]

​@@geordiejones5618 that wasn't a lot of us honestly we like Joe a lot and we knew he was under a ton of pressure being the hc of a team like Boston

[@Ofallthings089]

@@geordiejones5618Would’ve completed the comeback if Tatum didn’t roll his ankle 😢

[@malikwilson7387]

​@@jakeferreira1211all of yall Owe Jaylen Brown a Big Apollo for the last two years of disrespecting Him he's the Bus Driver

[@ry_an.]

now that the mavericks are losing the narrative will change that the "mavericks were never that good" and "celtics got lucky"

[@Camb2r]

Let’s be real no intelligent basketball analyst or fan actually had the Celtics losing this series. Just cause most ppl wanted the mavs to win doesn’t mean majority thought they would.

[@brendanbloom3366]

They are good but they also faced an injured clippers team, super young okc team that lacks size, and Minnesota is really good but a bad matchup as Dallas bigs were playing better than twolves and edwards couldn’t get to the paint like he could vs Phoenix and Denver. Boston is extremely good but they also had a cakewalk in the east.

[@BrockObama2016]

@@Camb2rthat only speaks to how rotted sports media has become. We now their hot takes are fake. Why even call it a “prediction” anymore if you don’t believe it and only want to be biased or get a hot take W

[@taptiotrevizo9415]

Anybody who wanted to discredit the rest of the east so that Boston would look less impressive can stop talking now.

[@nobugd8793]

@@Camb2r it was always meant to be them against the nuggets too bad they choked away their opportunity

[@geordiejones5618]

Celtics offense relies on getting the best shot available, which allows them to defend at an elite level even when they're in trouble. Mavs offense relies on forcing the issue through their two stars, which require a lot more energy that costs them on defense.

[@Dachoseone34]

The mavs didn’t play like that vs other opponents or was the run was just a fluke for pj and lively and djj lol

[@crung]

@@Dachoseone34 they did play like that but defense was easier because those teams had nonshooters that they could hide defenders on. Gobert and Slomo or Giddey for example. Everyone on the celtics has to be respected so their spacing gets fucked

[@Dachoseone34]

@@crung so like I said Pj and djj corner threes vs wolves and okc was a fluke

[@xavierb9061]

Celts dont have great 1 on 1 guys..mavs do..but lukasucks on d so celts win

[@nsp74]

exactly

[@edgarmuniz8331]

As much as I find games where Boston shoots 6-25 from the 3-point line difficult to watch, videos like this make me appreciate the Celtics.

[@maartenvz]

Amen brother!

[@acornsucks2111]

The coach cannot make the shots. His goal is to get good looks.

[@cvgodd1432]

Don’t take missed shot too serious man. The margin of missing a shot and making it is like centimeters. I learned to pay attention to the type of shots they’re taking instead of focusing on how much they hit. They’ll eventually go down! Never fails. If you’re taking good shots they’ll go down. Just a matter of time

[@adsavage1276]

Joe Mazzula has been nothing short but amazing as a coach.

[@92alpha13]

He’ll be fired in 2 years. It’s Boston.

[@tastyexecutioner4817]

⁠@@92alpha13 You have Boston confused with LA. We prefer to keep our coaches

[@hdttyson]

@@tastyexecutioner4817LA keeps LeCoach too lmao😂

[@drcox012]

​@@92alpha13bruh are you slow in the head? Or just a hater?

[@CocoCrispy_]

@@92alpha13yeah sure we only had Doc for almost a decade

[@GTapelive]

Somebody in the league need you as a coach or in the filmroom man! Your breakdowns are elite. Appreciate your hoop content.

[@fatihyavuz7328]

these breakdowns really make boston look like a full blown machine

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

Uhh theit 64 win season proves theyre a machine

[@isaiahaaronnn]

Boston is such a lethal and even better team with Jrue. He was the missing piece for them to go all the way. His defense is obviously the best in the nba but his offensive game is highly underrated. Can’t believe Milwaukee thought having overrated Dame over Jrue would help their title chances lol

[@davidmoorcroft7117]

Agree. Milwaukee's decision keeps looking worse with every great game by Jrue.

[@Geb1439]

Jrue just wasn't a good fit in Milwaukee, a player like Giannis needs a team full of shooters to be at his best. While Jrue the much better defender Dame is one of the greatest outside scorers ever and pairs much better with Giannis.

[@GurtonBuster07]

Jrue shooting over 40 percent in the regular season and playoffs from three pal.

[@samn90834]

@@Geb1439Dame is a great fit offensively, unfortunately Jrue completely held together their defensive system

[@sterryd121]

​@GurtonBuster07 he's shooting better this season/playoffs but last year vs miami he shot 40 % fg and 28.1% from 3. So yeah them trading for a shooter makes sense. Also we know playoffs are where teams/fans overreact the most after a lost.

[@WitchStrangler]

Luka is just a traffic cone out there at times, damn.

[@comrade_snarky]

Difference is traffic cones sometimes get stops.

[@ninjachannel007]

ALL the time. Their whole defensive scheme is based on hiding his laziness. The way he defended that J.Brown dunk just pissed me off. You're down 2-0 and double digits in game 3, and you just stand there as a lethal slasher dribbles past you because you don't want to get embarrassed. Go home, Fluka.

[@Jimyjonson]

Luka? On defense? I didn’t even see him, he was practically invisible!

[@timothycontoveros4699]

Bruh he has multiple injuries give him a little slack. He has played a lot of good defense in these playoffs

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

The funniest thing about Fluka's defence is that he FOULED OUT in the 4th. He has barely improved his defence and his stamina since first joining the league and Jaylen Brown fouling him out when Fluka was out of energy show was what proved it to the crowd and his team. Fluka's team needed him in that 4th quarter cause their offence kind of stalls when he gets taken out.

[@timsweeney684]

Tatum baited Luka into looking away from Hauser on that corner three lol that’s great

[@BigA678]

8:30 whole gameplan was to target tubby boy and his cinderblock feet

[@bpdmf2798]

The Celtics used to see how teams attacked Rob Williams in that floater role. They knew how to break it.

[@SaviorCross]

Bruh...calling this video a clinic would be an insult to how deep and detailed it is. I didnt see all those tactics you pointed out while watching the game. Subscribed. Go Celtics!

[@gfossedal]

A great English professor is not Shakespeare, but he can greatly increase our appreciation of Shakespeare -- likewise, you guys add so much to my appreciation of basketball. Thank you.

[@sfdko3291]

Never let them tell you that the NBA doesn't play defense. The players are just soo athletic, in addition to the coaching quickly responding to changes, that it looks like everyone is just freestyling it without a thought in their heads.

[@goldnarms435]

You know what you're talking about sir. Thank you.

[@bboywolf]

yeah don't let people use the nba's own words and rules along with film tape to give you educated analysis. instead listen to this guy who has no evidence proving players today are just soooo athletic. a league where curry jokic doncic harden dominate

[@bboywolf]

@@Edd_LShore this is a fat lie 🤣 the warriors have beaten this same celtics team and the rockets who shot even more 3s

[@mveno123]

Yeah but you actually have to maneuver around a traffic cone

[@moatef1886]

@@bboywolfCeltics didn’t have Jrue against the warriors in 2022 though.

[@wholesome7681]

Can we all talk about how underrated Sam hauser is though

[@Rodytur10]

On most teams Hauser would be a starter. One of the best shooters in the game with very decent defense and hustle. He's an amazing +103 in just 81 playoff minutes.

[@jonnyk7593]

and his contract is 3million/year so the production has massively exceeded the cost, love Sam so underrated

[@michaelschaefer1904]

He is rated as one of the most efficient defenders in the league.

[@unbiasedjisoostan3716]

​@@michaelschaefer1904 but somehow in this series, I see Luka and Kyrie targetting him in isos. You would think after Game 2, they would know better.

[@rossconklin7140]

One more season in Boston before he's too expensive. He's so much better in this series. The Pacers were a little too fast.

[@mdarshaq5143]

Not sure most people realize what an elite level of analysis this, and how dialed in and observant you have to be on possessions to catch stuff like this. To be able to show why what seemed like a simple enough play/counter had so much intent and progression behind it over the course of the series. That right there is why Ben is the best public basketball analyst in the world, IMO. Masterful stuff, grateful as always to have more Thinking Basketball content, Ben :)

[@VanillaGh0st1]

Yeah he must rewatch some of these plays 5-10 times

[@jacobgibbs3424]

7:46 This Jrue Holiday clip is elite.

[@jk-pc1iv]

Yes it is. He is on another level in this one

[@Toucansam46]

Is everyone ready to admit Mazzulla is a fantastic coach yet? The apologies better be as loud as the disrespect.

[@xavierb9061]

Relax won 1 legit series this year and its just hunt luka...we all can do that with this roster

[@nsp74]

everyone was fooled by mazulla which includes me

[@KingJerbear]

@@xavierb9061 I think you misspoke, what you meant to say is "They've lost only 20 games in the last 9 months, 0 games in the last 30 days, and Joe Mazzulla has the highest coaching winning percentage in NBA history"

[@xavierb9061]

@@KingJerbear inherited team that lost in nba finals. Gm added 7ft3 20ppg and team usa player...year before down 3-0 to 8th seed

[@Toucansam46]

@@xavierb9061 over 2 years, last year with a significantly worse roster, Joe Mazzulla has the highest winning % of any coach in NBA history in both the regular season and playoffs. You just watched a video showcasing his incredible adjustments mid game. Y’all tell me every single day Tatum sucks, Brown is overrated, Celtics aren’t that good, “Mavs in 5” but when they win at an elite level the narrative changes to “anyone can win with that roster” which is it? Cause either Tatum is a top 5 guys and Brown is top 15 or this isn’t a superteam. You can’t have it both ways.

[@ChristopherBuecheler]

I love watching this Celtics team play D when they're locked in. Just ridiculously good.

[@zoobugs5056]

Mavs fan. Mazzulla is next big time leader and their coaching staff is admirable.

[@GurtonBuster07]

I feel bad for mavs fans having to watch Jason Kidd mumble through post game and pre game interviews yall deserve better he is not it lmao. There’s a reason he already got fired, twice.

[@zoobugs5056]

@@GurtonBuster07 Yea. He has gotten better, but he's nowhere near elit level HC. And poor Luka, dude has had to carry entire teams since day 1.

[@crung]

I feel for anyone that has to watch kidd ball. That timeout when yall were on a 22-2 run or something killed you completely and he wasted his challenge on an obvious call cause Luka told him to. Such a waste

[@ctoaun23]

​​@@zoobugs5056You don't get to the Finals without being a good team. Yeah the role players have mostly disappeared in the Finals but that's mostly due to the Celtics defense but as an OKC fan they definitely carried the Mavs through that series. Luka is obviously amazing but this isn't a carry job, Mavs would have lost in both round 1 and 2 if it was.

[@zoobugs5056]

@ctoaun23 idk about lost in round 1 and 2, but those role players are inconsistent and have been from coming together at trade dealine. Now they've disappeared totally

[@therealallpro]

It's crazy that Celtics have still not shot that well relative to their shooting and their spacing. They should have a game over 45% from 3 by now.

[@Elbow_Jumper]

The level of in-game/in-action reads and adjustments are so high here, and I love how Thinking Basketball (Ben and the team) breaks it down into bite-sized pieces for fans to dig into. This kind of high-level recognition and review demonstrates what coaching at the NBA level looks like. It probably doesn't work like this, but my hot take is: SEND THE CELTICS TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES.

[@Dachoseone34]

Yes

[@fazebooquifius3186]

Boston would lose Kristaps and Horford to other Olympic teams, so they would have to be replaced by AD and Bam. But yeah I agree that team would be easily better than whatever all-star team is actually assembled by virtue of having a strong team identity and great synergy. Also it's so much easier for a coach to do their job when there is that level of familiarity and respect.

[@josedejesus6134]

Tatun 26, Brown is 27, they have been in the NBA for 7 and 8 years respectively. They have seen it all. It is amazing to watch them toy with Dallas. Dallas is a great team, but the Celtics stars at a mere 26/27 are the OLD savvy veterans. Then on top of that, you have the experience of Holiday, Horford and White. Crazy!

[@jack-en8ek]

Seeing how much is happening, play after play, adjustments being made throughout the series, simply incredible and so cool to see it broken down. Love the videos! Keen for game 4!

[@amir91095]

Watching your finals series makes it pretty clear that on top of the talent, Celtics just have better coaching

[@nsp74]

and best GM

[@homersimp]

Good team chemistry as well. Nobody is trying to be a hero

[@kizitokatende412]

This is beautiful film analysis

[@jonjojr]

Brown MVP, out of all he has done for this series, that paint drive dunk sealed it for me.

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

I am in agreement. I wouldnt be mad if Jrue wins it either.

[@BigA678]

anyone but Tatum idc if Derrick White get it

[@Dachoseone34]

@@BigA678u just a Tatum hater

[@jk-pc1iv]

With this team I don’t even care about who ends up winning fmvp tbh. Such a great group, even with their 3rd option being sidelined. Unbelievable

[@FezzesRCool11]

I LOVE this kind of breakdown. I feel like I understand basketball just a bit more every time I watch one of these.

[@SeanGildea77]

I'm just commenting again to help your algo and you come up more in NBA searches. Great video! Love your podcast too.

[@peterjohnstoltzman]

Wow this is the best breakdown I’ve seen ALL Year! Thank you!!

[@maartenvz]

What an absolute masterclass in how to read the defence and break it down. Great video and I especially love how you focus on what Boston is doing well. They deserve all their flowers!

[@W4Rx1Sx0V3R]

Thanks for these videos Ben! It's always great to have your in depth analysis to show what makes a great team/players/coach even more special

[@GustavoSilva-ny8jc]

0:33 The position is all inverted LOL, who would have thought the game would turn like this.

[@GustavoSilva-ny8jc]

Maybe thats why Boston have the best Shot blocker guard (ever?!)

[@Basketballchannel-ym6gj]

This is one of my favourite videos. Seeing the ripple effects. One play that failed but set up the next play, or seeing that it was actually Jaylen Brown that didn't take a decision fast enough so Holliday struggled against Gafford.

[@Dunc2222]

"Boston's just an incredibly smart, well-coached team with high-IQ veterans". Exactly. Never seen collective team intellect demonstrated more vividly than the Celtics have in these finals - on both sides of the court. Great video breakdown!

[@ThatOneVelliGuy]

I forgot how intricate basketball can be. That’s for rekindling my love for the game

[@DavidJimenez-he1tv]

Great video! wouldve loved to see also what the mavericks did during the fourth when they went on that run

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

Ya. That 21 point comeback from the Mavs was actually admirable. I gotta give it up to them.

[@ondrejsveda8202]

5:15 i like how they waved at eachother

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

Lol me too.

[@VennThuria]

This is the only basketball analytics channel I ever needed.

[@brandonbugtai8346]

Omg when i watch your videos everything just opens up. I cant believe ive just been staring at the guy holding the ball all the time 😂😂

[@StoneAgeStark]

This is the best NBA analytical channel on youtube

[@Spawnamvs]

I remember seeing people say Mazulla wasnt the coach the C's needed and how they didnt like him but seeing how well this team works makes me feel like we need to give these tems and new coaches more time to settle in and stop firing them needlessly

[@92alpha13]

It’s Boston fam. He win the chip this year and will be on the hot seat next year.🤣

[@hectorirene763]

@@92alpha13 nah. He got leeway even after crapping the bed with an 8th seeded Miami Heat. He will stick around.

[@KingJerbear]

@@hectorirene763 It's not "leeway," he coached the entire year without being able to hire his own staff. He had to use the leftovers from Ime Udoka and still got to the conference finals. You're supposed to fire a coach now for finishing the season as a top 4 team in the league..?

[@shaneyy__]

People have GOT to give coaches time. It’s embarrassing how quick the media is to throw coaches under the bus.

[@dman6261]

Good God, what a team Celtics has become. Holiday has been truly amazing

[@skibxskatic]

8:13 love seeing luke already motioning for sam to peel out as soon as he saw al pull luka up and maxi completely lose sam. luke already knew that was gonna be the move. love the bus 1 boys.

[@xavierjc94]

Great analysis. Love your videos

[@TheMilchBroetchen]

actually tatum changed his game a lot compared to last year. I like him way more in the facilitator role and it seems like he doesnt force as much as he used to be. instead he swings the ball more and has some pretty good kick outs when he drives.

[@ericjoonyi]

3:13 tell me how this doesn’t get called on Kyrie??? Literally does the reach around his waist

[@diabolik2280]

Very nice video. Coach Kid has been outsmarted and had to do more for his team but now is unfortunately too late. To me Dallas's biggest problems were: not attacking the Tatum Gafford mismatch in the post, stagnant offence with no plays for Luka and Kyrie to get easy points, too many minutes for lively that is clearly worse than gafford in this series, too many minutes for Kleber who is just blatantly terrible, role players never scoring the ball, Luka's defence in general (but he's injured so it's not that surprising).

[@juanclaros6349]

Damn, the breakdown of this film was ELITE. Got a fan out of me man, go C’s btw☘️!

[@ZachNguyen-vp7nz]

Thinking Basketball drops, I click

[@GroovyJ007]

Awful Coaching is leagues ahead of this channel .

[@ZachNguyen-vp7nz]

@@GroovyJ007 I love Awful Coaching dude is hilarious 💀 “WHERE’S AL HORFORD FIND AL HORFORD”

[@kelvinlee7351]

@@ZachNguyen-vp7nz WE'RE IN NORTH KOREA

[@ZachNguyen-vp7nz]

@@kelvinlee7351 ❌ SEE BALL SEE MAN ❌ SHOW YOUR HANDS SLIDE YOUR FEET ❌ STUNT AND RECOVER ❌ GET IN THE GAPS ❌ FIND AL HORFORD ✅ GAMBLE ✅ LIVE ON AN ISLAND ✅ NORTH KOREA COACHING

[@BestFitSquareChannel]

Superb breakdown. One on a long list of consistently superb breakdowns. My viewing experience has been enriched, elevated an order of magnitude. Thank you. Best wishes.

[@Gulleysann]

Bro this content is amazing. I love this channel.

[@Eu023]

Boston plays really good basketball. Of course they also have at least 6 great players.

[@KwabenaAgyemanLipsy]

Amazing Content guys!!!!

[@speedwagon6-e1b]

We are back to the phase of Luka fans saying Luka has no help😂 Love the video btw, Ben!

[@SAH-n7d-e8c]

Luka is a big crybaby. He complains about every foul. Admit your fouls and shut the F up.

[@TroyBrownTV]

@2:10 D White- 45 cut Horford- Shake to wing, replace White Tatum- skip pass to Hordord, attack close out, kick out to corner Corner- Hit the shot or attack the rim and dump it back to horford

[@shieldon530]

9:53 Jayson Tatum is such a student of the game and high value defender. It takes a lot of athleticism and intelligence, not to mention defensive discipline and quality/confidence in your scouting report, to stay down on this recovery on this play. Chased down a wide open Luka under the hoop and stopped him without recording a single stat. Forget briefly that he didn’t foul because the Celtics defense as a whole hasn’t really committed many fouls on Kyrie nor Luka this series. He didn’t even jump at this pump fake despite how absurdly open Luka was. He almost did, but he quickly stopped his upward motion and settled on two feet with his balance and stability in the blink of an eye, with one hand straight up to contest without fouling. Now remember that he did all that without fouling Luka, a generational talent and a fantastic player who can be savvy when it comes to drawing fouls. Trusting your gameplan and refusing to bite on any of Luka’s foul gambits and giving up an advantage.

[@shieldon530]

Yo you’re just saying that to push the Tatum fmvp agenda 😡😡

[@shieldon530]

This is literally 1984

[@Glausatron]

this is beautiful beautiful basketball. Being a boston fan I was not a fan of Mazzulla last year as a first year coach. He has really become a great coach and i think we will be looking at him like Spolestra down the road.

[@markmassengill924]

Love the breakdown 👍👍

[@meepk633]

It's like there's a threshold where median talent becomes infinitely more important than average talent. I'm sure that's been studied a billion times, but I never really thought about it until recently.

[@andrewforbes3122]

Love this North Korean broadcast program

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

*jason kidd has been ARRESTED in NORTH KOREA and his WIFE DIVORCED HIM because he LOST THE FINALS with his TERRIBLE COACHING!*

[@LatestSierraLeoneMusic]

Thinking Basketball 🏀

[@notsoanonymous686]

Love the play breakdown! I’m not nearly as technical, but appreciate the ball movement - thanks for explaining why it’s so good. 🏀 🍀🍀🍀🍀

[@pangponndd]

very well analyzed, love it.

[@tomrobbins4809]

Incredible breakdown. Learned a lot from this. Thanks!

[@bjzach]

Amazing content bro, thanks for sharing!

[@luckyuliveHI]

Very nice analysis, breakdown!

[@Reezus20]

Super Great analysis 💯

[@danielvizcaya2595]

Tks for all your work!

[@beyrambahria5920]

This is the best analayse i have seen good job

[@iand25]

Great video! please make more Celtics Content, they are seriously under represented on the channel. Still love TB

[@jimreadey4837]

*First play at the start of this video:* Did you see Kyrie give JT two forearm shivs to the back as JT went up for the layup...? Reminds me of what Mavs fans complained about re the end of Game 2 when JB had his hand on the back of Washington (before Brown and White blocked his layup attempt).

[@rossconklin7140]

That was different because they talked about it on ESPN. Also "you can't make that kind of call late in the game"... except that one. Only Mavericks are allowed to foul in the last 5 minutes.

[@wklguy2376]

Tatum should have had like 3-4 and-ones

[@Eli-k7b]

That play from Derrick White at 8:38 was high iq. Tatum wasn't going to cut and taken advantage but DWhite created a dunk for him. It's all about setting up your teammates and seeing things they can't see.

[@urbaindelva7869]

I'm one of the people who has/has been critical of Joe Mazzulla. As good as he is as a coach, I felt like he implemented habits into the Celtics that could backfire on them at some point (being more of 3pt shooting team). He has done an excellent job with them: having them play team ball, be more disciplined, the adjustments have been very good. He deserves a lot of credit.

[@LifeOnInCline]

What a great breakdown! I've watched about 7 videos covering the finals, and none have shown me why the celtics are up 3-0 quite like yours. After watching this, I can't help but think the Mavericks are just being out coached at every angle. Even though the celtics have a better roster. As a non fan of both these teams, I hope it at least goes to game 6 lol

[@BenjaminLay1682]

Thank you for giving JOE MAZZULLA credit. Best record in the league in years AND the youngest coach in 50 years to make it to the finals. He is an outstanding coach and if Boston fans can't see that, best believe that other teams can.

[@XYRYX1]

There was so much talk about Luka being an improved defender and it’s obvious he is hurt right now but man he makes James Harden look agile and engaged defensively. There is now way to survive this constantly if he is blown by 3 out of 4 attacks a game. Still probs to Mazzulla and the Celtics for making this work.

[@brandonwintpoetry]

This is such a great, clear, precise explanation. It's perfect.

[@VanillaGh0st1]

I can’t tell if this video was so good because your analysis is improving or if the Celtics are improving…probably both! Great stuff

[@Fortune3121]

thanks for bringing back this music. missed it

[@edithsantos2073]

Loving it Subscribed🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@davemelendres2484]

Nice work!

[@maxxberry5510]

7:41 this offensive sequence is all you need to see to know how valuable jrue is to a team. id love to see him take the mvp

[@1Speed14]

Fantastic video bro

[@SeanGildea77]

Best basketball analysis on youtube, bar none.

[@TulioMCano]

Man you are the best analyzer of the game it's not even close

[@sheryll1536]

This is such a great breakdown

[@Notjamesparker]

I was one of those fans who were harsh on Joe until earlier this season, and for good reason. Lol. And just like our players, he has significantly matured. Proud of that man's progress.

[@johnnylektric]

Brilliant breakdown, man! Insta-subbed! I will plaster this video to anyone, including fellow C's fans, trying to downplay Joe's system!

[@quangvan2269]

Really nice breakdown thank you

[@thomasdrew1159]

Great video!

[@ssjpiccolo916]

Another excellent video breakdown. Celtics out-playing and out-coaching the Mavs seems like it'll just be too much of a mountain to climb for Dallas Also, this video is a low-key highlight reel for Derrick Lively's situational awareness and defense. He's going to be special

[@stephanrichardson98]

amazing breakdown

[@xavierbishop1048]

Bro makes a full blown analysis video immediately after the game - dedication! Hopefully nuggets have a longer playoff run next season so Thinking Bball can keep analysing how a 7ft Serbian dude torches entire organisations with his ability to see the future and find the open man

[@gunnarsingh2519]

Excellent analysis... I was wondering how Tatum got the seal so easily but after your explanation it makes sense