The Boston Celtics had a chance to close out the 2024 NBA Finals on Friday. But C's head coach Joe Mazzulla wound up waving the white flag before the third quarter even came to an end.
Yes, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks were that dominant in Game 4 on Friday as they stormed past Boston 122-84 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Staring down a potential sweep, Doncic scored 25 of his game-high 29 points in the first half to power Dallas to a 61-35 halftime advantage. The Mavs then stretched their advantage to as many as 48 points in the second half, marking the largest lead in a Finals game in at least 50 years, according to ESPN.
Mazzulla emptied the bench with three minutes remaining in the third quarter and Mavs coach Jason Kidd followed suit shortly after, with both teams looking ahead to Monday's Game 5.
So, where does the Mavericks' 38-point victory rank among the biggest blowouts in NBA Finals history?
What's the largest margin of victory in an NBA Finals game?
Dallas came close to recording the biggest Finals blowout ever. The record was set in the 1998 Finals when the Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz by 42 points in Game 3, winning 96-54. Michael Jordan and the Bulls went on to win the series in six games.
The Celtics actually own the second-largest victory in Finals history. Boston closed out the 2008 Finals with a 39-point win over the rival Los Angeles Lakers, winning 131-92.
The Mavericks' 38-point rout of the Celtics ranks third all time. That spot previously was held by the San Antonio Spurs' 36-point win over the Miami Heat (113-77) in the 2013 Finals, per ESPN.
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What's the biggest blowout in the NBA playoffs?
The largest margin of victory in an NBA playoff game is 58 points, which two teams have achieved, according to StatMuse. The Minneapolis Lakers beat the St. Louis Hawks 133-75 in 1956, while the Denver Nuggets beat the New Orleans Hornets 121-63 in 2009.
