Boston Legend Bob Cousy Was 'Relieved' With Celtics-Mavericks NBA Finals Matchup
![Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles the ball against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the second quarter in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles the ball against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the second quarter in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4979,h_2800,x_1235,y_341/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/dallas_basketball/01j3npw4szqxfds0b572.jpg)
It's been over a month since the Boston Celtics won their 18th NBA Championship, disposing of the Dallas Mavericks in five games. While Jayson Tatum wanted to win on the opposing team's floor after what Golden State did to them two years ago, they were still able to close things out with a dominant Game 5 victory.
Before the series started, Celtics icon Bob Cousy predicted they'd beat the Mavs in four or five games and his prediction came true. He also was "relieved" that the Mavericks won the Western Conference, according to a story written recently about The Celtics' Governor bringing the 2024 Larry O'Brien trophy to Cousy's house so he could see it.
"Cousy said he was relieved when the Mavericks won the Western Conference because he thought the Celtics would beat them easily and he wouldn’t have to stay up until 11:30 on game nights to watch the end of the games. He was convinced that Jrue Holiday and Derrick White would be able to defend Kyrie Irving and to a lesser extent Luka Doncic."
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Holiday and White didn't spend as much time guarding Doncic as they did Irving, with the task falling to Jaylen Brown to guard the Mavericks' leading superstar. They did a great job limiting Irving to 14.3 PPG in the three games in Boston. No one else on the Mavs was able to pick up the slack and they couldn't steal any games on the road.
Cousy won six championships as a player with the Celtics and did color commentary for 35 years. Because of his contributions to the organization, they'll be gifting him with a championship ring from this season, a neat touch for one of the most iconic players in their team's history.
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