SI:AM | The NBA Finals Were a Total Dud

And it’s not just because the Celtics were so dominant.

Boston's dominance, a spaced-out schedule and a lack of any drama made this NBA Finals underwhelming. / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I can’t say I’m terribly disappointed that the NBA Finals are over. 

In today’s SI:AM: 

☘️ Celtics cruise to a title
🎙️ Tom Brady on broadcasting
🏌️‍♂️ Golf’s biggest Olympic snub

What a snoozer

The NBA Finals ended Monday with a game that followed an all too familiar script as the Boston Celtics throttled the Dallas Mavericks 106–88 to win their 18th championship in franchise history and their first in 16 years. 

The outcome was never really in doubt. Boston led by 10 after the first quarter and by 21 at halftime. Dallas never cut the deficit to fewer than 17 points in the second half. 

It was yet another game during this series that was completely devoid of drama. Only two of the five games were decided by single digits, and only Game 3 had any fourth-quarter excitement. The Celtics won Game 1, 107–89. Game 2 was closer, finishing 105–98 in favor of Boston, but the Celtics led for the final 21:44. Game 3 was when the Mavs mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback with a 22–2 run, but then Luka Doncic fouled out and the Celtics hung on to go up 3–0 in the series. Game 4 was the worst of the bunch, with Dallas cruising to a 122–84 win that drew one of the smallest Finals TV audiences in years. And then there was Game 5, which the Celtics led from start to finish.

It was as dull a Finals as you could imagine. Not every series is going to be a seven-game thriller full of legacy-defining plays like the 2016 classic between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, but this series didn’t have a single moment that anyone outside of Boston or Dallas will be able to recall in a month. What was the most memorable play of the series? Jaylen Brown’s midrange jumper to extend Boston’s lead to four points late in Game 3? Payton Pritchard’s halfcourt buzzer beaters in Games 2 and 5? Doncic fouling out?

Boston fans! Click the photo or here to to order Sports Illustrated's NBA championship digital commemorative issue. / Elsa/Getty Images

But the Celtics’ dominance wasn’t the only reason the series felt underwhelming. The schedule also didn’t do it any favors. There were two off days between most of the games, which makes it extremely difficult to build any sort of momentum from game to game. The extra day of rest is important for players at this stage in the postseason, but it also makes the series feel disjointed, especially when the games aren’t compelling enough to sustain two days of narrative building. 

Give the Celtics credit for making the series as boring as it was, though. They were the best team in the NBA all season long and reminded everyone of that in dismantling the Mavs. Brown and Jayson Tatum—Boston’s oft-doubted star duo—led the way, but the deciding factor was the Celtics’ superior depth. Jrue Holiday played excellent defense on Kyrie Irving. Derrick White hit more three pointers than any other player in the series. Sam Hauser hit as many threes in the series as Doncic. Kristaps Porzingis played through a rare leg injury to give his team valuable minutes off the bench. The Mavs, meanwhile, struggled to get anyone other than Doncic and Irving involved in the offense. 

The Celtics were the better team by an enormous margin. It made for a dud of a series, but Boston fans won’t be complaining. 

Despite his win Sunday, Bryson DeChambeau won’t be one of the four members of the U.S. contingent in France. / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The best of Sports Illustrated

• Chris Mannix captured the scene in Boston after the Celtics clinched their record-setting 18th NBA championship. 

• You can buy SI’s digital Celtics commemorative issue here.

• Our 32 teams in 32 days series continues with Matt Verderame’s look at the Saints. 

• Tom Brady was on Jimmy Traina’s SI Media podcast to talk about his upcoming role in the Fox NFL booth.

• Nick Selbe’s AL rookie roundup focuses on a few players who are turning their seasons around after slow starts.  

• Bryson DeChambeau’s absence from the Olympics is even more glaring after his U.S. Open win, Bob Harig writes. 

• Reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole will make his first start of the season this week.

The top five …

… things I saw last night: 

5. Wings rookie Jacy Sheldon’s fake to create enough space for a three-point attempt. 
4. Elly De La Cruz’s delayed steal. 
3. This compilation of Pirates rookie Paul Skenes’s nasty “splinkers” during his start against the Reds.
2. Payton Pritchard’s halfcourt buzzer beater at the end of the first half.  
1. The confetti falling as the Celtics won the championship.