NBA Game Notes (June 14, 2024)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on June 14, 2024.

Jun 15, 2024

Three Stars

The three stars in ice hockey are the three best players in a game, with the “first star” considered the best of the three players, similar to the player of the match in other sports. Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games.

First ⭐️

Luka Doncic scored a game-high 29 points as the Dallas Mavericks avoided a series sweep by destroying the Boston Celtics 122-84 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The teams will head back to Boston for Game 5 Monday night.

Doncic also contributed five rebounds, five assists, and a game-high three steals, committing just one turnover in 33 minutes played. He went 12-18 from 2-point range, but missed all eight of his 3-point attempts.

Second ⭐️

Kyrie Irving scored 21 points and dished out a game-high six assists for the Mavericks. He shot 9-12 on 2-pointers, but hit just one of his six attempts from 3-point range. Irving was charged with just one turnover and one personal foul in 31 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Dereck Lively II recorded a double-double, scoring 11 points and hauling in a game-high 12 rebounds for the Mavericks. Lively II sank four of his five attempts from the field, making the first 3-pointer of his NBA career (regular season or postseason). He did not commit a turnover or a personal foul in his 22 minutes of playing time.

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Milestones

Doncic surpassed 1,500 career points in the playoffs, becoming the fourth-fastest player in NBA history to reach that mark (49 games). The only players who have done so in fewer games are Michael Jordan (43), Elgin Baylor (45), and Wilt Chamberlain (45).
Doncic has produced 607 points, 196 rebounds, and 173 assists in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. He’s just the fourth player in NBA history to record at least 600 points, 150 rebounds, and 150 assists in a single postseason, joining Larry Bird (1987), LeBron James (2015 and 2018), and Nikola Jokic (2023).
It wasn’t all good for Doncic, as he became the sixth player in NBA Finals history to attempt at least eight 3-pointers in a game without a make. That snapped a streak of 48 consecutive playoff games with at least one 3-pointer made, the third-longest such streak in NBA history.
At 20 years and 123 days old, Lively II became the youngest player in NBA Finals history to make a 3-pointer. The previous mark was held by Tyler Herro (20 years, 254 days).
Lively II posted a rating of plus-20 points, the highest such figure by a rookie in an NBA Finals game in the play-by-play era. The previous mark of plus-18 points was shared by Manu Ginobili (June 15, 2003) and Luke Walton (June 8, 2004).
On the flip side, the Celtics’ Jrue Holiday registered a rating of minus-38 points, the worst such figure in an NBA Finals game in the play-by-play era. The previous mark of minus-36 points was set by teammate Jayson Tatum on June 5, 2022.
The Dallas Mavericks’ 38-point margin of victory is the third-largest such figure in NBA Finals history. The Chicago Bulls hammered the Utah Jazz by 42 points on June 7, 1998, while the Boston Celtics routed the Los Angeles Lakers by 39 points on June 17, 2008.
From the Boston Celtics’ perspective, it was the worst loss in the franchise’s 139-game Finals history, surpassing the 33-point defeat handed to them by the Los Angeles Lakers on June 3, 1984.

Streaking

Doncic has scored at least 25 points in each of his last 11 playoff games, the longest such streak in Mavericks history by three games. He’s averaging 30.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 7.7 APG over that span.
Doncic became the first player to score fewer than 30 points on 25 or more field goal attempts in back-to-back NBA Finals games since Patrick Ewing in 1994. Doncic and Ewing are the only players in the last 50 NBA Finals to achieve this dubious feat.
Lively II became the first rookie to record back-to-back double-doubles in the NBA Finals since Magic Johnson in 1980. At 20 years and 123 days old, Lively II is the youngest player to accomplish the feat.
Lively II became the first player in NBA Finals history to record a double-double while shooting at least 80% from the field in back-to-back games. He posted 11 points (5-6 field goals) and 13 rebounds in Game 3, and 11 points (4-5 field goals) and 12 rebounds in Game 4.
The Celtics’ Derrick White hit two 3-pointers, extending his franchise-record streak of playoff games with at least one 3-pointer made to 27. White is averaging 15.4 PPG with 47/43/90 shooting splits over that stretch.

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Doncic led all scorers last night with 29 points, 25 of them coming in the first half. He was followed by Irving (21), teammate Tim Hardaway Jr. (15), and the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (15).
Lively II was the night’s runaway leader in rebounds, pulling in 12 boards. Three players snagged five rebounds each: Doncic, the Mavericks’ Josh Green, and Tatum.
Irving was the top playmaker, handing out six assists last night. Doncic was second with five dimes, followed by teammate Jaden Hardy and the Celtics’ Al Horford with four apiece.