“Celtics boutta choke”- Mavericks fans optimistic after largest NBA Finals lead in 50 years leads to blowout win

The Dallas Mavericks extended the 2024 NBA Finals series to five games after scripting a massive 122-84 win in Friday's elimination Game 4. Dallas led by 48 points at one stage, the largest margin of lead in an NBA Finals game in 50 years. It was a lopsided contest since the start, as Dallas went up 34-21 in the first quarter before stretching the lead to 61-35 at halftime.

The third quarter wasn't much different as Luka Doncic and Co. kept their foot on the gas and demolished the Celtics by maintaining a 30+ point lead, seeing starters from both teams go to the bench. The second unit carried that momentum against Boston's reserves as the lead went up to 115-67, the monumental differential that was one of the key talking points.

With the Celtics surprisingly enduring an old-fashioned blowout, Mavericks fans displayed plenty of optimism as one fan wrote:

"LFGGGGG CELTICS BOUTTA CHOKE A 3-0 LEAD"

Other fans echoed the sentiment that the Celtics could become the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 lead.

"If anyone can blow a 3-0 leads, it’s the Celtics. LFG BABY!" one fan said.

"Come on. It’s time to make history," another added.

A fan said:

"Mavs in 7 i believe"

Meanwhile, another wondered aloud whether it was the start of a historic comeback.

"IS IT HAPPENING?" wrote another fan.

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Mavericks have no room for error ahead of elimination Game 5 in Boston

The Dallas Mavericks go into their toughest game of the season in Monday's Game 5 at Boston. The TD Garden crowd will be buzzing, fuelling the Boston Celtics to play out of their skins and close the deal on their home floor for banner No. 18. No team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit, but if the Mavs execute their plans like they did in Game 4, the contest could swing either way.

The Celtics can be complacent in crunch situations and let go of the rope when met with force. It was one of their rare Achilles heels during the season, prompting their naysayers to doubt their chances of title success with this core.

However, that's only possible if Dallas rarely puts a foot wrong. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving need to be just as good defensively as they were in Game 4, as the majority of Dallas' woes have been because of their frailties on the end in the first three games.

Offensively, the Mavericks must continue to play through everyone and not just their superstars. They did that for lengthier stretches in Game 4, leading to the improbable result.