Dallas Mavericks, Arizona alum Josh Green stumbling after NBA Finals Game 2 vs. Boston Celtics

After only losing two of their last 10 games and kindly escorting the Minnesota Timberwolves out of the NBA Playoffs with a gentleman's sweep, the Dallas Mavericks have hit a wall against the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals.

After convincingly losing Game 1 in Boston, the Mavericks — who are rostering Arizona alum Josh Green and have him in the bench rotation — fell 7 points short at home and lost 105-98.

How did the game play out?

Once again, superstar guard Luka Doncic put the team on his back. He logged a team-high 43 minutes on the court and posted a triple-double with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists — all of which led the Mavericks.

However, his backcourt-mate in Kyrie Irving is still looking out of sorts. After averaging 25.6 points per game, 5.2 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game during the regular season while shooting 49.7% from the field, he's averaging 14 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 rebounds through two finals games while shooting 35.1% from the field. He's also 0-5 from 3-point range.

When playing against a team led by Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Kristaps Porzingis, one player can't be expected to shoulder the load of the entire team — even if it is someone of Doncic's caliber.

How did Green do?

Green's performance was much like the rest of Dallas': underwhelming. After logging 3 points and three rebounds in Game 1, he only posted 4 points and one paltry rebound in Game 2. Once again, he only made one of his four shot from the field for a shooting percentage of 25%.

While his sole basket was a 3-pointer in Game 1, he had marginally more scoring opportunity on Sunday night. Outside of his four shots from the field, he also notched three free throw attempts and he made two of them.

Green was far from the only problem facing the Mavs as they floundered in front of the home crowd, but he'll need to be more productive if he hopes to have any sort of future in Dallas. No matter what happens after a champion is crowned, the Mavericks will likely go on a spending spree.

With the increased attention to a major media market, top-flight talent and the best bench players will flock to Dallas. Green will need to work his tail off during this series to secure a roster spot somewhere for next season.

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