The Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks are set to face off in an exciting NBA Finals series.

While the Celtics were the favorite to make the NBA Finals and the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, their road to the NBA finals has been very simple.

In the first round, the Celtics played the Miami Heat, but the Heat were without star Jimmy Butler, who is known for his playoff performance. The next round, they played the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were without two key players during that series, Donovan Mitchell and Jared Allen. And finally, in the Eastern Conference Finals, they played the Indiana Pacers, who were missing their best player and 2024 All-NBA Third Team inductee, Tyrese Haliburton.

It was the exact opposite for the Dallas Mavericks, as their road to the finals will definitely be something to remember.

As the fifth seed in the Western conference, the Mavericks were able to beat the Los Angeles Clippers, the number one seed Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Not one of these series went past six games.

Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic have made a big impact for the Mavericks, making it very hard for teams to match their play. With Irving’s experience in the NBA finals, and the clutch play of Doncic, this Mavericks lineup is very hard to compete with.

On the other hand, the Celtics have a well rounded starting lineup, including two all-stars, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

In the last few series, though, Tatum has been inconsistent on offense. Luckily, Brown has been able to step up for the Celtics, and he was named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals.

If the Mavericks bring their momentum to the NBA Finals, and the Celtics continue to be off and on every other game, the Mavericks would easily be able to take this series in under six games.