Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd shouts directions to his gamers throughout the first half of Recreation 5 of the Western Convention finals within the NBA basketball playoffs in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Thursday, Could 30, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Picture/Abbie Parr)
BOSTON — Jason Kidd received an NBA championship as a Dallas participant in 2011. He now has an opportunity to win one as a Dallas coach, which might put him in a really small membership.
There are solely 14 folks in NBA historical past to win rings as each a participant and a head coach. That group: Rick Carlisle, Larry Costello, Billy Cunningham, Tom Heinsohn, Purple Holzman, Phil Jackson, Buddy Jeannette, Okay.C. Jones, Steve Kerr, Tyronn Lue, Pat Riley, Invoice Russell, George Senesky and Invoice Sharman.
READ: Jason Kidd passes on vindication as he leads Mavericks to NBA Finals
Kidd can be part of a bunch inside that group, too. Of these 14, there are seven to win titles as a participant and a coach with the identical group — these being Cunningham (Philadelphia), Heinsohn, Jones and Russell (Boston), Jeannette (Baltimore), Riley (Los Angeles Lakers) and Senesky (Philadelphia Warriors).
DOMINANT CELTICS
Boston Celtics ahead Jayson Tatum (0) congratulates guard Jaylen Brown (7) after they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in Recreation 4 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff collection, Monday, Could 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Picture/David Dermer)
If Boston wins these NBA Finals, an argument may very well be made that this was essentially the most dominant group in Celtics historical past.
Barring something however a Dallas sweep, the 2023-24 Celtics will end with both the second- or third-best successful proportion in group historical past. The 1985-86 Celtics have been 82-18 (.820); the most effective this group can do is 80-20 (.800).
READ: Celtics will win NBA title if Tatum, Brown concentrate on particulars, not feelings
However the place this group will nearly actually set itself aside in Celtics historical past is level differential. Once more, barring one thing like Dallas successful 4 video games in 30-point blowouts, Boston will end with the very best differential over a complete season in group historical past. These Celtics are outscoring groups by 11.2 factors per recreation getting into this collection; the 1985-86 group outscored foes by 9.6 factors per recreation.
LUKA 3K
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic smiles throughout a information convention after the group’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Recreation 5 of the NBA basketball Western Convention finals Thursday, Could 30, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Picture/Matt Krohn)
The longer this collection goes, the higher the prospect that Dallas’ Luka Doncic will turn into the eleventh participant in NBA historical past to attain 3,000 factors in a season — together with playoffs.
Doncic is getting into these NBA Finals with 2,859 factors this season, so he wants 141 for 3,000.
READ: First NBA Finals journey dream come true for Luka Doncic
It might be the twenty fourth such season in NBA historical past if he will get there. Michael Jordan had 10 such seasons, Wilt Chamberlain had 5 and eight different gamers — Bob McAdoo, Elgin Baylor, James Harden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Rick Barry and Shaquille O’Neal — every did it as soon as.
LeBron James, the league’s profession scoring chief, bought as shut as one can to becoming a member of the three,000-point membership with out ever hitting the milestone. In 2017-18, James completed with precisely 2,999 factors.
SIX IN SIX
This season will see a sixth group win within the final six seasons, after Denver in 2023, Golden State in 2022, Milwaukee in 2021, the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and Toronto in 2018.
It’s the second time in NBA historical past there was a six-different-champions-in-six-years stretch. The Lakers received in 1980, preceded by Seattle in 1979, Washington in 1978, Portland in 1977, Boston in 1976 and Golden State in 1975.
THE MONEY
At stake on this collection: the NBA title, the Larry O’Brien Trophy, a pile of bejeweled rings and $4,856,937 in bonus cash.
The NBA’s playoff pool is a document $33,657,947 this season and will get distributed to every of the 16 playoff groups. The deeper within the playoffs you go, the more cash you get, and there have been some further bonuses for the highest regular-season data as nicely.
Boston is already assured $7,202,498 from the pool, and the Celtics would see that determine rise to $12,059,435 in the event that they win the NBA Finals.
Dallas has locked up at least $5,899,422 in bonus cash. The Mavericks would get a complete of $10,756,359 in the event that they win the title.
The bonus pool is often break up ultimately amongst gamers and workers from the playoff groups.
DIVISION CHAMPS, NBA CHAMPS
As soon as once more, a division champion will win the NBA title.
Boston received the Atlantic Division by 14 video games, Dallas received the Southwest Division by one recreation. And which means this would be the twelfth time within the final 13 seasons {that a} division champion would be the one which hoists the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The exception: Golden State in 2022, when the Warriors beat Boston. Earlier than that, the final group to not win their division however win the NBA title was Dallas in 2011.
STICK AROUND
NBA groups which have a lead going into the fourth quarter have prevailed 84.1% of the time this season. However Dallas has a knack for rallying.
The Mavericks, together with playoffs, have a league-best 14 wins this season when trailing after three quarters. The Celtics, additionally together with the playoffs, have a league-high 69 wins when main after three.
5 SEED CURSE
The Dallas Mavericks pose for a group {photograph} after a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Recreation 5 of the Western Convention finals within the NBA basketball playoffs Thursday, Could 30, 2024, in Minneapolis. The Mavericks received 124-103, taking the collection 4-1 and shifting on to the NBA Finals. (AP Picture/Abbie Parr)
Dallas is attempting to do one thing that no group has finished underneath the present playoff seeding format, which matches again 40 years.
No group seeded No. 5 in both convention has received the NBA title.
One lower-seeded group did; Houston was a No. 6 seed out of the West in 1995 when it received a title. However all the opposite groups that made the finals after incomes a seed of solely No. 5 or worse — Miami in 2023, Miami in 2020 and New York in 1999 — misplaced the title collection.
FOUR WITH 50
Dallas has an opportunity at doing one thing that no group has since 2001 — beat 4 groups with not less than 50 wins on its solution to the NBA championship.
The Mavericks have overwhelmed a 51-win group within the Los Angeles Clippers, a 57-win group in Oklahoma Metropolis and a 56-win group in Minnesota — beginning every of these collection on the street. Boston received 64 video games within the common season.
In 2001, it was the Los Angeles Lakers who, because the No. 2 seed within the West, beat 50-win Portland, 55-win Sacramento and 58-win San Antonio on its solution to the NBA Finals — the place they downed 56-win Philadelphia.
San Antonio almost did it in 2014, beating three groups with 50 wins on its solution to the title. However within the first spherical, the Spurs’ opponent had solely 49 wins; that opponent was the Dallas Mavericks.
The 2002 Lakers additionally beat three 50-win groups and one 49-win group on their solution to that season’s championship.
