‘It STARTS with Luka & Kyrie’ 🗣️ – Julius Randle on the Mavericks’ chances in Game 5 | NBA Countdown

‘It STARTS with Luka & Kyrie’ 🗣️ – Julius Randle on the Mavericks’ chances in Game 5 | NBA Countdown

so Luca donic trying to do something that has never been done before help his team come back from down three to none if they want to force a game six here julus where does it need to start well you know the um the guys like Derek Jones Jr PJ Washington maybe Tim Hardway those guys have been make shot shots and defend on the other end but if it’s going to a game six it starts with Luca and it starts with Kyrie it’s not just Luca not just Kyrie both of those guys have to play well and they had to play at an extremely high level they have to be the both uh best players on the court for them to force game six if it goes to game six um then you know they have a little bit more hope but it starts with those guys those guys are going to give the everybody else confidence this is the Celtics points in each game 107 105 106 84 that’s not a lot of points Dallas’s defense we pick on Luca but overall their defense has been good the problem is on the other end look what Dallas is scoring 89 98 99 122 what changed I was talking to Nico Harris and their GM of the Mavericks did a great job this year and I said did you tell the group to push the ball and he said yeah Jason was telling now that’s not Luca’s Forte so much but when they did push the it could be Kyrie’s Forte it worked for him as the bottom line they got out transition this Celtics defense top two in the NBA Defensive efficiency and offensive efficiency Dallas doing a good job on the defensive end but offensively they can’t win the game if they don’t get 100 points tonight they got to find a way to get it done and if they do and it’s close Luca is that good but at this point if they keep walking it up I’m not optimistic about the Mavericks absolutely and one thing that luuka does is he’s a great Outlet passer so why it might not be his Forte to dribble the ball up and and push the pace that way guys like I said PJ the Derek Jones they got to get out on the open court and get some easy baskets and transition plus that just to check this Julius if Kyrie does that and we know he can Luca off the ball still poses some problems it may give the Celtics some trouble early on with different looks is that possible too absolutely because you just got to keep the game close on the road if it slows down um in the fourth quarter that’s when you put the ball in Lucas’s hands and he takes you home but this is a road game in the NBA Finals right I don’t want to hear anything about any role players I understand they’re important you need them but damn it this is about Luca donic and this is about Kyrie Irving it starts with Kyrie because of how he has struggled in Boston you got to overcome no doldrum but when he is if assuming he does overcome it because he is great enough to do it right if he’s overcome it then Luca can’t be what he was in game three a guy that’s ball hard a guy that’s not recognizing to feed Kyrie the ball in Rhythm let him dictate pace and feed off of him and here’s the other key you want to give me a role player how about Derek Lively if porzingis doesn’t play We a at 38 okay if he does play porzingis is inent you run that young brother up and down the court all night long and make them work that’s the key to victory for the Dallas interesting we talk about this 3 lead now 3-1 what makes this a little different is the Celtics are missing a starter you know how hard it is win a championship missing a key starter in porzingis we have five of them that’s right well they got a lot of guys but even that Julius it gives me if Celtics are whole this thing may be over already if if porzingis was playing all four games it may be done but the fact they’re missing a big starter makes me believe Dallas can stay in the series they got a double double from Derek Lively in those games back in Dallas they had PJ Washington show up but does start from the top down with these Dallas Mavericks team because we’ve talked about it they need to be near perfect the Dallas Mavericks do in order to complete to beat an incredibly talented Boston Celtics team where Jaylen Brown has really been leading the way Stephen well no question but he’s been leading all season long from the moment they traded away Marcus Smart Jaylen Brown took it upon himself to be that vocal leader he was always a star average in better than 25 a game but he stepped up and said yo I got to be a vocal leader too welcome back Luka donic he really did it all in game four and that showed up on both ends of the floor he put up a Mavericks finals record 25 points in the first half and that was heed by his defense Luca held the Celtics to two of n shooting while also forcing four critical turnovers to set up transition opportunities remember only three teams before have ever forced a game six here come the Boston Celtics the Dallas Mavericks trying to make sure that this one ends tonight if you are Boston but St I I Turn to You on this how can the Mavericks force a game six first of all Kyrie Irving has to have a big game um they got they you know he’s been struggling averaging 14 points and 35% shooting in the first two games in Boston he’s got to do significantly better he’s got to replicate his performances in games three and four in Dallas that’s number one number two lucer can be effective and what have you he can’t slow the pace you got to push the ball up the basketball court you got to give it to Kyrie Irving to do that that’s more don’t go out of rhythm don’t get Kyrie off his rhythm he’s in his bag feel it know it give him the damn ball you’re skilled enough to work around that and do what you do and last but not least Derek Lively has to run up and down that basketball court pingis is not healthy even if he does end up playing Al haford is older you got a young lion and Derek Lively who’s averag the double double over these two games keep running make them run and wear them down we should say since you brought up porzingis that Joe Missoula did say before this game that he expects to see porzingis in this one and this isn’t like game four where it’s just a situational opportunity for porzingis go ahead yeah I mean he has to say that obviously but uh I mean Dallas needs a lot for them to win this game it need a lot for them to go right porzingis not being fully healthy obiously works for them um they need guys like Derek Jones Junior um Lively uh PJ Washington they need those guys to make shots but if that Al is going to win this game luuka and Kyrie both have to be great uh Kyrie’s been on the stage before he’s done it being down 3-1 going on the road uh giving you know golden St sorry Bob giving you guys on the road so he’s been here Luca’s Built For This Moment so uh those guys had to be special tonight if they’re going to win and what do you remember about that 40 Bob well uh yeah I thought we were talking about the Mavs and I didn’t know will bun what are we doing it’s just like a history I know what happened sorry I’m on your side I’m on side look at this who’s got one of them I didn’t play but I I got a few of those um listen I think for the Mavs to win this game a couple things talk to Nico Harris before the game they got to push the tempo that’s not what Luca wants to do he can’t fall back into walking it up Celtics defense is too good top two in the league defensive efficiency and the Dallas Mavericks I know wi Bond and you and stepen they don’t love they got to get some threes up last game they got 37 up make or Miss they got to get them up they had 27 26 25 in the first three games and then in the paint they outscored the Celtics six to 26 so that’s an energy that’s an intention is that a porzingis thing though because when porzingis isn’t there as a stoer yeah but they can attack I mean I don’t know we can all go through if we think he’s playing or not my vote would be I don’t think he’s playing so so the blueprint for Dallas we saw it in game four listen all of this I agree with but but I think there’s something that’s going to be bigger than strategic matters bigger than X’s and O’s and I agree with the pace issue and that is Luca’s demeanor is he going lead the three people in striped shirts alone no is he going to concentrate like we saw him do in game four all right I don’t want to see Luca in the whining mean position after every possession listen if he can be Luca was like a seven and a half the other night defensively if he’s a six tonight and he stays away from complaining and whining and gives it what he did in game four Dallas can win think you’re being overly emotional dare I say I think I think you’re worried about let me tell you why let me tell you why let me tell you why I think Luca that Luca that you’re worried about shows up if they’re getting their butt whipped if they’re in this game or if they got a lead I don’t think he does it okay but not naturally if they losing and boss is running away with it and he knows he’s on the verge of losing the championship then he’s betul just a few moments ago it was so loud in TD Garden that our seats were vibrating it’s because Chris st’s poring took the floor to Rocket Applause Joe moula said that he expects to see porzingis tonight he has progressed past the being not quite ready stage than he was in game four so it’s time now for pick and roll brought to you by ESPN V the official sports book of the ESPN gentlemen you are all rolling with the Boston Celtics except for Michael wilbon you Chang that wil who is saying you know what I think won and his bestest thinks we are going back to tonight Julius you can step up your game during the playoffs the good looking brother right there I’m not about myself but that’s a good looking brother right there the latest odds new featured parlay’s an exclusive offer from our Guy Stephen a picture there perk and more so Julius since you said that you were hopping on The Wil Bond bandwagon here how surprising would be you’re from Dallas to see us back there for a game six uh I wouldn’t be surprised at all in today’s NBA with how teams score the ball um Dallas just has to keep it close if they can keep it close I think they can win the game every single logical indicator says the Celtics will win tonight every single logical indicator but I’m playing a hunch all right and I’m going to go with Luca doing what Stephen A said that step toward maturity that we saw in game four that I’ve been one of those people questioning I know that the Celtics could blow I could regret this pick in three minutes but I’m not that need Julius to ride with me down together here we go well guess what I’m a Spock fan my logic is undeniable logic says conventional wisdom logic says conventional wisdom you go with the Bon Celtics I listen I hope I’m wrong cuz I want a longer series I really do but there’s no reason for the Boston Celtics to lose this game tonight if Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum are what we think they are so so before I get over the Spock thing because I’m still processing Star Trek thing but just takes me a minute uh how surprising would it be I watched a game five with Draymond Green from a baseball stadium in the NBA Finals so I’m not surprised at whatever happens wilbon I have no idea my predictions are not usually very good I’ve been following Stephen a way too much I did it again I’ve been following you look Dallas maybe they’ve got the blueprint I would not be shocked if it goes back to Dallas all right is that an answer we’re all who you picking I don’t know I pi thetics [Music]

Stephen A. Smith, Michael Wilbon, Bob Myers and New York Knicks PF Julius Randle join Malika Andrews on NBA Countdown to discuss how the Dallas Mavericks could keep momentum and take down the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals.

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