(Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for Icy hot)
The Dallas Mavericks are officially moving onto the NBA Finals for the first time since the 2010-2011 season.
They weren’t expected to be in this position heading into the playoffs, but the Mavericks have started to show that they are ready to take down any opponent.
After defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, the Mavericks will now face off against the Boston Celtics, who had the best regular season record in the league.
While some are saying that the Celtics are going to run through the Mavericks as they have done in other series to this point, Shaquille isn’t so sure.
O’Neal gave his prediction for the NBA Finals in a postgame conversation shared by the NBA on TNT, giving a slight edge to the Mavericks.
“The Celtics do not have three or four guys that can guard Luka. I like Dallas in this series. I like the way they’re playing,” O’Neal said.
“The Celtics do not have three or four guys that can guard Luka. I like Dallas in this series. I like the way they’re playing.”
Shaq makes his NBA Finals pick pic.twitter.com/uyZBQ2rrTt
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 31, 2024
O’Neal’s prediction was the exact opposite of his co-host, Charles Barkley, who is confident the Celtics will win this series.
One of the biggest reasons that the Mavericks have been so successful during the playoffs is the dominant play of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
They are viewed as one of the best duos in the league, and when they are both on their ‘A’ game, they are a tough pair to stop.
O’Neal is concerned that the Celtics won’t be able to stop them, and that they don’t have the defenders in place to slow them down.
The Timberwolves were one of the best defensive teams in the league this year, and they just got steamrolled by the Mavericks.
How will this series ultimately shake out?
The post Shaq Predicts Which Team Will Win NBA Finals appeared first on The Cold Wire.