Three Keys To Celtics Winning NBA Finals Game 5 Over Mavericks

The Celtics let an opportunity to claim Banner 18 go by the wayside Friday night, but there shouldn’t be much concern in Boston.

Jayson Tatum and company still own a commanding lead in the NBA Finals against the Mavericks, and they have a golden opportunity in front of them Monday evening. The Celtics, the league’s best team in the regular season who only have dropped three playoff contests to date, can raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy in front of their home fans with a Game 5 win.

Of course, coming out on top Monday night won’t be a cakewalk for Joe Mazzulla’s side. Dallas proved in Game 4 that it won’t go down without a proper fight. The Celtics will need to check a series of boxes to close out Jason Kidd’s crew, but Travis Thomas believes three keys above all others will be paramount to Boston’s success in Game 5.

As he explained on the latest episode of NESN’s “Hold My Banner,” Thomas believes the Celtics must be the more energized team Monday. Boston came out flat Friday night at American Airlines Center and the poor energy paid dividends in a blowout defeat. Thomas thinks the C’s will need to be particularly juiced up on the defensive end, where they will be looking to neutralize a highly motivated Luka Doncic.

For a full breakdown of Thomas’ three keys for the Celtics, check out the YouTube video embedded above. You can also watch the latest “Hold My Banner” episode in full by clicking the link here.