Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd. David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Kidd boldly predicted Mavericks’ Game 4 victory over Celtics

By Jeff Smith | Last updated Jun 15, 2024 9:58 AM ET

The Dallas Mavericks looked like a team wanting to make a statement in Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals.

Down 3-0 and on the brink of being swept by the Boston Celtics, Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks responded with a dominant 122-84 victory to send the series back to Boston for Game 5.

Head coach Jason Kidd's pregame comments mirrored what fans saw from the Mavericks on the floor — confidence and a belief that this series wouldn't end in four games.

As SportsCenter revealed, Kidd followed up a "why not us" comment to his team by calling his shot and saying the Mavericks will be heading to Boston following Game 4.

"We go to Boston tomorrow. I hope you guys are all packed," Kidd said to Mavericks players before Game 4.

"We go to Boston tomorrow. I hope you guys all packed."

Jason Kidd knew all along pic.twitter.com/CsXgW8We4N
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 15, 2024

The Mavericks ensured Kidd's comments proved true, pulling out a historic performance. With Boston trailing by 32 after the third quarter, the Celtics' star duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown logged only 27 minutes in the loss.

Dončić and Irving scored 29 and 21 points apiece, with the former tacking on five assists and five rebounds and showcasing plenty of defensive effort with three steals. Irving dished out six assists and four rebounds while stepping up big defensively alongside Dončić and spending multiple extended periods as the primary defender on Brown.

The series continues on Monday, June 17, with Boston returning home to TD Garden and looking to take advantage of home court in a second attempt to close out the Mavericks and win the NBA title.

Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith has extensive experience as a sports writer and editor, including stops at ESPN, FOX Sports, CBS Sports, USA TODAY SMG, and Heavy. Jeff's passion for sports content starts and finishes with writing and he's grateful to be able to work in that field on a daily basis.

More must-reads: