Dallas Dominates Game 4, Luka's Effort on Defense, and the Mavs' Minuscule Chances

June 15, 2024·56 min·3 clips

Brian Windhorst's on-air scolding of Luka Doncic may have directly changed the NBA Finals.

Zach Lowe and Kevin Pelton recorded this episode of The Lowe Post immediately after Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals, with Dallas winning by 38 points. Lowe opens by noting Boston had already conceded the game well before the final buzzer and that Dallas may have outscored Boston across all four games of the series combined. Pelton expresses genuine surprise, having anticipated an inevitable Boston championship. Lowe credits Brian Windhorst's televised scolding of Luka Doncic after Game 3 as a possible catalyst for Luka's dramatically improved defensive effort in Game 4. Luka kept Tatum, Brown, and Holiday in front of him and forced three separate turnovers on Holiday. Dallas's defensive ecosystem was described as far more coherent, with better help rotations, earlier recoveries, and cleaner closeouts than in any previous game of the series. Kristaps Porzingis did not play, declared available only in specific circumstances by Joe Mazzulla, and his absence was felt — particularly when Dallas switched to traditional man-to-man defense in the third quarter and Boston briefly found rhythm in pick-and-pop actions. Derek Lively made the first three-pointer of his NBA career and was dominant on the offensive glass, while Daniel Gafford also had his best game of the series. Lowe details the schematic evolution of Dallas's offense, particularly how Lively and Kleber have learned to slip screens and relocate to corners to punish Boston's switching defense. The catch-and-shoot three disparity — Boston 33-of-87 to Dallas 9-of-38 through three games — reversed dramatically in Game 4, with Dallas going 9-of-14 and Boston 4-of-20. Luka and Kyrie combined went just 1-of-14 from three but scored 50 points entirely in the paint. Tim Hardaway Jr. went 5-of-7 from three in the fourth quarter. Pelton notes that Dallas's bench rotation was clarified by Jason Kidd, with Dante Exum providing enough offense to keep defensive lineups viable. Boston's offense looked uncertain and out of character throughout, with Tatum seeing too many bodies and limited passing lanes. Lowe describes a key 25-second defensive sequence — ending in a 40-foot Luka-to-Gafford alley-oop — as emblematic of Dallas's defensive frenzy. The hosts discuss whether this was a genuine series shift or a 3-0 team taking its foot off the gas, with Lowe predicting Boston will still win Game 5. A digression covers Al Horford's career legacy, his Hall of Fame case, and widespread goodwill toward him around the league. The episode closes with discussion of Porzingis's injury status and historical comparisons to Chris Bosh's absence in the 2012 playoffs.

As heard by us

A sharp instant reaction to Dallas's Game 4 rout and the Celtics questions it briefly reopened.

Dallas's Game 4 blowout gets treated less like a miracle comeback launch and more like a necessary interruption to Boston's coronation. Zach Lowe and Kevin Pelton start with the absurd margin, then get into why it happened: Dallas finally had its best defensive game of the…

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You want a live, courtside read on Dallas refusing to let Game 4 become Boston's coronation night.

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