Mavs-Celtics NBA Finals Sequel? Jayson Tatum Makes Prediction

When you win the NBA Finals, everyone wants to talk to you. The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games to capture their 18th championship in team history in June, and although Jaylen Brown won Finals MVP, it has been Jayson Tatum who has taken in most of the post-Finals media tour.

On Wednesday night, the Celtics star was a guest on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and gave his prediction for which teams will meet in the 2025 NBA Finals.

“Ooo… The Boston Celtics,” Tatum stated confidently. “It’s gonna be a rematch. We’re gonna play Dallas again.”

Given how dominant the Celtics were last season, and considering that they’re bringing that entire squad back for the 2024-25 NBA season, it’s completely reasonable to expect them to be back on the biggest stage with an opportunity to defend their title.

It’s also more than reasonable to expect the Mavs, who reinforced their roster with the additions of Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, and Spencer Dinwiddie, to defend their Western Conference title and make it back to the Finals for a chance to redeem themselves.

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Dallas’ biggest challenger in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder, also improved over the offseason, but a star trio of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson surrounded by high-quality depth is going to be hard to beat.

Although the Celtics beat the Mavs in a gentleman’s sweep, it’s clear that Doncic and Irving’s squad gained Tatum’s respect last season. Typically, sequels are never quite as good as the originals, but in the case of Mavs-Celtics, an NBA Finals rematch would likely be more exciting than the original … with a decent chance of having a different outcome as well.