5 Ways the Mavericks can turn the tide of NBA Finals against Celtics

3. Make free throws

In Sunday night's Game 2, the Dallas Mavericks missed way too many free throws. Dallas shot 16-24 from the free-throw line, and compared to the Boston Celtics shooting 19-20 from the free-throw line, that is unacceptable.

You can't leave free points on the line in the NBA Finals, and that's exactly what Dallas did in Game 2. Luka Doncic in particular shot 4-8 from the free-throw line, and that is something he must improve as the series goes on. Doncic acknowledged that the Mavs must shoot better from the free-throw line after the game, and if Dallas would have just been average in this area, they could have won the game.

Although Dallas is flying through the playoffs right now and has put together a magical run, free-throw shooting has come back to bite them at other points in these playoffs as well. Doncic missed a clutch free throw in Game 4 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the team shot 12-24 from the free-throw line as a team in that game.

Dallas has struggled at the free-throw line in both of the first two games against the Celtics, and they're too good of a team to blow opportunities like this. Boston will take advantage of these misses if they persist, and Doncic and company must lock in and sink free throws in these contests.