Mavericks X-Factor Reveals Reason for Losing NBA Finals

The new acquisition attributed the loss to the Celtics to one certain thing

Jun 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) controls the ball against Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (30) during the first quarter in game two of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks made a surprising run to the NBA Finals before falling to the Boston Celtics in five games. While it was a disappointing end, it’s given the Mavericks a new chip on their shoulder as they head into next season.

One of the reasons for the Mavs’ deep playoff run was their trade deadline acquisitions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford. Those two helped solidify the defense so the superstar tandem of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic could focus on scoring the basketball and dish out to open shooters.

Washington recently sat down with Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News and spoke on a few things about the Mavs, including why he thinks they lost to Boston.

“I think [inconsistency is] what cost us,” Washington believed. “At the end of the day, we had to play the way we played to get there. I don’t feel like we did that in the Finals. It was a learning curve for us, but obviously, everybody’s excited to get back and everybody’s wanting to get back to that mountaintop.”

Washington, who grew up in Frisco, struggled in The Finals, averaging just 10.8 PPG while shooting 27.3% from three-point range. His outside shooting was a big reason the Mavs were able to topple the West’s 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, but he couldn’t find that same juice against the Celtics.

With an offseason under his belt to build more camaraderie with his teammates, while adding in key additions like Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall, Washington believes this team can make a run back to The Finals.