Dallas suffered a blowout 89-107 loss in Game 1 of the finals and it’s time to analyze why. It appears that analysts are iffy to call it after this game. In Richard Jefferson’s perspective, Celtics didn’t have to try too hard and the Mavericks were plain tired. That might sound absurd. It’s only the start of a series. Both teams rested for a week and had about the same time to prepare before meeting in TD Garden. But RJ knows the feeling well.

He made it to the Finals with the Nets in his first two seasons with the franchise and won his only championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. The energy in the NBA Finals is a big reason Jefferson believes the Mavs-Celts series could go any way.

Very quickly after Game 1, the one-time Mav was on Road Trippin’ with Channing Frye. “You could see the fatigue. Not nervousness, but it’s just like you’re constantly trying to calm yourself down versus trying to play.” He clarified he sees the fatigue on the Dallas side. “When I say fatigue is like your adrenaline pumped so high that literally it’s like a caffeine crash.” 

Speaking from experience, Jefferson would recall how difficult it was to sleep during the finals. If fans are excited, it’s amplified for those players. He says players won’t sleep till three in the morning from the adrenaline. His Cavs teammate, Frye admitted they tried taking medication to be able to sleep during the 2016 finals but nothing could suppress the adrenaline.

So RJ sees Mavs sorely suffering from that adrenaline rush and in effort to be laser-focused, they were lacklustre in the first half. They picked up momentum in the second half but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the 25 point deficit. Especially when Celtics have some star power in their backups.

Richard Jefferson’s observations ring true

Fans watching Road Trippin’ can see validity in RJ’s opinions. The Celtics had one too many turnovers. Yet the team didn’t have to try too hard with Kristaps Porzingis returning after an almost month-long break. The Unicorn only played about 20 minutes and established the 20 point lead effortlessly. The rest of the team kept it consistent with Jaylen Brown’s 22 and Jayson Tatum’s 16 points. But, “Porzingis is not going to hit seven threes in the first half of every game,” Jefferson noted.

Luka Doncic outscored everyone with 30 points in the game but RJ notes that the Celtics can afford to let Doncic do his thing because a single player can’t determine the series. In Game 1, he saw the Celtics play well but not exceptionally.

Seeing both teams’ trajectory, Jefferson can’t pinpoint if Dallas will regain some vigor or the Celtics up their defense. Because of that, he thinks this series will “level out,” and fans can’t disagree.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.