The 2024 NBA Finals have not officially been set.
But the writing is on the wall that the Boston Celtics will battle against a familiar antagonist in Kyrie Irving next week with Banner 18 on the line.
With the Celtics and Mavericks both holding commanding 3-0 series leads in their respective conference finals matchups, either the Pacers or Timberwolves would have to become the first team in NBA history to claw back from a 0-3 deficit and win a round in order to interfere with a seemingly inevitable Boston-Dallas showdown.
There will be no shortage of compelling storylines if the Celtics and Mavericks battle for a title — with Irving’s history with Boston standing at the forefront of those narratives.