The Celtics and the Mavericks are really going to let 3-pointers fly during the NBA Finals

BOSTON -- Do you like three-pointers? Because the Celtics and the Mavericks are about to send three-balls soaring in the NBA Finals.

That's not really anything new in the NBA, and it won't be a surprise to anyone when Boston and Dallas set up shop and let it fly from downtown. Because throughout the regular season, no one took more shots from behind the arc than the Celtics and the Mavericks.

Joe Mazzulla loves to watch his team try for that extra point. He pretty much demands it, and his players are happy to oblige. The Celtics led the NBA in three-point attempts (39.8) and makes (16.5) during the regular season, with the three-ball making up 47.2 percent of Boston's overall shot attempts during the regular season. That is a truly absurd number even by today's NBA standards.

The Mavericks weren't far behind though, with 44.1 percent of their shot attempts coming from downtown during the regular season. They attempted the second-most threes per game, putting up 39.5 per contest, and ranked third in makes at 14.6 per game. 

Opponents have been trying to run the Mavs off the line in the playoffs, and Dallas' attempts from three have dipped to 40.4 percent of their overall attempts this postseason. The Celtics, meanwhile, are putting up 47.4 percent of their shot attempts from downtown. 

And why not, since both teams are hitting a good chunk of their threes. Boston leads the league with 39.8 three-point attempts and 14.6 makes in the postseason, while the Mavs check in with the fifth-most attempts (33.9) and the third-most makes (12.6).

The officials are going to be putting their arms up a lot over the next few weeks. The Celtics clearly love the three-ball, and the Mavs may be forced to jack up a few extra shots from long distance to try and keep pace with Boston.

Dallas has the players to do it, too. Luka Doncic can hit shots from literally anywhere on the floor. Once he crosses midcourt, he's a threat to tickle the twine. He's hitting 34 percent of his threes this postseason, averaging 3.4 makes and 9.8 attempts per game. He was on fire from three in the Western Conference Finals, shooting 43.4 percent from downtown against the Timberwolves. He canned six of his 10 threes on his way to 36 points in Game 5 on Thursday night, which was the sixth game that he's hit five or more threes this postseason.

The Mavericks are 6-0 in those contests. Doncic has struggled from deep in each of Dallas' losses this postseason, shooting just 24 percent from three-point range in those five games.

Kyrie Irving is a threat to score from anywhere on the floor, with a ridiculous bag of tricks that lets him get to the rim and attack in the midrange. But he's also a damn good three-point shooter, connecting on 42 percent of his 6.3 attempts per game. The Celtics can't leave him open from anywhere on the floor, but he'll kill them if he's open on the perimeter. 

Boston is also going to have to make sure they have a body on P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. who are shooting 36.3 and 39.6 percent from three, respectively, this postseason. 

The Celtics, obviously, rely heavily on that outside shot to win games. They've hoisted 40 threes on seven occasions this postseason, and are a perfect 11-0 when they make more threes than their opponent in the playoffs. Add in the regular season and the are 65-7 in those games. When making fewer threes than their opposition, the Celtics are 11-13.

The Celtics hit 60 threes in the Eastern Conference Finals, including two of the biggest makes of their postseason run: Brown's game-tying three in the closing seconds of Game 1 and Derrick White's go-ahead, game-winning three in Game 4. Jayson Tatum and Al Horford also hit big threes in the final two minutes of Boston's comeback win in Indiana in Game 3.

More big threes are coming. Brown (36.8 percent), White (40.7 percent), and Jrue Holiday (39.7 percent) have been feeling it from the Land of Three this postseason. Kristaps Porzingis should be back in the series to both protect the rim and stretch the floor. Horford is only shooting 34.6 percent from deep, but he went 7-for-12 from three in Game 3 against the Pacers, so he can still light it up from downtown. 

But the Celtics really need Tatum to find his long-range touch. He leads Boston at 26 points per game in the playoffs, but it's been rough from deep for Tatum, who has connected on just 29 percent while putting up seven three-point attempts per game.

At least he continues to find other ways to score and impact the game for Boston. But the C's could really use Tatum's long-range threat against Dallas. 

The rosters of the Celtics and the Mavericks are littered with top-flight scorers who can put the ball in the hoop in a number of different ways. But both teams rely heavily on the long ball, so get ready to see a lot of threes flying in the NBA Finals.