In a high-stakes showdown that even Houdini couldn’t have escaped, the Boston Celtics emerged triumphant over the Dallas Mavericks with a final score of 105-98. The victory grants the Celtics a commanding 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals, leaving Luka Doncic's historic triple-double performance as little more than a footnote in a game drenched in missed opportunities and turnovers.

Doncic, or as some might call him, the David Copperfield of the hardwood, conjured up 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists for a historic triple-double – the first in Mavericks’ Finals history. However, even his mesmerizing performance couldn't pull off a win. The Mavs’ magic trick stumbled, much like a rabbit that's forgotten which hat to pop out of.

Meanwhile, the Celtics, who seemed to have borrowed a page from the Book of Clutch Plays, saw Jrue Holiday leading the charge with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Jayson Tatum dished out 12 assists and grabbed nine rebounds, turning a tough shooting night (6-of-22) into an exercise in teamwork. Jaylen Brown added another layer to this winning concoction with 21 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and three steals.

Not to be left out, Kristaps Porzingis chipped in 12 points while managing an injury. Kyrie Irving, who seems to have a personal vendetta against beating the Celtics, notched 16 points for Dallas, extending his losing streak to 12 games against Boston. It’s almost as if Irving’s basketball compass insists on pointing him the wrong way every time the Celtics are in town.

Boston started the game like a GPS without signal, missing their first eight 3-point attempts and finishing a dire 10-for-39 from long-distance. Yet, the Celtics' resilience saw them through. Contrast that with the Mavericks, who committed 15 turnovers and shot a brutal 23.1% from 3-point range, as if trying to complete a puzzle with all wrong pieces.

As the clock was winding down, the Mavericks had a last-ditch opportunity to close the gap, but Luka Doncic missed a crucial one-footed, running floater 3-point attempt with just 28 seconds left. It's the kind of shot that would make even the most optimistic magician cry into their top hat.

The game may well have been sealed by Jaylen Brown, who after a crucial steal, put a stop to P.J. Washington’s late-game heroics with a defensive stop. Brown then cemented the win with a clutch lay-up, proving that sometimes the best trick is simply outplaying your opponent.

Let’s not forget that P.J. Washington did manage to score 17 points and grab seven rebounds, but it was far from enough to pull the Mavericks out of their hat hole.

Now, as the Celtics get ready for Game 3 in Dallas on Wednesday night, they do so with history on their side. This is the ninth time Boston has won the first two games of the NBA Finals, and they have never been forced to a Game 7 when doing so. For the Mavericks, it’s a game that will need some true hocus-pocus to turn their fortunes around.

Until then, fans on both sides will have to wait to see if some new magic – or maybe just some good old-fashioned basketball grit – can change the current script.