Last night the Dallas Mavericks managed to avoid the disappointment of being swept in the NBA Finals by winning Game 4, sending the 3-1 series to the Boston Celtics’ arena. But NBA analyst Charles Barkley doesn’t believe that the series will end in Boston on Monday.
Following Game 4, Barkley boldly declared that the series is far from over. Not only was he ready to predict that the Mavs would win Game 5 to force a Game 6 in Dallas, he’s ready to take the Mavs to win the whole thing in Game 7.
“We’re coming back to Dallas for Game 6. Mavs in 7,” Barkley said, holding up a big sign that read “Mavs in 7.”
It’s about as bold of a prediction as Barkley has made in his decades of sports broadcasting. In 156 instances of a team falling into a 3-0 deficit, only four have ever managed to force a Game 7 and none of them have ever won. You’d have to go all the way back to 1951 to find an instance of it happening in the NBA Finals.
Suffice it to say, fans aren’t impressed by how bold Barkley is being here:
“Charles Barkley guaranteed it? Yah Boston in 5,” one user wrote.
“Charles making his last wrong prediction before we never have to hear him again, can’t wait,” wrote another.
“yeah it was a nice run we getting blown out by 70 game 5,” a Mavericks fan lamented.
Barkley might just be joking around, but if he’s right it’ll be one of the biggest predictions he’s ever gotten right.