When Luka Dončić got hot early, it looked like Dallas might get back in this series. Instead, the Celtics rallied and held off Dallas for a 105-98 win and a 2-0 series lead.

BOSTON – Luka Dončić is hurting. Kyrie Irving is struggling, and Jason Kidd’s mind game on the Celtics didn’t work. All are ingredients for the 2-0 hole Dallas is in at the NBA Finals.

Boston took firm command of this series Sunday night with a 105-98 win in Game 2, behind 26 points from Jrue Holiday, a near triple double from Jayson Tatum and another balanced effort from Jaylen Brown.

Dončić, playing with a bruised chest in addition to nagging knee and ankle injuries, was personally dominant again in the loss, this time with a 32-point triple double. But he scored just 9 points after halftime, and if any of the injuries are affecting him, well, Dallas can ill afford it if the Mavs aren’t going to get more help from another player.

Jrue Holiday began his postgame news conference by addressing comments he made on Sirius XM where he appeared to co-sign Jason Kidd’s pre-Game 2 claim that Jaylen Brown, and not Jayson Tatum, is Boston’s best player.

“I felt like people kind of took that out of context. I’ve been hearing that I prefer JB over JT, (but) that’s not what that was.”

“I do not prefer one or the other,” Holiday said later. “I prefer both.”