Despite a nightmare fourth quarter in which they nearly blew a 21-point lead, the Boston Celtics They are one victory away from achieving a record 18th NBA championship.
Game 4 is scheduled for Friday at 8:30 pm ET in Dallas (ABC).
The Mavericks entered the game with some reason for hope after the Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingisone of Boston’s best players in Games 1 and 2, Was discarded due to a “rare” injury. That absence seemed to hurt Boston early on, as Dallas pounded the paint and took an early 22-9 lead.
As they have done many times this postseason, the Celtics quickly regrouped. They cut the deficit to just one point at the end of the first quarter and tied it with Dallas in the second quarter.
Then came the third quarter, when the Mavericks tanked. Just like the stars of Dallas Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving As they began to tire, the Celtics attacked them with a barrage of 3-pointers to take a commanding lead into the second half.
It could have all been over from there, with Boston taking a 91-70 lead at 11:07 of the fourth quarter. But the Mavericks responded with a 22-2 run over the course of nearly eight minutes to cut the deficit to one. The blow that drowned out that frantic comeback ended up coming through the whistle, when Dončić left the game due to a foul with 4:12 left.
It was the first time Dončić fouled out all season and in his postseason career.
Without Dončić, the Mavericks failed to pull off a comeback. And now they need to mount an even bigger comeback for the series.
Dončić came out with 27 points on 27 shots, six assists and six rebounds, while Irving led all scorers with 35 points on 13 of 28 shooting. The Mavericks have relied on their two-man game for much of the playoffs, but it was the Celtics duo that made the biggest difference overall.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each had their first 30-point games of the series. Tatum scored 31 points (mostly in the first half), six rebounds and five assists, while Brown came on strong in the second half to score 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Here’s how it all played out, with Yahoo Sports NBA experts Jake Fischer, Vincent Goodwill and Dan Devine explaining every swing of Game 3 of the Finals.
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The Mavs come back and are down by 3
Let’s say this for the Mavs: they are not going down without a fight. After a Jrue Holiday foul, Kyrie’s three free throws brought Dallas up 23-2, and we have a one-possession game in the final five minutes. Decisive moment in the NBA Finals. Hell yeah.
Mavs show some life
The Mavs came out of their latest timeout playing like a team that knows their season is on the line. A 10-0 run in less than three minutes, capped by Josh Green sinking a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from the wing off a Luka dish, cut Boston’s lead to 11 with 8:23 remaining.
The Mavs get something going
Not so fast… Dallas’ comeback effort here at the start of the quarter is brewing, reducing a 21-point deficit to 11. It’s featured some quality efforts, finally, from Mavericks that aren’t Donic/Irving: a Josh Triple green, long ball by PJ Washington, putback by Lively.
boston party 3
That step-back by Derrick White was the Celtics’ 16th of the night, on their 40th attempt. Coming into this night, Boston was 51-10 when hitting at least 40 long balls; With a 21-point lead, they are 11 minutes away from making it 52-10.
Will the Mavs show some fight?
It seems like that Jaylen Brown dunk was an announcement that things are over. Not just tonight, but all season long. 85-70, the Celtics lead.
Boston in firm control
Boston’s absolute dominance coming out of halftime: a 35-19 third quarter, marked by a slashing shot and a dunk by Jaylen Brown, right on Broadway. The Celtics enter the quarter with a 15-point lead, 85-70, and are just 12 minutes away from putting the Mavericks in a 3-0 hole that no team has ever climbed out of.
Is Dallas over?
This game seems over. This series seems finished. The Jumbotron camera just focused on Patrick Mahomes sitting on the court. The MC asks the audience to make some noise. And in here he is absolutely dead.
Jaylen Brown rises to the challenge
Jaylen Brown feels blood in the water. He’s in Luka’s pocket at any chance. He’s driving downhill like a running back who’s seen a hole in the offensive line. Continued two-way brilliance for the All-Star wing who wanted to prove that he was much more than a scorer this season.
Mavs hitting a wall?
The Mavericks’ offense, time and time again, is to force a change in the pick-and-roll to hunt a perceived mismatch. But those perceived mismatches hold firm, as Al Horford, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard have done on multiple occasions tonight, and as Xavier Tillman just did. Dallas doesn’t have many places to go. He is now down to 21 of 39 (53.8%) in the paint, with just one corner three-pointer in two corner attempts.
Boston leaves halftime locked up
Whatever Joe Mazzulla told the Celtics in the locker room, maybe something about orcas or UFC fighters punching each other below the belt? — Maybe he wants to write it down to use again in the next game. Boston scores its first goal six second-half possessions, capped by a Jayson Tatum catch-and-shoot 3-pointer set up by a Jaylen Brown drive and kick (Brown has seven assists, by the way) and Jason Kidd wants a timeout with the C’s up five, 64- 59.
Tatum likes games 3
Jayson Tatum told me after Game 3 against Indiana that these were his favorite matchups of a series. He loves to silence the visiting crowd in these third games, and his last three give him 25 and a 64-59 Boston lead.
Tatum and the Celtics take a small lead
Tatum’s offense has arrived in Dallas. And his colleagues have joined the party. The Celtics lead 64-59.
Or are the Mavs in good rhythm?
Which makes you feel good if you’re the Mavericks: Luka and Kyrie continue to find matchups they like in the pick-and-roll; after struggling to make interior shots in Games 1 and 2, you have a 30-16 lead in points in the paint at halftime; and you’re finally generating some extra shots, with six second-chance possessions leading to six second-chance points.
This is what the NBA Finals should be like
A lot of matchmaking, a lot of steps back, and we have the best game in the series so far. Both teams feel much more rhythm than we saw in Boston, and this should contribute to a high-octane finish.
Are the Celtics sitting pretty?
What makes you feel good about being the Celtics: Nearly 85% of your shots in the first half came at the rim or from beyond the 3-point arc; you finally have Tatum going; Tillman, Hauser and Pritchard are under attack, but have mostly held their own. If any of Jaylen Brown (2 of 6), Derrick White (1 of 7), or Jrue Holiday (2 of 6) pick up the pace of the type of look you like, you’re in good shape.
It’s a different game in Dallas
Jayson Tatum didn’t make more than six shots or score more than 18 points in either of the first two games in Boston. He’s already outplayed both here, scoring 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting to carry the load for a Celtics team trying to weather the storm in Dallas. The Celtics have needed every one of those points to keep up with Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić (37 combined points on 50% shooting) as they have fueled a 51-50 Mavs lead at the half.
Tatum keeps Boston in it
Jayson Tatum is the only thing keeping this from being a flop. He has 20 in the first half and is tied at 50. More than half of C’s shots are 3s.
Kyrie is doing his thing
Kyrie Irving missed his first nine 3-pointers of the 2024 NBA Finals. He’s made his last four (three in this second quarter alone, including a couple of nasty step-backs in Boston games) and has 20 points in 19 minutes. This is the shot Dallas desperately needed; So far, his second star is playing like one.
