The Celtics have amassed a virtually unbridgeable lead in the best-of-seven series of the NBA Finals. After comfortably winning the first two games at home, Boston pulled further ahead of the Mavericks by also winning the third game in Dallas: 106-99. In the entire history of the league, no team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the final.
Top scorer Kyrie Irving’s 35 points and Luka Doncic’s 27 weren’t enough for the Mavericks to get a much-needed win at home. Dallas started the game well and came close to making a comeback in the fourth quarter, but a solid third quarter from the Celtics left the team empty.
With his only three-pointer (out of seven attempts), Doncic gave his team an early lead, which grew to 13 points in the first quarter. With an 11-0 run, the Celtics came back and the difference, despite a nice dunk by Dante Exum at the end of the first quarter, was only one point in favor of the Mavs.
Midway through the second quarter, Jayson Tatum made his third basket of the game for the Celtics to give his team a 38-36 lead. Tatum made four three-pointers on 13 attempts and was Boston’s leading scorer with 31 points.
As at the start of the second quarter, the difference at halftime was one point in favor of the home team.
Second half
Boston, who had to do without the injured Kristaps Porzingis, struck mercilessly in the third quarter and Jaylen Brown scored 15 of his 30 points in this same part. A three-pointer by Derrick White extended the Celtics lead to 13, after which Brown’s dunk increased the lead by two more points.
The Celtics won the quarter 35-19 and built a 21-point lead entering the final quarter.
A 12-0 run, however, rekindles the hopes of the Dallas fans which were only momentarily interrupted by Brown. The Mavericks, in fact, come back and get back to within a point with 3:37 to go.
At that point, Doncic can only watch. Shortly before he committed his sixth personal foul and was forced to watch the final stages from the bench.
With one minute remaining, Brown scores his last basket of the evening, bringing the score to 102-98. Dallas has no more answers and suffers another defeat.
18th title
And so, next Sunday, again in Texas, Boston can win its 18th NBA title, moving away from the Lakers in the ranking of the franchises with the most rings. Currently, in fact, the Celtics share the lead with their eternal rivals Los Angeles.
Dallas, however, is called upon to accomplish the impossible task of adding a second title to the one won in 2011. Never before has a team won a best-of-seven series after trailing 3-0.
