The Boston Celtics are just one win away from winning their 18th title. The 2024 NBA Finals have now taken the road to Massachusetts, after Joe Mazzulla’s team won also in game 3 by 106-99 against the Dallas Mavericks, making it 3-0 in the series. Boston has mortgaged the success, given that the Mavs also find themselves against history: on 156 occasions no team has ever managed to come back from 0-3.
Dallas starts very strong and wants to send a signal (22-9), but the Celtics come back immediately and in the first two quarters there is great balance. Boston makes the difference in the third quarter, closing with a run of 35-19. The guests also reach +21 at the start of the last quarterbut from that moment Dallas’ desperate comeback begins, which reopens everything with a sensational 22-2, touching -1. The Mavs, however, are betrayed by their star, as Luka Doncic commits his sixth foul and has to abandon the match. In the final, Tatum and Brown then scored the decisive baskets, with a stoic Irving missing the last desperate attempt to reopen the match.
Jayson Tatum plays a sublime first halfor, scoring 20 of his final 31 points. Boston’s number 0 shoots 4/13 from three points, but also scores 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Once again he takes the lead for the Celtics an excellent Jaylen Brown, who scored 30 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. The contribution of Derrick White was also very important for Boston, scoring 16 points.
Kyrie Irving’s 35 points are not enough for Dallas, who remains on the pitch for 45 minutes. Doncic fights with the rim (1/7 from three) and ends with 27 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, but above all with 6 fouls, putting an end to a game in which the Slovenian was too nervous and with numerous problems in defensive phase.
On the night between Friday and Saturday Boston will have its first opportunity to win the NBA title. The Celtics are on a streak of seven consecutive away victories in these Playoffs and now see the finishing line getting ever closer.
