Boston also beats Dallas in game 3, NBA title one step away

If it’s not the shot that marks the 2024 NBA final, it’s something that looks a lot like it. THE Boston Celtics they also won game 3 (106-99), but above all they did it by defeating Dallas in the first of the two games in Texas. It is the point that gives the 3-0 in the series and that brings the green and whites closer to triumph: title number 18 in their history is now just one step away, given that in the best of seven matches, whoever arrives first wins at 4.

The first match ball will be available on the Italian night between Friday 14th and Saturday 15th, to be precise at 2.30am on Saturday. It may be that i Mavericks, with a leap of pride, they manage to postpone the verdict. But to overturn it requires a feat of historic value: in fact, no one has ever managed to come back from a 0-3 situation: it would mean interrupting a streak of 156 successes of the teams capable of winning the first three matches. It doesn’t seem like this Dallas is in a position to do that.

Furthermore, Boston would also have the home playoff advantage in the event that the Mavericks manage to recover and reach Game 7. But, realistically, this will not happen. The Celtics have greater quality throughout, even if they had to deal with the Latvian’s absence in game 3 Porzingis, which is unlikely to be usable even in future events. But enough is enough to get the better of an opponent who travels in fits and starts and thrives on emotional scenarios. For example, the one that allowed Dallas to get back on top of an already compromised game. THE Celtics at the beginning of the last quarter they had in fact pushed themselves to +21, but then they stopped playing, probably convinced that they had reached the goal. They thus conceded a 22-2 run that revived the Mavericks, putting them in a position to attempt the coup. But the sixth foul by Luka Doncic, bruised (he has to take painkillers for the after-effects of a blow to his side), nervous and not in line with his potential despite 27 points (but with 16 out of 27 shooting and only 1 on 7 threes), 6 rebounds and 6 assists, he turned off the light on the best.

Dallas, which has had good things from rookie Lively (11 and 13 rebounds), has a chance only if the Slovenian and Kyrie Irving they play their best. The second finally nailed a valuable match (35 points in his scoresheet) after two negative tests, but this time, as mentioned, Doncic, who is the soul of the Mavs, was a little missing. On the other hand, the Celtics were able to offer a high level choral performance, around the totems Tatum (31 points and aim recovered, with the partial exception of the fog in the last quarter) and Brown (30), dominator of the defense. But everything else worked, especially thinking about 4 very heavy triples by White and another surgical attempt by Holiday. Boston, which has reached its tenth consecutive victory in these playoffs (the last stop in the series with Cleveland), in short, has more and is preparing to update the roll of honor, breaking the tie at 17 titles with the Los Angeles Lakers (this year winners of the first NBA Cup and, therefore, with something more on the board): the Celtics will thus return to being number one in NBA history.