Celtics beat Mavs in Game 3 of Finals to move one win from title
**DALLAS -- For a few minutes in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night, it seemed like the Boston Celtics' bad habits would come back to haunt them.**
The Dallas Mavericks, appearing defeated when trailing by 21 points with 10 minutes remaining, surged with a 22-2 run that put Boston's lead in jeopardy and threatened to make the series competitive. However, the Celtics turned the tide, holding Dallas to just one field goal over a crucial five-minute stretch, securing a 106-99 victory and a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Boston now stands just one win away from a record-setting 18th NBA championship, which they could clinch on Friday in Game 4 at American Airlines Center.
"Experience is the best teacher," said Jaylen Brown, who delivered a stellar performance with 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in 41 minutes. "All year long, we've been hearing about the Celtics' past shortcomings. This is a new team. We've learned from those experiences, and in these moments, you can see that we stepped up and found a way to win."
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Boston seemed to have control much earlier, responding to a 25-12 Mavericks run at the start of the game. Kyrie Irving, who scored 35 points after combining for 28 in the two games in Boston, led the Mavericks' initial surge. However, a 79-45 burst from the Celtics over the next 29 minutes gave them a commanding 91-70 lead with 11:07 left.
At that point, Dallas appeared headed for another loss, despite Boston's Kristaps Porzingis sitting out Game 3 due to a tendon injury in his left leg sustained in Game 2. Yet, Dallas rediscovered its form as Boston went 1-for-11 and committed three turnovers over the next 7:57, allowing Dallas to pull within 93-92 on an Irving layup with 3:37 remaining, even without Luka Doncic, who fouled out seconds earlier. However, a Brown putback of a Jayson Tatum miss, followed by a Derrick White three-pointer and a Tatum dunk, extended Boston's lead back to six points.
"Yeah, I think just we had some turnovers, which allowed them to get out in transition," White said. "It happened quick, and we just settled back down. Understand it's a game of runs, and we just trust what we do."
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In the past, the Celtics might have faltered in such a moment, allowing Dallas to close out the game. But Boston persevered, improving to 7-0 on the road in these playoffs. They are 21-7 on the road over the past three postseasons, boasting the best road winning percentage over a three-year span in NBA history, surpassing the 1991-1993 Chicago Bulls.
The Celtics received contributions from across the board. Backup center Xavier Tillman stepped up with 11 impactful minutes, hitting a corner three, grabbing 4 rebounds, and recording 2 blocks, including one against Doncic. Sam Hauser went 3-for-4 from three-point range and was a game-high plus-16 off the bench after going 0-for-5 from three in Game 2. Tatum, recovering from a 6-for-22 performance in Game 2, finished with 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, as he and Brown combined for 61 points. The Celtics are within one victory of surpassing the Los Angeles Lakers for all-time league titles.
However, after nearly overcoming a 3-0 deficit in last year's Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat, the Celtics know the job isn't done.
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"Honestly, not too difficult from the standpoint of last year [when] we were down 0-3 in the conference finals, and we really felt like we were going to come back," Tatum said. "We almost did. You know, we were [my] sprained ankle away from having a real shot.
"So, you know, we are not relaxing or anything like that. You know, not even focusing on winning or Friday or whatever. However long it takes, that's our motto. However long it takes, that's what it's going to take, and nobody is trying to relax at all."
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