Despite a late rally by the Dallas Mavericks, the Boston Celtics were able to hold off their opponents on the road to take a 3-0 series lead in the NBA Finals with a 106-99 victory.
The Celtics had a strong third quarter into the fourth, but Dallas got off to a good start to keep the game close as the seconds ticked away.
Mavericks star Luka Doncic fouled out with just over four minutes left in the game, depriving Dallas of a key shooter.
Clutch shots down the stretch by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown helped keep Boston ahead.
Brown, in particular, came out strong in the second half after scoring just six points in the first two quarters before finishing the night with 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Jayson Tatum led the Boston Celtics in scoring as they beat the Mavericks to take a 3-0 series lead.
After scoring just six points in the first half, Jaylen Brown (7) dropped 30 in the game.
Tatum led the Celtics in points that night with 31 to go along with six rebounds and five assists.
As for Dallas, Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 35 points, while Doncic, fouled out, had 27 points, six rebounds and six assists.
His sixth foul came late and kept him off the court during the final moments of the game as the referees called a blocking foul.
Boston also improved to 10-1 in these playoffs without Kristaps Porzingis after the 7-foot-2 Latvian was ruled out about two hours before the game due to a rare tendon injury in his lower left leg suffered in Game 2.
Porzingis’ status for the rest of the series appears to be in doubt, but it may not matter. None of the previous 156 teams that faced a 3-0 deficit came back to win an NBA playoff series.
The Mavs nearly pulled off a crazy comeback to avoid the big hole, 13 years after the only other close rally in the NBA Finals sparked Dallas’ run to its only title against Miami.
Boston led 91-70 at the end of a 20-5 run early in the fourth quarter before Dallas responded with a 22-2 run to pull within one point with 3 1/2 minutes left.
Luka Doncic reacts after committing a foul in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against Boston
But Doncic’s absence hurt the team in the end, as the Mavericks only made three of their final eight shots in the game.
Things now look bleak for the Mavericks, who now face the hill of trying to become the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-0 deficit.
Game 4, in which the Mavericks will extend the series or the Celtics will win a record 18th title, will take place Friday night in Dallas.
