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Dallas (USA)—— The Boston Celtics nearly blew a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter but held on for a 106-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday to take a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals and move just one win away from an 18th ring in Finals history.
The Celtics begin the countdown to the championship they have been waiting for since 2008, which will break their tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most championships in the NBA. They will once again play the first “game ball” at the American Airlines Center this Friday.
The departure of Latvian Kristaps Porzingis did not stop Joe Mazzulla’s all-around machine. Jayson Tatum had 31 points, six rebounds and five assists, Jaylen Brown scored 30 points to lead the Celtics to a win over the Mavericks, and Slovenian Luka Doncic scored 27 points but was eventually ejected for his sixth foul with 4.12 minutes left in the fourth period.
Tatum stepped up his level after being overshadowed first by Porzingis and then Jrue Holiday in the first two games, but Jaylen Brown took the blame in a heartbreaking fourth quarter when the Mavericks went on a 22-2 run to seal the win, 91-70.
Western Conference Finals MVP Brown scored 24 of his 30 points in the second half, adding eight rebounds and eight assists.
Holiday did not score more than 9 points, Derrick White scored 16 points, including 4 heavyweight three-pointers. Dominican Al Horford scored 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, and saw the long-awaited ring coming.
Although the Mavericks lost the game, the 0-3 score almost doomed them to failure. History says this: there was no comeback in the previous 154 games.
For the Mavericks, Doncic had 27 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Kyrie Irving had 35 points, three rebounds and two assists.
American Airlines Center shakes
The American Airlines Center hosted the NBA Finals again after thirteen years, and the public reaction was enthusiastic. The game was played in a charged environment that was very hostile for the Celtics, and the Mavericks took advantage of it. The Texans defied logic in the fourth quarter but failed to accomplish a feat that had been long in the making.
They established their territory with a fierce start, and Irving was determined to enter this series. Kyrie made a shovel and Doncic hit a three-pointer, setting the rhythm of the game. In less than two minutes, the Mavericks escaped with a 9-2 lead, and Mazzula did not hesitate to use a timeout to end the game.
Irving, who was 0-for-8 from 3-point range in the game, stepped on the gas pedal and the Mavericks took an early 25-12 lead. They turned the game the way they wanted it to go, but Boston didn’t quiver. He knew how to read the moment, and despite having few solutions on offense at first, he responded with a resounding 11-0 run that got him back into the game.
Without a giant like Porzingis to clean up the paint, Doncic and Irving moved with ease. They came in looking for easy points and shot without hesitation. Kyrie made four of five shots in the first half and had 20 points by halftime, while Doncic had 17 points.
Still, the Celtics went back to the locker room down by one point, 50-51. Given the pace at which Doncic and Irving scored, and the fact that Tatum (20 points) was supported offensively by either Brown (6 points) or Holiday (4 points), Mazzula had reason to smile in the locker room.
The Celtics reaped the rewards in the third quarter. Brown was unstoppable, leading by 15 points, 35-19, which shocked the Mavericks. Boston shot 65% (field goal percentage) and made five three-pointers. The Mavericks only took two shots from beyond the three-point line, which was a 50% success rate.
The huge brown companion…
Holiday and Tatum made two consecutive three-pointers to bring the first blow of the game. After White’s defensive block, “JT” dunked, playing a 13-2 climax, and the Celtics took a double-digit lead 71-61.
The Celtics’ defense pressed, forcing the Mavericks to take very tough shots with poor results. Even when P.J. Washington hit a three-pointer to find hope, Boston responded with a double-fist. With great help from the rebounds, White made a three-pointer and Brown made a great dunk that silenced the gym. The score was 85-70 in the fourth quarter.
With 54 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Brown and White made two consecutive three-pointers to extend the lead to 91-70. When Jason Kidd stopped the game, the American Airlines Center lost confidence. The Celtics thought they had won.
…and a thriller ending
That’s when the power went out in Boston. The Mavericks, no longer under pressure, took a 10-0 lead with 2.43 minutes to go, getting fans back into the game. The Celtics were completely mired, and the Texans, behind three Irving free throws, went on a devastating 20-2 run to cut the deficit to three points and reopen a game that seemed over.
However, there was a lack of new surprises in the Celtics’ triumph-turned-thriller. With 4:12 left, Doncic committed his sixth foul on Brown as he tried to enter the paint. Kidd requested a review, but it was unsuccessful. The Mavericks, without their leader, faced a “mini-overtime.”
Irving cut the deficit to one point but was ultimately suffocated by Holiday’s physical defense. White’s three-pointer extended the lead to 98-92, giving the Celtics a chance to breathe, and the Celtics began to see brilliance in their final panic. JS
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