The Dallas Mavericks led the Boston Celtics 51-50 at halftime of Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals, but it’s going to take a lot more work to avoid a 3-0 hole.
Dallas looked on its way to an easy win for much of the first quarter, taking a 22-9 lead to open the game in front of a raucous American Airlines Center crowd. The did almost all of their damage in the paint, taking advantage of a Celtics frontcourt missing key big man Kristaps Porzingis, who was ruled out for the game due to a “rare” injury.
However, the Celtics more than bounced back. The lead was down to one point at the end of the third quarter, and gone early in the second. From there, the two teams exchanged blows until heading to the locker rooms.
So far, it’s been the Luka Dončić show, with a nice bounceback game from Kyrie Irving. Irving and Jayson Tatum entered halftime tied for the game lead with 20 points apiece, while Dončić had 17. The Mavericks have some hope, but Dončić and Irvingwill need some support in the scoring department.
Can they pull off a win and avoid going down 3-0, with Game 4 on Friday night?
That Derrick White stepback 3 was the Celtics’ 16th of the night, on their 40th attempt. Coming into tonight, Boston was 51-10 when it got up at least 40 long balls; with a 21-point lead, they’re 11 minutes away from making it 52-10.
Will the Mavs show some fight?
It feels like that Jaylen Brown dunk was an announcement that matters have concluded. Not just tonight, but for the season. 85-70, Celtics lead.
Boston in firm control
Absolute dominance from Boston coming out of halftime — a 35-19 third quarter, punctuated by a hot-knife-through-butter drive and tomahawk dunk by Jaylen Brown, right down Broadway. The Celtics enter the fourth with a 15-point lead, 85-70, and are just 12 minutes away from putting the Mavericks in a 3-0 hole out of which no team has ever climbed.
Dallas done?
This game feels over. This series feels over. The Jumbotron camera just panned to Patrick Mahomes sitting courtside. The MC is asking for the crowd to make some noise. And it is just absolutely dead in here.
Jaylen Brown rising to the challenge
Jaylen Brown senses blood in the water. He’s in Luka’s pocket any chance he . He is driving downhill like a running back who’s seen a hole in the offensive line. A continued two-way brilliance for the All-Star wing who wanted to prove himself to be much more than a scorer this season.
Mavs hitting a wall?
The Mavericks’ offense, time and again, is to force a switch in the pick-and-roll to hunt a perceived mismatch. But those perceived mismatches hold their own — as Al Horford, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard have on multiple occasions tonight, and as Xavier Tillman just did. Dallas doesn’t have a whole lot of places to go. Now down to 21-for-39 (53.8%) in the paint, with just one corner 3 on two corner attempts.
Boston comes out of halftime locked in
Whatever Joe Mazzulla said to the Celtics in the locker room — maybe something about killer whales, or UFC fighters hitting each other below the belt? — he might want to write it down to use it again next game. Boston scores on its first six possessions of the second half, capped by a Jayson Tatum catch-and-shoot 3 set up by a Jaylen Brown drive-and-kick — Brown has seven assists, BTW — and Jason Kidd wants a timeout with the C’s up five, 64-59.
Tatum likes Game 3s
Jayson Tatum told me after Game 3 against Indiana these were his favorite matchups of a series. He loves to silence a road crowd in these third games, and his latest three gives him 25 and a 64-59 Boston lead
Tatum and the Celtics get a little lead
Tatum’s offense has arrived in Dallas. And his teammates have joined the party. 64-59 Celtics lead.
Or are the Mavs in a groove?
What you feel good about if you’re the Mavericks: Luka and Kyrie continue to find matchups they like in the pick-and-roll; after struggling to make shots on the interior in Games 1 and 2, you’ve got a 30-16 edge in points in the paint at halftime; and you’re finally generating some extra shots, with six second-chance possessions leading to six second-chance points.
This is how the NBA Finals should be
A lot of matchup hunting, a lot of step-backs, and we have the best game of the series so far. Both teams feel far more in rhythm than we saw in Boston, and this should make for a high-octane finish.
Celtics sitting pretty?
What you feel good about if you’re the Celtics: Nearly 85% of your shots in the first half came either at the rim or from beyond the 3-point arc; you’ve finally got Tatum going; Tillman, Hauser and Pritchard are getting attacked, but have mostly held up. If any of Jaylen Brown (2-for-6), Derrick White (1-for-7) or Jrue Holiday (2-for-6) catch a rhythm on the kinds of looks you like, you’re in good shape.
It’s a different game in Dallas
Jayson Tatum didn’t make more than six shots or score more than 18 points in either of the first two games in Boston. He’s already topped both here, pouring in 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting to carry the load for a Celtics team trying to weather the storm in Dallas. The Celtics have needed every one of those points to keep up with Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić (37 combined points on 50% shooting) as they’ve fueled a 51-50 Mavs edge at the half.
Tatum keeping Boston in it
Jayson Tatum is the only thing keeping this from being a blowout. He has 20 in the first half and it’s tied at 50. Well over half the C’s shots are from 3.
Kyrie is doing his thing
Kyrie Irving missed his first nine 3-pointers of the 2024 NBA Finals. He’s made his last four — three in this second quarter alone, including a pair of nasty stepbacks over Boston contests — and has 20 points in 19 minutes. This is the shot-making that Dallas has desperately needed; so far, their second star is playing like one.
Kyrie, Tatum hitting from distance
Jayson Tatum and Kyrie Irving have both found their strokes. Irving is now 4-of-5 from deep after another step-back triple. Tatum is 3-of-6, drilling deep ones off the bounce as well, with 2:36 left in the second.
Now we have a game
This has settled into an actual playoff game, with offense hard to come by. Then Kyrie and Tatum go back to back with triples.
Xavier Tillman up and down
It has been an up-and-down showing for Xavier Tillman so far. After standing tall and getting Luka to miss on a switch, he’s called for a moving screen. Next possession, he forces a miss from Irving on a switch.
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