Brown And Tatum Dominate, Celtics Go Up 3-0 in NBA Finals
Despite homecourt advantage and a bounce-back game from Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks fall to 0-3 in the series, as Boston is just one game away from a championship.
From the first minute of the game, Dallas looked like a completely different team with their home crowd behind them. The rest of the first quarter was an all-out attack from the Mavs, who led by as much as 13.
The defensive intensity, finishing at the rim, and the energy from every player was noticeably better, undoubtedly fueled by the thunderous home crowd in the sold-out stadium. However, Tatum's excellent first quarter meant Boston went into the second quarter down just one point, after an 18-6 Celtic run.
After Doncic and Tatum had scored 13 each in the first quarter, the scoring slowed down significantly on both sides until Uncle Drew called his number, hitting a couple of step-backs 3's to combat Tatum and Sam Hauser's 3-point shot. The pairing of Irving and Doncic combined for 37 of the team's 51, as Tatum dropped 20 in the half, and the Mavs kept their lead at half.
Jaylen Brown Takes Over The Third Quarter
After what has been easily the best playoff run of Jaylen Brown's career, he had been quiet in the first half, with just six points on six attempts from the field. The third quarter, however, was his, scoring 15 in the third, including a ferocious dunk with less than a minute to go in the quarter to extend the Boston lead to 15.
The Celtics outscored the Mavs 35-19 in the period. Boston couldn't miss in the third quarter, whereas Dallas shot just 38% from the field. Outside of the Mavs starting backcourt, there was a very limited amount of scoring, as it had been throughout the rest of the game.
The Mavs Make A Big Fourth Quarter Run
Down as much as 21 early in the fourth quarter, Dallas put together a massive 20-2 run to stop the bleeding, including a Josh Green 3-pointer, which got the crowd back into it and swung the momentum. PJ Washington was massive during the run, scoring eight of the 20 points, and all of a sudden, it was only a three-point game.
Doncic fouled Jaylen Brown with 4:38 remaining, his fifth foul, and then picked up his sixth two possessions later. Jason Kidd challenged the foul but to no avail. The Mavs' biggest nightmare had become a reality, and they'd have to try to win this game without the MVP candidate.
Unfortunately for Dallas, that didn't happen. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White were clutch in the final few minutes despite Kyrie's best efforts. The Boston defense was excellent down the stretch, and free throws killed any chance of a miracle for the Mavericks.
Brown and Tatum combined for 61 points, while Doncic and Irving combined for 62. Boston's depth won them the game, as Hauser, Pritchard, and Xavier Tillman all made key contributions off the bench on both ends of the floor.
The Mavs now face a task that has never been completed before, returning from 0-3 down in the NBA finals. Irving, of course, was on the 2016 Cavaliers team that became the first to come back from 1-3 down, but this will be a much more difficult task, especially against this absolute juggernaut of a Celtics team, hungry for their first championship.
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