Celtics Wrap: Boston Takes Control Of Mavs, Inch Closer To Banner 18

The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 106-99, and took a commanding 3-0 series lead in the NBA Finals at American Airlines Center on Wednesday night.

With the victory, the Celtics stand just one win away from Banner 18.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Kristaps Porzingis was a no-go for the Celtics, leaving a void to be filled. Jayson Tatum, who’d been shooting 31.6% in the previous two games to begin the series, filled that void with a breakout performance.

Tatum took a 20-point, 7-for-15 shooting start into halftime, topping his previous scoring totals from Games 1 and 2. And from there, the 26-year-old didn’t slow down either, which came especially handy considering Dallas guard Kyrie Irving, too, delivered an All-Star performance.

Boston’s depth stepped up hugely — similar to Game 2 — as Sam Hauser pitched in nine points, knocking down three 3-pointers while Xavier Tillman Sr. supplied four rebounds and two blocks, both off the bench. Dallas head coach Jason Kidd was left on the sidelines sighing in the acceptance of defeat in the third quarter, watching the Mavericks struggle to compete.

Dallas star Luka Doncic, once again, didn’t have much reliability working in his favor. The Dallas starting lineup — outside of Doncic and Irving — combined to score 20 points, leaning on Doncic and Irivng to play 1-on-1 throughout the night.

That plan wasn’t good enough, and as a result, Doncic made an early exit after picking up his sixth foul, earning his first career postseason ejection.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Tatum led Boston’s scoring department with a Finals career-high 31 points on 11-of-26 shooting, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out five assists.

— Irving delivered a stellar performance to lead Dallas, finishing with 35 points on 13-of-28 shooting with three rebounds and two assists.

— Jaylen Brown, too, delivered 30 points for the Celtics, aggressively attacking the Mavericks’ defense from start to finish. Brown grabbed eight rebounds and assisted on eight Boston baskets.

UP NEXT
The Celtics, now leading the series, 3-0, will look to put the Mavericks away in Game 4 and avoid a trip back to Boston without the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Tip-off on Friday night is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET. in Dallas.