Boston Celtics on the brink of NBA title after 106-99 win over Dallas Mavericks

DALLAS – The Boston Celtics, one win away from sweeping the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals, insist they will not get overconfident.

They only need to look back at the fourth quarter of Game 3 to see how dangerous the Dallas Mavericks can be.

Jayson Tatum poured in 31 points and Jaylen Brown supplied 30, but the Celtics had to hold off a late rally by their opponents for a 106-99 road victory on June 12.

By taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, Boston pulled within one victory of a record-breaking 18th title in franchise history.

They will have a chance to complete the sweep on June 14 when they collide with the Mavericks in Dallas again for Game 4.

“We are not relaxing or anything like that,” Tatum insisted. “You know, not even focusing on winning on Friday or whatever.

“However long it takes, that’s our motto. However long it takes, that’s what it’s going to take. Nobody is not trying to relax at all.”

The forward bounced back after totalling 34 points in Games 1 and 2. Brown added eight rebounds and eight assists for Boston, who also got 16 points from Derrick White. Big man Kristaps Porzingis did not play after suffering a leg injury in the third quarter of Game 2.

Like Tatum, Kyrie Irving made up for a lacklustre showing in each of the first two games of the series, and he paced the Mavericks with a game-high 35 points.

Luka Doncic had 27 points, six boards and six assists, but he dealt a critical blow to Dallas’ comeback hopes by fouling out with 4min 12sec left in the game.

The Mavericks challenged the foul to their star guard, but the call stood, forcing him from the game. The Slovenian picked up four of his six fouls in the fourth quarter.

“We couldn’t play physical,” he said. “I don’t want to say nothing. You know, six fouls in the NBA Finals, basically I’m like this (motions with palms out). C’mon, man. (Do) better than that.”

It looked as if the game – which started after a tribute to NBA icon Jerry West, who died on the same day at the age of 86 – was over when White drilled a three-pointer with 11min 7sec left in the fourth quarter to put the Celtics up 91-70.

But Dallas then took over, rattling off 28 of the next 37 points to get within 100-98 with 1min 20sec to go.

“You were going to expect a run from them because they had a 19-point (third) quarter,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.

“And just by the type of shots they take alone, you knew they were going to make some kind of run. Some of those came at the expense of our offence.

“I thought we missed a couple reads that changed coverages and they changed match-ups on like three or four straight possessions and we missed the read to get the right shot.”

But Brown made sure Boston never let the Mavericks draw even as his mid-range jumper at the top of the key increased the lead to four points with 61sec left.

P.J. Washington and Irving both missed three-point attempts down the stretch, before two free throws from White and two more from Tatum put the finishing touches on the victory.

Boston outshot Dallas 46.3 per cent to 44.2 per cent in the game. The Celtics also improved to 7-0 on the road in the play-offs while running their overall winning streak to 10 games.

The Mavericks will now need a historic effort to overcome their Finals deficit, as teams leading NBA play-off series 3-0 are 156-0 in their win-loss record.

“It’s not over till it’s over,” Doncic said.

“We just got to believe. Like I always say, it’s first to four.

“We’re going to stay together. We lose together, we win together.” REUTERS, AFP