NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (2024)

jack baer

Staff writer

Despite a nightmare fourth quarter that nearly saw them squander a 21-point lead, the Boston Celtics are one win from claiming a record 18th NBA championship.

Boston held off a spirited comeback attempt from the Dallas Mavericks to win Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals 106-99 and take a 3-0 lead, all but putting the series away in front of the American Airlines Center crowd in Dallas. No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit.

Game 4 is scheduled for Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET in Dallas (ABC).

The Mavericks entered the game with some reason for hope after Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis, one of Boston's best players in Games 1 and 2, was ruled out due to a "rare" injury. That absence appeared to hurt Boston early on, as Dallas hammered the paint as it took an early 22-9 lead.

As they have many times this postseason, the Celtics quickly regrouped. They chipped away at the deficit until its was only one point by the end of the first quarter and played Dallas to a tie in the second quarter.

Then came the third quarter, when the bottom fell out for the Mavericks. Just as Dallas stars Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving began to tire, the Celtics hit them with a barrage of 3-pointers to take a commanding lead in the second half.

It could have been over from there, with Boston taking a 91-70 lead at 11:07 of the fourth quarter. But the Mavericks responded with a 22-2 run over the course of nearly eight minutes to cut the deficit to one. The blow that stifled that frenetic comeback ended up coming via whistle, when Dončić fouled out of the game with 4:12 remaining.

It was the first time Dončić had fouled out all season and in his postseason career.

LUKA FOULS OUT IN A CLOSE GAME 3 😳 pic.twitter.com/S0frCc5COD

— ESPN (@espn) June 13, 2024

Without Dončić, the Mavericks fell short of pulling off the comeback. And now they need to mount an even bigger comeback for the series.

Dončić exited with 27 points on 27 shots, six assists and six rebounds, while Irving led all scorers with 35 points on 13-of-28 shooting. The Mavericks have relied on their two-man game for much of the playoffs, but it was the Celtics' duo that made the bigger difference overall.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each had their first 30-point games of the series. Tatum had 31 points (mostly in the first half), six rebounds and five assists, while Brown came on strong in the second half to post 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Here's how it all played out, with Yahoo Sports NBA experts Jake Fischer, Vincent Goodwill and Dan Devine explaining every swing of Game 3 of the Finals.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER46 updates

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (2)

    Dan Devine

    Mavs storm back and are down 3

    Say this for the Mavs: They’re not going down without a fight. After a Jrue Holiday foul, Kyrie’s three free throws run the tab up to a 23-2 Dallas run, and we’ve got a one possession game in the final five minutes. Crunch time in the NBA Finals. Hell yeah.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (3)

    Dan Devine

    Mavs show some life

    The Mavs came out of their last timeout playing like a team that knows its season is on the line. A 10-0 run in less than three minutes, capped by Josh Green knocking in a catch-and-shoot 3 from the wing off a Luka dish, has Boston’s lead down to 11, with 8:23 remaining.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (4)

    Jake Fischer

    Mavs get something going

    Not so fast ... Dallas' comeback effort here in the start of the fourth is brewing, trimming a 21-point deficit back down to 11. It has featured some quality efforts — finally — from non-Donic/Irving Mavericks: a Josh Green triple, a long ball from PJ Washington, a putback from Lively.

  • Boston 3 party

    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.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (6)

    Vincent Goodwill

    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.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (7)

    Dan Devine

    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.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (8)

    Jake Fischer

    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.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (9)

    Jake Fischer

    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.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (10)

    Dan Devine

    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.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (11)

    Dan Devine

    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.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (12)

    Jake Fischer

    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

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (13)

    Vincent Goodwill

    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.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (14)

    Dan Devine

    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.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (15)

    Jake Fischer

    Tatum and Kyrie LIGHTING IT UP in the first half

    Tatum:
    🟢 20 Points
    ⚪️ 7/15 FG

    Kyrie:
    🔵 20 Points
    ⚪️ 8/14 FG pic.twitter.com/iAolL76t0c

    — Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) June 13, 2024

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (16)

    Jake Fischer

    An exclamation point from Tatum to end the first quarter ‼️

    (via @celtics)

    pic.twitter.com/frWzD3xnN5

    — Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) June 13, 2024

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (17)

    Jake Fischer

    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.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (18)

    Dan Devine

    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.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (19)

    Dan Devine

    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.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (20)

    Vincent Goodwill

    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.

  • NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (21)

    Dan Devine

    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.

NBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series lead (2024)

FAQs

Has an NBA team ever come back from 3 0? ›

There has never been a successful comeback from a 3–0 series deficit in the NBA to date. Of the 157 NBA teams (as of June 17, 2024) that faced a 3–0 deficit, only 4 of them (~3%) forced a game seven which they ultimately lost. New York became the first team to force a game seven after trailing 3–0 in the series.

How won the NBA Finals in 2024? ›

The Boston Celtics are the 2024 NBA Champions. Jayson Tatum put up a 31-point performance to lead the franchise to it's 18th championship and Tatum's first, beating the Dallas Mavericks in a five-game series. Jaylen Brown claimed the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP with 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

How many times has an NBA team comeback from 3 to 1? ›

Successful comebacks

NBA teams have overcome 3–1 deficits 13 times, only one of which occurred in the NBA Finals. The NBA is the only major North American sport with seven-game playoff series where no team has overcome a 3–0 deficit.

When was the Celtics' last championship? ›

Boston's previous championship was won June 17, 2008, exactly 16 years ago. That historic 2008 team, with future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, won banner No. 17 in a blowout Game 6 win over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

Has a team down 3-0 ever forced a Game 7? ›

Only four teams that went down 3-0 in an NBA playoff series forced a decisive Game 7: 1951 New York Knicks (lost to the Rochester Royals in Game 7 of the NBA Finals) 1994 Denver Nuggets (lost to the Utah Jazz in Game 7 of the second round)

Who has the most threes in a NBA game without missing? ›

Most 3s Without a Miss: Ben Gordon (April 14, 2006/March 21, 2012) and Latrell Sprewell (Feb. 4, 2003), 9. Gordon was a guard before his time. He would've been a great volume scorer off the bench in today's NBA.

Who's favored to win the NBA championship in 2024? ›

Fresh off capturing their 18th NBA championship, the Boston Celtics unsurprisingly were installed as the favorite to repeat next season at +280. The Celtics disposed of the Dallas Mavericks to take the 2024 Finals in five games.

Who holds the most NBA Finals? ›

The Boston Celtics now have the most championships in NBA history. Check out how many titles each franchise has won. The Boston Celtics lead the way in NBA lore with 18 championships, the most recent coming in 2024. The Boston Celtics claimed their 18th NBA championship, ending a 16-year title drought.

Who will most likely win the NBA Finals? ›

Here are the updated odds to win the 2025 NBA Finals following the 2024 NBA Draft.
  • Boston Celtics: +290.
  • Denver Nuggets: +800.
  • Oklahoma City Thunder: +850.
  • New York Knicks: +850.
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: +1000.
  • Milwaukee Bucks: +1000.
  • Dallas Mavericks: +1100.
  • Philadelphia 76ers: +1300.

What is the biggest comeback in NBA? ›

NBA. The greatest comeback in National Basketball Association play occurred on November 27, 1996, when the Utah Jazz, down by 36 points to the Denver Nuggets late in the second quarter (it was 70–36 at the half and 70–34 just before), overcame this deficit to win 107–103.

Has a team ever swept the NBA playoffs? ›

When was the last sweep in the NBA Finals? The most recent NBA Finals sweep was in 2018, when the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors squared off for a fourth straight year. After Golden State won the 2017 Finals over Cleveland in five games, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Co.

Has a reverse sweep ever happened in the NBA? ›

A Reverse Sweep has never happened in NBA history, and only four times has a team even taken a series to a Game 7 after a 3-0 deficit.

Does Jayson Tatum have a ring? ›

Boston Celtics Win Record 18th NBA Championship, Jayson Tatum Earns 1st Ring. The Boston Celtics emerged victorious in the 2024 NBA Finals and made some basketball history along the way.

Who owns the Celtics now? ›

The majority owner of the Celtics is Wyc Grousbeck, an entrepreneur who was born in Worcester, Mass. Grousbeck is one of four members that make up the Boston Basketball Partners, the investment group that purchased the Celtics in 2002. Included in the investment group are H.

Why is Boston called the Celtics? ›

The "Celtics" nickname and the team's mascot "Lucky the Leprechaun" are nods to Boston's historically large Irish population, and also to the Original Celtics, a barnstorming basketball team that played in the early 20th century.

Has any team come back from 2-0? ›

In the history of these leagues, teams that were down 2–0 in a series have come back to win the series 17 times; 10 times in MLB, 6 times in the NBA, and once in the NHL. The most recent instance was accomplished by the New York Yankees of the MLB in the 2017 American League Division Series.

Has a team ever come back from 3-0 in the Stanley Cup finals? ›

The Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team that has erased a 3-0 series deficit when they did so in the 1942 Stanley Cup Final, pulling off four wins against the Detroit Red Wings.

What is a gentleman sweep? ›

Allow your opponent to keep their dignity

A “gentleman's sweep” in the NBA refers to a playoff series outcome where one team wins the series 4-1 after conceding only one game to their opponent.

When did the 3-point line start in the NBA? ›

The 3-point shot, at first, wasn't part of the package. The NBA stayed firm in the game's traditions. The league didn't adopt the 3-pointer until 1979--Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's rookie season.

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