The Celtics beat the Mavericks by 105-98 to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA finals. Jrue Holiday led the scoring for the Celtics with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown making valuable contributions as Boston took another step towards an unprecedented 18th NBA championship.
Dallas started the game well with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving scoring 10 of the first 13 points. The Mavs lead the first quarter 28-25. Dallas again got off to a strong start in the second quarter but Boston slowly grew into the game wrapping up three-pointers and free throws. The Celtics held a slim lead into halftime of 3 points as the scoreline read 54-51.
The Celtics went into a 10-0 run at the start of the third quarter to get a grip on the game. Jrue Holiday led Boston with 23 points. Payton Pritchard scored a long buzzer-beater after coming from the bench to end the third quarter at 83-74. The two teams traded baskets at the start of the fourth quarter. Dallas went all guns blazing in the latter stages of the quarter cutting the lead to 5 points. Derrick White made a heroic block from Washington’s dunk and then made a layoff to Jaylen Brown who converted to take the game beyond Dallas. The final score ended 105-98.
During the Game, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck was involved in an incident with Luca Doncic. Grousbeck was sitting courtside in the TD Garden. According to multiple reporters at the game, Grousebeck made a ‘T’ gesture from his arms gesturing a foul. Doncic was seen talking back after he made a shot immediately after. However, Doncic denied any such altercation saying that he has no idea who Celtics’ owner is.
Doncic is known for his aggressive behavior inside the court. He was involved in a heated altercation with a fan during a match against OKC Thunder.
“That’s great for me, I love it. There was one guy, courtside, going to my family. I don’t like that. A grown a** man just can’t do that… I just went back. It’s crazy. That’s a grown a** man coming at my family. That’s kinda nuts.” Doncic said about the incident.
Celtics vs. Mavericks Game 3 Preview:
Game 3 of the NBA Championships will take place on Wednesday, June 13 at American Airlines Center in Boston. The Game will start at 8:30 PM ET on ABC. Mavericks are a 1.5-point favorite according to bookies in what would be virtually a must-win game for them. On the other hand, Celtics are a perfect 6-0 on the road this playoffs.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
