The Dallas Mavericks were leading the Boston Celtics 51-50 at halftime of Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals, but they'll need a lot more effort to avoid falling behind 3-0.
Dallas jumped out to a 22-9 lead early in front of a rapt crowd at the American Airlines Center and looked like it would be a comfortable victory for much of the first quarter. Dallas mounted attacks in the paint with the Celtics' key frontcourt big man, Kristaps Porzingis, missing the game due to a “rare” injury.
But the Celtics more than fought back, as the lead was down to one point at the end of the third quarter and narrowed early in the second, with both teams trading blows from there until the locker room.
Luka Doncic has been the standout performer so far, and Kyrie Irving is having a spectacular comeback. Irving and Jayson Tatum were tied for the game lead at halftime with 20 points each, with Doncic finishing with 17. The Mavericks have hope, but Doncic and Irving will need some scoring help.
Can they pull off a win and avoid a 3-0 deficit in Game 4 on Friday night?
Watch Game 3 of the NBA Finals with Yahoo Sports NBA experts Jake Fisher, Vincent Goodwill and Dan Devine.
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Boston stays focused after halftime
Whatever Joe Mazzulla said to the Celtics in the locker room, whether it was about killer whales or UFC fighters punching each other in the tummy, might be best written down to use again next time they play. Boston scored in the first game. VI The second half was capped off by a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer by Jayson Tatum and an assist on a drive-and-kick by Jaylen Brown (Brown had seven assists), and Jason Kidd called a timeout with the Celtics leading by five, 64-59.
Tatum prefers Game 3
Jayson Tatum told me after Game 3 against Indiana that it was his favorite matchup of the series. He loves silencing the visiting crowd in Game 3, scoring 25 points in the last three games with Boston leading 64-59.
Tatum and the Celtics have a slight lead
Tatum's offensive line arrived in Dallas, his teammates joined the party, and the Celtics led 64-59.
Or are the Mavs doing well?
The Mavericks have a lot to feel good about. Luka and Kyrie continue to find chemistry in the pick-and-roll. After struggling to make shots inside in Games 1 and 2, they led 30-16 in the paint at halftime and are finally hitting those extra shots, scoring six second-chance points on six second-chance possessions.
This is how the NBA Finals should be
They went for the matchup multiple times, stepped back multiple times and played their best game of the series. Both teams are in a much better rhythm than we saw in Boston and it should be a high-octane finish.
Do the Celtics have the advantage?
What's good for the Celtics: About 85% of their shots in the first half came from near the rim or beyond the 3-point line. Tatum is finally starting to get his act together. Tillman, Hauser and Pritchard are getting hit but are holding up for the most part. If any of Jaylen Brown (2-for-6), Derrick White (1-for-7) or Jrue Holiday (2-for-6) can get into a rhythm with good play, they'll be in good shape.
It's a different game in Dallas.
Jayson Tatum never made more than six shots or scored more than 18 points in either of his first two games with Boston. He's already outdone himself in this one, putting the pressure on the Celtics as they try to weather the storm in Dallas with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting. The Celtics need all those points to keep up with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic (who combined for 37 points on 50 percent shooting) and help propel the Mavs to a 51-50 lead by halftime.
Tatum leads Boston to victory
Only Jayson Tatum had a close lead in this one. He had 20 points in the first half, the score was tied at 50-50, and over half of the C's shots were 3-pointers.
Kylie is doing what she has to do.
Kyrie Irving missed his first nine 3-pointers in the 2024 NBA Finals. He's made his last four, three of them in the second quarter alone, including two awkward step-backs in the Boston game, giving him 20 points in 19 minutes. That's the kind of shooting power Dallas desperately needed, and so far their secondary star is doing just that.
Kyrie Tatum shoots from long distance
Jayson Tatum and Kyrie Irving both got back on track. Irving made another step-back 3-pointer to improve to 4-of-5 from 3-point range, and Tatum made another 3-pointer off the bounce with 2:36 left in the second period to improve to 3-of-6.
Now there is a game
In the actual playoff game, the offense struggled to get going, then Kyrie and Tatum made back-to-back three-pointers.
Xavier Tillman's Up and Down
Xavier Tillman's performance has been up and down so far. He forced Luka to miss a switch, got up and was called for a moving screen. On the next possession, he forced Irving to miss on the switch.
Boston is settling down
Dallas started the second quarter with three turnovers, a couple missed jump shots by Luka and Kyrie, and a missed dunk by Derek Lively II (that lob finally looked clean and clicked!), but Boston continued to play a drive-and-kick game to start the second quarter. A catch-and-shoot three-pointer by Derrick White quickly put the Celtics up 35-33 with under eight minutes left until halftime.
Derek Lively's presence grows
Derek Lively had plenty of energy after two tough games in Boston. Despite not getting an offensive rebound, he held onto the ball after going out of bounds twice and then got on the court for a steal while guarding Jaylen Brown in space. It was a great play from the rookie.
Boston finishes strong in first place
Things got tough for the Mavs late in the quarter. Luka missed both step-back three-pointers and fell to the ground on both, and the Celtics got both transition baskets. A Sam Hauser three-pointer followed by a Jayson Tatum dunk with one second left put Boston within one, 31-30, with 12 minutes to play. Trailing 22-9 halfway through the first quarter, the Celtics fought back strongly.
The Celtics are giving it their all
Xavier Tillman and Sam Hauser have both burned out, with Hauser now the center, so how deep will Boston's bench be tonight?
Dante finally leaves
And with his tomahawk dunk over Jayson Tatum, Dante Exum retroactively corrected the expectations of everyone who had high hopes for him going into the 2014 NBA Draft. Sometimes it takes a decade.
The Celtics are finally on the move
Welcome to the NBA Finals, Xavier Tillman! The little-used big man backtracked in transition, fumbled a Jaden Hardy layup, and helped the Celtics break and finish with a Jaylen Brown layup. After a shaky start, Boston's defense began to show itself, with stops fueling a 10-3 Celtics run and forcing Dallas to take a timeout to start the game.
