DALLAS — The Boston Celtics looked like they were falling back into old habits on Wednesday night during Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals. Yet, instead of squandering a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter, the C's held on to win 106-99 over the Dallas Mavericks, showing that they've grown a lot in recent years.
“This is a new team, you know what I mean,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown said in his postgame remarks. “We've learned from those experiences. And in these moments, you can see that we learned from it. We stepped up to the plate, and we found a way to win.”
Up 3-0, Brown and company are just one victory away from winning it all. But, before the Celtics get another shot at reuniting with the Larry O'Brien Trophy, let's delve into three takeaways from their gritty win in Game 3 versus the Mavs.
The scoring and playmaking of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown came in clutch
Brown and fellow 2024 All-Star Jayson Tatum complemented each other well on Wednesday. And most importantly, they were the leaders Boston needed when it was on the verge of collapse.
After the Mavs cut the Celtics' lead down to one with 3:37 left in the fourth quarter, Boston's dynamic duo responded.
On the next possession, Brown was there for a tip-in following a Tatum miss, putting the Green Team up 95-92 with 3:08 remaining. Then with 2:17 to go, Tatum corralled a near-turnover and slammed it home to put the Celtics up six.
However, few leads are safe in today's NBA. Dallas quickly made it a two-point game at the 1:20 mark thanks to a ferocious dunk from Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II. Brown didn't shy away from the moment though, as he answered with a smooth jumper in what was perhaps the biggest shot of the contest, giving the Celtics a pivotal 102-98 lead with just a little over a minute.
Brown ended up with 30 points (nine coming in the final frame), eight rebounds, and eight assists. His clutch performance prevented the Mavs from storming back and taking Game 3.
“I think this team has trusted me, especially in this playoffs and those moments to just be who I am,” Brown stated. “Those opportunities have presented themselves, and I've been able to take advantage of them. But I give all my credit to my teammates for the trust they had in me to have the ball in my hands and to be able to make those plays.”
Although Tatum wasn't as efficient down the stretch, he helped the C's stay in the game when they trailed by as much as 13 points in the first quarter. He finished with 31 points (a personal best in the NBA Finals), six rebounds, five assists, and one steal.
“Those are our leaders,” Celtics big man Xavier Tillman said when asked about his star teammates. “They willed in the buckets, you know. At times, that's what you need, and they responded, and we needed it for sure.”
Dallas' leaders were also scoring in droves during Game 3. Mavericks stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 62 points while going 24-for-55 from the field altogether. They dropped 37 points alone in the first 24 minutes of the outing, making Tatum's 20 points in the first half a big reason why Boston was still in striking distance at halftime down 51-50.
“We were able to make plays and find a way to win. And we've been in those positions, and we've lost,” Brown recalled. “It was great to overcome that with my brother, Jayson, and with our team. That was special.”
Xavier Tillman did his job in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis
At the trade deadline, the Celtics were already a contender. Yet, they weren't satisfied, so they brought in Xavier Tillman from the Memphis Grizzlies.
This deal was all about depth because Tillman would not be starting over centers Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. But when Porzingis was sidelined for Game 3 due to a rare injury and Horford, who celebrated his 38th birthday on June 3rd, needed rest, it was Tillman's time to shine.
Game 3 was the Michigan native's first time playing in an NBA Finals game. He had a strong debut with four rebounds, two blocks, and three points in only 11 minutes.
“He played in the Western Conference for three or four years, and so he's played against the Mavs. And so he's had that experience,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla explained when asked why Tillman backed up Horford. “Memphis has used a similar game plan, so he was used to that. I thought with that comfort level of playing against those guys for so long, he was going to be able to execute the things that we needed to execute.”
Tillman's only basket came in the third quarter when Brown found him open in the corner for a 3-pointer. This triple put the C's up 78-65 and gave them some breathing room, which they'd desperately need later.
“I thought he was great,” Brown said of Tillman's showing. “Defensively I thought he was stellar, and that big shot he made in the corner, I just knew it. I just knew when I drove, they were going to help, and he was going to be open. And I trusted it all the way. I just knew it was going in. I don't know how to tell you. It was just like a divine experience. I knew X was going to make that shot, and he did. That was big for us.”
Whether or not Porzingis returns for Game 4 remains to be seen. Regardless, Tillman undoubtedly did his job in Game 3 and demonstrated why the Celtics traded for him in February.
Derrick White was unwavering
Celtics guard Derrick White is one of the best non-All-Stars in the league right now. And he showed it on Wednesday evening.
Despite going a rough 1-for-7 in the first half of Game 3, White never lost confidence. He was a perfect 3-for-3 from deep in the second half, notching 16 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two blocks on the night.
The two-way guard's final triple was especially significant. With just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter, White hauled in a beautiful pass from guard Jrue Holiday and splashed from beyond the arc.
Like he's shown throughout the 2024 playoffs, White was ready to deliver when the Celtics called upon him.
“Derrick has a green light to shoot the shots because his skill set is taking the shots that make sense. He can get into the paint and shoot the two-foot floater off there, he can shoot off the dribble threes, and he can shoot catch-and-shoot threes,” Mazzulla described. “I love the fact that he continues to play. His confidence never wavers based on the shots he takes, and you can always count on him to make the big ones.”
When the Mavericks hone in on Tatum and Brown, it's a luxury for the Celtics to have a composed shooter who they can pass out to. White fills that role nicely, and he'll try and do it again during Game 4 of the Finals on Friday night when the C's take on a desperate Dallas squad.
“We still have to play the right way,” Tatum declared. “We've still got to win. They are not going to quit, and we should expect the best from them from here on out.”
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