The Boston Celtics came away with a 106-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, and the Mavericks made a late run to almost steal the game in the waning minutes, which prompted a funny response from Derrick White after the game in his press conference when asked about head coach Joe Mazzulla's philosophy that “the closer you are to winning, the closer you are to losing.”

“Yeah, Joe is consistent the whole time,” Derrick White said, via Noa Dalzell of SB Nation. “He's probably so happy it happened like that so he can just continue to tell us that, but he just stays consistent. He just makes the right calls and we just trust him completely. So yeah, seemed pretty true today. … He's a sicko so probably (enjoying it).”

The game was close heading into halftime, with the Mavericks holding a one-point lead over the Celtics, but Boston pulled away in the third. It seemed like the Celtics would pull away with a comfortable win in Game 3, but the Mavericks had a late charge, outscoring Boston 29-21 in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, it was not enough for Dallas. The Celtics got good performances from their stars to combat the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, and they are now one win away from an NBA title.

Related Boston Celtics NewsArticle continues below
A newspaper as the background, Jayson Tatum on the other side with an injury kit in front of him, Joe Mazzulla and Jaylen Brown on the other side with a speech bubble that says "We got you!"
Beantown Rundown: Can Celtics actually rally vs. Knicks without Jayson Tatum?
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) controls the ball from New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) in the second half during game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden.
How Jaylen Brown plans to lead Celtics after extending Knicks series

Celtics on the verge of completing dominant season

The Celtics were clearly the best team in the regular season, finishing with by far the best record of anyone at 64-18. They have continued that dominance in these playoffs. They have only lost two games, one to the Miami Heat in the first round and one to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round. They seem to have gotten better as the playoffs have gone on, sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and going up 3-0 on the Mavericks, the team that many thought would give Boston the best fight and some thought would win the series.

Now, the Celtics are in position to win the NBA title for the first time since 2008, and it would be the first time with this group of players that has gotten close numerous times. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown did not disappoint in Game 3, as Tatum put up 31 and Brown put up 30. The dynamic duo has been too much for everyone this year, along with the depth of Boston.

White turned in a good performance as well, putting up 16 points with five rebounds and four assists. Now, the Celtics need one more big effort to close out the series. While Celtics fans would likely not be opposed to clinching the title at home in Game 5, the team has a chance to close out a sweep on the road in Game 4.