Celtics Beat Mavericks 106-99 

Driven by their dynamic pair of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-99 on Wednesday, capturing a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals. Tatum scored 31 points, breaking out of his scoring funk. In a blazing third quarter, Brown scored fifteen of his thirty points, and the Celtics held on to pull within one win of an NBA record eighteenth championship.

Boston can wrap up the series in game four in Dallas on Friday. Boston and the Los Angeles Lakers presently have the same record of 17 championships. The Mavericks enter that game well aware that no club has ever overcame a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA playoff series. With 1:20 remaining and their backs against the wall, the Mavericks overcame a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 100-98 thanks to a cutting dunk by Kyrie Irving and Derrick Lively.