The Dallas Mavericks kept their championship hopes alive 

The Dallas Mavericks kept their championship hopes alive on Friday night with a dominant victory over the Boston Celtics, winning their first game of the NBA Finals 122-84. Trailing 0-3 in the best-of-seven series, Dallas faced a daunting challenge, as no NBA team has ever overcome such a deficit. Luka Dončić, often criticized for his defense, excelled on both ends of the court, scoring 29 points, including 25 in the first half.

The Mavericks' commanding performance saw both teams benching their starters by the fourth quarter. The 38-point win was the third-largest margin in NBA Finals history. Boston, losing for the first time in five weeks, ended their franchise-record 10-game postseason winning streak and missed the chance for back-to-back 4-0 sweeps in the conference and finals. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 15 points, while Kyrie Irving scored 21 for the Mavericks, and Dereck Lively secured 12 rebounds.