After Wednesday night’s 106-99 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at American Airlines Center, the Dallas Mavericks are pretty much playing for pride.
No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit, so this series is over for all intents and purposes.
The Celtics, who have won 10 straight playoff games, can finish the series on Friday night in Game 4.
Boston, who was without injured Kristaps Porzingis, got big games from its two best players, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum led the way with 31 points, and Brown added 30, including 24 in the second half.
The Celtics built a 21-point fourth-quarter lead. However, the Mavs were able to close the gap to three after going on a 20-2 run, but with just over four minutes left, Luka Doncic, who had 27 points, would foul out, and while Dallas would cut the lead to one, they were unable to get over the hump.
After the Game 3 loss, Doncic, who fouled out for only the third time in his career, could not believe he fouled out in an NBA Finals game.
“We couldn’t play physical,” Doncic said. “I don’t know. I don’t want to say nothing. You know, six fouls in the NBA Finals, basically I’m like this (motions with palms out). Come on, man. Better than that.”
In 2016, Kyrie Irving, who had a game-high 34 points in Game 3, came back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Warriors. Irving believes the Mavs have to continue to be aggressive.
“This is a metaphor here. Just be ready (smiling). Just go home, get the ammo ready, get the bazooka, the 50 cal ready,” he said. “Get everything ready because when we come into Game 4, we know we got to shoot our shots, and we got to do it with an aggression… We just got to stay positive. For me personally, again, I’m going home, dusting off the tools, and just getting ready for a tough Game 4.”
Doncic says the series is still first to four wins.
“Like I said, it’s not over till it’s over,” he said. “We just got to believe. Like I always say, it’s first to four. We’re going to stay together. We lose together, we win together. So we got to stay together.”
Unfortunately, barring a miracle—and miracles do happen—theMavs are playing for pride. No one wants to get swept, and no one wants to lose in their own building, so let’s see if Dallas can at least win a game.
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