The Celtics are one win away.
Boston weathered an early storm from Dallas, which came out of the gate looking very comfortable at home. The Celtics blew the game open in the third quarter and took a 21-point lead early in the fourth, but the Mavericks weren't done fighting.
In the snap of a finger, the Mavericks rattled off a 20-2 run to cut the deficit to just three points with six minutes to play. The game reset from there as the two teams traded stops and big shots the rest of the way.
Luka Doncic fouled out with four minutes remaining, which proved to be a major turning point down the stretch. Jaylen Brown calmly stepped up for the Celtics, Derrick White knocked down a clutch 3-pointer late and Boston held Dallas without a field goal in the final minute and 20 seconds of the contest to come away with a 106-99 victory.
The Celtics have won 10 playoff games in a row and remain undefeated on the road in the postseason.
If you missed any of the action, The Sporting News has you covered with updates, highlights and more from Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
MORE:Full history of 3-0 leads in the NBA Finals
Celtics vs. Mavericks final score
| 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final | |
| Celtics | 30 | 20 | 35 | 21 | 106 |
| Mavericks | 31 | 20 | 19 | 29 | 99 |
Celtics vs. Mavericks live updates, highlights from Game 3 in 2024 NBA Finals
Final: Celtics 106, Mavericks 99
11:02 p.m.:The Celtics nearly let a 21-point fourth-quarter lead slip away but held on to win late. Boston held the Mavericks without a made field goal in the final minute and 20 seconds to put the game away.
Jayson Tatum finished with 31 points and Jaylen Brown had 30. Kyrie Irving finally broke loose with 35 points but Luka Doncic fouled out with four minutes remaining to leave Dallas stranded.
Boston has won 10 straight playoff games and hasn't lost a road game this postseason.
10:57 p.m.:Kyrie Irving misses a 3 and Derrick White hits a pair of free throws to put the Celtics up six, 104-98, with 22 seconds remaining.
10:55 p.m.:Jaylen Brown with a clutchmidrange bucket to put the Celtics up 102-98 with under a minute to play.
Jaylen Brown in the CLUTCH 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/2LYTfG6daD
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 13, 2024
10:54 p.m.:The Mavericks come right back with a pair of easy dunks from Dereck Lively II.Dallas trails 100-98 with 1:20 remaining.
10:52 p.m.:Jrue Holiday delivers a beautiful pass on a drive-and-kick 3-pointer to Derrick White to put the Celtics up 98-92 with just over two minutes remaining.
— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2024Derrick White knocks down the 3!
Boston leads by 6 in Game 3 with under 3 minutes to play on ABC! pic.twitter.com/V8FgirBEIs
10:48 p.m.:The Mavericks' challenge is unsuccessful and Luka Doncic fouls out with 4:12 remaining.Boston leads 93-90.
10:45 p.m.:A possible massive turning point with 4:12 to play in the game. Luka Doncic picks up his sixth foul and has fouled out. Dallas is challenging the call in hopes its star player can stay in the game.
10:37 p.m.:Make that a 20-2 run for the Mavericks. In the blink of an eye, Dallas is right back in this, trailing 93-89 with six minutes to play.Luka Doncic found P.J. Washington on a pair of 3-pointers to help spark the run.
— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2024Patty Mahomes LOVING P.J. Washington's triple!
Cuts Boston's lead to 6... it's a 17-2 Mavs run 🔥#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV
🏆 Game 3 on ABC 🏆 pic.twitter.com/RjKQETg4cFSee AlsoNBA Finals: Celtics survive Mavericks comeback to take 3-0 series leadCeltics vs. Mavericks score: Boston grabs 3-0 NBA Finals lead after withstanding frantic Mavs comeback attemptCeltics beat Mavericks 105-98, take 2-0 lead in NBA Finals as series heads to DallasThe Boston Celtics Aced Their First NBA Finals Test
10:30 p.m.:The Mavericks aren't done yet! A 10-0 run has cut Boston's lead to 11 with 8:23 remaining — more than enough time to mount a comeback.
10:23 p.m.:You could hear a pin drop in the American Airlines Center. The Celtics open the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer from Jaylen Brown and Derrick White to extend their lead to 21.Boston leads 91-70 with 11:06 to play.
End of third quarter: Celtics 85, Mavericks 70
10:17 p.m.:Jaylen Brown ends the quarter with a thunderous dunk! The Celtics completely took over this game in the third, outscoring the Mavericks 35-19. Brown was the catalyst, up to 21 points and eight assists.
JAYLEN BROWN 😤 pic.twitter.com/dpZ8gr1iLy
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 13, 2024
10:15 p.m.:Xavier Tillman is making the most of his opportunity! The backup big man has been called on to fill Kristaps Porzingis' minutes. He's held his own on switches against Luka Doncic and even buried a corner 3 to send Boston's bench into a frenzy.
10:05 p.m.:Boston's ball movement has been a thing of beauty to start the second half.
That's Celtics Basketball ☘️ pic.twitter.com/rwc7J3U2Qw
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 13, 2024
9:56 p.m.:Jrue Holiday buries a 3, Jaylen Brown comes up with a steal, then kicks out to Jayson Tatum for 3.The Celtics are up 64-59 in the first four minutes of the second half.Tatum has a game-high 25 points.
JT drills his 4th triple... he's up to 25 PTS 🔥#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV
— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2024
🏆 Game 3 on ABC 🏆 pic.twitter.com/CDmHBlUOOv
Halftime: Mavericks 51, Celtics 50
9:35 p.m.:The Mavericks head into the half with a one-point lead. The lid finally came off the rim for Kyrie Irving, whose 20 points in the first half are already more than his totals from either of the first two games. Luka Doncic was limited to 17 points on 16 shots.
Jayson Tatum also has 20 points but he missed his last three 3-pointers of the half after a hot start. Sam Hauser has been a surprise contributor off the bench with three triples. The Celtics are bombing away from 3-point range with 27 attempts in the first half.
— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2024Kyrie Irving with a superb 1st half in Game 3!
20 PTS
4 3PM
57.1 FG%Dallas leads Boston 51-50 at the break.#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/4mNqs85kJp
9:24 p.m.:Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum are both finally finding a rhythm from 3, and they're trading big shots. Irving is 4-for-5 from deep and already has 20 points. Tatum is 3-for-6 from 3 and already has 18 points.The Mavericks lead the Celtics 46-45 with 2:29 to play in the half.
— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2024Kyrie Irving is SIZZLING in the 1st half of Game 3 🔥
20 PTS and 4 3PM on ABC! pic.twitter.com/hDgNqBh5WP
9:17 p.m.:The Celtics have taken their first lead of the game, up 35-33 four minutes into the second quarter. Derrick White — who missed four solid looks from 3 in the first quarter — finally got a triple to fall to keep Boston in front.
End of first quarter: Mavericks 31, Celtics 30
9:07 p.m.:The Celtics weathered the Mavericks' storm and cut the deficit to one by the end of the frame.
Dallas came out guns blazing behind 13 points from Luka Doncic and nine points from Kyrie Irving. It took advantage of Boston's lack of rim protection without Kristaps Porzingis, scoring 20 points in the paint.
Sam Hauser buried a pair of late triples and Jayson Tatum finally found a rhythm with 13 first-quarter points to give the Celtics life.
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 13, 2024Hauser cashes in on the triple 🔥
D. White finds JT for the slam to end the 1st 💪 pic.twitter.com/VmnCdEBJhJ
8:57 p.m.:Jayson Tatum knocks down a pair of 3s to give the Celtics a sigh of relief. Boston trails 25-19 with 3:23 to play in the quarter.
8:53 p.m.:Kyrie Irving buries a deep triple at the top of the key for his first 3-pointer of the series. It's been all Mavericks to start this one.
Kyrie pulls up from DEEP 🎯 pic.twitter.com/uGuaIs1wVX
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 13, 2024
8:51 p.m.:The Mavericks are taking it straight to the Celtics inside. Dallas already has 18 points in the paint in the first seven minutes of the game.The Mavericks have their biggest lead of the Finals, up 22-12 with five minutes remaining in the frame.Luka Doncic leads all scorers with nine points.
8:42 p.m.:The Mavericks are off and running at home. Kyrie Irving finished a layup, Luka Doncic hit a stepback 3 and Derrick Jones Jr. forced a Jayson Tatum turnover and scored in transition the other way.Dallas leads 9-2 out of the gate.Timeout Celtics.
Kyrie & Luka with an aggressive start to Game 3 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/VrLAiMyyAA
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 13, 2024
Pregame
8:30 p.m.:The Mavericks will start Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Jones Jr., P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.
Tonight’s starters ⤵️@ModeloUSA // #OneForDallas #MFFL pic.twitter.com/9uP5t3idJc
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) June 13, 2024
8:30 p.m.:The Celtics will keep the same starting five: Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford.
Tonight's Starting 5️⃣@DraftKings pic.twitter.com/SNRUENINZI
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 13, 2024
8:20 p.m.:A tribute to the late, great Jerry West before tip-off.
Moment of silence here for Jerry West ahead of Game 3 pic.twitter.com/NHMjMe1Rl4
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzellNBA) June 13, 2024
7:00 p.m.:The Mavericks announced that Luka Doncic will be AVAILABLE for Game 3, despite his "thoracic contusion." You can read more about his injury here.
Luka Dončić (thoracic contusion) will be AVAILABLE for Game 3 against the Celtics.
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) June 12, 2024
6:50 p.m.:The Celtics have ruled Kristaps Porzingis OUT for Game 3 with a "left posterior tibialis dislocation."
Look for backup centers Luke Kornet or Xavier Tillman to pick up some minutes in Porzingis' absence. Head coach Joe Mazzulla also went to Oshae Brissett in some small-ball minutes during the Eastern Conference Finals.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 12, 2024#NEBHInjuryReport update:
Kristaps Porzingis (left posterior tibialis dislocation) - OUT https://t.co/0s3RDXqHH6
Celtics vs. Mavericks start time
- Date:Wednesday, June 12
- Time:8:30 p.m. ET
Celtics vs. Mavericks will tip off around8:30 p.m. ETon Wednesday, June 12. The game will be played at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
How to watch Celtics vs. Mavericks
Celtics vs. Mavericks will air on ABC in the United States and TSN in Canada. U.S. viewers can also stream the game onSling.
Sling is the home for sports fans, offering various channels. You can always cheer for your favorite teams on channels like ESPN, TBS, TNT, NFL Network, FS1 and more.
Celtics vs. Mavericks odds for Game 3
Here are the latestMavericks-Celtics odds for Game 3, courtesy of BetMGM, an authorized gaming operator of the NBA.
The Mavericks are favored by 2.5 and are -140 against the moneyline. A -140 moneyline means a $140 bet would pay out $100.
| Celticslead 2-0 | Celtics | Mavericks |
| Spread | +2.5 (-110) | -2.5 (-110) |
| Moneyline | +115 | -140 |
| O/U total | O 212.5 (-115) | U 212.5(-105) |
Check out BetMGM to see the latestNBA Finalsoddsincluding updatedodds to win the series,
NBA Finals schedule 2024
Games 2, 5 and 7 are scheduled to be played at TD Garden in Boston. The series will shift to the American Airlines Center in Dallas for Games 3, 4 and 6.
(1) Celtics vs. (5) Mavericks — Bostons leads series 2-0
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
| June 6 | Celtics 107, Mavericks 89 | — | — |
| June 9 | Celtics 105, Mavericks 98 | — | — |
| June 12 | Celtics 106, Mavericks 99 | — | — |
| June 14 | Game 4 | 8:30 p.m. | ABC,Sling |
| June 17 | Game 5* | 8:30 p.m. | ABC,Sling |
| June 20 | Game 6* | 8:30 p.m. | ABC,Sling |
| June 23 | Game 7* | 8p.m. | ABC,Sling |
*If necessary
