The 2024 NBA Finals are here, and the Boston Celtics have the chance to go up 3-0 against the Dallas Mavericks. Boston pulled out a second straight win to open their best-of-seven series against Dallas. It was the ninth time the Celtics have won the opening pair in the Finals.
Boston had five players score in double figures as Jrue Holiday (26 points) and Jaylen Brown (21) led the way in Game 2. Jayson Tatum made up for a rough shooting night with 12 assists and nine rebounds to go with his 18 points.
Luka Doncic tallied his 10th career playoff triple-double for the Mavericks on Sunday, while Kyrie Irving, who has lost 12 games in a row against the Celtics, scored 16 points.
Every 2024 NBA Finals game will air on ABC and will be streaming on fubo (try for free). Check out the full NBA Finals schedule below.
Celtics vs. Mavericks Game 3 info
Time: 8:30 p.m ET | Date: Wednesday, June 12
Location: American Airlines Center — Dallas
TV channel: ABC | Streaming: ABC/fubo (try for free)
2024 NBA Finals schedule
Game 1
Thursday, June 6: Celtics 107, Mavericks 89 (Boston leads 1-0)
Game 2
Sunday, June 9: Celtics 105, Mavericks 98 (Boston leads 2-0)
Game 3
Wednesday, June 12: Mavericks vs. Celtics, ABC/fubo
Game 4
Friday, June 14: Mavericks vs. Celtics, ABC/fubo
Game 5*
Monday, June 17: Celtics vs. Mavericks, ABC/fubo
Game 6*
Thursday, June 20: Mavericks vs. Celtics, ABC/fubo
Game 7*
Sunday, June 23: Celtics vs. Mavericks, ABC/fubo
The Mavericks won their first and only championship in 2011 as Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas to the title 13 years ago. It was also their last appearance in the NBA Finals.
The Celtics have won 17 championships in their franchise history, but they actually have a longer title drought than the Mavs. Boston’s last NBA title came in 2008. The Celtics — who fell in the conference finals to the Heat last season — last made the NBA Finals in 2022, but they lost against the Warriors in six games.
2024 NBA Finals odds
- Entering the series: Celtics: -230, Mavericks +180
- Entering Game 3: Celtics +105, Mavericks -125
Game 3 pick, prediction
The Celtics have gone undefeated on the road this postseason, and they’ve done so largely without Kristaps Porzingis, who has been stellar thus far in the Finals. The Mavericks have lost a home game in all three of their series so far this postseason and none of them have come against an opponent as strong as Boston. Luka Doncic is the only Maverick that has been able to generate good shots consistently thus far in the series, and even that became a struggle when Boston started sending more help toward him in Game 2. Nothing that has happened in this series or this postseason suggests that the Mavericks should be favored in a game against the Celtics. I’m taking Boston, home court be damned. The Pick: Celtics +1.5
— Sam Quinn
