Moments after Game 3 was over, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown shared a long hug mid court as the Boston Celtics averted a monumental collapse late.
Jayson Tatum 🤝 Jaylen Brown
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 13, 2024
Boston is 1 win away from banner No. 18 ?? pic.twitter.com/Tsv7aUVmoD
Tatum finally broke out of his shooting slump, and brought himself an inch closer towards a much-coveted first NBA title.
“Just showing the emotions of the game. We just say however long it takes,” Tatum spoke after the Celtics 106-99 Game 3 win over the Mavericks in Dallas for a commanding 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals.
The Boston superstar exploded for 31 points after just averaging 17 points in the first two Finals games. He added six rebounds and five assists.
CELTICS TAKE A 3-0 SERIES LEAD ??
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 13, 2024
Tatum: 31 PTS | 6 REB | 5 AST
Brown: 30 PTS | 8 REB | 8 AST pic.twitter.com/hBW3uhy2UH
“At that moment, I just told him I’m proud of him and he said the same thing and we got to keep fighting… We’re not relaxing or anything like that.”
“I just told him I was proud of him. He said the same thing and that we’ve got to keep fighting — we can’t relax.”
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 13, 2024
Jayson Tatum on what he told Jaylen Brown after taking a 3-0 series lead in the #NBAFinals https://t.co/iBAnqS5XWy pic.twitter.com/AvKDYdlddR
It looked as though the Celtics were going to cruise to a third straight victory in the series, holding a 21-point lead early in the fourth quarter at 91-70 with 11:01 left.
But Dallas surged back, riding a 22-2 spurt to get within a point in the final frame, but the Mavs’ comeback attempt took a big hit when superstar Luka Doncic fouled out with a little over four minutes remaining.
The Celtics hanged on late for a 10th straight playoff win.
“Not really trying to look too much into it,” Tatum said. “The game of basketball is about runs. It’s never going to go like you expected. If you want to be a champion, you have to be resilient in those situations, and we did that tonight.”
Brown added 30 points and the duo combined for 61 points, but the 26-year-old remained grounded despite the win.
JT, JB COMBINE FOR 61 IN GAME 3 ??
— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2024
Tatum: 31 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST
Brown: 30 PTS, 8 REB, 8 AST
Celtics take commanding 3-0 lead in the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV... Game 4 is Friday at 8:30pm/et on ABC! pic.twitter.com/MMEEPwijMB
“Nobody is satisfied. Just however long it takes, that is our motto.”
Boston started slow, overcoming an early 25-12 hole in the opening frame before ending the quarter on a 18-6 run.
“They came out swinging,” Tatum said. “That was to be expected. They were at home, the crowd was behind them. We expected their first punch.”
Game 4 of the NBA Finals will be held on Saturday June 15, at 8:30 a.m. It will be aired LIVE on One Sports, NBA TV Philippines, RPTV, and the Pilipinas Live app.
