[autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag] sits one win away from his first NBA championship.
The Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks for the third straight time on Wednesday night, a 106-99 road win that moved the Celtics within one win of a title.
The game sat in limbo for most of the night. The Mavericks, who feature two former Blue Devils in Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II, led by one point with 9:30 left to play in the third quarter, but a 33-11 run from the Celtics opened up a mammoth lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Mavericks clawed back within one possession in the final two minutes, but Boston held on for the win.
Tatum finished with 31 points, his new personal best for a Finals game, and added six rebounds and five assists.
Boston finished the regular season with the best record in basketball, a 64-18 mark that earned them the top overall seed in the Eastern Conference. After winning 15 of their first 17 playoff games, a sweep would cement the 2023-24 Celtics as one of the most successful teams in recent memory.
The fourth game of the series will be played on Friday in Dallas with the Celtics able to clinch their first championship since 2008 on the road.