DALLAS — It was almost a comeback for the ages.
The Dallas Mavericks, who came out swinging to start Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals -- and very much needed to do so after losing the first two games of the series in Boston -- made the mistake of letting the Celtics hang around in the first half of the game. Then, they seemingly lost control of their destiny as Celtics shot after Celtics shot kept finding the bottom of the net in the third quarter.
The air completely left the American Airlines Center as the onslaught came fast and furious, with the Celtics outscoring the Mavericks 35-19 in the third quarter to take a 85-70 lead into the fourth.
Things only got worse from there as Boston scored the first six points of the final frame to expand their lead to 21 points -- the biggest lead of the game in either direction.
But then something special started to happen. At that point -- their backs fully up against the wall -- the Mavericks finally found some life. They rattled off a 22-2 run to cut the lead to 1.
Had the Mavs completed the comeback, it would've been the second-biggest in NBA Finals history.
Alas, it was too little, too late.
The Celtics would hold off the Mavericks' late push to win the game 106-99, and take a 3-0 series lead.
No team that's found itself down 3-0 in the NBA Finals, as the Mavs currently find themselves, has ever come back to win the series and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Game 3 ultimately followed the same script of the first two games of the series: The Celtics developed a big lead, the Mavericks showed some spark in return, but still came up short in the end.
It didn't help that Doncic, who'd been dealing with injuries all playoffs long, fouled out of the game after being called for a block on Jaylen Brown with just more than four minutes left in the game. He'd been productive in this one, too, contributing 27 points, six rebounds and six assists to the cause.
Some other stars not named Luka Doncic or Jaylen Brown -- who himself contributed 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists on the night -- also finally answered the bell in this one.
The Celtics' Jayson Tatum, who'd been averaging 17 points in the series (down from his regular season average of 26.9 points per game), scored 20 points in the first half alone, and 31 in total.
On the Mavs' side of things, Kyrie Irving, who'd been averaging just 14 points in the series (down from a regular season average of 25.6), also chipped in 20 first half points en route to 35 in the game.
Still, even with Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis out for the game, having suffered a leg injury toward the end of Game 2, the Mavericks couldn't get take advantage and get a win on the board.
Game 4 tips off at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 14, at the American Airlines Center.
If these Mavericks are to make history, well... it's time.