As the NBA Finals move to Dallas and American Airlines Arena for Game 3, there is no doubt that the Boston Celtics controlled the series through the first two games despite not appearing to play their best game. Add to that the historical fact that there have been 36 instances in the Finals of a team being down 0-2 to start the series and only five teams coming back and winning the Finals and the task for Dallas is daunting. As problematic as this stat is on a macro level, Jason Kidd needs to address issues right now, including the need for a higher scoring Mavericks not named Luka and an even better defense against a team that slowed down Jayson Tatum but still lost with ease in Games 1 and 2.
As mentioned, the good news for the Dallas Mavericks is that they will play the next two NBA Finals games at home. The Mavericks have won Game 3 of every playoff series before this one. On the other hand, the Celtics have yet to lose Game 3 this postseason. This is Tatum and company’s game. dropped the proverbial hammer in the previous rounds.
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A tough experience for us in Game 2, only winning one of five tickets. In two games we are 6-7, but we are back to work. Let’s dive into the game and find some plays.
Game 3
Boston Celtics (+110) vs Dallas Mavericks (-130)
Spread: Mavericks -2 | S/U: 213
Yes, Dallas will be better in Game 3. However, Game 3 so far in the playoffs has been a showcase event for Jayson Tatum and it’s hard to believe this series will end without a stat-packed performance from the Celtics’ biggest star.
Here are the Game 3 stat lines for the All-Star in this year’s postseason.
22-11-6 at Miami in Game 3 victory
33-13-6 at Cleveland in Game 3 victory
36-10-8 Indiana in Game 3 victory
Jayson Tatum OVER 5.5 assists (-142)
Jayson Tatum OVER 9.5 rebounds (-110)
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It surpassed this mark in 10 of Boston’s 14 playoff games
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Knocked down 11 boards in Game 1 vs. Dallas
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Collected 9 boards in Game 2 against Dallas
Where we will hedge is in the score column. Tatum hasn’t shot well so far in the Finals (12-38, 31.6%), so forgive us for not attacking his points proposition (25.5). His drop in shooting, however, didn’t stop him from filling other columns on the stat sheet.
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Daniel Gafford OVER 8.5 points (-105)
Dereck Lively OVER 5.5 rebounds (-142)
Can’t watch Game 3? No problem. NBC Sports will live blog the game and include highlights, analysis and betting information throughout the evening.
Enjoy Game 3 and let’s enjoy some hoodies and win some tickets.
