What Tatum and Brown said to each other during their hug after Game 3 victory originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
Shortly after the final buzzer sounded in the Boston Celtics’ thrilling Game 3 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown shared a long hug at midcourt.
The star duo led the way a 106-99 road victory this put the C’s one win away from an NBA championship. They took a moment to celebrate their hard-earned triumph, but even with a 3-0 series lead, they know not to be complacent.
Tatum revealed what he and Brown discussed, and it’s clear they have the same mindset heading into Friday’s Game 4.
“Just showing the emotions of the game. Two guys who were excited, tired after the game,” Tatum said of his interaction with Brown. “We’re not necessarily saying ‘one more’ or anything like that, we’re just saying ‘however long it takes’. Nobody is relaxed, nobody is satisfied.
“But, you know, at that point, I just told him I was proud of him and he said the same thing, and that we need to keep fighting. We can’t relax. That was basically the conversation.”
No NBA team has ever been down 3-0 in a playoff series. Still, the C’s are smart to adopt a “job not done” mentality, with a win separating them from the Banner 18.
Brown acknowledged the excitement of being one victory away, but also echoed Tatum’s feelings.
“It’s amazing. I mean, I really don’t have words. It doesn’t even feel real right now and I’m just trying to stay in the moment,” Brown said. “It’s great to be 3-0 up in the series, but the job isn’t done.”
Tatum and Brown combined for 61 of Boston’s 106 points in Game 3. After Tatum took over with 20 points in the first half, Brown scored 15 in the third quarter. They finished with 31 and 30 respectively.
The biggest play of the night was Brown drawing a blocking foul on Luka Doncic to force the Mavs star out of the game with 4:12 remaining. Doncic was fouled with Dallas down three after erasing Boston’s 21-point lead. With Doncic watching from the bench, the C’s remained in the lead the rest of the way.
The Celtics will attempt to complete the sweep — which would mark just the 10th sweep in Finals history — Friday in Dallas. Tip-off for the matchup is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.
