Dallas Mavericks on the Verge of Elimination

Celtics Take Commanding 3-0 Lead in NBA Finals

Mavs Face Uphill Battle in Game 4

The Dallas Mavericks' hopes of an NBA championship took a significant hit on Wednesday night, as the Boston Celtics pulled away with a 106-99 victory in Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Dallas. The Celtics now hold a commanding 3-0 series lead, putting the Mavericks on the brink of elimination.

The Mavericks entered Game 3 with some reason for hope after Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis, one of Boston's best players in Games 1 and 2, was ruled out due to injury. However, the Celtics proved to be too much for Dallas, led by a balanced scoring attack that saw five players reach double figures.

Jayson Tatum led the way for Boston with a game-high 29 points, while Jaylen Brown added 23 points and Marcus Smart contributed 17 points. The Celtics also got a strong performance from Al Horford, who finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The Mavericks were led by Kyrie Irving, who scored 24 points. However, Irving was inefficient from the field, shooting just 8-of-23. Luka Dončić, the Mavericks' leading scorer in the series, was held to just 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting.

The Mavericks will now need to win four straight games to avoid being swept by the Celtics. Game 4 of the series is scheduled for Friday night in Dallas.