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The Celtics hold off a fourth-quarter rally from the Mavericks to take a commanding 3-0 series lead.
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DALLAS — The NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV lacked drama until suspense finally entered the arena with a blast Wednesday, not once, but twice in a frantic fourth quarter and threatened to shake up the series.
The first time: The Dallas Mavericks, down 21 points, turned tornado and ripped through a 22-2 run. Would they actually take the lead?
(They didn’t.)
The second time: Luka Doncic was whistled for his sixth and final foul after colliding with Jaylen Brown with 4:12 left. Would the call be overturned on review?
(It wasn’t.)
And because of that, history now asks this suspenseful question:
When will the Boston Celtics finish the job and make the 18th championship in franchise history official?
No cigars have been lit back in Boston, but the Celtics can smell the aroma from Dallas. Because teams that lead 3-0 in a best-of-seven series are 156-0, including 14-0 in the Finals. Because, aside from that Game 3 fourth-quarter sizzle, the Mavericks haven’t dropped many hints that history will be proven wrong.
Here are five takeaways from the Celtics’ 106-99 win in Game 3 and why the ending is perhaps inevitable:
1. The return of the J in Jayson
The once familiar sight of a high-arching trajectory finishing with a splash finally — and consistently — came to the rescue of Tatum, who until Game 3 couldn’t find a rhythm.
His jumper was good enough to give him a jolt of confidence, to help the Celtics assume early control of the game and to give Boston one more weapon to throw at Dallas.
The Celtics had plenty of help and didn’t need Tatum to score efficiently in the first two games, and a good thing, too, because he was faulty. Not so in Game 3. With the series shifting to Dallas, the Celtics missing Kristaps Porzingis and the Mavericks desperate, a return to form by Tatum would be most welcome by Boston.
Tatum responded. He scored 20 of his 31 points in the first half and constantly countered each overthrow attempt by the Mavericks to assume a big lead. Despite Doncic and Kyrie Irving (combining for 37 points) punishing the Celtics in the half, once the buzzer sounded at the break, the Mavericks had just a one-point advantage, mainly because of Tatum.
By setting the tone, Tatum also set the table for the player who might win Finals MVP …
2. Brown put Dallas (and Doncic) down for the count
The 1-2 punch was complete when Brown took the cue from Tatum and finished the job. Brown was sensational in the second half, and not just because that’s when he scored 24 of his 30 points.
Two plays put it in perspective:
His dunk put the Celtics up 15 near the end of the third quarter and (temporarily) put the Mavericks and American Airlines Center to sleep.
Then, realizing Doncic was one foul away from disqualification, Brown attacked and wisely beat Doncic to the spot, causing the contact that sent Doncic to the bench for good.
Brown also demonstrated what this series has revealed: he’s a tough assignment for Doncic.
Or anybody in that second half (and especially the fourth quarter).
“I think this team has trusted me, especially in this playoffs and those moments to just be who I am,” Brown said. “I felt like I’ve been able to just deliver just by being patient and being poised. Those opportunities have presented themselves, and I’ve been able to take advantage of them.
“But we were able to make plays and find a way to win. And we’ve been in those positions, and we’ve lost. It was great to overcome that with my brother, Jayson, and with our team. That was special.”
So Tatum and Brown, as they’ve done all season, and pretty much through much of their careers together, were two much — 61 points combined.
3. It was all in vain for Irving
After a week of owning up to the obvious — that his impact in this series was lacking — Kyrie Irving turned back into the punishing point producer that everyone saw throughout the postseason.
He had 28 points combined in Games 1 and 2. He had 35 in Game 3. Shaking defenders, reaching his sweet spots on the floor and dropping step-back jumpers, Irving was at times impossible to keep in check.
And in the end, it meant nothing for Dallas — just as Tatum’s poor shooting meant nothing in the first two games for Boston.
The crucial moment for Irving came when Doncic fouled out with four minutes and change remaining. Could he be the savior, compensate for the big absence and give the Mavs a chance in this series?
Irving did bring the Mavericks within a point on a layup moments later. But it was the closest they would get, and Irving never scored another basket, just a pair of free throws, because the Celtics forced him to pass.
“Jrue (Holiday) was picking me up full court,” he said. “They knew they were going to pressure me to get the ball out of my hands.
“I just tried to make the right plays, make sure guys were in the right spots, have them understand that we still have a chance to win this basketball game. That was all I was thinking.”
4. Mavs’ support still lacking
In a decision that could only be described as desperate, Mavs coach Jason Kidd blew the dust off Tim Hardaway Jr. and gave him extended Game 3 minutes. Hardaway fell out of the rotation months ago and only saw 27 minutes in this series.
But Kidd was grasping for answers, which happens when, once again, the roll call for the role players mostly came up empty.
Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II, Derrick Jones Jr. — players who constantly stepped forth in the postseason and made Doncic’s life easier — were mild at best.
This is their first taste of mid-June hoops, so their struggles are somewhat understandable. They’re clearly no match for what the Celtics are bringing to help Tatum and Brown.
5. No Porzingis, no problem
Porzingis was a scratch due to his latest injury, which was ironic, considering that injuries were what spoiled his time with the Mavericks. What it didn’t do was spoil the Game 3 outcome for the Celtics.
Al Horford and — surprise — Xavier Tillman were enough to keep the Mavericks from taking advantage. Porzingis was especially effective as a rim protector in Games 1 and 2, thwarting the Mavericks with timely blocks and making them think twice before attacking the rim.
There were no abundant dunks off lobs by Lively and Gafford and the rest, once again, even without Porzingis. Horford had a pair of steals and a block.
And Tillman, who was quietly acquired midseason from Memphis, was pressed into duty and responded with a pair of blocks — and his first 3-pointer of these playoffs — in 11 minutes. It was the most important 11 minutes of his career, considering the stakes and the situation.
“To hear the bench going crazy on our end… it was pretty awesome.”
Xavier Tillman on his corner three during Boston’s 3Q run 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Wu6KCpOaSY
— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2024
“Obviously, I was probably going to play some more,” said Horford. “Then we needed somebody from the bench to come in and give us minutes, and Xavier was amazing tonight. His energy, defensively he held his own, time and time again. He was just ready for the moment.
“It’s not easy being in that position. He came in and he knocks down that big three as well. But defensively he was special. He didn’t get an opportunity the first two games and he has stayed with it, really took advantage of it.”
* * *
Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.
An Instagram post that announced their closure on Tuesday evening did not point to any reason for the closure, and requests for comment were not immediately returned.
“Eight years ago, we opened our doors at the Innovation and Design Building with a simple hope: to bring you honest, delicious food and a warm place to share it,” read the post. “What we found instead was a community – regulars who became friends, first dates that turned into anniversaries, celebrations, quiet lunches, and everything in between. You made this restaurant so much more than a place to eat.”
Globe Food Critic Devra First awarded Chickadee 3.5 stars in October 2018, where she wrote how some meals “are magic, everything cooked perfectly, making you swoon.”
At the time, it was also considered one of the earliest restaurants to have opened in the still-industrial far reaches of the Seaport, which was home to ship-repair facilities and cutting-edge design firms, seafood wholesalers, and biotech companies. In terms of location, some said it was ahead of its time.
DaSilva, a three-time James Beard Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist, has led some of the top restaurants across the Greater Boston area. Aside from Barbara Lynch’s flagship No. 9 Park, he opened Spoke Wine Bar in Somerville in 2013. During his time at Spoke, he received a number of accolades and was named one of Zagat’s “30 Under 30” for Boston and earned the title “Rising Star Chef” from StarChefs.
Kilpatrick, who also left Lynch’s group in 2014, worked for the team behind O Ya to help open restaurants in New York. According to his LinkedIn, he started a new job as a regional operations manager for Lark, a boutique hotel management company, in April.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.
This is a web edition of GBH Daily, a weekday newsletter bringing you local stories you can trust so you can stay informed without feeling overwhelmed.
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🥵Very hot, with highs around 97 degrees. Sunset is at 8:19 p.m.
GBH’s Dan Murphy captured Abby Evangelista and her corgi, Rocko, at Sail250 this weekend. “Rocko gets dressed up for lots of occasions … sometimes just to go to the store, and he does so great with meeting people,” Evangelista said. Keep reading for more photos from the tall ships.
A year ago today firefighters were extinguishing flames at the Gabriel House, an assisted living facility in Fall River. Ten people died in the fire, a tragedy for their loved ones and a scary moment for about 18,000 people who live in assisted living facilities across the state.
Now state officials have created new regulations for fire safety in assisted living facilities, going into effect later this month. Fire departments will inspect these facilities once a year, and facilities will need to submit emergency plans and train their workers on what to do in case of a fire.
GBH’s Craig LeMoult found that neither the new regulations nor state or federal fire codes address checking sprinkler systems. Some of the sprinklers at the Gabriel House weren’t working the night of the fire, including the ones in the room where it started.
“Had the sprinklers functioned properly, we’re not having this conversation right now. It is maybe a single fatality fire, but certainly not more than that,” Fall River fire chief Jeffrey Bacon told LeMoult. “The good news is that some of the sprinklers did function. And had they not, we would be here talking about 20, 30, 40 victims.” You can read the full story here.
1. Colleagues and friends are remembering Louisa Gag, a Boston transportation planner killed last week when a truck driver hit her as she rode her bike near the Roxbury Crossing MBTA stop. Gag grew up in Roslindale and worked for the city on expanding the BlueBikes bike-share program. Before that, she worked for the LivableStreets Alliance, co-authoring a plan to help cities stop traffic deaths. You can see her talk about her work in this 2019 video.
“In moments like these, there is a tendency to reduce the person to the way they died and to their activism,” said Stacy Thompson, a former executive director of LivableStreets. “While we may know Louisa as a deep champion of the city and a close advocate, she’s also a Boston Latin [School] kid. She’s also, like, the most infectious, hilarious person you’ve ever met. She’s also a daughter. It’s so important to us right now for her life to not be reduced to how she stopped living.”
2. More than 4,000 nurses are back at work at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. They went on a one-day strike last week, and hospital administrators kept them from returning to their jobs for another five days. The Massachusetts Nurses Association and Brigham management have been negotiating a contract for seven months, going back and forth over wages, health insurance premiums and staffing levels.
“It’s exciting, but also frightening,” said Christine Forgeron, a cardiac nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “I don’t know what to expect when we go back to our patients. What happens next, because we still don’t have a contract,is the most unsettling part.”
3. Michael Walsh, a Republican candidate for state attorney general, will be on the primary ballot in September despite what Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Karp called “substantial evidence in the record of voter fraud.” The case began when Adam Roof, executive director of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, submitted a complaint accusing a signature gatherer Walsh’s campaign hired of either falsifying or not meeting state requirements for 1,021 of the 10,677 signatures they submitted. Candidates for statewide office need 10,000 signatures to get onto the ballot.
Karp said that there was indeed evidence that the signatures came not from voters themselves but from a list of registered voters the state’s Republican party gave the signature gatherer. But the case fell on a technicality: state law required Roof, the Democratic party official, to submit his complaint by certified mail, and he did not do so. The state’s highest court still has to decide what will happen to Anne Manning Martin, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor who used the same signature gatherer.
4. Residents of towns around the Quabbin Reservoir flooded into the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority meeting last week to ask for a better deal. The Quabbin supplies clean drinking water for dozens of cities and towns in the eastern part of the state. Right now, the state requires towns like Shrewsbury, Belchertown, Orange and Pelham to keep their development in check to keep the Quabbin clean. Though those towns get some money in return, local officials said it’s not enough to cover their costs.
“We are protecting this watershed by foregoing any type of economic development, which is a cornerstone of providing the basics of education [and] public safety,” said state Rep. Aaron Saunders, of Belchertown. “It’s time for a change, and not an incremental one.”
Dan Murphy / GBH News
Tomorrow is the last full day of Sail Boston, the city’s tall ships celebration. The ships will leave our harbor Thursday morning. GBH photographer Dan Murphy was there over the weekend to capture the Parade of Sail.
Dan Murphy / GBH News
The Esmeralda, a ship from Chile, sailed by Castle Island.
Dan Murphy / GBH News
Carolyn Gustine carried her son, Patrick, on her shoulders.
You can see the full photo essay here.
Dig deeper:
–Spectators line Cape Cod Canal to see tall ships make their way to Sail250 in Boston
–The World Cup transformed Greater Boston. Will it last?
–Department of Agricultural Resources celebrates Ice Cream Trail program
Local News
A Boston man is facing charges after he allegedly lunged at a Burger King employee, punched a customer, and then resisted arrest at a nearby MBTA station in East Boston, authorities announced Monday afternoon.
Patrick Donovan, 59, was charged July 1 with one count of assault and battery causing injury on an over 60 or disabled person, assault and battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, assault, and vandalism, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office said in a press release.
The charges stem from an incident shortly before 10 p.m. on June 30, when Boston police responded to a disturbance call from Burger King at 1 Maverick Square, Hayden’s office said.
A Burger King employee told officers that, after ordering his food and receiving it, Donovan yelled that he no longer wanted it and smacked a napkin holder off the counter. He then allegedly lunged at an employee and grabbed her by the arm, prosecutors said.
Donovan subsequently shoved a customer from behind and allegedly punched him in the face three times while calling him racial slurs, the DA’s office said.
Emergency medical services evaluated the customer for “visible lacerations to the forehead,” but the victim declined additional treatment, authorities said.
Donovan fled the restaurant following the assaults, and officers tracked him to the nearby MBTA Maverick Station, prosecutors said.
“While officers tried to detain Donovan inside the station, he swung at them with a closed fist but did not make contact,” Hayden’s office said, noting that Donovan made racial slurs towards the officers. “Donovan was placed into custody after a brief struggle.”
During his arraignment in the East Boston division of the Boston Municipal Court, Donovan pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. Court records show he was also ordered to stay away from Maverick Square and Burger King.
He is scheduled to return to court Aug. 7 for a pre-trial hearing, prosecutors said.
Officers obtained security footage of both assaults. Authorities said the incident remains under investigation and could result in further charges.
“Our workers deserve to be safe in their workplaces and our consumers deserve to be safe in their shopping or dining places, without exception,” Hayden said in a statement. “Beyond that, none of our citizens or first responders should be subjected to racial slurs. These appalling words have no place in Suffolk County or anywhere else in our society.”
Attorney information for Donovan was not immediately available Monday afternoon.
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