Boston, MA
Boston Celtics (2-0) at Dallas Mavericks (0-2) NBA Finals Game #3 6/12/24
The series now shifts to Dallas with the Celtics up 2-0 on the Mavericks. The Mavericks are 5-3 at home in the playoffs. They were 25-16 at home in the regular season. The Celtics are 6-0 on the road in the playoffs and they were 27-14 on the road in the regular season. The Mavericks should play better at home since young players and role players play better at home but the Celtics have played very well on the road also.
In NBA Finals history, 36 teams have started the series down 0-2. Of those 36, only 5 have gone on to win the series. The 1969 Celtics came back from 0-2 to beat the LA Lakers in Bill Russell’s last season. The 1977 Trail Blazers with Bill Walton came back from 0-2 to beat the Suns. The 2006 Heat with DWade and Shaq came back from 0-2 to beat the Mavericks.
The last two teams that came back from 0-2 in the Finals to win the Championship involved 2 players who are in this series. The 2016 Cavs with LeBron and Kyrie Irving came back from 0-2 to beat the Warriors. And finally, the 2021 Bucks with Giannis and Jrue Holiday came back from down 0-2 to beat the Suns. Also, in 2022, the Celtics were up 2-1 before losing the series in 6 games.
The Celtics as a team are 43-1 in series that they took an 0-2 lead. The one loss was in 2018 Eastern Conference Finals in Jayson Tatum’s rookie season. Of the 36 teams that took an 0-2 lead in the Finals, 33 of those teams won Game 3. This game is very crucial for the Celtics as it would give them a commanding lead in the series. Teams have gone down 0-3 in series 156 times and none have come back to win the series.
After playing in the first 2 games, Kristaps Porzingis is back on the injury list. There are narratives that the Celtics can’t win the title without Porzingis, but, they have had a lot of experience playing without him, both in the regular season and in the playoffs. The Celtics are 21-4 without Porzingis in the regular season and 12-2 without him in the playoffs.
The Celtics have faced teams that have had to play without their starts and for the most part, those teams played great and the Celtics struggled against them. Now, it is the Celtics turn to pick up the slack and win without one of their stars. They still have plenty of scorers and defenders on the team to get it done. Every player would need to pick up their energy and play a bit harder to make up for the injured center.
Porzingis came up limping after coming down awkwardly in the third quarter of Game 2. He tried to play through the injury but didn’t finish the game. After the game, we were told he was fine and would play in Game 3. However, on Tuesday, we were told he suffered a torn medial retinaculum. He is listed as day to day and will be a game time decision as to whether he will play in Game 3.
As he has been throughout the post season, Luka Doncic is once again on the injury list. He has been listed as probable with a right knee sprain and left ankle soreness almost every game in the first 3 rounds but has not missed a game yet. Before Game 2, he was downgraded to questionable with a chest contusion and was wrapped up like a mummy before the game but played the game and didn’t seem to be hampered at all by the list of ailments. He is expected to play in this game as well.
Probable Celtics Starters
Celtics Reserves
Al Horford
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Svi Mykhailiuk
Payton Pritchard
Jordan Walsh
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman
Neemias Queta
Luke Kornet
2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Injuries/Out
Kristaps Porzingis (lower leg) questionable
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Probable Mavericks Starters
Mavericks Reserves
Dante Exum
Josh Green
Tim Hardaway, Jr
Jaden Hardy
Maxi Kleber
Markieff Morris
AJ Lawson
Dereck Lively II
Markieff Morris
Dwight Powell
Oliver-Maxence Prosper
Two-Way Players
Greg Brown III
Alex Fudge
Brandon Williams
Injuries/Out
Luka Doncic (ankle/knee/chest) probable
Head Coach
Jason Kidd
Key Matchups
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Jrue Holiday
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
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Luka Doncic
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
Jrue Holiday vs Luka Doncic
Doncic finished Game 1 with 30 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals while shooting 46.2% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.He finished Game 2 with 32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 steals and 8 turnovers while shooting 57.1% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc. He is very tough to defend as he can shoot from pretty much anywhere on the court. The Celtics did a decent job of defending him in the first 2 games. They need to do their best to limit him in this game as well.
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Derrick White
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
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Kyrie Irving
Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
Derrick White vs Kyrie Irving
In Game 1, Irving finished with 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals while shooting 31.6% from the field and 0-5 on threes. In Game 2, he finished with 16 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists while shooting 38.9% from the field and 0-3 from beyond the arc. I expect him to play better in Dallas without the pressure of the Garden crowd but he still has to get through 2 very tough defensive guards. He played very poorly in the first 2 games of that 2016 series but came back to finish strong to help them to win the series, including a game winner in Game 7 so the Celtics can’t count him out.
Honorable Mention
Jayson Tatum vs PJ Washington
Washington was a big addition to the Mavs at the trade deadline. In Game 1, Washington finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist while shooting 45% from the field and 0-3 from beyond the arc. In Game 2, he finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block. Role players usually play much better at home and so the Celtics need to be ready for a big game from him and keep him out of the paint and off of the boards. Tatum is due for a big game but if he continues to struggle on offense, hopefully he continues to play team ball and not force shots.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is always the number one key to winning games, especially in the playoffs. There is no truer statement than “Defense wins Championships.” In the playoffs, the Mavs are averaging 106.4 points per game (7th) while the Celtics average 110.7 points per game (2nd). The Mavs are 8th with a defensive rating of 111.3 while the Celtics are 3rd with a defensive rating of 107.8. When the Celtics struggle on offense, as they did in Game 2, they have to be able to stop the other team from scoring. The Mavs are likely to attempt more 3’s this game and the Celtics need to be ready to defend them tighter on the perimeter. The Celtics need to play tough, lock down defense for the entire game. The Mavericks have players who can put up a lot of points in a hurry if the Celtics don’t play tough team defense. Defense won Games 1 and 2 and is likely going to be what wins this series.
Rebound – Second to defense, rebounding is the key to winning. One of the few times I have agreed with Pat Riley was when he said “No rebounds, no rings.” Much of rebounding is effort and the Celtics have to put out extra effort to win the battle of the boards. When they work hard on the boards, it usually follows through to the rest of the game as well. The Celtics are averaging 43.8 rebounds per game (3rd) while the Mavs are averaging 43.1 rebounds per game (4th). In Game 1, the Celtics out-rebounded the Mavs 47-43 but they were out-rebounded in Game 2 43-41. The Celtics need to put out extra effort on the boards to keep the Mavs from getting extra possessions and second chance points and to give the same to themselves.
3 Point Shooting – Both of these teams shoot a lot of 3 pointers. The Celtics are 1st in the playoffs with 16.5 three pointers made, while the Mavs are 3rd with 14.6 three pointers made. The Celtics are 1st with 42.5 threes attempted while the Mavs are 2nd with 39.5 threes attempted. The Celtics are 62-9 this season when they hit at least 15 three pointers. The Celtics struggled shooting the 3 in Game 2, shooting just 25.6%, but their defense was strong enough to get them the win. The Mavericks are likely going to make a concerted effort to run the Celtics off the 3 point line in this game. If the 3’s aren’t falling once again in this game, the Celtics need to go to the hoop and not shoot themselves out of the game. On the other hand, the Celtics need to work hard to limit the Mavs 3 pointers.
Maximum Effort for 48 Minutes – The Celtics have to play hard from the opening tip to the final buzzer. It will be important to get off to a strong start. Dallas is 8-2 when they win the first quarter and the Celtics are 11-0 when they win the first quarter. They have to play hard on offense and especially on defense with no let up. The Mavericks are the toughest team that they have faced in the playoffs and nothing less than full effort from every player every minute they are in will do. The Celtics need to be aggressive in defending, going to the basket and. especially in rebounding. The two games the Celtics lost in these playoffs were mostly due to a lack of effort, especially on defense. They can’t let the Mavs play harder than them if they want to win this game.
X-Factors
On the Road – The Celtics are playing on the road but both teams had to travel to get to Dallas. They need to keep their focus on playing the right way and not let the distractions of the road take away that focus. Over the past 3 years, Boston has gone 20-7 on the road in the playoffs. This is tied with the 91-93 Chicago Bulls for the best road record in the playoffs over a 3 year period. The Mavericks, especially the role players, are likely to play better on their home court and in front of their fans. The Celtics need to dig down deep and match the energy of the Mavs and continue to play Celtics basketball on the road.
Experience – Seven of the Celtics players have at least 5 games of Finals experience, including 4 of the starters plus Al Horford. Combined, the Celtics have 44 games of Finals experience. The Mavericks, on the other hand, have a total of just 23 games of Finals experience. Kyrie Irving has 13 of those 23 games with the rest of the team having just 10 games. This is the 2nd time in just 3 years that Tatum, Brown and Horford have been to the Finals. The Celtics need to use their experience and also to use the Mavericks’ lack of Finals experience to their advantage.
Officiating – The officiating can always be an x-factor. Every crew calls the game a little differently and teams need to adjust to how the game is being called. Will they call the game tight or will they let them play? The Celtics can’t let the officiating take away their focus and they have to adjust to the way the refs are calling it. In these playoffs, we have seen several games lost on bad calls at the end of games. The Celtics need to play hard and build a lead and not allow the refs to take the game away on a bad call at the end.
Official Report
Crew Chief – Marc Davis
Davis has a home win/loss record of 41-36 this season. He calls 51% of fouls on the road team and 49% on the home team. Boston is 8-2 in their last 10 games with Davis as the crew chief, including the May 1 win over Miami in the first round and May 13 win over Cleveland in Game 5 and Game 3 win over Indiana. Dallas is 8-2 in their last 10 with Davis, including 4/23 win over the Clippers, 5/22 and 5/30 wins over Minnesota. Boston is 55-56 all time with Davis as a ref and Dallas is 57-38 all time with Davis as a ref. Davis was voted the third worst referee in the league in a poll of the players, behind Scott Foster and Tony Brothers. Comments from players say he is arrogant and will sometime instigate things. He wasn’t bad in the Celtics 3 games so far in these playoffs.
Referee – James Capers
Capers has a home win/loss record of 29-29 this season. He calls 53% of fouls against the road team and 47% against the home team. The Celtics are 7-3 in their last 10 games with Capers including the 5/27 win over the Pacers. The Mavericks are 7-3 in their last 10 games with Capers, including including the 5/22 and 5/30 wins over the Wolves, 5/15 win over OKC and 4/23 win over the Clippers. The Celtics are 55-58 all time in games called by Capers while the Mavericks are 73-45 all time with Capers as a ref.
Umpire – Kevin Scott
Scott has a home win/loss record or 41-21 this season. He calls 51% of the fouls against the road team and 49% against the home team. The Celtics are 7-3 this season with Scott and this is their first game in these playoffs with Scott. The Mavericks are 10-0 with Scott as a ref in their last 10 games including 4/23 win over the Clippers, 5/15 win over the Thunder and 5/22 and 5/30 wins over the Timber Wolves. The Celtics are 28-23 all time with Scott as a referee while the Mavericks are 26-26 all time with Scott calling the games.
And make sure to check out CelticsBlog’s Playback stream for a live conversation about the game. To participate, just create a free account, connect your LP sub if you have it, and join our community.
Boston, MA
A crowd scientist is helping the Boston Marathon manage a growing field of 30,000-plus runners
BOSTON (AP) — Running the Boston Marathon is tough enough without having to jostle your way from Hopkinton to Copley Square.
So race organizers this year turned to an expert in crowd science to help them manage the field of more than 32,000 as it travels the 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometers) through eight Massachusetts cities and towns — some of it on narrow streets laid out during Colonial times.
“There are certain things that we can’t change — that we don’t want to change — because they make the Boston Marathon,” said Marcel Altenburg, a senior lecturer of crowd science at Manchester Metropolitan University in Britain. “Like, I’m a scientist, but I can’t be too science-y about the race. It should stay what it is because that’s what I love. That’s what the runners love.”
The world’s oldest and most prestigious annual marathon, the Boston race was inspired by the endurance test that made its debut at the inaugural modern Olympics in 1896 — itself a tribute to the route covered by the messenger Pheidippides, who ran to Athens with news of the Greek victory over the Persians in Marathon.
After sharing the news — “Rejoice, we conquer!” — Pheidippides dropped dead.
Organizers of the Boston race would prefer a more pleasant experience for their runners, even as the field has ballooned from 15 in 1897 to as many as 38,000 to meet demand for the 100th edition in 1996. It has settled at around 30,000 since 2015.
As the race grew, it tested the limits of the narrow New England roads and the host cities and towns, which are eager to reopen their streets for regular commutes and commerce as quickly as possible.
“It would be kind of great someday to be able to grow the race a little bit more,” race director Dave McGillivray said. “The problem with this race is that it’s about two things: time and space. We don’t have either. … So, we’re trying to be innovative.”
That’s where Altenburg comes in.
A former German army captain who runs ultra marathons himself, Altenburg has worked with all of the major races, other large sporting events, and airports and exhibitions that tend to attract large crowds on ways to keep things safe and flowing smoothly.
For the Boston Marathon, which draws hundreds of thousands of spectators in addition to the runners, his models allow him to run simulations that help him see how the race might play out under different conditions.
“We have simulated the Boston Marathon more than 100 times to run it once for real. That is the one that counts,” Altenburg said in a telephone interview. “They gave me, pretty much, all creative freedom to simulate more waves, simulate more runners and — within the existing time window — they allowed me to change pretty much anything for the betterment of the running experience.
“And then we checked every aid station, every mile, the finish, every important point, (asking): Is the result better for the runner? Is that something that we should explore further?”
The most noticeable difference on Monday will be that the runners are starting in six waves — groups organized by qualifying time — instead of three. The waves, which were first used in Boston in 2011, help spread things out so that runners don’t have to walk after the start, when Main Street in Hopkinton squeezes to just 39 feet wide.
Other, less obvious changes involve the unloading of the buses at the start, the placement of the water and aid stations, and the finish line chutes, where runners get their medals, perhaps a mylar blanket or a banana, and any medical treatment they might need.
“For an event that’s as old as ours, 130 years, it allowed us to be a startup all over again,” said Lauren Proshan, the chief of race operations and production for the Boston Athletic Association.
“The change isn’t meant to be earth-shattering. It’s to be a smooth experience from start to finish,” she said. “It’s one of those things that you work really, really hard behind the scenes and hope that no one notices — a behind-the-curtain change that makes you feel as if you’re just floating and having a great day.”
Shorter porta potty lines would also be nice.
“What I loved about working with the BAA was how aware they are of what the Boston Marathon is. And they won’t change anything lightly,” Altenburg said. “So it was very detailed work from literally the moment the race last year ended to now. That we check every single option. That we really make sure that if we change something about this historic race, then we know what we’re doing.”
The BAA will look at the feedback over the next three years before deciding about expansion or other changes.
“Fingers crossed, hope for the best, but we’ll get feedback from the participants,” McGillivray said. “And they’ll let us know whether or not it worked or not.”
But keeping the course open longer isn’t an option. And the route isn’t going to change. So there’s only so much that crowd science can help with at one of the toughest tests in sports.
“I can talk. I’m a scientist. I just press a button and it’s going to be,” Altenburg said. “But the runners still have to do it.”
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
Boston, MA
From across Boston they flock to play for Latin Academy boys’ tennis, a co-op of 29 schools – The Boston Globe
“I’ve done a lot of different things in my life, but there’s no question in my mind that the youth development aspect of what I’ve done with kids and tennis in Boston is the most important work I’ve ever done,” said Crane, who has dedicated the last 30 years of his life to youth tennis.
Once upon a time, Crane served as a sports journalist for the New York Post, the defender general of Vermont, and the executive director of the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission.
He has been the head boys’ tennis coach at Latin Academy since 2009, and last season led the Dragons to their first Division 3 semifinal appearance in program history.
This season, the Dragons are trying to repeat that success, and are doing so with players from five Boston high schools (Latin Academy, O’Bryant, Josiah Quincy Upper, East Boston, and New Mission).
Sophomore Mayfre Moreta, a New Mission student, has never crossed paths in the school hallways with his doubles partner, Gio Waterman, who attends Latin Academy, but the pair still managed to rally from a set down to clinch the deciding No. 2 doubles point in last year’s D3 quarterfinals.
“I think [that win] speaks to our identity as a program,” said Waterman. “It’s so nice to play with all these new guys from other city schools. We share that bond of representing the city of Boston.”
Along with the unique co-op structure, Crane runs a no-cut program that carries roughly 35 kids ranging from seventh to 12th grade every year who vary from beginners to experienced tournament players.
“We don’t cut because we want to teach kids from all over the city how to play the game,” said Crane. “We want to give them a sport that they’ll play for the rest of their lives.”
Mateus Washington, a Latin Academy senior, is in his sixth, and final, year with the program. Although Washington has dueled the state’s top players at No. 1 singles this season, he is just as proud that he gets to lead his teammates every day.
Matthew J Lee/Globe staff
“It’s really cool to see how the seventh-graders of this generation look so much like I did in seventh grade,” said Washington, who has posted a 3-3 record this year. “It’s super eye-opening and enriching to be a part of their development.”
Crane recognizes that the team’s makeup is unique and oftentimes difficult to manage.
“Logistically, it’s difficult. The kids are coming from all over the city, and they can’t all show up at the same time because their schools get out at different times,” said Crane.
But above all, Crane is thankful he can give his kids — many of whom come from low-income situations — the chance to play tennis, as well as offer them summer jobs at Sportsmen’s, Franklin Park Tennis Association, and other tennis facilities around the city.
“What motivates me the most is getting to know these kids, building relationships with them, and figuring out how I can be of help to them. I want to help them grow, help them succeed on and off the court, and help them get ready for the rest of their lives.”
▪ Emily Cilley has yet to lose a match as the head coach of the Swampscott girls.
In Cilley’s first year with the program, the Big Blue (4-0) have put last season’s second-round loss to Dover-Sherborn in the rearview mirror.
Key to their success have been sophomore stars Nikki Carr and Ginger Gregoire. Carr has been dominant at first singles, posting a 4-0 record without dropping a set, and Gregoire has been a great option at second singles, logging a 3-1 record and securing the deciding 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory in the season opener against Bishop Fenwick.
“They are both very disciplined players who understand the balance between being cautious and being patient,” said Cilley. “Their technical skills are on point, and they aren’t intimidated by the person across from them.”
The Big Blue’s strong start has catapulted them to the top of the Northeastern Conference. They’ll look to continue their unbeaten streak against St. Mary’s next Saturday.
▪ The girls of Central Catholic are off to their best start in program history.
The Raiders boast a 6-0 record after taking down Lowell 5-0 on Saturday morning. The win was their fifth sweep of the season, with the only non-sweep coming in a 4-1 victory over Notre Dame (Tyngsborough).
Morgan Bateman has looked unstoppable at second singles, as she is yet to drop a set, and Ella Asmar has been just as impressive at third singles, posting an undefeated record.
Although Haley Wolters was responsible for the only loss by a Raiders player this season, she has logged impressive victories at first singles, such as a 6-2, 6-3 win against Chelmsford and a 6-1, 6-1 triumph over Lowell.
The Raiders have a chance to extend their winning streak to nine with matches against North Andover, Lowell, and Haverhill on the horizon, before they clash with undefeated Andover on April 30.
Webb Constable can be reached at webb.constable@globe.com. Follow him on X @webbconstable.
Boston, MA
Practice Report: Bruins Have Last Skate in Boston Before Leaving for Buffalo | Boston Bruins
“It is a division team, we’ve played them enough to know kind of what they’re about. They’ve had a great season. They’re a high rush team, a lot of speed and a lot of skill. It is going to be a fun matchup,” Lindholm said. “It is a fun challenge for us, coming in a little bit as an underdog and prove people wrong.”
Lindholm has also been quarterbacking the second power-play unit, which is primed to feature James Hagens. The 19-year-old forward signed his entry-level contract on April 8 and played in the final two games of the regular season. The B’s, however, did not get on the man advantage in either game, so Sturm has yet to see Hagens on the power play outside of practice. The coach thinks it is one of Hagens’ best assets, though.
“He doesn’t have to play or make special plays. He has some really good players on that unit. As long as he’s going to play fast and keep it simple – I think that is something that might be different from college and NHL,” Sturm said. “I think it will be fine because Buffalo, they will come, they pressure hard. So you don’t want to be surprised. You want to be quick, you want to be fast. That’s something that has to be in his mind.”
Hagens has been skating on the third line with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov, and that stayed the same in Saturday’s practice. The three youngsters will all be playing in their first NHL postseason.
“Every night you have to give it your all. You have to give everything you possibly have. This is playoff hockey – you want to win every single game like always. Nothing changes, but there are a lot higher stakes,” Hagens said. “This is something you dream of. Something you grow up watching and praying that you could be in the moment one day and be playing in. Now that it’s reality, it’s something that is really surreal.”
After having a whirlwind start to his pro career, it has been helpful for Hagens to get full practices in with the group.
“It’s been great to be able to be out there, practice with these guys. Not only to learn the systems but to be able to talk to teammates, get feedback from coaches,” Hagens said. “Just the repetition, being able to do reps, try to learn day by day.”
The energy is palpable for Boston, but the team knows the work has just begun.
“Everyone is equal in this room. We’re a tight-knit group here, we’re all good buddies…Just go out there and play with that joy that we have in the locker room,” Lindholm said. “It is a really serious time of year, but I think within this room here, just go out there and enjoy, too. Play for each other – I think that’s how you win this time of year.”
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