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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.

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We all know that no team in the history of the Association has recovered from a 3-0 deficit, so unless you think these Mavs are basketball’s answer to the 2004 Red Sox (Luka Doncic as Curt Schilling?), you can make arrangements for the parade.

The Celtics are 15-2 in these playoffs and will take a 10-game winning streak into Friday’s Game 4 in Texas. They are on the cusp of completing one of the most dominant seasons in NBA history. This will be Boston’s 18th championship, putting the C’s back ahead of the Lakers and their 17, and perhaps only the second time the Celtics have swept an NBA Finals. (Bill Russell and Co. did it to the Minneapolis Lakers in 1959.)

It’s almost official, Celtic fans: Seven years after Danny Ainge drafted Tatum to pair with Brown, the Jays are finally going to win a championship. They’ve been to the conference finals five times. This is their second NBA Finals. Now is their time.

When Game 3 was over, Tatum and Brown embraced on the court.

“I told him I was proud of him and he said the same thing,” reported Tatum.

Game 3 was played on the 13th anniversary of Dallas’s lone NBA championship, when Dallas coach Jason Kidd was a veteran guard for coach Rick Carlisle, and the 40th anniversary of Boston’s Game 7 victory over the Lakers in 1984 (a.k.a. Cedric Maxwell’s “Hop on my back!” game).

The Celtics trailed, 25-12, in the first quarter, cut it to 1 by intermission, then seemingly blew it open with a hail of threes late in the third. An emphatic Darryl Dawkins-like drive and slam by Brown in the closing seconds of the quarter made it 85-70 after three, and Boston’s lead swelled to 21 one minute into the fourth.

Incredibly, it was down to 93-92 with three and a half minutes left. Fortunately for Boston, Doncic (27 points) fouled out (via a blocking foul on Brown) with 4:12 left. Kidd challenged the play, but the call was upheld.

“We couldn’t play physical,” complained Doncic. “I don’t know . . . six fouls in the NBA Finals . . . C’mon man. Better than that.”

It was only the fourth time in Doncic’s NBA career that he fouled out of a game.

There was considerable pregame conversation regarding the shooting slumps of superstars Irving and Tatum. Irving endured two stink bombs in Boston, missing all eight of his threes, averaging a mere 14 points, and shooting 35 percent. Tatum shot 32 percent in the two games at home.

When Celtic coach Joe Mazzulla was asked if we are seeing the best version of JT, the ever-combative coach asked the reporter if he lived in Brazil or America. When the reporter stated Brazil, Mazzulla said, “That’s probably why you asked that question. None of the American ones did. They look at the lens differently . . . In America, nothing is ever good enough.”

OK. Swell, coach.

Tatum responded with a 13-point first quarter, his best of the series, and 20 in the first half.

On the other side, Irving came into the game unusually humble and contrite, telling reporters, “It’s my fault. I’m taking accountability for not playing particularly well.’’

He scored the first bucket of the night, 14 seconds in. Dallas went up, 9-2, and Mazzulla needed a timeout inside two minutes of play. The Celtics started 1 for 7 from three, and Xavier Tillman came in to replace Al Horford. Boston trailed by 13. It felt like they might be routed.

Not so. Sam Hauser came off the pine to hit a couple of threes and Tatum went off for 13, including a cherry-pick sneakaway, as Boston closed the first quarter with an 18-6 run to cut it to 31-30.

The Celtics led, 91-70, when Dallas went on a 22-2 run, capped on a basket by Irving. Unfortunately for Dallas, Doncic was gone. Boston’s lead proved simply too big to fail.

“You were going to expect a run from them because they had a 19-point [third] quarter,” said Mazzulla. “And just the type of shots they take alone, you knew they were going to make some kind of run.”

“It’s not over till it’s over. We just got to believe,” said Yogi Doncic. “Like I always say, it’s first to four. We’re going to stay together. We lose together, we win together.”

Message to Celtic fans: There’s still time to catch a flight to Dallas-Fort Worth and score tickets to Game 4. The Big D’s resale market should be pretty reasonable.

Pack your brooms.

Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at daniel.shaughnessy@globe.com. Follow him @dan_shaughnessy.

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

Grid View

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

Grid View

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

Grid View

• 
  Jrue Holiday
  
  
  Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
  

• 

  
  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.

Grid View

• 

  
  Derrick White
  
  
  Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
  

• 

  
  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.

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