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Game 3 was harder than it should have been, but Banner 18 is an inevitability for the Celtics – The Boston Globe
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.
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Despite an abysmal start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox remain in the mix for a playoff spot. At least according to FanGraphs, who gives the club a 27.1% chance of reaching the postseason.
Boston’s likely path to October means winning the wild card. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 26.1% chance of winning an American League wild card. The team currently sits threes games back of the third and final wild card, despite a record of 25-33.
Don’t look for a division title this year in Beantown. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 1% chance of winning the AL East. Which makes sense, since the team currently sits in last place, 11.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
But SI’s Tom Verducci and Will Laws thinks Boston has a much tougher chance of making the playoffs. In their deep dive of the postseason, the pair came up with what they call the “Line of Doom.” According to their research, a team that starts “no better than 23–31 and your season is almost over only one-third of the way through the schedule.” Here’s why.
“In the wild card era (since 1995), only one team made the postseason starting with less than 22 wins in the first 54 games, the 2005 Astros (20–34). Of the 231 teams to start 23–31 or worse, only seven made the playoffs—once every 33 times,” Verducci and Laws note.
“Since the postseason field expanded in 2022, 31 teams began 23–31 or worse. Only one, the 2024 Mets (22–32), made the playoffs. That leaves such slow starters with a 1 in 31 chance—virtually the same as the larger sample size,” the pair add.
“The fact is one-third of the season does a good job separating pretenders from contenders. And as the calendar flips to June, understand that the playoff spots won’t change very much. In the four seasons with 12 playoff spots up for grabs, teams in playoff position when May ended kept a playoff spot 73% of the time—35 of 48 teams,” Verducci and Laws conclude.
So what does this have to do with the Red Sox, you ask? It’s Boston’s record after 54 games: 23-31. The “Line of Doom.”
More MLB: Red Sox Legend Backs ‘Worried’ John Henry
What should have been a quiet off-day for the Boston Red Sox has devolved into chaos.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was the subject of a profile article in The Boston Globe that didn’t paint a sunny picture of his tenure, including a tough nugget about his relationship with legend Theo Epstein. But Breslow’s harshest critic of the day was probably the father of one of his ex-players.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins made his second major league appearance on Sunday since being traded from the Red Sox in the deal that brought Willson Contreras to Boston. After Dobbins pitched well and featured his sinker more than expected, his father Lance Dobbins took to social media to excoriate the Red Sox and Breslow.
Lance Dobbins’ latest comments harsher than the first
We covered Lance Dobbins’ initial comments from late Sunday night that seemed to be directed at the Red Sox organization already on Boston Red Sox On SI. But on Monday evening, the elder Dobbins reentered the fray to absolve pitching coach Andrew Bailey of any blame, effectively throwing Breslow under the bus.
When asked if Breslow replacing Chaim Bloom as chief baseball officer led to Hunter throwing less sinkers and fewer four-seam fastballs in the Red Sox organization, Lance responded with this:
Yes! In Bailey’s defense he wanted the addition, but people behind computers make those decisions. The coaching staff is literally working with one hand tied behind their backs. Driveline is the answer to everything, but winning games! Ask yourself, why are so many of our guys…
— Lance Dobbins (@lpdobbins) June 1, 2026
“Yes! In Bailey’s defense he wanted the addition, but people behind computers make those decisions. The coaching staff is literally working with one hand tied behind their backs. Driveline is the answer to everything, but winning games!
“Ask yourself, why are so many of our guys always injured (pitchers and position players), it’s not by pure bad luck. Pitchers are having constant issues and hitters are always hurting hands and wrist. It’s not a league wide problem. It has to be fixed or we’ll never win because half of our starters will always be on the IL.”
That last point has to hit home for the Red Sox because star outfielder Roman Anthony (who debuted in the majors a couple of months after Hunter Dobbins) has now had two long-lasting injuries that occurred on swings — an oblique strain in September that ended his season prematurely, and a partially torn finger ligament that has held him out of action since May 4, with no end in sight.
Monday just wasn’t a good day in the public relations department for the Red Sox front office, or for Breslow in particular. But it’s worth noting that Dobbins has only made two appearances in a Cardinals uniform, allowing four earned runs in eight innings, taking a loss and earning a save.
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Scenic Six
Seasonal train rides, Bristol’s historic Fourth of July celebration, Duck Tour discounts, and more.
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Welcome back to Scenic Six.
I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend. We visited friends in Wells, Maine and then explored nearby Ogunquit (recently named the best beach town in New England by Boston.com readers). Though the weather wasn’t the best, outdoor dining was still hopping and the streets were full of people. It’s always a good vibe in Ogunquit.
This week, I’m writing about two New England towns named among the most welcoming in America, a first-of-its-kind remote terminal for Logan Airport, the oldest continuous 4th of July celebration in the nation, Boston Duck Tour discounts, and more.
These New England towns roll out the welcome mat
If you’re looking for a happy getaway, two New England towns were just named on a World Atlas list of 12 of the most welcoming towns in America: Bar Harbor, Maine and Burlington, Vermont. Both are hosting free festivals and other community events this summer, adding even more reasons for a Maine or Vermont escape this season.
Need a ride? Consider a seasonal train
I’m a big fan of train travel because it’s relaxing and stress free. The CapeFlyer between Boston and Cape Cod resumed this past weekend and the Berkshire Flyer between the Berkshires and New York City starts back up on June 12 (with expanded service).
Attend the oldest continuous 4th of July celebration in America
Believe it or not, Independence Day is just around the corner and one of the best celebrations in America is in Bristol, R.I., according to USA Today. The publication just named the Bristol Fourth of July Celebration among the best 4th of July celebrations in the nation (fun fact: this will be its 241st year).
Travel tips:
- Logan Airport passengers flying JetBlue and Delta Air Lines can soon skip airport security lines and go straight to their gate by using a first-of-its-kind remote terminal in Framingham, opening June 1.
- Celebrate America’s 250th birthday at Weir Farm National Historical Park in Ridgefield, Conn., the only national park dedicated to American painting, on June 14 (Flag Day) by attending the free event Art is Revolutionary. Guests will enjoy live music, plein air demonstrations, open house tours, refreshments, and art making activities.
Deals and steals:
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- Celebrate the 140th anniversary of Basin Harbor Resort & Boat Club in Vergennes, Vermont by booking the Summer Starts Early package, which takes 25% off weekdays and 10% off weekends on three-night stays taking place through June 18.
- Taking a Boston Duck Tour? Save up to $10 per ticket on tours departing before 10 a.m. by using the discount code EARLYDUCK. The discount is valid for online purchases only.
- Traveling by train? Save up to 60% off eight tickets on Amtrak when booking Amtrak Share Fares by using the code V291 on the Amtrak app. A two-day advance purchase is required.
I’ll leave you with this photo I took of the sunrise in Wells, Maine.
Where have you traveled lately? Please share your photos by sending them to [email protected] and they may be featured in an upcoming Scenic Six newsletter.
Whether you’re traveling this week or planning your next escape, enjoy the journey.
— Kristi
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