Chuck & NBA TV crew reacts to Celtics vs Mavericks Game 3 Highlights | 2024 NBA Finals

A moment of silence here in Dallas passing of Jerry West before game three. Rest in peace, Mr. West. Kristaps Perzingis sitting out game three. Luka Doncic in the Mavs. Grant, they were attacking early and often, built a 13-point lead, their largest of the series. And they did what they were supposed to do, coming out early, the crowd got into the game, they were hitting shots, they were getting stops, and very efficient, and Kyrie Irvin early in that first quarter. Jason Tatum and the Celtics, they get right back into it. 18-6 run submitted to close the first quarter. They did a nice job, and I kept saying, I think the Boston Celtics gonna close this gap. That beginning of the game, they were playing faster, with a much better pace than Mavericks, and then the Boston Celtics. These two sequenced when nobody got back, gave up too many easy buckets. Kyrie Irvin also going to work. The Brotherhood in the house, 20 points, four for five from long range, Grant. And so good at making tough shots, Kyrie Irvin from three. And I don't know what the hell happened in the third quarter because this was painful to watch. Well, it was the Boston takeover here in Texas. Jalen Brown, Jason Tatum. Nice pass. Connecting here. This was beautiful. Is Derek Wright leading the series in blocks? He gotta be, oh my goodness. You thought that was good, time to reload and explode. Jalen Brown, the exclamation point. 35 points in the third. Did somebody stop the ball? From Boston, nobody. But hold on, just when we thought this game was over, right Chuck? It felt like it then. The Celtics do what they always do. They start playing one-on-one basketball, no body movement, no ball movement. They start missing shots, and the Mavs, give them credit, they kept battling. They kept battling. 22 to two, Dallas run, Luka Doncic finding his rhythm. Kyrie Irvin doing the same. His best game of these finals so far. He played well. And P.J. Washington had a good game tonight. But they waited too late to play fast. They got, they slowed down. That's the best quarterback in the world right there. Well, they got fast, they played fast because they were down so much. Yeah, that's what they need to do. This was a tough call. It was a good call, but it was a tough call. Sixth foul on Luka Doncic. Again, it's the first time he's fouled out of a post-season game. Smitty, they looked at this one, but you just kind of have to. No, I was. Like Chuck said, you know, in that situation with the Mavericks, tough call, but it was the right call. They tried like hell to make it, not make it though. That's what took so long. Kyrie Irvin down the stretch, played some excellent basketball, finished the game with 35 points. Once Luka fouled out, he kind of kept the offense going for a while, right? He did, and he put the team on his back, hit some big shots. I mean, all of his shots are tough shots. It was just too much Boston down the stretch. Derek White from outside. He struggled in the first half, found his rhythm late. The Mavs were on that 24 to seven run. Nice move. Tatum, where you like them going to work? Yeah, I wanted to catch it right there a lot. Derek Lively, the dime from Kyrie Irvin. So it's a one possession game with 120 to go, but Chuck, too many weapons for Boston. Too many weapons. Tough shot there though. That was the moment where you felt like, okay, that's the dagger. Well, you know, Boston, man, this competition won this game by double digits. It was crazy how they just get so stagnant offensively and start missing tough shots, guys hanging all over. You know, Chuck, apparently the Celtics need a guarantee. Hey, brother, I guarantee you, this thing is over Friday night. I guarantee you. So you can make it to Galveston. Oh, you know, I'm going to Galveston on my day off tomorrow. Are you? I'm going down there and lay on the beach. Sure you don't want to make it to San Antonio. Are you going in the water or just laying on the beach? Just going to lay on the beach. Can't go in that water. Can't go in the water. Be careful, man, on that beach. No, you know, we're playing golf tomorrow because Grant's a coward. So, but we found... Hey, man, y'all better quit putting my picture on them bad bodies. I got a delicious body. Hey, so we're playing golf tomorrow because Grant is a coward and he's been ducking me since last final. Grant, would you please tell the public what my nickname is? Wider Woods. First of all, I haven't seen you since the finals, Chuck. So, I mean, last year. You didn't play in the Black Masters. I was working. I can't not wait. I was calling games during the Black Masters. Is JJ Redick going to play with us? So, no. My boy, Matt from TNT. We got the Black Masters, but we're going to have the RBM Cup. Okay. The Rich Black Man Cup. Okay, Amar Rashad going to play. I cannot wait. I'm really looking for Grant. I don't like you at all. You and Vince Carter. I don't like either one of you. Sam Mitchell. I don't like him either because y'all be telling people y'all better than me. Who Mitchell? Who? Sam Mitchell. You know, one-legged Sam. But Vince Carter is better than me. Let's get back to the game, right? The game's over, man. They're down three zip. What the hell are we going to talk about? Their defense turning into offense. That's something that Dallas needed, but Boston got the job done. They definitely needed it, but Boston's defense led by Drew Holiday. We keep saying it over and over. They get stops. Him and Derrick White. Both these guys. I mean, Derrick White, I'd love to hear the status. Where's he ranking block shots in this series as a guard? But both those players, they just know how to play, making these plays. It's the difference when you have role guys that can be stars in their role, and they're doing that. Drew Holiday and Derrick White. Now, on the flip side of that, when you look at Dallas, during the regular season, they average about 26 assists per game. In this series, 15 a night. Well, that's because, you know, most teams have to make a decision. Either switch or double. That opens up Luke and Kyrie. Number one, they either get an assist on the lob, which the percentage is not allowing them, but also, they're big guys. Steve said it. He talked about Al Horford. It's different when poor Zingas is not there, but Tillman and Horford, they played good defense. They made Kyrie and Luke a dance. They didn't get easy shots. They got no lobs. That's their philosophy. We're not gonna trap. We're not gonna double. We're gonna make those guys make shots over size, and they're taking away the assist. Just great strategy. Not many teams can do that, because their big men are not that agile. But with Al, who's doing well, and tonight, Tillman, who hadn't played at all, did a fabulous job.