BOSTON — Jrue Vacation had 26 factors and 11 rebounds, and Jayson Tatum made up for a tough capturing night time with 12 assists and 9 rebounds because the Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 105-98 on Sunday night time to take a 2-0 lead within the NBA Finals.
Luka Doncic, who was listed as questionable to play lower than two hours earlier than the opening tipoff, scored 32 factors with 11 rebounds and 11 assists — the primary NBA Finals triple-double in Mavericks franchise historical past.
However he missed a one-footed, operating floater from 3-point vary with 28 seconds left, ending Dallas’ final likelihood at a comeback.
Recreation 3 is Wednesday night time in Dallas. The Mavericks want a win then or in Recreation 4 on Friday to keep away from a sweep and earn a visit again to the Boston Backyard, the place the native followers are already making house within the rafters for what could be an unprecedented 18th NBA championship banner.
The Celtics received the opening pair within the NBA Finals for the ninth time.
They’ve received the earlier eight, and have by no means been compelled to a Recreation 7 in any of them.
Jaylen Brown scored 21 factors, Tatum had 18 and Derrick White additionally scored 18 factors for top-seeded Boston.
Kristaps Porzingis limped his option to 12 factors. Tatum was 6 for 22 capturing and 1 of seven from 3-point vary; the Celtics had been 10 for 39 from lengthy distance general.
Kyrie Irving, who’s drawn the animosity of the native followers ever since slicing brief his keep in Boston in 2019, scored 16 factors; he has misplaced 12 video games in a row towards the Celtics.
In contrast to their 107-89 victory in Recreation 1, when a quick begin from 3-point vary staked them to a 29-point, first-half lead, the Celtics missed their first eight makes an attempt from lengthy distance and had been round 20% for many of the recreation.
Tatum scored zero factors within the first quarter and had solely 5 at halftime, when he was nonetheless 0 for 3 from 3-point vary.
Boston was nonetheless simply 5 for 30 from lengthy distance when Peyton Pritchard banked in a half-courter on the third-quarter buzzer to present Boston an 83-74 lead.
