Boston Celtics close in on NBA title

The star pairing of guard Jaylen Brown and forward Jayson Tatum led the way for Boston who were without centre Kristaps Porzingis due to a lower leg injury sustained in their game two win.

Brown had 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, while Tatum had 31 points, six rebounds and five assists. For the Mavericks, Kyrie Irving had 35 points while Luka Doncic scored 27 before he fouled out in the fourth quarter.

The Celtics held a 21-point lead early in the fourth quarter before Dallas staged a comeback, bringing the deficit to just one point as they only allowed Boston to score two points during that period.

But as Doncic fouled out, the Celtics held on to secure the win in the clutch moments.

No team has come back from a 3-0 deficit in the NBA Finals and Boston are just one win from raising their 18th championship banner – breaking a tie with their rivals the Los Angeles Lakers for the most titles.

Both teams paid tribute with a moment of silence for former Lakers player, executive and NBA hall of famer Jerry West who died on Wednesday aged 86, the first player to be recognised as the NBA Finals most valuable player.