Mavs' Luka Dončić Fouls Out, Ripped by Fans in NBA Finals Game 3 Loss to Celtics

The Boston Celtics are one win away from sweeping their way to an 18th title in franchise history, but they certainly didn't make it easy on themselves.

Boston survived a late charge from the Dallas Mavericks to win 106-99 in Wednesday's Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. Dallas cut a 21-point lead to as little as one in the fourth quarter but was unable to complete the comeback after Luka Dončić fouled out with just more than four minutes remaining.

Jayson Tatum (31 points, six rebounds and five assists) and Jaylen Brown (30 points, eight assists and eight rebounds) led the way as usual for Boston, which was without the injured Kristaps Porziņģis.

Brown hit the biggest shot of the game to stretch a two-point lead to four with one minute remaining, and the Mavericks never got closer than that until the final buzzer.

Dončić did what he could before fouling out with 27 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Kyrie Irving played by far his best game of the series with 35 points. Still, the star player fouling out at such an important moment after he complained to the officials the entire game drew plenty of criticism from social media:

There were certainly some positive signs for the Mavericks in the early going, which was a welcome development after they also failed to reach the 100-point mark in either of the first two contests against Boston's stifling defense.

Irving in particular struggled in those first two losses but came out with a purpose and poured in 20 points in the first half behind red-hot outside shooting and lightning-quick drives to the basket to set up finishes with both hands. Dončić didn't hit from the outside at the same rate but scored in the lane as the two stars combined for 37 first-half points.

Yet it was a problem for Dallas that it was up just one at halftime even with the two stars playing so well.

And that concern proved valid, as Tatum continued to dominate and Brown provided some of the offensive support that was missing from the other Celtics in the first half. By the time Xavier Tillman of all people was hitting a three-pointer, the crowd fell into something of a stunned silence.

There wasn't a single Maverick not named Dončić or Irving with more than six points at the end of the third quarter, and it became clear the team didn't have the depth of impact players to compete with the likes of Boston.

However, that wasn't so clear as Dallas came storming back in the fourth quarter, and perhaps things would have ended differently if Dončić hadn't fouled out. But he did on a poor decision attempting to draw an offensive foul on Brown with five fouls, and the Celtics seized control of the series as a result.

Now, Dallas will be playing for its season on its home floor in Friday's Game 4.