Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction NBA Picks 6/12/24

The Boston Celtics invade the American Airlines Center to battle the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night. Here’s a Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction.

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics now have their eyes on taking a commanding 3-0 series lead after outlasting the Mavericks in a 105-98 win in Game 2 on Sunday. Jrue Holiday led the team in scoring with 26 points on 11 of 14 shooting, Jaylen Brown added 21 points with seven assists, while Jayson Tatum tallied 18 points with nine rebounds and 12 assists. As a team, the Celtics shot 45 percent from the field and 10 of 39 from the 3-point line but this win was again about their defense as they were able to keep the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic to just three points in the fourth quarter where the Mavericks cut a 14-point deficit to just five points late in the contest.

Dallas Mavericks

Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks will be kicking themselves after failing to steal home-court advantage for the second game in a row. Luka Doncic led the way with a triple-double of 32 points with 11 rebounds and 11 assists on 12 of 21 shooting, PJ Washington added 17 points while Kyrie Irving chipped in with 16 points and six assists. As a team, the Mavericks shot 47 percent from the field and six of 26 from the 3-point line as they rallied late in the fourth quarter to make it look like they were able to steal the game, before the Celtics finished with a flurry. Doncic was having a terrific game until he went cold in the fourth quarter, but the Mavericks got just 16 points out of Irving and their bench combined for just nine points in a disappointing effort.

Why the Dallas Mavericks will win

• The favorites have won each of the Celtics’ last nine playoff games.
• The Celtics have lost 12 of their last 13 NBA Finals road games following a win.
• The Mavericks have covered the spread in each of their last seven Wednesday night games.
• The Celtics have failed to cover the spread in five of their last six playoff road games following a win.

Dallas Mavericks Player Facts

• Kyrie Irving ranks 7th amongst qualified players for FT% (90.5%) this season.
• Dereck Lively II is one of only 11 players in the league to have recorded 7+ blocks in a game this season.

Boston Celtics Player Facts

• Jrue Holiday ranks 2nd in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for 3P% (42.9%) this season.
• Derrick White is one of only four qualified players in the league averaging at least 1.0 threes, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Mavericks are one of only two teams to win 15+ games when trailing at HT this season.
• The Mavericks are one of only two teams to lose a game when leading by 20+ points after Q1 this season.
• The Celtics rank 1st in the league for opponent blocks per game this season (3.7).
• The Celtics rank 1st in the league for turnovers per game this season (11.9).

Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction

The Celtics could be shorthanded for this one with Kristaps Porzingis currently listed as questionable with a lower leg injury. The Mavericks should be at full strength with Doncic listed as probable after he was listed as a game-time decision on Sunday. The Celtics were good enough to hang on for the crucial win in Game 2 despite a poor shooting night from the 3-point line. The Celtics played excellent defense when it mattered most and are now just two wins away from a championship. The Mavericks put up a much better fight on Sunday, but they just couldn’t make enough baskets with Doncic misfiring in the fourth quarter. The series now shifts to Dallas, so I am expecting the Mavericks’ role players to step up here, but I don’t think it will be enough if Irving has another quiet game. The Celtics have been the better team so far in this series, but they could be missing Porzingis, so I am leaning towards the Mavericks who are playing for their lives in this game.

Peter Tran's Pick: Dallas -2.5