Against all odds, the Boston Celtics overcame Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 to take a commanding lead in the NBA Finals. After the match, Derrick White called head coach Joe Mazzulla a sicko for one certain reason.
In Game 3, the Celtics found themselves on the brink of claiming an unprecedented 18th NBA championship, despite a nerve-wracking fourth quarter that nearly saw their 21-point lead vanish. With a hard-fought 106-99 victory over the Mavericks, they now hold a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, placing them in a position of near-inevitability as no team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in NBA history.
The absence of Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis in Games 1 and 2 due to an injury provided the Mavs with a glimmer of hope entering the contest. Dallas capitalized on this opportunity early on, establishing a commanding 22-9 lead by exploiting the paint.
However, the Celtics steadily closed the gap, ending the first quarter trailing by just one point and matching the Mavericks’ performance in the second quarter. Boston further extended their lead to 91-70 at the start of the fourth quarter. Yet, Doncic and company staged a 22-2 run over nearly eight minutes, reducing the deficit to a single point. However, their momentum was halted when the Slovenian star fouled out of the game with 4:12 remaining.
The Main Reason Why Derrick White Described Boston Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla a Sicko
After the match, Boston wing Derrick White spoke to reporters about Game 3. In a video shared by Noa Dalzell on X, the former San Antonio Spurs star shared how they almost lost their lead and how head coach Joe Mazzulla felt about it.
Derrick White says that Joe Mazzulla probably enjoyed the way the Celtics almost blew the lead:
“He’s a sicko, so probably.” pic.twitter.com/UQRbpi5p1N
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzellNBA) June 13, 2024
White has established himself as one of Boston’s key players during their playoff run this year. Over the course of 17 postseason games so far, the Celtics star has averaged 17.5 points on 40 percent shooting from deep, 4.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.9 blocks per contest.
It remains to be seen whether Boston can get the job done or Dallas extends the series in Game 4. In any case, both White and Mazzulla will give it their all to land the first championships of their respective careers.
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