Celtics Had Multiple 30-Point Scorers in Game 3 of NBA Finals for Second Time in Franchise History

The Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum recorded 31 points and guard Jaylen Brown finished with 30 points in Wednesday night's Game 3 victory of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, becoming the first Celtics duo with multiple 30-point games in the Finals since John Havlicek and Bailey Howell on May 2, 1968.

Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum has scored 2,665 career playoff points before 27th birthday; Jaylen Brown scored 1,911 points

Through 111 postseason games, Tatum has amassed 2,665 career playoff points. The five-time All-Star ranks 40th all time and only 29 spots behind Kobe Bryant for the most ever before a player's 27th birthday. Brown is sixth on that same list with 1,911 points.

“Experience is the best teacher,” said Brown, who also recorded eight rebounds and eight assists in 41 minutes of Game 3. “All year long we've been hearing about the Celtics are the past, for the last six to eight months, that's all we've been hearing is all the different shortcomings we've had in the past.

Game 3 against Dallas was the second time that the Celtics had multiple players with 30+ points in an #NBAFinals game.@Celtics | #DifferentHere pic.twitter.com/rYjRx4dA61

— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) June 13, 2024

“This is a new team, you know what I mean. We've learned from those experiences. And in these moments, you can see that we learned from it. We stepped up to the plate, and we found a way to win.”

The Celtics now have a 3-0 series lead over Dallas. The last time Boston swept an NBA Finals opponent was back in 1959. With a Game 4 win and a sweep Friday, the Celtics would join the 2000-01 Lakers (8-0) as the only teams to win an NBA Finals and go undefeated on the road in the postseason.

Tatum already has the fourth-most 30-point playoff games in NBA history with 29

Additionally, the C's have won 10 straight playoff games for the first time in franchise history.

However, it's not over till it's over. After all, Boston came back from a three-game deficit in the Eastern Conference finals last year and forced a Game 7 against the Miami Heat. Anything can happen.

“Honestly, not too difficult from the standpoint of last year [when] we were down 0-3 in the conference finals, and we really felt like we were going to come back,” Tatum said. “We almost did. You know, we were [my] sprained ankle away from having a real shot.

“So, you know, we are not relaxing or anything like that. You know, not even focusing on winning or Friday or whatever. However long it takes, that's our motto. However long it takes, that's what it's going to take, and nobody is not trying to relax at all.”

Tatum has the fourth-most 30-point playoff games in NBA history with 29, trailing LeBron James (40), Kevin Durant (33), and Kobe Bryant (32).

The Celtics remain at Dallas for Game 4 this Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET.