Mavs avoid sweep with historic Game 4 rout of Celtics in NBA Finals
Dallas' 38-point win marked the third-largest blowout in NBA Finals history.
Put those brooms away.
The Dallas Mavericks staved off elimination in the 2024 NBA Finals on Friday with a 122-84 Game 4 rout of the Boston Celtics at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The Celtics were looking to become just the 10th team to ever record a 4-0 sweep in the NBA Finals, but they wound up being on the wrong end of history.
Dallas' 38-point win marked the third-largest blowout in NBA Finals history. The largest Finals victory ever was the Chicago Bulls' 42-point Game 3 win over the Utah Jazz in 1998. The Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers by 39 points in Game 6 of the 2008 Finals.
The Mavs held a 13-point advantage over Boston after the first quarter and they doubled their lead by halftime with a score of 61-35. Luka Doncic and Co. didn't let their foot off the gas to start the second half, either, as Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla emptied the bench with three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
The series now shifts back to Boston for Game 5, which is scheduled for Monday night. Dallas is trying to become the first team in NBA playoff history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit.
This story is being updated...