The Lakers’ 65-year-old franchise was revived by the Celtics’ victory over the Mavericks in Game 3.

That’s the first time the Celtics have been up 3-0 in the NBA Finals in a long time, per NBC Sports Celtics statistician Dick Lipe:

“Boston, for the first time in 65 years, have a 3-0 series lead in the Finals! The only other time in franchise history that happened was against the Minneapolis in 1959. The Celtics have won 10 straight playoff games overall and eight in a row on the road.”

The Celtics are just one win away from the 2024 NBA Championship. That their 3-0 series lead rubs some salt in Lakers fans’ wounds is even better.

The two teams have played each other in the NBA Finals 12 times, with the most recent being in 2010 – which the Lakers won in seven games. The Celtics lead the all-time Finals series nine to three.å

Celtics stave off Mavs rally to take 3-0 NBA Finals lead

But it was Boston’s role players that really stepped up.

Xavier Tillman showed up big for Boston in Game 3. He was all over Kyrie Irving and made him work for his points, despite his bulky frame and size. He ended the night with two huge blocks to prevent the Mavericks’ lead from ballooning. Moreover, he also hit a huge three-pointer to turn the momentum around prior to the end of the first half. All of this was rounded out by four productive rebounds with one of them giving the Celtics a second chance possession.

Despite his advanced age, Al Horford showed why he is still one of the most versatile big men in the league. The 38-year-old played 37 minutes and excelled on close outs while also being on the drop. His eight points on the night don’t necessarily stand out, but his effort to prevent lobs and force the Mavericks to make hasty kickouts helped the Celtics a great deal on Wednesday night.

Al Horford’s defensive effort netted the Celtics two big steals and a block. He also pulled in five rebounds while his playmaking in the post notched a pair of assists.