The Boston Celtics will be aiming for the sweep against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at the American Airlines Center on Friday night. Here’s a Dallas Mavericks vs Boston Celtics Prediction.

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are now aiming to complete the job and put away the Mavericks after winning Game 3 by 106-99 on Wednesday. Jayson Tatum led the team with 31 points, six rebounds and five assists, Jaylen Brown added 30 points with eight rebounds and eight assists while Derrick White chipped in with 16 points but no other player finished in double figures in scoring. As a team, the Celtics shot just 46 percent from the field and 17 of 46 from the 3-point line as they weathered an early storm from the Mavericks, clawing their way back from an early 13-point deficit, before they caught fire with 35 points in the third quarter to open a 21-point lead. Still, it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing as they saw their lead reduced to just three points before they hang on for the crucial victory. The Celtics got nothing from their bench except for Sam Hauser who drained three 3-pointers to finish with nine points, but they were good enough to hang onto the lead despite scoring just 21 points in a shaky fourth quarter.

Dallas Mavericks

Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks are now playing to keep their season alive after coming up painfully short to the Celtics in a crushing defeat on Wednesday. Kyrie Irving got off to a quick start and led the team with 35 points on 13 of 28 shooting, Luka Doncic added 27 points with six rebounds and six assists while PJ Washington chipped in with 13 points. As a team, the Mavericks shot just 44 percent from the field and nine of 25 from the 3-point line as they went ice-cold and scored just 19 points in the third quarter to trail by 21 points, before they responded with a ferocious 22-2 run to claw back into the contest. However, the Mavericks just couldn’t get their usual clutch scoring out of Doncic who struggled down the stretch before eventually fouling out of the game.

Why the Boston Celtics will win

• The Celtics have won each of their last 14 games against Southwest Division opponents.
• The Mavericks have lost each of their last 10 night games against Celtics teams that held a winning record.
• The Mavericks have failed to cover the spread in each of their last 10 night games against Celtics teams that held a winning record.
• The Celtics have covered the spread in seven of their last eight road games against Southwest Division opponents that held a winning record.

Dallas Mavericks vs Boston Celtics Prediction

The Celtics will probably be shorthanded once again with Kristaps Porzingis listed as questionable, while the Mavericks should be coming into this one with the same lineup. The Celtics got off to a terrible start in Game 3 and were still good enough to escape with the important victory thanks to a big run in the third quarter. The Celtics were somewhat lucky to escape with the win, given how good Doncic has been in the clutch during these playoffs. All the momentum is clearly with the Celtics, who seem to have all the answers at the moment, but it’s always hard to close out a series on the road against a team as talented as the Mavericks.

There is every chance that the Mavericks catch fire early and come away with the much-needed victory. I think they already threw their best punch in Game 3, so I’m sticking with the Celtics to finish the job in this spot.