Celtics beat Mavericks 105-98, take 2-0 lead in NBA Finals as series heads to Dallas.

Celtics Clamp Down, Take Commanding 2-0 Lead in NBA Finals

The Boston Celtics are in control. In a hard-fought battle on their home court, they defeated the Dallas Mavericks 105-98 to grab a commanding 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

Jrue Holiday stepped up as the leading scorer for Boston, putting up 26 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Jayson Tatum had an off shooting night but displayed his all-around game with 12 assists and 9 rebounds. The defensive play was the true story for the Celtics, with Derrick White's chase-down block on a potential game-winning layup sealing the victory.

While Luka Doncic recorded a valiant triple-double (32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) for the Mavericks, it wasn't enough to overcome Boston's balanced attack and stifling defense. The series now shifts to Dallas, where the Mavericks will desperately need to win at least one game to avoid going down 0-3.

Can the Celtics hold serve and claim their 18th championship on the road, or will the Mavericks bounce back and make this a series? The NBA Finals just got even more exciting.