BOSTON (WHDH) - The Celtics are away but fans are still expected to flock to TD Garden Wednesday night as the arena hosts its first NBA Finals watch party for Game 3 of the finals against Dallas.
Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m., Eastern Time.
While Boston looks to take a 3-0 series lead, fans will be able to assemble in their home arena to cheer their team on.
“We are excited to bring fans together to celebrate and support the Boston Celtics during the NBA Finals,” said TD Garden President Glen Thornborough in a statement earlier this month. “This is an incredible opportunity for the community to come together at watch parties for Games 3 & 4 and experience the thrill of NBA Finals at TD Garden.”
The game will be shown on the TD Garden video board. The event will also feature an in-arena host, fan surprises throughout the game, and concessions.
After Game 3, TD Garden will also host a watch party for Game 4. There will be no watch party for a potential Game 6.
Tickets went on sale for the Game 3 and Game 4 watch parties on June 5. Though tickets on Ticketmaster were sold out as of Wednesday morning, some tickets were still available on resale sites.
“Celtics fans are unrivaled when it comes to their passion and dedication, so we are excited for them to have a space to cheer from Boston while the team is on the road during the NBA Finals,” said Boston Celtics Team President Rich Gotham.
Gotham thanked the TD Garden and the city of Boston “for providing this opportunity to bring the community together while supporting worthy organizations.”
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey similarly celebrated the planned watch parties, with Wu saying “This is an exciting time in our city to gather together and cheer on the Celtics.”
While arena staff prepared for Wednesday’s event, the Celtics thanked fans on Tuesday as they announced one million fans had attended games so far this season.
This marks the fifth time in history that the Celtics have reached the one million fan threshold, the team said in a post on X.
The Celtics have the opportunity to sweep the Mavericks and win the NBA Finals on the road with wins in Game 3 and Game 4. If they fail to complete the sweep, the Celtics will return to the TD Garden for Game 5 on Monday.
Despite being declared the underdogs in Game 3 by sports bettors, Celtics fans this week said they are confident Boston will be able to claim the title without another home game.
“That’s ridiculous,” said Gaethan Lucien. “Celtics in four, easy. I’m not even worried.”
“We’re going to take it to the end,” said Ashley Demato-Cooney. “We’ll have a parade in a couple weeks.”
At an event in Boston, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said he is “a huge Mazzulla fan.”
“I’m a huge Celtics fan,” he said. “Those guys are doing a great job. Two more games. Two more wins. Let’s get a sweep.”
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