BOSTON (WHDH) - Fans celebrated inside TD Garden and soon spilled onto Causeway Street Wednesday as the Celtics held off a late Mavericks rally on their way to a 106-99 Game 3 win in the NBA Finals.
The game took place more than 1,700 miles away in Dallas. But back home, the Garden still had a gameday feel as it hosted its first ever Celtics playoff watch party.
“It can’t get any better than this,” one fan said. “It can’t get any better than this.”
TD Garden officials announced planned watch parties for Game 3 and Game 4 in partnership with the city of Boston earlier this month.
With the Celtics on the road, more than 16,000 fans showed up for Wednesday’s watch party. They enjoyed a broadcast of the game on the TD Garden video board and had in-arena entertainment on the Celtics parquet.
“It was like watching the real game and the players on the court,” said one fan. “The vibe is just so amazing.”
Short of flying to Dallas, fans speaking with 7NEWS said this was the next best way to take in the game.
“[It’s] good because I got to watch it on the big TV,” said one young fan.
Tickets for NBA Finals watch parties in Boston went on sale for $18 in a nod to the Celtics’ quest for an 18th NBA championship.
Though tickets for the Game 4 watch party are sold out, some tickets are still available on resale sites.
Tipoff in Game 4 is set for 8:30 p.m. on Friday.
Currently holding a 3-0 lead in the finals, the Celtics have a chance to end the series with a Game 4 win. If Dallas manages to stave off elimination, the series will return to Boston on Monday for Game 5.
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