WORCESTER — It appears the Boston Celtics are going to win the NBA championship — at least if you saw the filming of a commercial that took place overnight in downtown Worcester.
Actually, the Dallas Mavericks have hope: An hour later, an alternate version of the same commercial was shot, this time with the Mavericks as the triumphant team.
The filming took place at a building that includes 10 Front St., to the side of City Hall.
Under the shroud of darkness, a television advertising crew started prepping the set around 11:30 p.m. Monday and then filmed scenes until at least 4 a.m. Tuesday. Cameras captured the two possible end games of the ongoing NBA Finals series between Boston and Dallas.
The Celtics lead the best-of-seven series, 2-0, with Game Three set to be played in Dallas at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
During film breaks, some of the crew joked that would-be spectators had arrived downtown thinking that they were filming for “The Walking Dead: Dead City,” which had scenes filmed for season two last week and several times last month in Worcester.
But late Monday night and into Tuesday morning wasn’t about Jeffrey Dean Morgan and his alter-ego Negan, but all about Jayson Tatum and Luka Dončić, or, at least, the fans of these NBA stars and their respective teams.
While the cast and crew were mum on what the commercial was advertising, one possibility is NBA championship apparel that will be available after the final buzzer.
After midnight Monday, filming commenced on the roof of the five-story building on Front Street, the former home of Strawberries Records & Tapes and later Main Beauty Supply.
The crew focused on a billboard atop the building, covered with a white cloth.
At 11:11 p.m. Monday, they were still literally and figuratively getting out the wrinkles on the the soon-to-be shot billboard scene. Harness workers put the finishing touches on the set.
At one point, an actor portraying a billboard worker lifted the bottom corner of the covering to reveal Celtic green (but this could also have been the equivalent to a “green screen,” for post-production).
Around 2 a.m. Tuesday, the film crew crossed Main Street, from 20 Front St. to The Glass Tower at 446 Main St., for the second and final part of the commercial.
With shooting beginning around 2:30 a.m., a billboard installer, carrying his yellow safety harness and wearing a green baseball cap, crossed the street at the intersection on Main, Pleasant and Front streets.
As he turned left, passing The Glass Tower, a Celtics fan, wearing a Jayson Tatum No. 0 Celtics jersey, approached.
Both men stood on the side of the street, looking up and admiring the billboard depicting this year’s NBA champion. The cocky Celtics fans said, “What do you think now?” The billboard installer shrugged.
Before the two men parted ways in different directions, the Celtics fan paid respect to his team with a gallant wave of respect and a winning smile.
Abound 3:30 a.m., the same actor who played the Celtics fan became a Dallas Mavericks backer, wearing a Luka Dončić No. 77 jersey. Shooting commenced on a similar scene, this time from the perspective of the Mavericks winning it all.
Prior to the basketball fan’s exchange with the billboard installer, a Worcester firefighter used a hose attached to a city hydrant to dose the street and the sidewalk on Main Street to make it more film-friendly.
More: NBA Finals Game 2 highlights: Celtics take 2-0 series lead over Mavericks