BOSTON — Brad Stevens is one of the best coaches in the league at drawing up successful plays after timeouts.
But with time winding down and his team trailing by two points, the Boston Celtics coach didn’t have any timeouts to work with.
That left the game in the hands of his players, and unfortunately, they couldn’t deliver. Point guard Isaiah Thomas raced up the court on Boston’s final possession but lost control of his dribble, and Mavericks guard Raymond Felton swiped the ball free to secure Dallas’ 106-102 win at TD Garden.
“That was a mistake of mine,” Thomas admitted. “I should have slowed it down a little bit, but had Devin (Harris) on my heels as well. I’ve got to be cautious of that and learn from my mistake.”
Stevens insisted Thomas’ play wasn’t what lost his team the game. After all, the Celtics owned a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter and led by as many as 18 in the first quarter.
“It’s so hard to rest on the laurels of a lead in this league,” Stevens said. “They go too quick. … There was a lot of game left to be played; we just didn’t play well enough.”
Where Boston struggled, Dallas excelled, relying on the clutch play of its veterans to climb back into the game. Wesley Matthews drilled two huge 3-pointers to cut into the Celtics’ lead, and Deron Williams’ deep ball with four minutes remaining gave the Mavericks their first lead of the night, one they wouldn’t relinquish.
With an average age just under 30, Dallas is one of the oldest and most experienced teams in the NBA. The Celtics, whose average age is 25, are on the other end of the spectrum, and their inexperience finally caught up to them after coasting to double-digit wins in their three previous contests.
“Honestly, I think you’ve got to keep your foot on the pedal,” Thomas said when asked what Boston needs to do to hold onto leads. “We’ve just got to play the same way. … The best teams just stay the course and play the same way for the most part, and go from there.”
For the better part of two weeks, the Celtics have thrived by getting out in front and not looking back. Wednesday’s loss, though, was an early reminder there’s still room for improvement.
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
