BOSTON — For 36 minutes, the Celtics looked like a team that had won three straight games against quality opponents.
Unfortunately for Boston, basketball games are 48 minutes long.
The Dallas Mavericks surged back from an early deficit, scoring 36 points in the fourth quarter and holding off a late Celtics rally to earn a 106-102 win at TD Garden.
Dirk Nowitzki led the way for Dallas with a game-high 23 points, while Wesley Matthews added 18. Isaiah Thomas scored a team-high 19 points for Boston, while Avery Bradley tallied 18 and Jared Sullinger notched his fourth double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds) of the season.
The loss snaps a three-game winning streak for Boston, while the Mavericks now have won five in a row.
STARTING FIVE
Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, Jae Crowder, Jared Sullinger, Amir Johnson
SUPER SUB
Bradley is pretty good at this whole “coming off the bench” thing.
The Celtics guard checked into the game midway through the first quarter and went absolutely berserk, scoring 12 straight points for Boston before finding Thomas with this slick behind-the-back pass:
Bradley helped the Celtics open up an 18-point lead.
ROLE REVERSAL
Boston lost its hot hand over the next two quarters and saw its big early advantage slowly evaporate.
After hitting just five of their first 18 shots, the Mavericks started to find their stroke, shooting 65 percent (11 for 17) in the second period while getting a combined 14 points from Nowitzki and Zaza Pachulia.
Dallas continued its hot streak into the third frame, and Matthews’ 3-pointer three minutes into the period tied the score to officially erase Boston’s lead.
RUNNING AFOUL
The Celtics ran into a bit a lot of foul trouble late in the third quarter.
The referees used their whistles liberally in the third frame, calling a total of 18 fouls (eight on Boston, 10 on Dallas) in a 12-minute span.
The C’s entered the fourth quarter with an 8-point lead, but both Kelly Olynyk (five fouls) and Bradley (four fouls) found themselves in serious foul trouble.
WEAK FINISH
A Deron Williams 3-pointer with four minutes remaining gave the Mavericks their first lead of the night, and they didn’t look back.
Dallas used several clutch shots from Nowitzki, Matthews and Williams to erase a 10-point deficit and take control of the game. Boston surged back late, but Isaiah Thomas turned the ball over on the Celtics’ final possession with his team down two points to end the comeback attempt.
PLAY OF THE NIGHT
Bradley is pretty athletic, you guys.
UP NEXT
The Celtics are back at TD Garden on Friday night to take on the lowly Brooklyn Nets in the first game of a home-and-home series. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
