No Kyrie Irving, Marcus Morris or Aron Baynes? No problem.
The shorthanded Boston Celtics looked anything but Friday night, as they notched their second straight win with a 114-93 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden.
Boston employed a well-rounded offense and rigorous defense to split the regular-season series with Dallas. Jaylen Brown logged a game-high 21 points and was one of five Celtics to score in double figures. Gordon Hayward fell two assists shy of a triple double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight helpers.
With the win, the Celtics improved to 23-15, while the Mavericks fell to 18-20.
Here’s how it all went down:
STARTING FIVE
PG: Terry Rozier
SG: Marcus Smart
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Al Horford
3-POINT PARTY
It felt as though the Celtics only were interested in pulling up from deep in the early goings. Of Boston’s 25 first-quarter shots, 16 came from beyond the arc. While the C’s only connected on six of them, they still managed to grab a 34-24 lead after 12 minutes of play.
Three Celtics knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the first. Tatum led all scorers with 10 first-quarter points, while Smart wasn’t far behind with eight. But the most surprising source was Brad Wanamaker, who drilled two baskets from beyond the arc in the final 37 seconds of the frame.
The Mavs couldn’t get much going on offense, as no visiting player scored more than five points in the first. DeAndre Jordan, as he usually does, dominated the glass with seven rebounds.
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
The Celtics appeared to have the Mavericks on the ropes, but struggles down the stretch of the second quarter prevented this one from getting out of hand. After Smart knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Celtics a 17-point lead with 4:40 left in the frame, Boston missed its next 12 shots, allowing Dallas to finish the second on a 15-5 run and cut the deficit to 58-51 at the break.
The Mavs weren’t overly impressive in the quarter, but they managed to chip away nonetheless. Devin Harris provided a boost off the bench with seven points, while Wesley Matthews notched six. Rookie phenom Luka Doncic turned in five second-quarter points, including this wild 3-pointer that beat the halftime buzzer:
BREATHING ROOM
The Mavs carried the momentum into the start of the third, opening the quarter on a quick 6-0 run to cut the deficit to one and force Brad Stevens to take a timeout less than two minutes into the frame. But it was all Celtics the rest of the way, as an efficient offense paved the way for an 84-68 lead heading into the fourth.
Horford carried the load with eight third-quarter points, including a pair of 3-pointers, while Tatum and Brown both notched five. Dallas’ offense, on the other hand, was nightmarish, as it only connected on five of 21 shots from the floor. In fact, the Mavericks endured a field-goal drought of five minutes and 50 seconds during the back end of the third.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Boston didn’t even entertain the idea of a Dallas comeback, as the home team kept its foot on the gas en route to a convincing victory. Hayward led the charge with seven fourth-quarter points and knocked down one of the Celtics’ seven 3-pointers in the final frame. The closing minutes didn’t lack excitement, though, as the crowd stood on its feet in appreciation for Dirk Nowitzki, who very well might have played his last game at TD Garden. Celtics fans were ready to burst for a Nowitzki bucket, but both of his 3-point attempts in the final minute rimmed out.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Horford still can throw it down in his 12th NBA season.
UP NEXT
The Celtics continue their homestand with a Monday night matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. Tip-off from TD Garden is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
