The last time the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks faced off, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 68 points, outdueling 42 from Luka Dončić in a banner game for star-caliber talent in the early going of this NBA season. For a variety of reasons, the rematch was perhaps not so star-focused, but the result once again favored the team in green, as the Celtics swept the season series against Dallas and scored a convincing 124-95 win.
It was a rare occasion in which both Tatum and Brown shot poorly from the floor. They combined for 48 points on 14-of-34 shooting from the field, and Brown particularly struggled with foul trouble for much of the night. Tonight, the rest of the roster lifted them up. Malcolm Brogdon and Marcus Smart scored 15 points apiece, and the Celtics collectively put together a dominant defensive effort to hold the Mavericks to a feeble 38% shooting. Dončić led the Mavericks with 23 points, but seemed to be at less than full health for much of the night, and late-game contributions from Spencer Dinwiddie (18 points) and rookie Jaden Hardy (15) weren’t enough to keep up.
Much to the contrary of the scoring tirade the first time around, Tatum, Brown and Dončić found themselves off to a slow start in this evening’s rematch. The trio started the game shooting just 5-of-16 in the first quarter, including zero shot attempts for Brown, who sat early due to foul trouble.
That foul trouble was the biggest thorn in Boston’s side in the first half. Both Tatum and Brown found themselves in foul trouble early, and as a team, the Celtics put the Mavericks on the free throw line 18 times in the first two quarters. Dončić in particular benefitted from the freebies, finding his way to double-digit scoring in the first quarter despite poor shooting from the field, and subsequently piling up a 20-point first half when his shot started to come around in the second.
That said, it was the supporting cast around the opposing stars that made the difference. Boston’s reserves came to play this evening, getting off to a quick start with a trio of three-pointers collectively in the first quarter. It was a particularly strong start for Grant Williams, who chipped in with 10 points and a pair of threes. Invigorated, the Celtics’ offense connected on 43% of their threes, and entered the halftime break with a 64-46 lead.
One curious dynamic as this game continued on: the health of Luka Dončić. As the second quarter wound down,…
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