The Dallas Mavericks returned home to host the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics in a Saturday matinee on ABC and ESPN. The Mavericks lost to the Celtics 122-107 in an NBA Finals rematch at the American Airlines Center. Dallas fell to 24-22 and couldn’t put together a two-game winning streak, while Boston improved to 32-14 and avoided a two-game losing skid.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 22 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Quentin Grimes followed up with 20 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Daniel Gafford added 19 points, 15 rebounds, and two assists. PJ Washington had 17 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 12 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Jaden Hardy recorded 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Recap
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics game was action-packed from start to finish. The Mavericks’ injury report ruled out Luka Doncic with a left calf strain, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle stress fracture, Dwight Powell with a right hip strain, Naji Marshall with an illness, and Dante Exum with right wrist surgery. Moreover, Maxi Kleber left Saturday’s game with a right ankle injury and didn’t return. The Celtics’ injury report was clean.
The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, and Daniel Gafford. The Mavericks reportedly planned to limit Thompson to 24-25 minutes in his return amid a left ankle sprain and Jaden Hardy to 15 minutes in his return amid a right ankle sprain. Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd said “no updates” when asked about Luka Doncic’s re-evaluation regarding his left calf strain recovery.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair between the two teams. Irving hit a three-pointer, while Washington set up the Mavericks for a three-point play. The Celtics cut the Mavericks’ lead to 16-10 and took the lead 25-24, but the Mavericks persevered and led 29-25 at the end of the first. The second quarter was also a back-and-forth affair but favored the Celtics’ offense. The Celtics led 59-49 at halftime with zero turnovers.
The third quarter saw the Mavericks’ defense pick up the pace, and Dinwiddie showed off the range on back-to-back three-pointers from the Mavericks, but the Celtics took a commanding 96-76 lead through three quarters. The fourth quarter maintained a steady pace as the Celtics fended off the Mavericks’ offense. The Celtics won 122-107 in regulation.
Mavericks-Celtics Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics game featured multiple highlights, such as the Mavericks’ recent group effort silencing the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night. The Mavericks show was led by Washington, who used his versatility to blend the Mavericks’ lineups. So, when the Thunder uses bigger or smaller lineups, there’s no disadvantage for Washington.
For the Mavericks, Sporting News recently wrote about the Mavericks being predicted to acquire the Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green for better defensive personnel. It’s unclear if Green is available, but Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor proposed a trade that would send Green to Dallas, Texas. If the trade occurs, Golden State will receive Daniel Gafford, Maxi Kleber, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks.
For the Celtics, Sports Illustrated recently wrote about the Celtics’ potential trade target of the Chicago Bulls’ Torrey Craig ahead of the trade deadline. Craig is a backup forward for the Bulls and is on the outer edge of the Bulls’ rotation. The Celtics’ bench could benefit from Craig, as Craig’s presence would allow the Celtics to add a player with a lot of experience in tough games.
Final Thoughts
The Dallas Mavericks have the Oklahoma City Thunder’s number again in a gutsy 121-115 win at the Paycom Center on Thursday night. There’s just something about playing on the other side of the Red River that agrees with the Mavericks. Washington, Irving, and Dinwiddie did a ton of heavy lifting in the Mavericks’ win against the odds that were seriously stacked against them due to their injury situations.
There weren’t any surprises when the NBA All-Star Game starters were announced on Thursday night. Neither Doncic nor Irving made the Western Conference starters. The same applies to the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama. Irving and Wembanyama will wait until the reserves are announced on February 1, 2025. Doncic will unlikely be considered a reserve due to missing too many games this season.
Thanks to offseason work, Washington has become a solid playmaker for the Mavericks. Washington’s development can be described as a positive amid the Mavericks’ injury crisis. Washington facilitated the team’s offense in the 115-114 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night and finished with 22 points, 19 rebounds, and three assists in the 121-115 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.
The Mavericks will return to the American Airlines Center and host the Washington Wizards on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Central. The Mavericks vs. Wizards game will wrap up the Mavericks’ two-game homestand. The Wizards previously played the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix on Saturday night before traveling to downtown Dallas.
