Boston Celtics Beat Dallas Mavericks 120-100 In Jayson Tatum’s Season Debut

The Boston Celtics hosted the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. The Celtics beat the Mavericks 120-100 at TD Garden. Boston improved to 42-21, while Dallas fell to 21-41.

In Case You Missed It

The Boston Celtics suffered a blowout loss to the Charlotte Hornets 118-89 at TD Garden on Wednesday. Derrick White led the Celtics with 29 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. Kon Knueppel led the Hornets with 20 points and 4 rebounds.

Knueppel recorded a team-high 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting and four three-pointers. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller had 18 points apiece. Miller, 23, nailed two threes to surpass Devonte Graham for 10th place in Charlotte’s all-time threes leaderboard with 432.

The Dallas Mavericks fell to the Orlando Magic 115-114 at the Kia Center on Thursday. Klay Thompson led the Mavericks with 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. Tristan da Silva led the Magic with 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Thompson went 5-of-8 from beyond the three-point line and had a team-high 18 points through three quarters in Orlando, Fla. The 36-year-old joined Stephen Curry and James Harden as one of three players in NBA history to record 200+ games with 5+ three-pointers.

Orlando improved to 11-3 in games decided by three points or less this season. Orlando’s 11 wins are the most in the NBA. Previously, the most wins in games decided by three points or less in the team’s history was 12 in the 1995-96 NBA season.

Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks Starters

Boston’s starting lineup featured White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum, and Neemias Queta.

Boston ruled out Jordan Walsh (illness) and Nikola Vucevic (right ring finger fracture).

Dallas’ starting lineup featured Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, Khris Middleton, PJ Washington Jr., and Dwight Powell.

Dallas ruled out Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery), Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery), Marvin Bagley III (neck sprain), and Daniel Gafford (right ankle injury management).

Celtics vs. Mavericks Recap

Boston and Dallas is a modern rivalry as opposed to a traditional counterpart. The 2024 NBA Finals generated tension between the two teams. Tatum made his highly anticipated return for the Celtics tonight, while Flagg had a memorable homecoming in Boston.

Flagg, 19, entered Friday with an advantage. At 19 years and 74 days old, he eclipsed 1,000 career points with his first bucket on Thursday, becoming the second-youngest player in NBA history to reach the 1,000-point plateau, trailing just LeBron James at 19 years and 41 days.

Brandon Williams came in hot, riding a career-best eight-game double-figure scoring streak. Williams is averaging 16 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, and five rebounds over his last eight games.

Tatum collected his first assist to open the first quarter. Flagg made a bucket for his first points of the night. Naji Marshall dominated in the paint. Thompson hit a late three-pointer to lift Dallas to a 22-21 lead to end the first.

Luka Garza hit back-to-back three-pointers and then some threes in the second quarter. Marshall played solid defense. Christie found Flagg for a nice shot. Boston took a 58-53 lead into halftime.

Dallas went on a 7-0 run to open the third quarter. Boston took its largest lead of the night, 72-64, with 7:23 left. Christie hit a three-pointer. Brown also hit a three-pointer, as a part of Boston’s 11-2 run, that helped Boston to a 90-80 lead through three quarters.

Flagg appeared to be frustrated midway through the third quarter, but understandably so. Flagg likely didn’t expect a tough shooting night in his homecoming. Boston went on a 15-2 run. Boston won 120-100 in regulation.

Next Steps

The Boston Celtics start a three-game road trip, starting with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Boston can potentially defeat Cleveland by showcasing defensive strength, putting on an offensive performance, and showing consistency.

The Dallas Mavericks continue a six-game road trip visiting the Toronto Raptors on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. Dallas can potentially beat Toronto by controlling the tempo of the game, creating shots in the half-court, and preparing for the late-game execution.