The Dallas Mavericks (7-18) missed a surprise at the Boston Celtics (22-4). Despite a strong first half, the Texans lost 90:97 in the end. In the end, Kyrie Irving ruined a strong performance by Maxi Kleber.
The early minutes of the game were marked by many fouls, so that a real flow of play was rarely created. The rather slow tempo was better suited to the Mavs at first. Even though they left a lot of freebies behind, after the first 12 minutes they led very thin. Up to the break tea the advantage grew to 10 points, because the guests took the threesome more often now and met. Defensive Maxi Kleber, who stood on the floor for a long time and provided the highlight of the first half with a double block – first against Al Horford, then against Daniel Theis – set the tone.
The second half started badly for the Texans. They took a 15:2 run, which was mainly Horford’s fault. That’s how the lead was lost. But coach Carlisle managed to get his boys back on track in his breaks. So the momentum reversed again in favor of the Mavs.
Celtics vs. Mavs: This way to the BOXSCORE!
Through this ups and downs, the fans were able to enjoy an exciting crunchtime. In this thawed out Kyrie Irving, who had previously held himself back elegantly. With his irresistible drives, he took control late in the day and thus secured his favourite victory. The Dagger set 1:05 minutes before closing Terry Rozier with a fastbreak-dunk plus foul.
Despite the defeat, Kleber was able to look forward to the best game of his NBA career. He stood 29 minutes on the floor and scored 13 points, 5 rebounds and 5 partly spectacular blocks. Dirk Nowitzki was also in good shape and scored 16 points and 6 boards. At Celtics Uncle Drew finished the game with 23 points (10/18 FG) and 5 assists, Horford scored 17 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Also strong: Jayson Tatum with 17 points.
Al Horford. Even though Irving – as usual – was the Clutch king and made the decision, it was he who controlled the Celtics over long distances. Again he was often used as a playmaker of the key, from where the Big Man acted calmly and prudently. He didn’t forget scoring and rebounding even though a strong maxi glue made life difficult for him. In the end, Horford barely missed a triple double.
Dennis Smith. He made a lot of typical rookie mistakes. He refused to throw open throws, but he squeezed difficult ones. Also his drives were not considered and ended in a trap or an emergency passport. Its yield: 12 points, 4/16 from the field and only one assistant.
After a weak first half, Celtics came out of the half-time cabin poisonously. The motto was to disturb the Mavs’ ball handlers more aggressively and to take a risk – whether on the man or in the password. This paid off: The important 15:2 run of Cetics saw many fast-break points after direct ball wins. In addition, the Mavs-Offense was fatigued by the new intensity. As a result, only 39 percent of the field and 32 percent of the trio ended up in Dallas’ boxing score.