The Boston Celtics returned to winning ways, dominating the Mavericks from start to finish, who resisted at least in the final part of the game, although they never came within range of the much superior Celtics who won 125-112.
Boston is 14-4 in the table, signing a 7-1 in the Garden.
Excellent duel between Jayson Tatum y Luka Doncicwith permission of the also brilliant Jaylen Brown.
Tatum had 37 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists and teammate Jaylen Brown added 31 points, shooting 13-of-18.
Meanwhile, on the other side, two players above the rest. First of all, a brilliant Luka Doncic who signed 42 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists with good shooting percentages. And secondly, a very productive Christian Wood, author of 26 points and 12 rebounds, with 10 of 14 shooting. Dallas worked best when the powerful partnership between these two players became apparent.
Boston already dominated the first quarter 34-23, went to halftime with a resounding 70-49, following an excellent balance between its powerful offense and its convincing defense, and managed to amass a 27-point advantage (96-69) risking the game. third quarter, but in the last quarter some doubts emerged that allowed the Texans to get closer on the scoreboard.
So much so that that 27-point advantage was reduced to just 10 points on a couple of occasions and 9 on another.
Up to 109-99 with a triple by Doncic, which was quickly answered by the locals to make it 114-99.
New Dallas rush to 114-105 with a mate from Wood, with new local reaction.
And up to 117-107 with 3:02 to play following a Doncic-Wood connection turned into a 2+1 play that ended up at 2 following the Mavs center missed the additional.
It was with that threatening 117-107 in the light when Boston responded forcefully, with the quality of the great teams, and did so at the hands of Tatum and Brown to shoot up to 124-107 in the blink of an eye, And there any competition ended. Highlight in that winning set the spectacular stopper that Tatum put on Doncic.
boston dated Derrick White in the starting five instead of Grant Williams, with a smaller quintet than usual. And the thing worked, as did the triple, the rebound and the associative power of the team, which at the break had 11 of 21 from beyond the arc to Dallas’ 4 of 17 and 18 assists to only 5 of the Texans.
The local defense knew how to prevent Doncic from generating play for his teammates for a good part of the match, limiting the Slovenian to channeling his team’s offense with his own baskets. But Doncic, with the support of Wood, was never enough to put a local team in trouble that played with individual streaks, but above all with collective spirit.
Another very good game from the Dominican Al Horfordwho did not miss a single shot, who finished 4 of 4 from the triple, to add 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Marcus Smart he made 13 goals and 9 assists, some of admirable beauty, Malcolm Brogdon supported with another 13 points and Derrick White had 12.
In Dallas, apart from Doncic and Wood, not much, the 15 points of Spencer Dinwiddie throwing 8 shots to the basket, and little else.
The Argentinian Facundo Campazzo he played the last 2 minutes of the game, already inconsequential, and scored 1 point.
