Six months after the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics continue to dominate the Dallas Mavericks. On Saturday, the Celtics displayed the same form that led them to beat the Mavericks in five games on the biggest stage, rather than showing the inconsistency seen during their recent 20-game stretch. Boston took the lead for good at 11:01 in the second quarter, holding on to win 122-107 at the American Airlines Center.
Though the Mavericks are currently 24-22 and without their star Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving gave a different reason for the Celtics’ dominance. “Or they’ve lost a couple of games and Joe Mazzulla got into their ass a little bit and you get the result you got tonight,” Irving told reporters, as reported by MassLive’s Brian Robb. “Going against us, playing with a verve, playing with a confidence and taking care of the ball.”
Irving also credited the Celtics for making the necessary adjustments. “They made adjustments and that’s what great teams do, especially when they are champions in the league. They handled our pressure, they adjusted to our zone coverage, they started getting open shots and it’s a pretty easy game from there.”
Irving, however, had a strong individual showing, scoring 22 points on 11-for-23 shooting and adding five assists. But the Celtics were clearly on top, with Joe Mazzulla’s game plan overwhelming the Mavericks. All five Boston starters scored at least 17 points, and the team made 20-of-52 (38.5%) three-pointers—marking the second time they hit 20 treys on their four-game road trip.
Despite criticism of their reliance on the three-point shot, Irving understands why the Celtics lean on it. “I like math because it has no emotions,” he said. “Outside of JT and JB, when those other guys get it going like D-White and Jrue Holiday, that’s what makes them special and makes them great. Everyone kind of criticizes them based on what their season is this year, but if you look at their first 42 games, it’s pretty similar compared to last year. Maybe two years off. This is a well-coached basketball team.”
