As a die-hard, ‘leave a shamrock on my grave’ Celtics’ fan, it truly pains me to write this article. But for the good readers of thePeachBasket, and Mavs fans around the globe, I will become a hero today by writing a piece that is partial to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavs win their second game in a row on the road, and complete a season series sweep against the Boston Celtics, with a 113-108 win in The Garden last night. Dallas looked sharp in the first half, lead by Luka Doncic, who apparently loves to play against the Celtics. After beating the Celtics last time with a step-back three at the buzzer, Luka continued his hot shooting streak. He scored 36, shot 11/15 from the field, including 7/11 from deep. and seemingly every step-back he shot went in.
Dallas played great team ball in the first half. The offense looked efficient and shots were falling from everywhere. That, in combination with Boston not being able to buy a bucket, helped the Mavs head in to the locker room with a 64-45 lead at the half.
The Celtics mounted a furious comeback in the second half, especially in the fourth when Luka and Kristaps Porzingis sat for some time. Despite losing the ~cliche~ “turnover battle” 20-9, and looking sloppy at times, the Mavs held off Boston just enough to walk out of there with a win.
Star of the Game
No surprise here, it’s Luka. Despite 8 turnovers, which helped Boston claw back in this game, Luka was phenomenal. 36 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 73% shooting.
If you missed the game last night, all you need is this clip to show you how last night went for Luka:
It’s almost like he shoots it at the buzzer on purpose, he loves the spotlight and putting on a show for fans. As a fellow 22-year-old, I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m impressed.
Biggest Concern
Getting comfortable with a lead.
Dallas is a young team, and young teams tend to make themselves vulnerable when up big during a game. Rick Carlisle wasn’t happy with the team’s second half performance. Turning the ball over and missing open shots, lead to a 35-23 point differential favoring the Celtics in the fourth.
Surprise Contribution
Dorian Finney-Smith played a huge part in the win last night. He played more minutes than any Maverick (40), scored 11 points, 9 rebounds (3 offensive), 2 steals, and had the second highest +/- on the team, with +13.
He guarded Jayson Tatum the majority of the game and held JT to 10/24 shooting.
Next Game
Vs. New York Knicks, Friday, April 2 at 6:30pm CT
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