Celtics 102, Mavericks 93

Game Highlights

Photo of the Game

Jason Kidd is all over Paul Pierce as he heads to the hoop in Dallas.
Glenn James/NBAE/Getty

By Peter F. Stringer
Celtics.com

Key Moment

Reloaded? How about Resurrected?

Doc Rivers has been saying his team was close to being back, and few wanted to believe him, but the Celtics won another tough road game Saturday night when they knocked off the Dallas Mavericks, 102-93. And the C's leaned on their two best players, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, to get it done down the stretch.

Pierce scored 29 points in 36 minutes (10-for-17 on field goals), but perhaps the three biggest of those came on a bomb from the top off the key in the waning minutes that he followed up with a steal (picking Dirk Nowitzki's pocket) and assist to Rondo. Those five points put the Celtics up 99-93 with 1:18 to play.

Rondo also came up huge, with eight points in the final four minutes of the game, and was getting to the hoop at will.

The win also vaulted the Celtics back into third place in the Eastern Conference.

Key Box Score Line

Pierce had another great game Saturday night, and was getting to the hoop on a regular basis. After the game, Pierce admitted to Greg Dickerson that he probably played in some games where he shouldn't have been playing (battling through injuries) but he feels good now and put the team on his back for multiple stretches in throughout the game.

Box Score Nuggets

• After combining for 60 points last night, The Big Three combined for 58 points (Pierce 29, Allen 21, Garnett 8)
• Dirk Nowitzki scored a team-high 28 points for Dallas but his only turnover came in the closing minutes and proved costly.
• Both teams had 18 turnovers in what was a sloppy game in the early goings.
• Jason Terry dropped 18 points off the bench.
• Rajon Rondo has 10 rebounds to lead the Celtics, and scored 20 points.
• Kevin Garnett came up with 5 steals in the first half.
• The Celtics hit just five of their 17 three-point attempts.
• Caron Butler, who was acquired from Washington in an All-Star Break deal, went just 3-for-14 from the field for just nine points.
• No Celtics logged more than three personal fouls.

Quote of the Night

Paul Pierce on the Celtics winning back-to-back games on the road against quality opponents: "We're trying to gather momentum for the playoffs. I'm healthy, Kevin's healthy and we're ready to roll."