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Key Moment
Sunday’s matinee matchup between the Celtics and the Mavericks went down to the final minute. Dallas just happened to be the team that made the big play to pull off the W.
The Mavericks took control of the ball with 28.4 seconds left with the score tied up at 92-92 after Jayson Tatum misfired on a catch-and-shoot jumper from the right elbow. Unsurprisingly, the ball went into the hands of Luka Doncic, and unsurprisingly, he made the right play.
Doncic drove to the basket and attracted a crowd before kicking out to one of his newest teammates, Spencer Dinwiddie, who was stationed on the right wing. Dinwiddie caught the ball and, without hesitating, fired up a shot that swished through the basket with 11.6 seconds left on the clock.
Boston called for a timeout but was unable to connect on a game-tying shot during the final seconds of the contest, allowing Dallas to sneak out with a 95-92 victory.
Key Player
Al Horford got it done at both ends of the court Sunday afternoon against the Dallas Mavericks.
From an offensive perspective, he poured in 17 points on an efficient 6-of-10 shooting from the field, which included one make from long range. He also dished out two assists.
As strong as his offense was, his defense was even more impactful. Horford tied his career high by snagging five steals, and he also blocked two shots. He rounded out his box score by hauling in six rebounds.
Box Score Nuggets
- Luka Doncic led all players with 26 points and eight assists.
- Maxi Kleber grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds while coming off the bench for Dallas.
- Jayson Tatum led the Celtics in both points (21) and rebounds (11).
- Boston totaled just 16 assists.
- The two benched combined to score just 29 points.
- Boston shot just 37.5 percent from the field.
- All five of Boston's starters scored between 10 and 21 points.
- Dallas made 15 shots from long distance, compared to Boston's nine.
Quote of the Night
Ime Udoka on what contributed to the loss to Dallas