A shorthanded Boston Celtics squad without young studs Avery Bradley and Jaylen Brown squared off against a resurgent Dallas Mavericks team that’s won 8 of their last 11 games. Injuries were a non-factor for the C’s as a balanced scoring attack resulted in a 111-98 victory.
The Game Flow:
The Celtics and Mavericks were off to the races straight out of the gates shooting 71.4% and 83.3% before the first timeout was called by Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle. This offensive spree was brought to you by some classic Dirk Nowitzki moves and an array of off-ball screens to get Isaiah Thomas open on the perimeter. Boston got absolutely shredded off the pick and pop between Dirk and Harrison Barnes posting up the smaller Celtic guards (mainly Thomas and Smart). Thankfully, Smart bailed the C’s out with his 11 points in a homecoming of sorts as the Celtics led 30-28.
Undrafted rookie Yogi Ferrell, who I always loved watching back in his Indiana Hoosier days, looked like an Isaiah Thomas clone out there as he scored 11 straight points that spanned the first and second quarters for the Mavs. There was another Gerald Green sighting tonight as he pulled his finest “Bernard King” impression (as described by Brian Scalabrine) with 10 points of his own in the period. It was a frame of runs by both teams, but the luck of the Irish was on Boston’s side as they had the last run to end the half leading, 61-50.
Both teams were ice cold to start the third quarter, that is, until Yogi decided to go on another seven point tear in three and a half minutes to trim the deficit to seven points. Boston had a few open opportunities, but failed to convert on most occasions in response. Jae Crowder disrupted the passing lane with a momentum-shifting steal that was capped off with an and-one layup. Might I add that the entire game leading up to this point has been a riddled with nothing but the sound of that obnoxious referee whistle. Dallas’ 10-2 outburst cut the deficit to one point in the closing seconds of the quarter.
Boston pushed the tempo immediately to start the fourth, unfortunately, they were unable to take advantage of the change in pace. Once the jets ran out of fuel, it turned into a half-court battle between head coaches Brad Stevens and Rick Carlisle. It was like watching Magneto face off against Professor X; a battle of wits. IT went back to work in HIS quarter, not necessarily in the scoring department but as a facilitator. The Celtics were able to maintain the double digit lead until the final horn blew (thank God it wasn’t another whistle).
In the third quarter, the C’s strayed away from the game plan and forced the fast break, resulting in a head-splitting and-one by Devin Harris on the other end of the court.
Returning back to his old stomping grounds, Smart was HUGE in this game. It seems like Crowder and Smart wanted to make a statement tonight.
What a dime by Marcus Smart! https://t.co/oRZTsvoq1m
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 14, 2017
The Little Guy goes the length of the court to pad the Boston lead and his stat line. Players underestimate Thomas’ speed and quickness (watch Mejri) as he is WAY too slow to adjust to find the ball.
Blink and you'll miss this IT bucket 👀 https://t.co/phvjTAO6VQ
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 14, 2017
The Grid
Isaiah Thomas: 29 points, 8 assists and a rebound. He may not have dazzled us with a fourth quarter onslaught, but he was the engine that drove the offense by creating opportunities for his teammates.
Marcus Smart: 19 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block. An ugly percentage shooting from deep, but you can see the growing confidence in his shot.
Yogi Ferrell: 20 points on 8/11 shooting, 2 rebounds and 5 assists. The former Hoosier continues to prove his doubters wrong and shows signs of being a consistent role player for the Mavericks.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
