Jayson Tatum had just returned from a lackluster performance, and his Boston Celtics were attempting to string together a pair of victories for the first time since the most lopsided loss of the year for the best-ranked team in the NBA.
Would a double dosage of redemption suffice?
Jaylen Brown recorded 35 points and 11 rebounds, while Tatum contributed 38, as the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 119-110 on Monday.
The Celtics were never in much trouble because their All-Star pair was more efficient on the second night of a back-to-back than the Dallas duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving after four days off.
Doncic and Irving were 21 of 50 from the field, whereas Tatum and Brown combined to go 24 of 43. After the fourth quarter, Doncic made his first three-point attempt and completed the game 2 of 8 from beyond the arc.
Doncic tallied 33 points on 30 attempts while averaging 18 rebounds and 13 assists for his triple-double. An unexpected respite in which a game at Golden State was canceled due to the heart attack-related demise of Warriors assistant Dejan Milojevi, resulted in Irving scoring 23.
An evening after going 4-of-17 in a 116-107 victory at Houston, Tatum finished the night with 15 of 19 free throws, 11 of 21 from the field, two blocks, and three thefts.
The last time the Celtics played in Milwaukee on a second consecutive night, they were defeated by 33.
Tatum stated, “That is the beauty of being in the NBA.” “There’s always a game the next day or the day after that, and you get a chance to redeem yourself.”
Jrue Holiday contributed to Boston’s 8-3 record over a span of 18 days and eleven contests. Currently, the Celtics have two days off.
“I just told our guys in the locker room that I saw the schedule catch up to us one time, and that was Milwaukee,” coach Joe Mazzulla said without mentioning the loss. “I almost forgot that I was witnessing our guys compete back-to-back. That much I could not tell. Their credit goes to them.”
Tim Hardaway Jr. led Dallas with 20 points.
Kristaps Porzingis was sidelined with inflammation in his right knee the evening following his 32-point performance to lead the Celtics past the Rockets. The absence means the 7-foot-2 Latvian will go more than two years, at least, without playing in Dallas after the Mavs traded him to Washington in a 2022 blockbuster.
Grant Williams made his first encounter with the Celtics since an offseason trade from the organization that selected him in the first round of the 2019 draft.
Tatum treated his former teammate rudely at the halftime buzzer when he swatted an attempted 3 from Williams into the stands along the sideline. Williams accumulated only two points over the course of 18 minutes.
The Mavericks were within seven with five minutes remaining after Doncic’s second 3, but Brown answered soon after when he was bumped by Hardaway as he swished a 3. After the free throw, Boston led 109-98.
Holiday, Brown and others took turns keeping a body on Doncic all over the half-court, forcing the four-time All-Star to work for most of what he got on offense. The fatigue showed with two missed free throws when the Mavs were down 11 with three minutes to go.
Doncic also picked up a technical foul and showed frustration with the officiating several other times.
“We’ve been inconsistent in that department where we can get caught up with the officials instead of just staying focused on the game,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “No one’s going to be perfect, from player to official to coach. So you’ve got to just continue doing your job. I thought we got frustrated, and they took advantage of that.”
Irving said he sprained his right thumb swiping at the ball while defending Tatum on the first possession of the game. The star guard was wearing a brace on the thumb but didn’t anticipate missing any time.
