Here's What Stood Out as Tatum and Brown Combined for 73 Points as Celtics Topped Mavericks
The Boston Celtics completed their sweep of back-to-back tilts in Texas on Monday, following up Sunday's 116-107 win over the Houston Rockets with a 119-110 victory vs. the Dallas Mavericks.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 73 points, relentlessly attacking downhill, inflicting most of their damage from inside the arc.
The former, who got the visitors in rhythm after a slow start, finished with a game-high 39 points, including 15 at the free-throw line. The soon-to-be five-time All-Star also grabbed a team-best 11 rebounds, dished out five assists, and swiped three steals, the most in the matchup. As if that wasn't enough, his two blocks tied a handful of participants for the top output in that category.
Not to get outdone, the other half of Boston's star wing tandem paired his 34 points with four assists and two rejections and took on the assignment of guarding Luka Doncic, torching him at one end, then making him take 30 shots to score 33 points.
The Celtics also got a terrific performance from Jrue Holiday, who registered 17 points, knocking down 6/13 attempts, including 5/12 threes, snagged seven rebounds, distributed a team-high six assists, and had a block.
Limiting the turnovers to six, generating a 12-point advantage at the free-throw line, faring 22/30 while the hosts went 10/14, and an up-tempo pace and effective ball movement that translated to 26 assists on 43 field goals were also crucial to Monday's victory.
Now for further exploration into what stood out, including a seldom-used curveball Joe Mazzulla has in his toolbox, as Boston, already sitting atop the NBA standings, improved to 34-10.
1. The Celtics got off to a frigid 3/15 start and found themselves down 19-12 more than midway through the first frame.
But credit the visitors, while there were possessions like an ill-advised Jaylen Brown corner three -- that almost went in, by the way -- most of their shots were on quality looks that didn't go down.
And even as they struggled to find the mark in a period where they finished 1/10 from beyond the arc, Brown, in particular, ensured they maintained an up-tempo attack.
Finally, Boston broke through, with Jayson Tatum finding his rhythm, generating seven points in the final 2:30.
The soon-to-be five-time All-Star ended the first quarter with 13, including two just before the buzzer blew, keeping his team within two, 26-24. He was the only player to score in double figures in the first 12 minutes.
2. That momentum carried into the second frame as the energy the pace-pushing Celtics were playing with fueled a 19-5 run, pulling ahead 45-35 on a Jrue Holiday three with a tick under seven minutes remaining in the first half.
That burst included multiple outstanding efforts by Payton Pritchard, who came off the bench to provide five points, three assists, a steal, and crashed the glass for an offensive rebound before dishing out to Holiday for the three mentioned above.
3. On the heels of that run by Boston, Brown uncorked a sequence where he sliced through a defense providing minimal resistance for a layup, then sent Luka Doncic to the floor before burying a mid-range jump shot.
On the visitors' following possession, the two-time All-Star got the Mavericks' star guard off his feet, drawing a foul and then hoisting a two-point attempt that splashed through the net.
Doncic, frustrated with the officiating for most of the matchup to that point, proceeded to pick up a technical, feeling Brown got unjustly rewarded for jumping into him. However, the former was also moving forward -- thus, the call was correct.
Brown entered the break with 17 points on 6/11 shooting.
4. The other half of the Celtics' star wing duo had 18 at intermission, matching Tim Hardaway Jr. for the most after the first 24 minutes. The latter was 7/9 from the field, including 4/6 from beyond the arc, leading a response that kept Dallas within six, 65-59, at halftime.
But not only was the former's physicality consistently creating quality scoring chances for him, along with shooting 6/11 and manufacturing five points at the free-throw line, he also tied for a team-leading four rebounds, dished out three assists, swiped a steal, and rejected good pal Grant Williams to end the first half.
5. After a poor showing in the third quarter of Sunday's win over the Rockets, continuing a years-long concern, Boston was much sharper in the first 12 minutes after halftime on Monday.
They limited the hosts, who rank in the top ten in offensive rating, to 24 points and 3/10 shooting from beyond the arc in the period, taking a 94-83 lead into the final frame.
At the other end, Tatum and Brown continued putting on a clinic from all three levels. The former paced all participants with nine points in the period; the latter had eight.
Holiday continued capitalizing on playing off the star duo, knocking down threes off the catch and the bounce, putting six points on the board, giving him 15 after the first 36 minutes.
6. With a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, Joe Mazzulla countered Dallas' deploying Maxi Kleber at center by positioning Tatum there.
That's an option the Celtics haven't utilized much, but it's an effective curveball that could come in handy in the playoffs. When they went to it by force while down their top three centers against the Orlando Magic earlier this season, they ran the visitors off the floor in a 128-111 victory.
That night, Mazzulla said he only sees the advantages of tapping into a potentially valuable tool to have at their disposal.
However, for it to become that, this seldom-used option requires refining. It didn't work particularly well Monday night vs. the Mavericks, who trimmed their deficit as low as seven.
However, a downhill attack by Tatum that led to working the ball from one side of the floor to the other and Holiday quickly swinging it to Brown in the corner produced a four-point play that gave Boston a 109-98 cushion approaching the four-minute mark.
That breathing room helped the visitors fend off the hosts' late run, earning a 119-110 win to sweep their back-to-back tilts in Texas.
7. The Celtics are now on to Miami for a showdown against the Heat. That game will tip off at 7:30 EST on Thursday.
Further Reading
Celtics Finding Joy in Basketball and Each Other's Company: 'We've Been Blessed'
Fixated on Winning, Jayson Tatum Again Proves He's Not 'Bored Making the Right Play Over and Over'
Jrue Holiday Responds to Celtics Saying He's Sacrificing Most: 'Not Mad at My Situation'
Brad Stevens Shares What Celtics Are Looking to Add and How He Hopes to Do So
Jaylen Brown Quieting Doubters, Validating What He Always Believed: 'Earn Everybody's Trust'
Joe Mazzulla Discusses Identity, Evolution of Celtics' Offense: 'Balance of Pace and Execution'
Jaylen Brown Shares His View of What Defines 'Celtics Basketball'
