Luka Doncic Drills Game-Winner in Mavs’ Dramatic 110-107 Win Over Celtics
DALLAS - In a game with enough lead changes to give the viewer whiplash (14 in the first half alone), the Dallas Mavericks beat the Boston Celtics 110-107 in an outing that came down to the final second on Tuesday night at American Airlines Center.
The win moves Dallas to .500 on the season, sitting at ninth behind the Golden State Warriors (16-15), in the competitive Western Conference. Dallas (15-15) has now won six of their last seven games.
What do you get when you have three NBA All-Stars in one game? Fireworks. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Luka Doncic each got off to hot starts in the first quarter scoring nine points, nine points, and 11 points, respectively. Their dominance didn't stop there.
However, the Celtics had a tough time with Boban Marjanovic, who came in off the bench to score six points and six rebounds in his first six minutes. Marjanovic's continued physicality helped the Mavs in the paint, Marjanovic finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.
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Josh Richardson (16 points) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (14 points) both sparked the Mavs offense. However, Boston had answers to every Dallas run. The largest lead by both teams was five points through three quarters.
In the fourth quarter, Dallas went on a run to take a 12-point lead, with much thanks to Jalen Brunson and his outstanding 22 points off the bench. Brunson stepped into the Mavs' second scorer role with Kristaps Porzingis out.
The momentum then changed again with a 12-0 Celtics run that erased the Mavs lead, behind Kemba Walker and his smooth beyond-the-arc shooting. Boston led with 105-104 with 30 seconds remaining but Doncic has other plans... Staying calm under pressure to nail a three-pointer at the shot clock buzzer to put the Mavs back in front by two.
Brown answered with a driving lay-up to tie the game.
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THAT ISN'T ALL, FOLKS!
Doncic delivered a thrilling three-pointer to win the game with one second remaining that sent him and his teammates into a wild celebration. The victory ending a 3-game winning streak the Celtics held over them.
“It got in and that is all that matters,” Luka said of his big make.
A note about the All-Stars...Doncic earned his 100th career game with 20+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists. Doncic joined some elite company... Becoming the second-fastest to 100 games of 20-5-5 in terms of games played (Oscar Robertson, 115) and age (LeBron James, 21y-43d), according to Mavs PR.
Tatum totaled 28 points and Brown scored 29 points.
Maxi Kleber (left ankle sprain) and Porzingis (lower back tightness) both were out. Porzingis has been in the trade rumor mill... But Mark Cuban told us at DallasBasketball.com that there is no Porzingis trade talk; that 'somebody's talking s--'.
Next up, the Mavs hit the road for the first time since Feb. 3 (20 days ago!) to play vs. Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. CT.
