Jayson Tatum posted the second triple-double of his NBA career, leading the Celtics to a commanding blowout win over Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night at American Airlines Arena.
Tatum had an off-shooting night overall but made up for it on the glass and with his court vision, finishing with 29 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and a pair of blocks in his first triple-double of the year. Five other Celtics also finished in double figures for the visitors, including big performances off the bench from Grant Williams (12 points) and Malcolm Brogdon (15 points).
Bostons win snapped a seven-game winning streak by the Mavericks as Luka Doncic was held to just 23 points on 23 shot attempts before sitting out the entire fourth quarter. The Celtics also held the Mavericks to their worst shooting night of the year for a Boston opponent from both the field and 3-point range.
The Celtics will look to finish their four-game road trip with a 2-2 record on Saturday night in San Antonio.
Here are four takeaways from Bostons win on Thursday night:
Celtics bench snaps out of a funk: During the first month of the Celtics season, Bostons second unit looked like the best lineup in the NBA. That declaration had faded in recent weeks though amid a drop-off 3-point shooting along with some horrid defensive performances on this road trip. On Thursday night with Jaylen Brown facing first half foul trouble, Bostons reserves changed the game in the first half with their energy and scoring protection. Grant Williams and Malcolm Brogdon both hit double figures in points during the first half alone while Rob Williams return to the lineup after a one-game absence helped Bostons second unit stretch out the visitors lead to double digits by early in the second quarter. By halftime, Bostons reserves had outscored the Mavericks bench by a 28-2 margin, accounting for all of the Celtics 18-point halftime lead. Grant Williams and Malcolm Brogdon finished with the best plus/minus numbers on the roster and that was indicative of their impact in this matchup.
Elite ball movement returns for Bostons offense: From the opening possession of the matchup, the Celtics were committed to both making the extra pass and driving and kicking, which produced a never-ending string of open looks from the perimeter. With the Mavericks lacking meaningful rim protection, the Celtics took advantage of the Dallas lack of size and collapsing with bodies in the paint, with Jayson Tatum leading the way finding his teammates. Tatum piled up his most assists in a game (10) since November in his second career triple-double while five different Celtics tallied three or more assists in the win.
Defense shows up for first time on road trip: Despite an unimpressive supporting cast around Luka Doncic, the Mavericks entered Thursdays matchup with a top-10 offense and were riding the longest winning streak in the NBA. Boston looked motivated to turn the tide after an embarrassing defensive effort against the Thunder on Tuesday night and they put together one of their best defensive outings of the year in the process. Doncic got his looks but the Celtics made him incredibly inefficient, forcing misses on 16 of his 23 attempts including all six form beyond the arc. Beyond staying disciplined on the MVP candidate, the Celtics played the Mavs smart on the perimeter, closing out strong to shooters while also taking away passing lanes. The net result was the worst shooting performance by a Celtics opponent all season from the field and the 3-point line.
A statement win: After giving up 273 points in the first two games of their Western Conference road trip along with going with 5-7 in their last 12 games overall, the Celtics appeared the be on the verge of falling down the standings in the Eastern Conference. This game brought back memories of the team that had roared out to the fastest starts of the year back in November. The shots werent always falling but the quality of looks was fantastic all night as the team emphasized terrific ball movement from the opening tip. Defensively, they were also locked in for all 48 minutes as the Mavericks got no closer than 15 points for the entire second half. Put it all together and it was one of the best two-way wins of the year for the Celtics.