You look at the Boston Celtics that visit American Airlines Center on Monday and there’s a lot to like – unless you’re playing against them.
They are No. 3 in the NBA in defensive rating. And No. 3 in offensive rating. They lead the league in three-pointers attempted and made, which means the Mavericks’ long-distance prowess will have to be on display if they hope to keep pace with the Celtics.
But the most impressive thing about the No. 1 team in the NBA (at least, by record) is that they are doing it with five diverse starters and what most observers believe is a thin crew of reserves.
Strength in numbers is a real deal in the NBA. But it’s not really for Boston, which leans on its starting five heavily and a couple of contributors off the bench.
After that, it’s kind of a mixed bag.
But Sunday’s 116-107 win at Houston was a showcase for why the Celtics are so good. They have diversity, if not great depth.
In a game when Jrue Holiday (elbow) and Al Horford (rest) were out, the Celtics moved third-year forward Sam Hauser in for a rare start and survived quite nicely on the road.
And it was a game when high-scoring Jayson Tatum had just 18 points, nearly nine under his average, and shot 4-of-17.
Instead, it was former Maverick Kristaps Porzingis who gouged Houston for 32 points. And Jaylen Brown had a triple-double and Derrick White pitched in 21 points and 11 rebounds.
That’s the kind of team the Celtics are.
Porzingis has proven to be a good fit so far, averaging 19.5 points and 2 blocks per game, playing in 32 of their 43 games.
However, it was determined by the Celtics that the 7-3 Porzingis would not play inMonday’s game, meaning he has yet to play a game at AAC since being traded to Washington before the deadline in the 2021-22 season. He missed last season’s game here with the Wizards because of injury.
- Horford is expected back tonight as he rarely plays both ends of a back-to-back and was held out on Sunday in Houston. He’s averaging 7.8 points and 6.9 rebounds in about 27 minutes per game. He normally comes off the bench. Holiday has been fighting the elbow issue since New Year’s, but hasn’t missed many games.
- Tatum is one of the best players in the league and since he’s been the leader on the team with the best record in the league, he’s a legitimate MVP candidate, averaging 26.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
- The Celtics will be playing their third game in four nights after having lost Friday at Denver. It’s also the middle game of a three-game trip that ends Thursday in Miami.
- The Mavericks are coming off an unusual break with four days off in between games. They last played in Los Angeles on Wednesday, losing to the Lakers 127-110. Their game Friday at Golden State was postponed and will be made up at a later date. If you’re looking for possible makeup dates, there aren’t many to choose from when both teams have an obvious break in the schedule. Squeezing it in immediately before or after the All-Star break is a possibility, although travel would be problematic for the Mavericks, since the game would be played in San Francisco.
- For a team that had not had a full-fledged practice since Dec. 21, it was a good time to recharge and get on the court to work on details that may have been casualties of the relentless string of games that the Mavericks have had since before Christmas. The Mavericks got practice sessions on Friday and Sunday to tie up loose ends.
- The Mavericks are getting relatively healthy. The only players on their injury report are Dante Exum (right plantar sprain), who is doubtful, and Seth Curry (left ankle sprain), who is questionable.
BOSTON CELTICS (33-10) at MAVERICKS (24-18)
- When/where: 7:30 p.m. Monday, American Airlines Center, Dallas.
- TV: Bally’s Sports Southwest.
- Radio: 97.1 FM The Freak; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish).
X: @ESefko
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