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The Boston Celtics will try to stop their recent slide when they face the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Tuesday. The Celtics absorbed a 120-115 overtime loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, even though they led by 24 points in the second half.
On Monday, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 102-92. Tim Hardaway led the way with 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and 7-of-11 from three. Hardaway’s performance offset the absence of starting center Kristaps Porzingis, who was out with back soreness.
Match Details
Fixture - Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks | 2020-21 NBA Season
Date & Time - Tuesday, February 23rd, 7:30 PM ET (Wednesday, February 24th, 6:00 AM IST)
Venue - American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Boston Celtics Preview
It has not been a good two weeks for the Boston Celtics, who have lost six of their last 10 games. Their latest setback was extra painful as a sure win ended up to be a monumental collapse.
The Celtics are in a bit of disarray even after Kemba Walker returned to the lineup. They are still missing Marcus Smart but that shouldn’t be an excuse for Boston repeatedly giving up double-digit leads.
As they face the Dallas Mavericks, the Boston Celtics cannot be complacent even if their opponent could be missing a couple of key players. At 15-15, the Celtics are in danger of falling out of the playoff picture.
Key Player - Jaylen Brown
Jaylen Brown has struggled with his shooting a few times over the past eight games for the Boston Celtics. During that stretch, Brown shot just 44.4 percent from the field compared to 51.8 percent in his first 20 games. The 24-year-old called out his team, including himself, for their lack of maturity after the Pelicans game.
Brown will hopefully get better at shot selection as he gets more games under his belt. He’ll be facing the Dallas Mavericks’ Josh Richardson but the two might guard one another only during stretches.
Boston Celtics Predicted Lineup
G Kemba Walker G Jaylen Brown F Jayson Tatum F Tristan Thompson C Daniel Theis
Dallas Mavericks Preview
The Dallas Mavericks recovered from a six-match losing streak to win five of their last six games. But the Mavericks might miss Kristaps Porzingis again as well as Maxi Kleber, who suffered a left ankle sprain on Monday. They will have to dig deeper into their bench when they face the Boston Celtics.
The Mavs will hope that their momentum heading into Tuesday’s encounter is enough to get them the win as their offense might be weak if Porzingis and Kleber are both out. Luka Doncic should not have to carry the entire load for the Dallas Mavericks but he has to be ready in case his team falters versus the Boston Celtics.
Key Player - Tim Hardaway Jr.
Tim Hardaway Jr. will have to produce in much the same way as he did on Monday, should the Dallas Mavericks enter the contest shorthanded. He and Josh Richardson are the two players who will have to carry the scoring burden. But Hardaway will shoot the ball more so he has to take advantage of the extra shots against the Boston Celtics.
This season, Hardaway is averaging 17.1 points per game on 44.7 percent field-goal shooting. He’s shooting a career-high 40.5 percent from 3-point territory but the Mavericks will need him to diversify his offense especially for this game.
Dallas Mavericks Predicted Lineup
G Luka Doncic G Josh Richardson F Dorian Finney-Smith F James Johnson C Dwight Powell
Celtics vs Mavericks Match Prediction
It will be hard to predict this matchup without knowing the status of Porzingis and Kleber for the game. As of this writing, the two are day-to-day. If the Dallas Mavericks play with these two around, they should be expected to win against the Boston Celtics.
But if both players are out, the Celtics should have the advantage. Boston are too good, at least on paper, and have enough veterans on their roster to get a win.
Where to Watch Celtics vs Mavericks?
The game between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks will be televised nationally by TNT and locally by NBC Sports Boston. For international viewers, the matchup will be live-streamed by NBA League Pass.
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