Boston Celtics (42-21) beat Dallas Mavericks (21-42) 120-100 at home on Friday, March 6. The final margin was 20 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Mavericks struck first, taking the opening quarter 22-21 and a 1-point lead after one. The Celtics moved in front with a 37-31 second quarter, carrying a 5-point lead into halftime.
The Celtics won the third 32-27 to create some separation, taking a 10-point lead into the fourth. The Celtics took the fourth 30-20; the Celtics finished the job for a 120-100 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Celtics grabbed 27.5% of their own misses, while the Mavericks recovered 15.4%. The Celtics got more from their shots, finishing at 55.6% effective field-goal shooting compared with 48.4% for the Mavericks. The second chances kept adding up.
At roughly 100 possessions per team, the Celtics produced 120.1 points per 100 possessions to 100.1 for the Mavericks.
The Mavericks' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 48-27.
Who stood out
Jaylen Brown was the game's biggest individual force for BOS: 24 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast on 9-17 shooting. His Game Score of 21.7 led everyone. His team was +20 with him on the floor.
Jayson Tatum (15 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast) and Neemias Queta (16 pts, 15 reb, 0 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Celtics about a 90% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Boston Celtics lead 2-1.
The Celtics are now 42-21, and the Mavericks are 21-42. The Celtics last five before this game: L-W-W-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.