Final: Mavs 113, Celtics 104 -- C's fall apart in second half

The Celtics put up a respectable fight for the first three quarters of Saturday's game against the Mavericks, but there was too much JJ Barea and not enough consistent offense down the stretch from the C's, which helped the hosts pull away late for a 113-104 victory. Barea was the difference maker in the second half, posting a team-high 20 points and 8 assists as he torched the C's defense in the pick-and-roll time and time again.

The visitors fought back from a double-double deficit to take the lead at one point in the third quarter (74-73) but the Mavericks managed to re-assert control with a 33-16 run that put the game away midway through the fourth quarter. Harrison Barnes added a team-high 20 points and rookie phenom chipped in with 15 points and 8 assists to led a balanced Dallas scoring attack that featured five players in double figures and plenty of hustle plays, including 12 offensive rebounds.

Jayson Tatum had a team-high 21 points in the loss for an uneven performance that featured a season-high 19 turnovers. Poor shooting nights from Kyrie Irving (9-of-24) and Al Horford (3-of-11) helped sink the offense late and insult was added to injury when Jaylen Brown (tailbone) left the game after a hard fall on his backside during crunch time.

The loss drops Boston to 10-10 on the year. They will wrap up their road trip on Monday night in New Orleans.

First Half Notes

• C’s go with small ball starting five with Morris at the 4 and Horford at the 5. Turns into a bit of a shootout early with both teams getting what they want on the offensive end.


• Only things slowing the offenses down have been turnovers ealry. Both squads had six in the first quarter, leading to easy looks for the Mavs (10 points off turnovers).


• Tatum scored 10 of his points in the first quarter, on 4-of-5 shooting. He continues to be very efficient over the last few weeks


• Mavs make their first 7 3-point attempts, with a ton of them coming in transition.


• Smart helped keep the C’s close with his 3-point shooting in the second quarter, but his ill advised turnovers from both him and Kyrie Irving (three in first half) have been a big onus on the Mavs defense.


• Mavs tempo is much more advanced than the C’s right now and that’s reflective of the looks they are getting on the offensive end.


• Luka Doncic looks like the steal of the draft at No. 5 overall. He’s got 13 points and 5 assists in the first half and has punished mismatches with smaller guards (Rozier/Irving) on him.


• A nice infusion of offense from Irving/Jaylen Brown to close out the period, as C’s cut 14-point first half deficit to just three. Mavs are shooting the lights out but visitors aren’t panicking. The offensive execution and shotmaking has been sharp, once the turnovers (10) are cut down.


• 15 first half minutes for Al Horford, who was effective but still looks slower than usual with that sore knee.


• Barnes and Doncic on 8-of-10 from downtown in the first half. Rest of team was just 2-of-13. Keeping those two from seeing too many open looks will be key for C’s to continue comeback in second half.

• Gordon Hayward will rest his surgically repaired ankle on the second half of the back-to-back against the Mavs. Terry Rozier is also listed as questionable with a sore left knee.


• Al Horford is expected to return to the starting lineup after sitting out Friday's win over the Hawks with a sore left knee.


• The Mavs have won five of their last six games overall, including wins over the Warriors, Jazz and Thunder.


• Wesley Matthews could return to the lineup for the Mavericks on Saturday night after missing the last two games with a sore hamstring. He would provide a serious boost in the backcourt, giving another weapon to a talented group there that features Doncic, J.J. Barea and Smith Jr.