Ten victories in a row with an average gap of 19 points! It's the Celtics' current series, and it sums up the domination of Joe Mazzulla's players over the NBA. Undisputed leader since the start of the season, Boston took the break at the top of the standings with 47 wins for 12 losses, and Jayson Tatum's teammates should benefit from home advantage. Friday evening, it was the Mavericks who were subjected to their law, beaten 138-110!
“It’s the best team in the NBA. We played very well for three quarters, but it's difficult to win here, especially against this team.” confirms Luka Doncic. “We played really good basketball for three quarters. But they made 21 3-pointers. »
The Celtics have shooters at every position
This address from afar hurt a lot, and the Celtics' ability to constantly play with five shooters is impressive. “It’s an amazing team. From the first to the 9th player, they can all shoot 3-pointers. It's difficult to stand up to a team like that. We really tried to limit their number of 3-pointers. We tried the best we could” says Derek Lively's rookie.
An analysis shared by his coach. “It’s very rare to see a team capable of playing with five shooters” insists Jason Kidd. “And then, they don’t panic. There is no stress. They continue to play as they usually do, and they share the ball. »
Symbol of this domination of the Celtics, Kristaps Porzingis. The former Mavericks player scored 13 of his team's 24 points in the first quarter, with four winning shots. “He can shoot 3-pointers, he can dribble, he can go to the line” Kidd lists. “On defense, he can change the trajectory of a shot or block, and he can go for the rebound. »
“Don’t look at the score”
Kidd is clearly admiring the Celtics' accuracy. “If you don't take the lead on a few possessions, they make you pay, like they did in the 4th quarter” he continues. “We can't have empty possessions against them, and we can't have defensive lapses against them either, otherwise they're going to make you pay for it from the 3-point line, and that's what they have do. It was a two-point game and they took advantage of our mistakes on both ends of the pitch.”
For the Mavericks coach, the score is severe, and the manner was there. “We learned a lot about ourselves. We need to fix some things, but it's going in the right direction. We were closer than the score suggests. But I repeat, when they make a mistake, you have to take advantage of it, and we didn't do that, unlike them. But I think we can stand up to the best. Don't look at the score, we really think we have the talent to stand up to them. It's just about being consistent. You don't have to be perfect, but you have to stay united and consistent. »
