After losing to the Lakers last Friday, the Celtics finally returned to winning ways the following evening as they defeated the Mavericks 122 to 107. Even though Boston struggled in the first quarter, they eventually turned things around as their intense shooting from beyond the arc finally paid off.
The Dallas club have grown frustrated with the Celtics’ game in recent times, as the reigning champions beat them 4-1 in June’s NBA Final Series. Nevertheless, former Boston player Kyrie Irving actually praised their rivals for their strategic ‘math-like’ approach to their offensive plays.
“I like math because it has no emotions,” the veteran said after losing b 15 points. “Outside of JT and JB, when those other guys get it going like D-White and Jrue Holiday, that’s what makes them special and makes them great.
“Everyone kind of criticizes them based on what their season is this year, but if you look at their first 42 games, it’s pretty similar compared to last year. Maybe two years off. This is a well coached basketball team.”
The Massachusetts side is currently No. 1 in the NBA at three-point attempts, a stat that was more than evident during Saturday’s win. The reigning champions tried for 52 shots from beyond the arc and were able to drop in 38.2% of their attempts.
Some of the Boston star admitted that the aftermath of their title celebration has affected this campaign’s intensity. “We were a lion last season, and some games this year we’ve looked like a house cat,” center Kristaps Porzingis admitted after beating the Mavericks this weekend.
He then continued: “We want to have that spirit as a team this year, and it’s tough. Obviously we can’t trick ourselves and make it [like] it’s playoffs every game. It’s tough, just human nature. But we know the group that we have and we know that we’re going to bring it to the big games, but we need to bring it consistently and keep building on top of good wins like tonight.”
The Celtics are currently second in the Eastern Conference standings with a 32-14 record, which is a different start from the one they produced last season. During their championship campaign, they won 68 regular-season games and only lost three during their playoff run.
