In the most anticipated Celtics-Mavericks matchup of the year (OK, maybe not quite), Dallas found a way in an entertaining Summer League showdown Friday night.
The Mavericks built an early lead and withstood multiple Celtics runs to earn a 101-90 win in Las Vegas.
It may not have carried quite the same weight as the NBA Finals, but it did give plenty of up-and-coming contributors a chance to showcase their skills on a grand stage.
With Jaden Springer, JD Davison, Neemias Queta and Drew Peterson all out, the Celtics (2-2) gave several players some extended run. Six Celtics scored in double figures, led by Jaelen House with 18 points and 9 assists, but it ultimately wasn’t enough.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper (22 points) and A.J. Lawson (21 points) paced the Mavericks (1-3), who shot 50.7 on the evening.
House and Ron Harper Jr. were bright spots in the first half, working in tandem to burn the Mavericks from inside and out.
Baylor Scheierman (15 points) drilled a 3 to tie it at 9 early. After a Mavericks flurry, Harper Jr. hit a 3 of his own to slice the deficit to 23-16. TJ Clark buried one final 3 for Dallas at the buzzer, helping the Mavericks take a 30-22 edge into the second.
The Celtics moved the ball relatively well, racking up six assists, but they also turned it over six times in a choppy quarter.
After the lead ballooned to 13 early in the second, Killian Tillie and Scheierman connected on 3’s to trim it to eight. House, who plays with the same passion and swagger as his father, Eddie, won a jump ball to set up a Harper 3. He then added an and-one, on a crafty hesitation move, but once again, Boston allowed a 3 in the final seconds.
Dallas took a 55-45 edge into halftime behind 12 points from Prosper. The Celtics didn’t register a single steal, Jordan Walsh shot 0 for 6 from 3-point range and Anton Watson was 1 for 5 from the floor.
Despite the Celtics’ overall sluggishness and sloppiness, with 11 turnovers, they found themselves down 10 and well within striking distance.
Walsh turned it up a notch in the third, hustling to set up a Tillie 3. Watson added a silky smooth post move, Walsh attacked the basket and House drilled a 3 and hit the Mavericks with a celebratory shoulder shake.
Dallas still led, 76-69, through three, but the Celtics had momentum on their side.
The Celtics narrowed the deficit to 83-78 on a Watson putback, then Dallas extended it to double digits once again. Every time Boston made a push, Dallas responded to stay ahead.
The Mavericks then pulled away in the final minutes. The Celtics are now officially eliminated from semifinal contention and will play one more game this weekend.
