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The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks will lock horns with each other in an enticing 2021-22 NBA season game at the American Airlines Center on Saturday.
The Celtics are coming off one of their best wins this campaign against the Miami Heat. They defeated the 2020 Eastern Conference champs 95-78 in their last match. Meanwhile, the Mavericks enter this contest on the back of a 109-108 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Match Details
Fixture - Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks | 2021-22 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Saturday, November 6, 2021; 8:30 PM ET (Sunday, November 7, 2021; 6:00 AM IST).
Venue - American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX.
Boston Celtics Preview
The Boston Celtics have stepped up big time on the defensive end in their last two games, holding their opponents to under 80 points on both occasions. Doing it against a team like the Miami Heat was indeed a huge effort as the Heat have been steamrolling past opponents so far and are easily the best team in the league right now.
Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 17 points on the night. Six players, including Brown, recorded ten or more points to round off a brilliant team effort. The C's need to keep up that momentum going forward.
They still need to improve their offense, though, as they haven't been shooting the ball as well as they would have liked.
The Boston Celtics made 39.1% of their shots from the field against the Heat. They were exceptional from the 3, converting 16 shots from there. However, it is a rare feat to convert those many shots efficiently from long-range consistently. Consequently, they need to make sure they are efficient from all spots.
Key Player - Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart will have one of the toughest assignments on defense against the Dallas Mavericks. He will be going up against Luka Doncic, one of the most all-around players on offense in the NBA right now.
Smart, being one of the best defensive-minded guards in the league, will embrace that challenge. If he does successfully limit Doncic from influencing the game, the Boston Celtics will fancy their chances of a third consecutive win.
Boston Celtics Predicted Lineup
G - Marcus Smart | G - Jaylen Brown | F - Jayson Tatum | F - Al Horford | C - Robert Williams.
Dallas Mavericks Preview
The Dallas Mavericks have been in indifferent form over their last few games, having recorded just two wins in their last four appearances. The last match against the Spurs was a close encounter.
The Mavs rallied back after trailing by 12 points at one stage to win the tie. Jalen Brunson was the top performer for the side. He scored 31 points and grabbed ten boards, shooting 9 of 17 from the floor to lead Dallas to the win.
Meanwhile, Doncic had a rough shooting night, but he still ended up with 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
The Dallas Mavericks struggled from 3-point range against the Spurs, making just eight shots from deep all night. They also couldn't stop San Antonio from outscoring them in the paint, leaking 56 points in the restricted area. These are some of the areas the Mavs will have to work on to produce a second win on the bounce.
Key Player - Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic will have an uphill task running the team's offense against a solid defensive team like the Boston Celtics. The C's will do everything they can to limit him. So Doncic will have to be at his lethal best with his decision-making to make the most of having all the attention on him on Saturday.
If the Slovenian produces an all-round offensive performance, the Dallas Mavericks will have a good shot at emerging victorious against Boston.
Dallas Mavericks Predicted Lineup
G - Luka Doncic | G - Jalen Brunson | F - Tim Hardaway Jr. | F - Dorian Finney-Smith | C - Dwight Powell.
Celtics vs Mavericks Match Prediction
The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks are two evenly matched teams, making it difficult to pick a clear favorite before the match. Given the fact that the Mavs will have homecourt advantage, the tie will be marginally in their favor.
A lot will depend on how Doncic's supporting cast performs, so they will have to be at their absolute best to prevail against the C's.
Where to watch Celtics vs Mavericks
The match between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks will be televised locally on NBC Sports Boston and Bally Sports Southwest. Fans can also catch live action online via a subscription to NBA League Pass.
