Celtics lose to defending champ Mavs 90-85
Rondo was awesome as always for Boston with 24 points and 7 assists. He's not only the best player on the Celtics, but it really isn't even that close at this point. This is a bad sign for the Celtics as it shows the big 3 have regressed more than we might have thought.
Pierce had a horrendous game aside from the last couple minutes. He at times just looked tired and uninterested. Pietrus made his first appearance in a Celtics uniform. Despite missing a couple open 3's I thought he looked really good. I hope he replaces Marquis in the lineup from now on.
Dirk had a rare off game for Dallas, but hit the game clinching lay up and free throw with 3 seconds left to win it. He's an all time great and did what all time greats do. I wish the Celtics had someone like Jason Terry. That guy just always comes off the bench and is clutch. He was the leading scorer for the Mavs with 18 points.
The main reason the Celtics lost this game was not because of the poor officiating, though some of the calls in the 2nd half were questionsable. Rather, it is because they couldn't get defensive rebounds or any rebounds for that matter. At one point Dallas had 15 second chance points to 0 for the Celtics. It doesn't matter how good of defense you play if you can't finish off the possession.
The Celtics need a win Friday in the worst way. Not only to get them back to .500, but to prove they can beat a good team. Right now all their wins are against the bottom dwellers of the NBA. Let's hope Pierce wakes up and gets back to his old self.
Next game Friday against Chicago.
