ESPN REPORT: THE FINAL BETWEEN BOSTON CELTIC VS DALLAS MAVERICKS HAS BEING SUSPENDED DUE TO..........

The Dallas Mavericks hang on late against the Boston Celtics, winning 113-108. Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 36 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Jayson Tatum scored 25 in defeat for Boston.

Things opened great for the Mavericks, with scoring distributed throughout the team. Dallas had a few early chances to pile on their strong offensive start but were unable to build a double digit lead. The reserves allowed the Celtics to inch back into the game after the Mavericks took a 14-7 lead, but strong defensive play from Kristaps Porzingis resulted in good baskets for Dallas on the other end and they rebuilt the lead up to 22-16. The Mavericks pushed the lead up to 10 with two minutes left in the quarter, but sloppy offensive play allowed the Celtics to pull within five. Dallas took a 30-25 lead into the second quarter.

The five point lead steadily grew for Dallas in the next frame. Hot three point shooting from everyone, led by Doncic, put the Celtics on their heels. Boston just couldn’t find the touch or much of a pulse in the second quarter and the Mavericks punished them repeatedly. Despite some late lapses and fast break points from the Celtics, 13 first half threes powered the Mavericks to a 64-45 lead at half time.

Despite looking asleep for the first half of the frame, the Celtics finally came alive in the final six minutes of the quarter, pushing off of Dallas misses and scoring in transition. But the Dallas offensive machine managed to keep the Celtics at bay just so, hitting timely threes or scoring in the lane. Jayson Tatum came on late but a Tim Hardaway Jr. three on the final Dallas possession allowed the Mavericks to take a 90-75 lead into the fourth.

Of course, things went wonky for the Mavericks early in the fourth, allowing Boston to cut the lead down to single digits in the first three minutes of the frame. Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic sat chunks of the quarter as the Dallas lead slowly evaporated. Doncic managed to pick up a technical after an offensive foul and the Celtics cut the lead down to seven. Dorian Finney-Smith responded with an open wing three and Brunson took a charge from Tatum, then Tatum got a three seconds in the paint call as the Mavericks held a 10 point lead for multiple possessions. Yet the Celtics kept coming, getting the lead down to six. But Boston was unable to connect on multiple looks down the stretch and despite making it insanely close late due to Dallas mistakes, the Mavericks walk away with a 113-108 win.