The Boston Celtics were forced into overtime by the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. The Mavericks went down 22-34 in the first quarter but bounced back to clinch the second quarter with 27 to 19, but it was the Celtics on top at the half.
The Mavericks took the third quarter 28-16, but the Celtics needed the fourth quarter to secure the win. The Celtics got their chance to kill the game, but the Mavericks stood firm at 19-27, sending the game to overtime. With the game tied at 96 points, both teams went to overtime with expectations, but the Celtics were the stronger side, scoring 14 points to the Mavericks 6, ending the game at 110-102 points .
Kyrie Irving leads the stats table for the Celtics followed by Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Jayson Tatum. Irving also leads the scoring table with an average of 22.5, Al Horford leads in rebounds with an average of 8.8, and Marcus Smart with an average of 5.3 assists. Irving is 1.6 average for steals and Tatum with 0.8 blocks.
The Celtics have refused to slow down after losing their first two games, and Gordon Hayward was injured at the beginning of the season. The Celtics are considered championship contenders , according to ESPN , but time will tell. The most important thing for the team is to keep on winning. One of the most important parts of the Celtics team is the defense. The team looks strong both offensively and defensively and keep on closing teams down when it matters. The Celtics defense keeps getting better with each game, the defense has been giving the offense support.
Kyrie Irving takes over down the stretch to guide @celtics to 16th straight win! pic.twitter.com/VpZdMmphiX
— NBA (@NBA) November 21, 2017
Point Guard Kyrie Irving ran the show for the Celtics, scoring 47 points , three rebounds, and six assists. Harrison Barnes was also brilliant for the Dallas Mavericks, scoring 31 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Irving scored 57 points in 2015 with 32 shots, on Wednesday he scored 47 points with 22 shots.
Kyrie Irving is the first @celtics player with 45+ points and 5+ assists since Paul Pierce in 2006.
BOS has won 16 consecutive games. pic.twitter.com/gSHELc6hRC
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) November 21, 2017
The Celtics have closed down double-digit deficits in the fourth quarter for the fourth time in the last six games. The Boston Celtics play the Miami Heat next, hoping to extend their winning streak to 17 games. The Celtics remain No. 1 in the league and the Eastern Conference with 16 wins and two losses.
[Featured Image by Tom Pennington/Getty Images]
