Celtics rally falls short in 113-108 loss to Dallas

They came back late after trailing by as many as 23 points, and what followed was painfully familiar. They ran out of time in their second loss of the season to Dallas, 113-108.

It remains to be seen if this team is going anywhere but down by virtue of its junk-bond defensive status. With Rob Williams a late scratch due to a non-COVID-related illness, the floor turned into an open gym for Luka Doncic and his teammates.

The Dallas star ignited for a 36-point performance that included 7-for-11 3-point shooting to sink the Celtics.

Climbing almost entirely back from a third-period, 23-point deficit, down four with 16 seconds to go, Jayson Tatum stole the ball and though he missed, Marcus Smart converted the put-back, cutting the Dallas lead to 109-107.

Jalen Brunson, fouled with 11.3 seconds left, hit twice to restore a four-point Dallas lead.

Smart drove and missed, but crashed for the rebound and drew the foul with 5.4 seconds left. He hit the first, cutting the Dallas edge to three, and when Smart purposely missed the free throw he missed the rim, giving the ball back to Dallas, salting away the game.

The Celtics went into the last 2:11 trailing by six points. Tatum missed on a drive, but Doncic, seconds after burying a 30-foot-plus trey, launched an airball. Jaylen Brown, who had answered that three, also missed from downtown.

Doncic up-faked Kemba Walker from beyond the arc, drew the foul and with 56 seconds left hit two of three for a 106-98 lead.

Walker drove for an easy layup, Jalen Brunson answered, and Tatum drove with 31 seconds left to cut the Dallas lead to 108-102.

Maxi Kleber, fouled, missed his first free throw and hit the second. Walker hit a quick 3-pointer for a four-point game.

The Celtics made inroads in the third thanks to improved defensive pressure, but began the fourth quarter in a 17-point (90-73) hole.

They kept up the pressure and trimmed it early in the fourth to 13 on Smart’s bullet pass to Luke Kornet following an Evan Fournier drive, then to 13 again on two Walker free throws. Smart closed it to 12 from downtown with 9:40 left, and with 9:13 left Walker drove hard to convert a three-point play off the break, cutting the Dallas lead to 96-87.

Soon it was eight (98-90) when Smart swung out to Payton Pritchard for a 3-pointer.

Walker drew an offensive foul on Doncic — whistled for a technical foul in the process — and the Celtics now trailed by seven. Walker missed a three and the Celtics paid when Dorian Finney-Smith hit from downtown.

A rash of empty possessions followed. Tatum was called for a charge, Tim Hardaway Jr. missed the rim in a shot clock violation, and Tatum was called for a three seconds violation. Finally Tatum, after missing a dunk, came back off a steal to cut the Dallas lead to 101-95 with 3:45 left.

But Doncic, face-to-face with Smart, buried a deep 3-pointer, only to be matched down the other end by Brown.

Doncic, without much challenge, ignited for a 24-point, 8-for-10, five-trey first half that was good for a 64-56 Dallas halftime lead. The Celtics, in the meantime, shot 34 percent overall and 16 percent from downtown.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3rEyau5