Mavs vs. Celtics: Game Preview, Injury Report, Betting Odds

The well-rested Dallas Mavericks take on a Boston Celtics team that will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back and third game in four nights. Can Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the rest of the crew take advantage?

After having a five-day rest period due to unfortunate circumstances with their game on Friday against the Golden State Warriors being postponed, the Dallas Mavericks welcome the Boston Celtics to American Airlines Center on Monday night in what should be an exciting bout between former teammates.

The Celtics are the best team in the league with a 33-10 record, but they'll be battling tired legs, playing on a second night of a back-to-back after a win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday. It will also be Boston's third game in four nights.

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The Mavs are coming off a disappointing blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, one that they've had to sit on much longer than initially expected. However, given Dallas has been one of the most banged-up teams in the league this season, perhaps the extended layoff will be enough to recharge the batteries a little bit.

Luka Doncic taking on Jayson Tatum is always a hot topic among NBA fans in general, but tonight's Mavs-Celtics game features several other intriguing storylines involving former teammates facing one another. Grant Williams, who was sent to the Mavs in a sign-and-trade from the Celtics last summer, will play his former team for the first time. Kyrie Irving, who has drawn the ire of Boston fans and media after he left Boston in 2019, will have something to prove as well.

Of course, Kristaps Porzingis making his return to Dallas would’ve been something to keep an eye on as well, but he’s being sidelined tonight after logging 36 minutes against the Denver Nuggets on Friday and 33 minutes against the Rockets on Sunday. Things never quite worked out with Doncic and Porzingis in Dallas, mainly due to injury issues, but the big man is having a great season in Boston, averaging 19.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 52.5 percent overall, including 35.0 percent from deep.

Doncic is the league’s second-leading scorer at 33.6 points per game, and he’s nearly averaging a triple-double with 8.3 rebounds and 9.2 assists. Despite those crazy numbers, Doncic still appears to be further down the MVP list than many would think. This is mainly due to Dallas’ inconsistency from game to game, but now that the team is rested up, perhaps Doncic can start to swing things in his favor tonight.

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Here’s everything else you need to know about tonight’s game:

INJURY REPORTS: Mavs - Seth Curry (left ankle sprain), Questionable. Dante Exum (right plantar sprain), Doubtful. Celtics - Kristaps Porzingis (knee inflammation), Out.

RECORDS: Mavs (24-18) vs. Celtics (33-10)

WHEN/WHERE: Jan. 22, 2024 at American Airlines Center. Tip-off at 7:30 p.m. CT

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN: Bally Sports Southwest, NBA League Pass, 97.1 The Freak

BETTING ODDS: The Celtics are 3.5-point favorites over the Mavs tonight.

FINAL WORD: “It was a blessing. I was drafted to an organization that treated me with grace and treated me with class,” Williams said of facing his former team for the first time.

“There’s a bunch of phenomenal people in their organization … not just the players, but the coaching staff. Even the new staff that are there in the front office from top to bottom. I’m thankful for the time that I had there for four years, and it’ll be great to be able to catch up.”