Mavs' Win 7-Game Win Streak Ends: 3 Big Takeaways From Celtics Blowout

The Dallas Mavericks had their seven-game winning streak snapped after being defeated by the Boston Celtics.

The Dallas Mavericks (22-17) had their game against the Boston Celtics (27-12) get out of hand in their 124-95 loss, resulting in their seven-game winning streak being ended. 

The outcome of the game was decided before the start of the fourth quarter with the Celtics leading 89-65, resulting in Luka Doncic not playing at all in the final period. 

Here's the three biggest takeaways from Dallas' loss.

3. Jaden Hardy's Performance

The Mavs decided to give some opportunity to Jaden Hardy in the second half, and he made the most of it. He tied his career-high in points (15) in just 15 minutes. He finished while shooting 5-8 from the floor, 3-3 from beyond the arc, and 2-2 from the free throw line, without committing a turnover.

“I thought he was great," Kidd said of Hardy's performance. "I thought his energy – he played the right way. I have to give him a lot of credit. I thought the group that was out there at the end played the right way. The ball moved, but Hardy was really good, really good.”

In 15 minutes, Jaden Hardy tied his career-high for scoring in a game with 15 points.

-Knocked down a corner 3 after a Luka Doncic spray-out.
-Aggressive in attacking the rim both in the half-court and in transition.
-Cleared impressive separation on his step-back 3. pic.twitter.com/wiXVPaW3eK

— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) January 6, 2023

Hardy showcased an impressive ability to create with the ball in his hands. He converted multiple off-the-dribble jumpers, including a step-back 3 against Grant Williams that resulted after clearing significant separation. Hardy was also aggressive in attacking the rm, whether in transition or within the half-court. 

“It felt good to get out there on the floor," Hardy said. "I had an opportunity to go out there to show what I can do, so it felt good to be out there and playing.”

2. Luka Doncic Did Not Look Well

Luka Doncic did not end up playing in the fourth quarter given the nature of the score being lopsided. He finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, but did so while shooting 7-23 from the floor and 0-6 from 3-point range. 

The Celtics undoubtedly deserve credit for the execution of their defensive gameplan. They switched everything and loaded up on Doncic in ways that made it challenging for him to carry the Mavs' offense in ways he's accustomed to doing. However, he did not look well. He was coughing and holding his chest at times in addition to going to the locker room after the first quarter.

Mavs coach Jason Kidd told reporters after the game that Doncic "looked like himself" and that he wasn't aware of there being any health issues 

“He looked like himself out there," Kidd said. "He just missed some shots. He had some good looks. They just didn’t go down. I don’t know about his health. I know he did leave at one point, but I don’t know what the cause of that was.”

When asked about Luka Doncic's health, Jason Kidd: “He looked like himself out there. He just missed some shots. He had some good looks. They just didn’t go down. I don’t know about his health. I know he did leave at one point, but I don’t know what the cause of that was.” pic.twitter.com/ZUaspF4IoW

— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) January 6, 2023

The Mavs are now just 2-7 in games that Doncic plays, but he doesn't reach the 30-point threshold. When Doncic isn't in a condition to shoulder the team at his typical elite level, things tend to unravel.  

1. Mavs Faced a Talent Deficit, Struggled vs. Switching

With top defenders like Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, and Josh Green sidelined, it was more challenging for the Mavs' defense to contain the Celtics. 

The inability to contain dribble penetration at the point of attack led to some concerning defensive breakdowns for the Mavs. The first rotation was often made to help, but the aggressive run out to the corner after a spray-out pass was often not being made. 

A significant part of the Celtics' advantage in attacking the paint involves how layered their approach is with many options that can attack closeouts or attack downhill when deployed in a half-court action. There are second, third and sometimes fourth rotations being forced for the defense.

The Mavs struggled to get much going offensively outside of their top three scoring options for much of the game. Reggie Bullock was a microcosm of this as he went scoreless in 37 minutes, often not looking at the rim and hesitating to shoot. 

Against a defense that switches at a high level without having glaring defensive liabilities to attack, the Mavs are likely going to have to work very hard to score. When players slow down the momentum of the offense by not being a threat when the ball finds them, it hurts the outlook of a possession significantly.

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