Dallas Mavericks – Boston Celtics: 2024 Finals rematch
First meeting of the season between the Mavericks and Celtics — a Finals rematch from 2024, but with a very different cast. No Luka. No Tatum. No Jrue Holiday. Expect a proper duel now: Jaylen Brown’s crew versus Cooper Flagg, who’s been on fire lately.
Dallas Mavericks: damage control 
The Mavericks are in the worst patch of the season. Four straight defeats already — Lakers, Wolves, Hornets, Rockets — and six more awkward games on the calendar. It starts again tonight with Boston, one of the East’s heavy hitters.
Without Anthony Davis, Dallas has leaned on Cooper Flagg’s brilliance. He hasn’t let them down: 49 points on the Hornets, 34 on the Rockets. The No.1 pick is starting to show teeth, but without Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving the roster is too thin to hang with the league’s top teams week in, week out.
INJURY REPORT : Anthony Davis (OUT) – P.J. Washington (OUT) – Moussa Cissé (questionable) – Brandon Williams (questionable) – Ryan Nembhard (probable)
Boston Celtics: reclaiming the No.2 spot 
Unlike the Mavericks, Boston enjoyed an easy run of games recently and picked up three wins in four. Beating Portland (102-94), Sacramento (112-93) and Milwaukee (107-79) felt fairly routine, especially at home. Joe Mazzulla’s side sit level with the Knicks for second in the East and will try to move ahead with a win.
To avoid a shock against the Mavericks, Boston will lean on its defense. Allowing just 109.1 points per game, the Celtics boast the NBA’s second-best defense this season — a big reason for their results. Offensively they’re not as flashy — only 15th in scoring at 116.1 points — but having Jaylen Brown makes them dangerous enough.
INJURY REPORT : –
NBA Pick Dallas Mavericks vs Boston Celtics
Under 224.5 points
In Boston’s last four games the 225 mark hasn’t been breached. They’re leaning on defense, and against a Mavericks team that will rely on a big scoring night from Cooper Flagg to stay in it, sticking with the under looks sensible. Lock the game down and Mazzulla’s men avoid going down the hot-shooting rabbit hole; they can control tempo and manage the match — a tactic that’s paid off lately.
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