As well as Kyrie Irving has played, the hobbled Mavericks have been a bottom-seven offense over the past month, minus Luka Dončić.

Individually, Irving’s numbers were better against the Celtics on Saturday, but for the Mavericks the result was all too familiar. They will see the Celtics again, in Boston, on Feb. 6, trade deadline day. Perhaps they will have Doncic back, or nearly back, by then.

Just after bouncing back and beating the Oklahoma City Thunder to respond to some losses, the Dallas Mavericks are hosting the Boston Celtics in a game they are on pace to lose. In the fourth quarter,

DALLAS — Jayson Tatum scored 24 points, Derrick White added 23, including Boston’s first 11 of the third quarter, and the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 122-107 on Saturday night in the first meeting between the teams since the NBA Finals.

Dallas will face the defending champion Boston Celtics for the first of two matchups in a 12-day period on Saturday.

The Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics met in Dallas on Saturday for their first matchup since last season's NBA Finals. Dallas was missing many key pieces, including starters Luka Doncic and Dereck Lively II, while Boston was wrapping up a four-game road trip.

The Celtics bounce back from an embarrassing 21-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Jayson Tatum scored 24 points, Derrick White added 23, including Boston’s first 11 of the third quarter, and the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 122-107 on Saturday night in the first meeting between the teams since the NBA Finals.

On Saturday night, the Boston Celtics crushed the Dallas Mavericks (in Texas) by a score of 122-107. Jayson Tatum finished with 24 points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal while shooting 8/22 from the field and 4/12 from the three-point range in 35 mintues of playing time.