The Mavs will continue their quest to get a win against a good team with Jason Kidd tonight against the Boston Celtics. The Mavs lost their last meeting with the Celtics in Boston 96-90...of course, they were missing Devin Harris. The Mavericks will play two more home games in their current home stand before they hit the road again.
Still rampaging through the league
They started strong, and they haven't slowed down since the last time they met the Mavs. They still hold the NBA's best record (as they have the entire season) at 54-13 and clinched a playoff spot long ago. They have the top ranked defense in the league by only allowing 90 points per game and have a very efficient offense. They rank dead last in the NBA in field-goal attempts, but rank third overall in field-goal percentage. That should tell you something. They get to the free-throw line for much of their scoring, and when they take shots from the field, they are smart shots.
Newbies arrive
The big knock on the Celtics for most of the season was their lack of depth. They recently signed veterans P.J. Brown and Sam Cassell from free agency, seemingly helping that problem a bit. Cassell is an interesting addition since he and Garnett teamed up during KG's most successful season in Minnesota. Even though Cassell is considerably older and slower than he was then, he is still a good distributor who is used to working with KG and can provide some veteran leadership for young Rajon Rondo.
Speaking of Rondo...
He's still the starter, and has vastly improved his game throughout the season. Once a question mark last summer, Rondo has rounded into the extra cog the Celtics really needed to help drive their train of three superstars. He's averaging 10.6 points and team-highs of 5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He can help ignite the fast break, and has shown himself plenty competent to run with the Boston veterans.
Burning question
How much extra push does 38-year-old Sam Cassell actually bring to the Celtics?
-Scooter Hendon, Hoops Nerd
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