Mavericks GameDay: Jae Crowder returns to Dallas for Celtics
Celtics at Mavericks
7:30 p.m. Monday, American Airlines Center, Dallas
Records: Celtics 22-19, Mavs 23-18
TV: FSSW Radio: ESPN/103.3 FM, ESPN/1540 AM (Spanish)
About the Celtics: If the playoffs started today, the Celtics would be the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. ... The Celtics are a plus-3.3 in point differential, third-best in the East. ... At 11-9, Boston has the fourth-best road record in the East. ... This is the Celtics’ first game in Dallas since they traded Rajon Rondo and Dwight Powell to the Mavs on Dec. 18, 2014, for Jae Crowder and Brandan Wright. ... Crowder’s layup with 3.9 seconds left lifted the Celtics to their third straight win, 119-117 over Washington on Saturday. ... Isaiah Thomas leads Boston with 21.8 points and 6.6 assists per game, Crowder averages 14.6 points , and Avery Bradley is averaging 14.3 points. Flower Mound Marcus graduate Marcus Smart averages 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds.
About the Mavericks: Beginning a three-game homestand, Dallas is 6-4 on the back end of a back-to-back. ... The Mavs rallied from 18 points down to defeat the Celtics in Boston 106-102 on Nov. 18. Dirk Nowitzki had 23 points and seven rebounds. ... The Mavs are 18th in the NBA in scoring (100.9 points per game) and tied for 14th in points allowed (100.6). Dallas is 10th in free throw shooting (78.4 percent), 19th in field goal shooting (44.1) and tied for 19th in 3-point shooting (34.0). ... Cleveland, Toronto, New Orleans and the Los Angeles Lakers are the only teams who have played fewer home games than the 18 the Mavs (11-7) have played.
This story was originally published January 17, 2016 at 6:43 PM with the headline "Mavericks GameDay: Jae Crowder returns to Dallas for Celtics."