After the Celtics defeated the Mavericks 119 to 110 on Monday night, most of their opponents were in awe of the winnersโ performance as they improved their NBA-best 34-10 record this season. Even though Boston has enjoyed a stable roster throughout the years, Dallas star Kyrie Irving believes they are now stronger than ever with the trades they did during the summer.
Led many years by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the team feels even tighter after acquiring lethal center Kristaps Porzingis and one of the best defensive guards in the league, Jrue Holiday. After a couple of back-to-back campaigns contesting for the NBA title, many believe this might be the year the trophy returns to Massachusetts.
The Mavs veteran has played for many strong teams during his 12-year career, even winning the 2016 NBA championship alongside LeBron James, but heโs convinced that there are few rosters as balanced as the current Celtics team.
Celtics own Kyrie Irving#CurseOfLuckyTheLeprechaun pic.twitter.com/e2zKhWChCM
โ GreenRunsDeep (@CelticsGRD) January 23, 2024
โWe didnโt get to see their full team tonightย like we saw against Denver, but I have to give them credit, man,โ Kyrie said postgame. โThey have done incredibly well this season and finished last season pretty strong and making some changes, making some trades. And you can tell they found their chemistry. They found the guys that are going to get them over that hump.โ
Even though Irving ended the match with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists during 36 minutes of play, he revealed that heโd sprained his thumb during the match, which affected his aggression throughout the evening. Despite playing against the leagueโs top team, he felt Dallas had a real chance of beating the Boston.
โTonight, we went against an offensive juggernaut,โ the veteran claimed. โI feel like we held them to some pretty good percentages, just didnโt succeed in that second half where we had a chance to secure the lead or at least get closer than we were.โ
His co-star Luka Doncic pretty much shared his teammateโs views: โItโs not easy at all. Thatโs why I think theyโre number two or three in the NBA. I mean, itโs very tough. Thatโs why theyโre number one in the NBA. Theyโre very good in defense, and obviously, theyโre very good in offense. So itโs very tough to face them.โ
Star Jayson Tatum admits he feels incredibly โfortunateโ to play alongside Porzingis and Holiday
The Celtics made two bold moves last summer when they acquiredย Kristaps Porzingis, one of the leagueโs most versatile big men, and former Bucks starย Jrue Holiday. These two have relieved Tatum and Brown from most of their defensive duties and have concentrated on playmaking.
โTheyโve been great,โ Jayson said of the additions.โ Porziลฤฃis adds a different layer and something we havenโt had before as a low-post presence who can shoot from deep as tall as he is and protect the rim. He makes it really tough to guard. With Jrue, heโs a proven champion. Heโs been an All-Star a couple times. He can score. Heโs one of the best defenders this league has seen in a long time. Just a great teammate. Weโre very fortunate to have them.โ
While the next matchup between both teams is set for March 1, Kyrie is still convinced that they will beat the Boston team when they meet again. For him, playing against the Celtics is a great way to understand if the Mavericks are truly title-contending calibre.
โWho knows what will happen down the next few months, but I wish them well,โ Irving expressed. โAnd I know we see them in the next month or two. Iโm looking forward to it.โ
