After a back and forth first half, the Celtics come away with the lead, 48-43. Both teams looked a bit sluggish at some points, but the Celtics started the second quarter on an 8-0 run that helped pad their lead.
Here are some thoughts:
* Paul Pierce is had himself a half. The captain led the Celtics in scoring with 16 points on an efficient 6-of-9 from the floor. He also has 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals.
* Kevin Garnett got off to a hot start in the first quarter. He had 6 points on 3-of-3 from the floor. However, he missed the only two shots he took in the second quarter. The Celtics need to get him more involved.
* The Mavericks shot 58% in the first quarter. The teams seemed to trade buckets in that first quarter, and neither team got any breathing room from the other. Although Dallas' field-goal percentage is still high (48%), the Celtics managed to cut it by 10 percentage points.
* The lineup of Kevin Garnett, Jeff Green, Jason Terry, Jared Sullinger, and Courtney Lee is a lineup the Celtics need to use more often. As I mentioned in my halftime thoughts from Friday, they did a tremendous job stopping the Sixers in the second quarter. Tonight, this group started the second quarter and played until the 7:43 mark. During that span, the Celtics went on an 8-0 run. They did not give up a single point. Not one. I strongly think this group needs to play together on a more consistent basis.
* The Mavericks didn't score until the 7:11 mark in the second when Vince Carter connected on a three-pointer.
* O.J. Mayo, where you at? Mayo only has 6 points on 3-of-4 from the field. More importantly, the Celtics have done a tremendous job of taking away any looks from beyond the arc for the best three-point shooter in the game. He has not taken a single shot from three-point land. Hopefully, the Celtics can keep that up.
* 8 shots in 9 minutes for Jeff Green. It seems like aggressive is the key word with Green, and it appears to be just that tonight. He has 7 points and 4 rebounds.
* One aspect of the game that has given the Celtics problems of late has been turnovers. After turning the ball over on numerous occasions in their two-game set with Philadelphia, the Celtics are winning that battle right now. They only have 4 turnovers to Dallas' 11.
* When it comes to points off turnovers, the Celtics are outscoring the Mavs, 14-7.
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