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Dallas Mavericks (21-41)  at  Boston Celtics (41-21)
Friday, March 6, 2026
7:00 PM EST
Regular Season Game #63 Home Game #31
TV: ESPN, NBCSB, Mavs TV
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 91.7 FM, Sirius XM
TD Garden

In a rematch of the 2024 NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks visit the Boston Celtics. This is the second and final meeting between these two teams this season. Boston won the first game over the short-handed Mavericks in Dallas 110-100 on February 3.. The series was tied last season with each team winning on the road. The Celtics are 48-41 overall all time against Dallas and 27-17 in games played in Boston. The Mavs are playing on the 2nd night of back to back games and they are 5-5 so far in the 2nd games.

The Mavericks didn’t make many changes in the off season after making a big spash with the Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis trade a year ago. They signed D’Angelo Russell in the off season. They also won the draft lottery and chose Cooper Flagg with the first pick in the draft. They made a big trade at the deadline, sending Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to the Wizards for Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley II, and AJ Johnson. They also waived Tyus Jones in order to convert Ryan Nembhard from a 2-way contract to a standard contract.

The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 1.5 games ahead of 3rd place New York , 2.5 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 5.5 games ahead of 5th place Toronto, 7 games ahead of 6th place Philadelphia and 8 games ahead of 7th place Orlando. The Celtics are 14-7 against Western Conference opponents. They are 20-10 at home and 7-3 in their last 10 games. They are coming off their worst loss of the season in their last game.

The Mavericks are 12th in the West, 26.5 games behind 1st place OKC, 16.5 games behind the 6th place Lakers, 10 games behind 8th place Portland, and 2 games behind 11th place Memphis. They are 3 games ahead of 13th place New Orleans and 3.5 games ahead of 14th place Utah. They are 10-11 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 7-20 on the road and 2-8 in their last 10 games. They have lost their last 5 games.

After this game against Dallas at home, the Celtics head out on a tough 3 game road trip through Cleveland, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City. Then they host Washington, Phoenix and Golden State. Next, it is one game at Memphis before a 3 game home stand against Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Atlanta. Then it’s back on the road for a 4 game trip through Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami and Milwaukee.

This is the 3rd game of a 6 game road trip for Dallas that started with losses in Charlotte and Orlando and will go through Toronto, Atlanta and Memphis before going back home for one game against Cleveland. Then it’s back on the road for games at Cleveland and New Orleans before facing Atlanta, the Clippers, and Golden State at home.

For the first time this season, Jayson Tatum is listed as available and is expected to play just 10 months after surgery to repair his torn Achilles. I originally had Tatum coming off the bench but after reading many opinions on the subject, I’m guessing that he will start and play on a minutes restriction. Phantom255x on Celtics Strong boards mentioned that Tatum has started all 585 games he’s played in. That may be what tips the scale. I’m also guessing that he starts in place of Sam Hauser with the rest of the starting lineup staying the same. I usually guess wrong, so who knows. Jordan Walsh was a late add to the injury report with an illness. Both Tatum and Walsh will be a game time decision.

For Dallas, Kyrie Irving remains out as he rehabs from the ACL reconstruction surgery he underwent on March 26 of last year. Dereck Lively II is out after having season ending surgery on his right foot in December. Marvin Bagley III has missed the last 4 games due to a neck sprain and is questionable for this game. Brandon Williams missed Thursday’s game due to a left quadriceps contusion and is also listed as questionable.

Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Derrick White vs Max Christie

SG: Baylor Scheierman vs Cooper Flagg

SF: Jaylen Brown vs Khris Middleton

PF: Jayson Tatum vs PJ Washington

C: Neemias Queta vs Daniel Gafford

Celtics Reserves
Payton Pritchard
Hugo Gonzalez
Luka Garza
Amare Williams
Nikola Vucevic
Jordan Walsh
Sam Hauser

2-Way Players
Ron Harper, Jr
Max Shulga
John Tonje

Injuries/Out
Jayson Tatum (Achilles) available
Jordan Walsh (illness) questionable

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Mavericks Reserves
AJ Johnson
Naji Marshall
Calet Martin
Ryan Nembhard
Dwight Powell

2-Way Players
Moussa Cisse
John Poulakidas
Tyler Smith

Injuries/Out
Kyrie Irving (knee) out
Dereck Lively II (foot) out
Marvin Bagley II  (neck) questionable
Brandon Williams (quad) questionable

Head Coach
Jason Kidd

Key Matchups
Baylor Scheierman vs Cooper Flagg
Flagg returned to the Mavs on Thursday after missing 8 weeks due to a foot sprain. He is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 48.2% from the field and 30.2% from beyond the arc. In the first game against the Celtics he finished with 36 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals while shooting 50% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to do a better job of defending him in this game. We may see Jaylen Brown starting here if Tatum starts.

Jayson Tatum vs  PJ Washington
Washington is averaging 14.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists. 1.0 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.  He is shooting 44.7% from the field and 30.5% from beyond the arc.  He missed the first game against the Celtics.  He is coming off a game on Thursday where he finished with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block while playing 33 minutes. I originally thought that Tatum would come off the bench but after seeing many opinions on the fact, I’ve included him in the starting lineup.

Honorable Mention
Jaylen Brown vs Khris Middleton
Middleton was traded from Washington at the trade deadline.  He is averaging 10.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.  He  is shooting 43.4% from the field and 32.5% from beyond the arc.  Middleton wasn’t with the Mavs for the first game against the Celtics.   However, Middleton has always been a Celtics killer no matter what team he is on or how he plays against other teams. 

Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is always the number one key to winning games. There is no truer statement than “Defense wins Championships.”  The Mavs have an offensive rating of 109.9 (26th) while the Celtics have an offensive rating of 119.9 (2nd).   The Mavs are 16th with a defensive rating of 113.9 while the Celtics are tied for 6th with a defensive rating of 111.9.  When the Celtics struggle on offense, as they have in some recent games,  they have to be able to stop the other team from scoring.   The Celtics especially need to defend the paint as the Mavericks average 53.7 points in the paint per game (4th).  The Celtics need to play much better than they did against the Hornets if they want to win this game.

Rebound – Second to defense, rebounding is the key to winning. One of the few times I have agreed with Pat Riley was when he said “No rebounds, no rings.”   The Celtics are averaging 46.2 rebounds per game (6th) while the Mavs are averaging 44.6 rebounds per game (11th).  The Celtics need to put out extra effort on the boards to keep the Mavs from getting extra possessions and second chance points and to give the same to themselves.

Don’t Underestimate – Once again, the Celtics are facing a team that is under .500 and missing key players.  It would be easy for the Celtics to underestimate the Mavericks and expect an easy win against them. If the Celtics don’t play with effort and focus, any team can beat them.  The Celtics have to come out strong from the start and play hard right up until the final buzzer. The Mavs are very capable of beating them if they don’t play their best.

Be Aggressive – The Celtics must be the more aggressive team. They have to be more aggressive in going to the basket, in diving for loose balls, and on defense. They have to aggressively crash the boards. They have to be the team that wants to win the game more. In most of their losses, including Wednesday’s loss to the Hornets,  they have allowed their opponents to play harder and be more aggressive.  They absolutely can’t let the Mavericks play harder than them if they want to win this game.

X-Factors
At Home –  The Mavericks will be on the road and playing on the second night of back to back games. They will have the distractions of travel and playing in front of a mostly hostile crowd,although I expect a lot of cheers for hometown Cooper Flagg.  The Celtics need to get motivation from the home crowd and defend their home court with energy and effort.

The Tatum Factor – With Jayson Tatum expected to make his season debut in this game, the Celtics have to be excited and hopefully that will give them a boost.  Whether he comes off the bench or starts, he is likely to be rusty and there will be some growing pains as he gets used to playing and the team gets used to having him back. 

Officiating – The officiating can always be an x-factor.  Every crew calls the game a little differently and teams need to adjust to how the game is being called.  Will they call the game tight or will they let them play?  The Celtics can’t let the officiating take away their focus and they have to adjust to the way the refs are calling it.  The Celtics need to play hard and build a lead and not allow the refs to take the game away on some bad calls at the end.

MIAMI (AP) — Dallas Wings star Arike Ogunbowale was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery after police say she punched a man in the face at a Miami nightclub.

A four-time WNBA All-Star, Ogunbowale was celebrating early Thursday at the club E11EVEN after winning the Unrivaled championship with the Mist that night. According to Miami-Dade County police records, Ogunbowale punched the man in the face, knocking him to the ground, and security cameras captured the act.

The county corrections department said Ogunbowale has been released from custody.

“The league is aware of an incident involving Arike Ogunbowale and we are in the process of gathering additional information,” Unrivaled spokesperson Tish Carmona said. “We’re in contact with Arike and her representatives.”

The Wings said they were aware of her arrest and “are in the process of gathering more information. Further comments will be provided once we have more details.”

The Associated Press left message seeking comment with Excel Management, which represents Ogunbowale.

Ogunbowale scored 19 points in the title game Wednesday night against the Phantom.

___

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Michael Finley is adamant he’s not a member of the fun police.

Nearly two years after the Mavericks executive was caught on video ripping a celebratory beer away from Luka Doncic following Dallas’ Western Conference Finals victory over the Timberwolves, Finley revealed he was absolutely not attempting to throw a wet blanket on his star’s party.

Luka Doncic and his father, Sasa, after the Dallas Mavericks clinched a spot in the NBA Finals. pic.twitter.com/fbqhft2G6B

— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) May 31, 2024

Finley insisted to 105.3 The Fan on Thursday that he was actually just temporarily holding the beverage for Doncic so the Mavericks’ social media team could snap some photos of the guard following the big May 2024 win.

“This is the God’s honest truth about the beer situation with our former player,” Finley said. “So after the game in Minnesota, we win the Western Conference championship, we’re on our way to the Finals. I leave the court. I see No. 77 standing over there having a beer, and I say, ‘Congratulations, young fella. You definitely deserve that beer.’

“And he’s like, ‘Thanks, Fin. Thanks.’

“I leave him, I go in the locker room, I celebrate with the rest of the team. We’re having a great time. Champagne’s being popped, pictures are being taken, and we’re having a jolly old time.”

During his visit with @OThankKevin and @inthemageors, #Mavs co-interim GM Michael Finley addressed the viral video of him taking a beer from Luka Doncic after Dallas won the Western Conference Finals:

"I'm glad you asked that question. This is the God's honest truth…" pic.twitter.com/qLyezb7qRz

— 105.3 The FAN (@1053thefan) March 5, 2026

Finley, though, said when he briefly left the locker room, he noticed some of Dallas’ photographers were “frozen” and staring at Doncic — who was traded to the Lakers only a few months after the incident.

“I’m like, ‘What’s going on, guys? What’s wrong?’” he said. “They said, ‘We want to take a picture of Luka and his dad.’ And I said, ‘Well take the picture. What are you — you guys are great at it. Take the picture.’

“They said, ‘But Luka’s holding a beer. He’s drinking a beer.’”

So Finley said he went to grab the cold one so the Mavs could get some content.

“When you watch the video,” Finley explained, “I go, I take the beer, I hug Luka again, and that’s why Luka looked like, ‘Man, what are you doing? We just talked about this and you said it was cool.’

“I take the beer, he looks at me in an odd way, they take the picture, two minutes later he comes back and I give him the beer and we continue to celebrate our win.”

Finley, a 15-year NBA veteran who’s now the Mavericks’ co-interim general manager, went on to say that as a former player, he wanted Doncic to enjoy every minute of that victory.

“I’ve been there, I’ve done that and I don’t take it for granted,” he said. “And when a guy like Luka, and what he had done for the team that season, that series, he deserved a chance to celebrate.”

“And,” Finley continued, “I gave the beer back. We celebrated in the locker room. We had a great night. Great trip and went on to the Finals. And yeah, that’s the story. That’s the whole truth and nothing but the truth, as they say.”

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DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Hannah Hidalgo scored 25 points, Iyana Moore added 20 points, nine rebounds and three steals, and No. 5 seed Notre Dame beat fourth-seeded N.C. State 81-63 on Friday in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.

Notre Dame (22-9), which has won seven in a row and nine of 10, plays top-seeded Duke in the semifinals Saturday.

Hildalgo, who also had five rebounds and five assists, has scored at least 25 points in six consecutive games. She made 12 of 20 field goals.

Cassandre Prosper scored 13 points for the Irish.

N.C. State (20-10) had its three-game win streak snapped. Khamil Pierre had 17 points and 14 rebounds — her 21st double-double this season — for the Wolfpack. Murray State's Sharnecce Currie-Jelks leads the nation with 23 double-doubles.

Moore hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring 48 seconds into the game and Notre Dame led the rest of the way. Moore (17) and Hidalgo (16) combined for 33 first-half points on 13-of-24 (54%) shooting — while the rest of the team made just 2 of 10 from the field — as the Irish took a 40-32 lead into the intermission.

Hildalgo converted a three-point play 38 seconds into the third quarter that pushed the lead into double figures for good and sparked a 16-1 run. Prosper, who was scoreless in the first half, scored 11 points in the spurt that gave the Irish a 56-33 lead.

Zamareya Jones had 14 points, Qadence Samuels scored 12 and Zoe Brooks 10 for N.C. State.

Up next

N.C. State: Awaits a likely NCAA Tournament invitation.

Notre Dame: Plays No. 13 Duke, which beat the Irish 82-68 on Jan. 4. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

“Thereby was wrought the Hydra, many-necked, flickering its dread tongues. Of its fearful heads some severed lay on earth, but many more were budding from its necks…”

– Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy (4th Century A.D.)

It’s not often that a basketball game makes me think of (or reference) a mythical creature.

I had to double-check, because after 8 years of writing here, my articles have run the gamut as far as subject matter is concerned, but I have somehow managed in all that time to avoid referencing a single primordial cryptid, folkloric being, or otherwise fantastical beasties.

It’s honestly a bit of a shock. Perhaps even an accomplishment at this point, having regaled (and annoyed) so many with the outlines of various historical battles, obscure pop culture references, philosophical and grammatical meanderings, geopolitical analysis, astronomical phenomena, the minutiae of antiquated technologies (and one very odd article about bugs bouncing off of windshields) to find that I’ve yet to have used up my quota for mythological entities.

Not as much of a shock, though, to have spent an evening watching what the Spurs have mutated into over the course of a season, in the face of stiff competition.

The Detroit Pistons are a very good team. To leave it at that feels like a gross understatement. While I didn’t write the preview for that game, I feel duty-bound to point out that not only are the Pistons leading the Eastern Conference, but they have both a higher Net Rating and Defensive Rating than the Spurs do.

Against this version of the Spurs, it just did not matter. At all.

The Spurs were inconsistent on defense in the 2nd and 3rd quarters? Didn’t matter.

Stephon Castle lived inside of Cade Cunningham’s jersey like a toothpick fish inside a urethra. Wemby seemed to block players by just looking in their direction. Devin Vassell floated from defensive rotation to defensive rotation and engulfed his match-ups like the smoke from a dockworker’s Marlboro Red.

The Pistons tried to shut down San Antonio’s outside shooting, keying on Champanige, and Vassell, and even the slumping (25% from three over the last ten games) Keldon Johnson? Didn’t matter.

De’Aaron Fox and Wemby took the opportunity to detonate from inside (and just about everywhere else), and Champagnie and Vassell broke loose in the 4th quarter anyway while Castle flung passes from corner-to-corner with the focus of a professional darts player who just chugged a pint of Ritalin.

It wasn’t even that the Pistons were playing badly. They just couldn’t keep up with the heads of the Grecian monster before them. They even tried to muck things up a bit in 3rd quarter, testing whether the Spurs would cave to their particular brand of physicality. It did not matter.

For every head that the Pistons lopped off, another two grew back. If you were a Pistons fan, it was demoralizing. If you were a Spurs fan, it was mesmerizing.

At the 3/4 mark of the season, these young Spurs are starting to intuitively adapt to in-game adversity. Maybe it’s because they spent so much of the first half of the season having to operate at less than full strength. Maybe each starter (and some of the bench players) having to carry the load at one point or another has transformed them into a largely unsolvable conundrum, each head as deadly and regenerative as the next.

Maybe San Antonio’s front office, not unlike the Greek Goddess Hera, has finally created the perfect foil for the would-be demigods just north of the Red River.

Maybe. I’m still not sure. The postseason is a whole other organism. But there can be no question that the Spurs have reached a whole new level of play over the last five weeks, and barring a few bumps here and there, there are just not many teams that can take on the swarming behemoth of heads, and arms, and legs.

Chances are, there’s at least one Herculean opponent out there to test this silver and black monstrosity.

I am beginning to wonder, though. The Warriors and Suns were able to trouble the Spurs earlier in the season, but that was a different version of this team, and they haven’t had as much trouble with them since.

The Pistons actually took down the Thunder themselves just a week ago, but the Spurs are starting to look like a rough match-up for them due to the defensive abilities of San Antonio’s guard rotation. The Thunder are 1-4 against the Spurs, and several of those games featured the Thunder at full strength (and the Spurs, not so much).

The Rockets are still quietly lurking, but they haven’t looked the same since they lost Steven Adams for the season. The Nuggets seem unable to reach a place of full strength/health, and while the Knicks have been a bad match-up for the Spurs, they’re still the Knicks until further notice.

That really just leaves the Cavaliers (who dusted San Antonio twice during a wave of injuries), the Timberwolves, and the no-longer-Tatum-less Boston Celtics. Only one of those teams will be contending in the West.

Dimly, in the distance, a path begins to take shape. It’s going to take some luck (as it always does), but I’m starting to see an aisle carving its way through the postseason clutter.

One thing that’s often forgotten about the tale of the Hydra, is that it reigned uncontested until the arrival of Hercules. There simply wasn’t anyone else capable of contending with the creature. The toxicity of its breath was enough to take out most of the opposition.

Imagine the mighty Herc had gone down with an untimely injury. That might have changed everything.

Takeaways

• I’d like to revisit Stephon Castle for a minute, because, good lord, that man has been putting in work on the defensive end! Castle’s been fantastic on that end all year, but he seems to take it up a notch against the best teams and ball-handlers. Fun fact: Cade Cunningham has gone 15-52 shooting against the Spurs this season. Even more fun fact: The Spurs are now 7-1 against the top other 3 teams in the NBA (by record). Those things are not unrelated. While Wemby is responsible for the black hole that the post is for most teams facing the Spurs, Castle has consistently shown the ability to flat-out erase perimeter superstars at a level I haven’t seen since the-nephew-who-must-not-be-named. It’s absolutely nuts that I don’t feel like the comparison is a bridge too far, but I can’t deny what my eyes are seeing. The number of picks that teams set against Castle whenever he’s on the court is noticeable, and still they’re having to pry the dude off with a crowbar. Cunningham looked frustrated and demoralized by the middle of the fourth. And exhausted. I’ve been referring to getting locked down by Castle as being ‘put in the dungeon’ for a few weeks now, but I’m thinking about upgrading it to ‘the pit of despair’, and I honestly think there are more than a few NBA guards who would agree. If Castle doesn’t make 1st team All-Defense, I say we burn the whole thing down!
• I’m starting to get a little worried about Keldon Johnson. Sure, his scoring wasn’t as needed on a night when Wemby and Fox both went off at the same time, but he got a little banged up over the last month, and his shooting has fallen off of a cliff. He’s shooting 45% from the field over the last 10 games, and his True Shooting and Effective Field Goal percentages have both dropped by 50+ points after spending most of the season flirting with Kevin Durant levels of efficiency. Hopefully it’s just the result of him pacing himself after inuring his left shoulder, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye. Thankfully this hydra has many heads, but they’ll still need someone to bring the scoring (and energy) off the bench, and Keldon’s been vital in that way all year.
• Luke Kornet only got 8 minutes last night on account of Wemby going thermonuclear, and not a peep was (or will be) heard about it, because that dude is clearly all about the team. Even when he’s not playing, he’s clearly engaged on the sidelines, encouraging his teammates and applauding like he’s an end of the bench big man. I don’t know if this team’s going to really get a shot at the title this season, but if they do, a big part of it will have been the mentality that Kornet and others contribute to. My head still isn’t sure, but my heart says that the vibes are immaculate, and that’s not nothing.
• It should be noted that the Spurs took down the Pistons minus one head of the hydra in Harrison Barnes. I know there are those who have mixed feelings about the dude (and the immensely relatable middle-aged hilarity of injuring oneself in one’s sleep probably doesn’t help), but if there’s one thing the talking heads have been right about when it comes to the Spurs, it’s that they’re on the smaller side, and it’s noticeable without Barnes. I have a feeling he’s going to be incredibly critical when it comes to postseason match-ups, so I hope that hydra head regenerates quickly. Especially since the Spurs face the Celtics (and possibly Jayson Tatum) on Tuesday, and Tatum is a perfect player to exploit that weakness at Power Forward. Still, how good are the Spurs that they didn’t even need him against the #1 team in the East?!

Playing You Out – The Theme Song of the Evening:

Hydra by Toto