Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki have a combined 28 years of NBA experience.
It all paid off on a Friday night at TD Garden in Boston, where the Mavericks beat the Celtics, the reigning Eastern conference champions 101-97. Trailing 97-96 with just seconds to go, Dirk Nowitzki passed the ball to Jason Kidd, who made sure his toes were behind the line as he set up for the 3-pointer that gave the Mavs their 99-97 lead. After a 20-second timeout called by the Celtics. Nowitzki, a career 87.6 percent free throw shooter, immediately took a hit from Kevin Garnett and went to the line. The free throws resulted in a two-possession contest that a Ray Allen 3 couldn’t save.
Allen netted three second half 3’s and needs six more long range shots to overtake Reggie Miller for the most 3’s made in a NBA career. Miller currently sits at 2,555 and needs to pass the 2,560 mark.
Another pair of Nowitzki free throws helped the Mavs to regain some confidence and head into the fourth quarter tied at 77. Both teams have track records of playing very well in the final quarter of close games. That’s why they are two of the top teams in the league. The Mavs outscored the storied Celtics 24-20, handing them a rare home defeat.
At the 5:36 mark of the third quarter on a jump shot, Jason Terry reached 15,000 career points. Tyson Chandler compiled 14 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double.
The Mavs toil with the Charlotte Bobcats, the only NBA squad they are yet to lose to, on Saturday.
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