No Luka Doncic for the 16th straight game. Dereck Lively II in a giant walking boot. Reigning Western Conference champion Mavericks wobbling in play-in territory. In those and other vivid ways, much had changed in the 222 days since Dallas and Boston last met,

As well as Kyrie Irving has played, the hobbled Mavericks have been a bottom-seven offense over the past month, minus Luka Dončić.

The Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics met in Dallas on Saturday for their first matchup since last season's NBA Finals. Dallas was missing many key pieces, including starters Luka Doncic and Dereck Lively II, while Boston was wrapping up a four-game road trip.

The NBA champion Boston Celtics dominated the Dallas Mavericks in a Finals rematch on Saturday as the Houston Rockets took the Cleveland Cavaliers down a peg and Victor Wembanyama ended a "priceless" week in Paris with a defeat.

Jayson Tatum scored 24 points, Derrick White added 23, including Boston’s first 11 of the third quarter, and the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 122-107 on Saturday night in the first meeting between the teams since the NBA Finals.

On Saturday night, the Boston Celtics crushed the Dallas Mavericks (in Texas) by a score of 122-107. Jayson Tatum finished with 24 points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal while shooting 8/22 from the field and 4/12 from the three-point range in 35 mintues of playing time.