The Boston Celtics have returned home after a brief road trip to welcome the upstart Dallas Mavericks to TD Garden on Monday night.
The Mavericks aare 6-3 behind the talented duo of second-year point guard Luka Doncic and veteran center Kristaps Porzingis. Doncic, in particular, is having a tremendous season after winning the Rookie of the Year Award as a rookie.
The 20-year-old star is averaging a near triple-double with 27.7 points, 10.8 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game. The Celtics must execute well defensively against Doncic, not only because he's so talented, but the entire Mavs offense runs through him. He has the ball in his hands a lot, and making life tough for him will be of the utmost important. The Celtics have several players capable of being physical with Doncic and not letting him establish a rhythm as a scorer or playmaker. Two players who could be tasked with guarding Doncic are Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown.
Speaking of Brown, he's someone to watch while Gordon Hayward is out of the lineup after fracturing his left hand in Saturday night's win over the San Antonio Spurs. Brown scored a season-high 30 points Saturday and should see more opportunities offensively in Hayward's absence.
Will the Celtics remain unbeaten at home and improve their overall record to 8-1, or will the Mavs leave Boston with a statement win? Be sure to watch NBC Sports Boston for "Celtics Pregame Live" at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the game at 7:30 p.m. or stream it via the MyTeams app.
Latest injury update on Gordon Hayward's fractured left hand>>>
HOW TO WATCH
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On TV: NBC Sports Boston
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ANALYSIS AND REACTION
BEFORE THE GAME: At 7 p.m., Celtics Pregame Live presented by TD Bank gets you ready for the game with reports from Kyle Draper, Tommy Heinsohn, Mike Gorman, Brian Scalabrine, A. Sherrod Blakely, Chris Forsberg, and Abby Chin. Watch on NBC Sports Boston or click here for the live stream.
AT HALFTIME: Tune in to watch a breakdown of the first two quarters on Halftime Live presented by Ace Ticket. Watch on NBC Sports Boston or click here for the live stream.
AFTER THE GAME: As soon as the game ends, tune to Celtics Postgame Live presented by New England Ford for analysis, commentary and player reaction. Watch on NBC Sports Boston or click here for the live stream.
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