Celtics (44-24) at Mavericks (46-22)
Game time: 9pm, American Airlines Arena, Dallas. TV - CSN. Radio - WEEI-AM (850)
Team Leaders
Scoring
Bos: Pierce - 17.9 Mavs: Dirk Nowitzki - 25.0
Rebounding
Bos: Perkins - 7.7
Mavs: Erik Dampier - 8.1
Assists
Bos: Rondo - 9.7 Mavs: Jason Kidd - 9.3
Who'll go off: Ray Allen. He's shooting a torrid 58% from the field (including 3) over the past 5 games. The much bigger Caron Butler might have difficulty chasing Ray around screens.
Who needs to be stopped: Dirk Nowitzki. He torched the Celtics for 37 points in the Mavs 99-90 win in Boston on Jan. 18. Kevin Garnett did not play in the game.
The C's will lose if... They don't replicate the hard-nose defensive effort we saw last night in Houston. It clearly won't be easy. The Mavs can score and they are well rested (last played Wed. night at home).
Miscellany: Rasheed Wallace was fined $35,000 for saying the referees "don't like no tough defense on" Nowitzki. He also said, "There will be retribution." The Mavericks only loss in the last 15 games was a 128-94 blowout at the hands of the Knicks. Jason Terry is playing in his 2nd game since having facial surgery to repair a fractured bone.
Prediction: Celtics 102 - Mavs 100
After the jump, former Mavericks dancer and runner-up in last year's Dancer Madness competition - Jessica.