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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 and Jaylen Brown chipped in 22 for the Celtics, who bounced back from an embarrassing 21-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
All five starters scored in double figures for the Celtics, who trailed by 10 in the first quarter but inexorably imposed their will against a Mavericks team still playing without injured star Luka Doncic. The Mavs have struggled since Doncic suffered a calf injury on Christmas Day and lost center Dereck Lively II to a broken ankle this week.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavs with 22 points, but sharpshooter Klay Thompson scored just six points on four attempts from the floor. Kristaps Porzings said it's the kind of performance the Celtics need as they try to find consistency in their title repeat bid. "We were a lion last season and some games this year, we've looked like a house cat," said Porzingis, who scored 18 points.
In Cleveland, the Rockets let a 19-point second-half lead evaporate but held on to beat the Cavaliers 135-131. Houston's second win in four days over the Eastern Conference leaders dropped the Cavs behind Western Conference pacesetters Oklahoma City for best record in the league.
Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green scored 26 points apiece and Amen Thompson posted a triple-double of 23 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for the Rockets, who took a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter only for the Cavaliers to tie it up with 1:51 left to play. A free-throw by Sengun restored the Rockets' lead and Thompson threw down a dunk off a rebound of a Sengun miss. Up by just one with less than a minute remaining Houston found a way to hold on. Darius Garland scored 39 points and Donovan Mitchell added 33 for Cleveland, but for the first time this season the Cavs dropped a third straight and fell to 36-9.
