Jaylen Brown didn’t just lead the Celtics to a win; he controlled the entire pace of the game. From the opening tip, Boston played with force and confidence, leaning on Brown’s power drives, transition bursts, and timely shot-making to keep Dallas chasing. Even when the Mavericks made mini-runs, the Celtics never looked rattled, answering with ball movement and defensive activity that turned stops into easy points.
Boston didn’t shoot lights out from deep, but they dominated the hustle areas, second chances, interior finishes, and physical defense. Brown set the emotional tone, Derrick White kept the offense organized, and the bench added just enough punch to keep the pressure on. This was a professional, grind-it-out win powered by a superstar performance.
Jaylen Brown: A+
Stat line: 33 PTS, 11 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 15-29 FG, 2-5 3PT, 1-2 FT, 37 MIN
This was a performance where Brown carried a team with a contender’s quality. Brown, on his own, was able to identify and break down all of the defensive matchups, overcome contact through the lane, and was able to score or set his teammates up with shots when the offense needed a reset. Dallas did not have one defender who could match his strength and quick first step.
Rebounding is key in the stat line. Brown finished defensive possessions, pushed the pace, and limited Dallas second chance opportunities. When he blends that level of control and force, he looks like an MVP-level player.
Payton Pritchard: A+
Stat line: 26 PTS, 7 AST, 4 REB, 2 TOV, 12-20 FG, 2-8 3PT, 35 MIN
Payton Pritchard played with fearless confidence, attacking gaps and pushing the pace whenever Dallas’ defense got scrambled. He mixed in floaters, pull-ups, and drives to keep defenders guessing, and his seven assists showed great balance between scoring and playmaking.
Even when the three-ball wasn’t automatic, he stayed aggressive and made Dallas pay in other areas. This was microwave scoring blended with real floor-general composure.
Luka Garza: A-
Stat line: 16 PTS, 4 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 6-8 FG, 4-4 3PT, 20 MIN
Garza brought instant offense off the bench. He scored quickly and impacted the energy off the Dallas bench. He was forced to step out after Garza made all four of his threes, which opened cutting and driving lanes for the other players.
He made some good plays on the defensive end and battled hard on the boards, and that is always the tipping point for him. When Garza is scoring and defending well, he turns into a real threat.
Neemias Queta: B+
Stat line: 8 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 4-6 FG, 28 MIN
Queta brought physicality to the paint and made life difficult for Dallas finishers. He controlled space defensively, contested shots without a foul, and crashed the boards. Just his presence helped Dallas settle for shots other than layups.
He stayed in his role on offense and didn’t try to do too much. The three assists show nice decision-making out of short rolls and post touches. Overall, Queta had a steady performance and executed his role well.
Sam Hauser: B
Stat line: 11 PTS, 6 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 4-8 FG, 3-7 3PT, 26 MIN
Hauser gave Boston exactly what they needed from a floor spacer who can also hold his own defensively. His three triples stretched Dallas’ help defense and opened driving lanes for Brown and White. He didn’t force anything – just clean, in-rhythm shots within the flow of the offense.
What stood out most was his activity away from the ball. Six rebounds and a pair of defensive plays show he wasn’t just parked in the corner waiting to shoot. When Hauser brings this kind of all-around effort, he’s more than a specialist; he’s a winning-role-player glue guy.
Derrick White: B
Stat line: 11 PTS, 8 AST, 2 REB, 3 TOV, 4-13 FG, 1-8 3PT, 2-2 FT, 38 MIN
White kept pushing the offense even though his shots weren’t falling. He got the Celtics some good shots and helped his teammates get good shots by being aggressive with playmaking and with controlling the tempo. Eight assists don’t show the whole story of how well he orchestrated the offense.
He was a pest defensively at the point of attack and had good rotations on the back line. Even though he had an inefficient shooting night, White impacted winning basketball the most.
Baylor Scheierman: B-
Stat line: 3 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1-5 FG, 1-3 3PT, 28 MIN
Scheierman had a quiet three points, but he also filled in the gaps and contributed to the game in other ways. He made a couple of sharp passes, played good defense, and grabbed a perimeter rebound.
He showed some good shot selection and stayed within the rhythm of the game by not forcing any shots. Even though he had an off shooting night, he did not let it bring him down and made a positive contribution.
Hugo Gonzalez: C+
Stat line: 2 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1-6 FG, 0-3 3PT, 0-1 FT, 17 MIN
Gonzalez remains engaged, and this helps show in his six rebounds and some other aspects he contributed to on defense. He had some good instincts and activity around the ball, which helped contribute to the team’s win.
If his shot starts falling, these minutes look much better. For now, he’s a team player and contributing through hustle, which is important.
Jordan Walsh: C
Stat line: 0-1 FG, 0-1 3PT, 11 MIN
Walsh played a very limited role, concentrating more on doing his job defensively. He played within himself on offense, working within the flow of the offense, but he also did not get a lot of opportunities to contribute on the stat sheet.
His energy and defense were positive contributions, even though he played limited minutes. Not a harmful outing, but also nothing to write home about.
