The Celtics managed to secure a win at home, but it wasn't an easy game.

Luka Dončić seemed poised to deliver one of those legendary performances where an injured player scores 48 points and leads their team to a road victory.

The Mavericks fought back after almost being knocked out in the fourth quarter.

However, the Celtics have many players who can make a difference.

Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, and Jaylen Brown form a formidable trio.

Kristaps Porzingis, who appeared to pick up another injury late in the game, is a reliable player off the bench.

Additionally, any random player can step up at any time – like Payton Pritchard, whose single contribution to this game was a three-second play where he took an inbound pass, raced up the court, and hit a shot from the NBA Finals logo, regaining momentum after a Dallas run.

Dončić has Kyrie Irving, one of the best players of the past 15 years, playing alongside him.

But it feels like he has to do it all himself against one of the most formidable teams in the NBA in a long time.

What a game by Jrue Holiday.

The former UCLA player scored 26 points on 11-for-14 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers, along with 11 rebounds and a highlight reel of stellar defensive plays.

'They were double-teaming him, but he was making the right plays.

I don't know if he had a triple-double.

.

.

(looks up).

.

.

almost.

Nine rebounds.

' Dončić missed an out-of-control 3-pointer after the timeout, and Holiday got his 10th rebound to go with his 26 points.

The Mavericks couldn't catch the Celtics as they played keep-away, and they eventually pulled back, essentially conceding the game.

Jones blocked a Tatum drive.

Then White got a huge block on Washington at the other end to keep it a two-possession game.

Both teams misfired coming out of the timeout, but then it was the man of the hour – Jrue Holiday, hitting from long range in transition to get the Celtics to 100.

Then he snagged a rebound on a Tatum miss and dished to White for another 3.

Another Dončić miss – he hasn't found his range since his first-quarter explosion – and Tatum got his eighth rebound.

Two more for a triple-double.

But Dallas came back with Irving hitting a layup while Porzingis limped.

Brown missed, and Irving found Gafford for the alley-oop dunk.

Derrick White hit a long 3 with 1 second left on the shot clock.

How big is that? Or the Pritchard shot at the end of the quarter? TV commentator JJ Redick (yes, another Duke person) responded to the marveling at the Celtics' long, tough 3-pointers: 'Well, they've missed about 15 open ones.

' True.

Tatum hit two free throws despite the home crowd still voicing its displeasure with the existence of Kyrie Irving.

Tatum traveled, Dončić missed, Tatum missed, Dončić turned it over, and Tatum handed off to Brown for the slam.

That's 11 assists for Tatum, compensating for a wayward outside shot tonight.

The Celtics' regained shooting touch does not extend to Sam Hauser.

He's 0-for-4, and then he committed a shooting foul at the other end.

Washington hit both free throws.

Tatum missed a 3 quite badly, but Brown got the rebound.

Hauser missed again.

Eek.

At least that was closer.

Last five seconds of the quarter, and it's a rare mistake from Holiday, fouling Irving.

He hit both, and the Mavs were back in it.

.

.

Payton Pritchard took the inbound pass, dribbled quickly upcourt, and banked in a 3-pointer from the Finals logo.

In case you needed reminding – the Dallas superstar is NOT at full strength for this game and was questionable at one point.

He hit one of two free throws to pull within 10.

Good defensive sequence from Boston forced a rushed 3-pointer.

But Boston still can't hit from outside, with Porzingis missing this time.

The Celtics' defense came through again, though, with a steal and a breakaway dunk for Holiday.

That's 21 points for the husband of a soccer Hall of Famer.

Tatum got tied up inside, but guess who's running through the lane? It's Holiday again, and the Celtics led by 12.

Jones missed a wild 3, and Lively couldn't keep the ball in play.

Brown slashed through the defense, faked, then put in the short bank shot.

Dončić is approaching triple-double territory, with 6 rebounds and 7 assists to go with his 25 points.

Each team missed, then Dončić picked up another assist.

Really? He passed to Washington, who dribbled about 15 feet before shooting.

Tatum drove hard at the other end, got clobbered, and still put in a tough shot.

He missed the free throw, ending the Celtics' magical run at the line after 15 straight shots.

Tatum dished to White in the corner.

It's good.

Tatum has more assists (9) than points (8), which is good and bad, depending on your 'half-full' outlook.

Washington was called for a 'transition take foul,' basically a rule that punishes defensive teams for fouling to stop a breakaway.

Tatum hit the free throw.

Gafford scored inside, Boston turned it over, and Dončić fed Washington to put Dallas on top again.

Then an important hustle play for Boston.

Tatum drove and dished out to White, who missed badly, but Holiday snagged the rebound and quickly handed off to Tatum, who scored and drew Irving's third foul.

The Celtics finally missed a free throw.

Or not! A lane violation was called, Brown got another shot, and they were 13-for-13.

Dončić ended the half with a block on Tatum.

He's winning the scoring contest between the two megastars.

Boston's winning the game.

If you had heard before the game that Luka Dončić would have 20 points to Jayson Tatum's 2, and that Boston would be 2-of-14 from 3-point range, would you think the Celtics would be tied right now? The one place Dončić can't score tonight is at the free throw line.

He missed a technical shot after a defensive 3-seconds call.

Great layup by Holiday, but Jones scored at the other end.

Tatum tried to corral a loose ball but ended up somehow committing a shooting foul.

Then we have.

.

.

an offensive foul! They DO exist in the NBA! Of course, they called it on a rookie – Lively, for doing some NFL-style blocking.

Daniel Gafford missed two Dallas free throws after what seemed like a dubious call against Brown but looked correct on replay.

But Irving drove and hit a tough runner, White missed yet another 3-pointer for Boston, and Irving hit another close-range shot.

That's with 5 seconds left.

So the Celtics were only down one after the first quarter? Nope.

They fouled Josh Green on a 3-point attempt.

Green missed the first but made the next two.

Kyrie Irving tried to shove Jaylen Brown into Rhode Island – again, in the, that's perfectly legal – but Brown stuck to him and forced a turnover.

Dončić tried to get space against Jrue Holiday.

He banged into the Boston defender, then drew a foul.

Again, I'll lament the fact that they reward offensive players for engaging in sumo.

Unbelievable from Dončić, who has been banged up every which way possible but hit a long 3-pointer while bouncing on one foot and favoring the other.

Boston has missed all seven 3-point attempts.

Tatum, who has been driving and dishing to misfiring teammates, got a break, replaced by Horford.

Dončić drew a foul on Tatum, who has an assist but has been held scoreless.

The Dallas star then missed both free throws, with the second one looking especially ugly.

Boston's Sam Hauser missed a 3 from Caitlin Clark range.

Dončić followed with a Caitlin Clark turnover.

(That's why she's not on the Olympic team – we can debate that at halftime if you like.

) As expected (by me, at least, not by the TV crew), the replay upheld the call of a foul on P.

J.

Washington, and Dallas lost a timeout.

I have just noticed that the Celtics are wearing strips of black with the name 'WALTON' in honor of the recently deceased Bill Walton, one of the best and most colorful players the game has ever seen.

Irving fouled Tatum.

Duke fans aren't sure how to feel about that.

Looks like a shooting foul, but instead, it's just possession to the Celtics.

Porzingis drew a foul, and NOW they'll go to the line.

He made both.

It's a one-point game.

(Seriously – depends on what you subscribe to.

The ESPN app is your best bet if you're in the USA.

Or your streaming provider if it gets ABC.

) I used the word 'nice' twice in the last entry.

It's pretty here where I live.

But it probably doesn't seem that nice in Boston right now, where Horford has launched an airball from the corner.

Dallas is challenging a foul called against P.

J.

Washington.

He got ball but also got a lot of the hand.

This should be upheld after these commercial messages.

Give the old guy an easy one! After a scramble for a rebound, Jayson Tatum came up with it and flipped it forward to Al Horford, who was standing alone under the basket for the dunk.

Tatum combined nicely with Jrue