Jayson Tatum scored 24 points, Derrick White added 23, including Boston’s first 11 of the third quarter, and the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 122-107 on Saturday night in the first meeting between the teams since the NBA Finals.

Tatum was coming off of playing 41 minutes in a tough loss to the Rockets on Monday night. However, he got the green light to play which comes as no surprise seeing as he’s been one of the more durable stars in the NBA this year, missing just three games thus far.

The Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics met in Dallas on Saturday for their first matchup since last season's NBA Finals. Dallas was missing many key pieces, including starters Luka Doncic and Dereck Lively II, while Boston was wrapping up a four-game road trip.

The Mavericks, as The Athletic reported earlier this month, have expressed interest in conversations with rival teams about acquiring an impact perimeter defender. Dallas, according to

Seven different Celtics had at least three assists, including Luke Kornet with FIVE. Daniel Gafford's name was thrown in trade rumors not even two weeks ago because of how poorly he'd been playing.

Jayson Tatum scored 24 points, Derrick White added 23, including Boston’s first 11 of the third quarter, and the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 122-107 on Saturday night in the first meeting between the teams since the NBA Finals.

The Celtics end their four-game road trip on a high note with a 122-107 win in a Finals rematch vs. a shorthanded Mavs team. Jayson Tatum: 24 points, 6 rebounds, Jaylen Brown: 22

Jayson Tatum scored 24 points ... Quentin Grimes added 20 off the bench and Daniel Gafford had 19 points and matched a season high with 15 rebounds for the Mavericks, who are 5-11 since superstar ...

Jalen Brunson had 30 points and 15 assists, OG Anunoby scored 23 points and the New York Knicks beat the Denver Nuggets, 122-112, on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) for their fifth straight victory. Karl-Anthony Towns had 14 points,

In a surprising turn of events, the Boston Celtics fell to the Houston Rockets 114-112 on Monday night, as Dillon Brooks lit up the court with a career-high 10 triples. The unexpected offensive explosion from Brooks shocked the Celtics,

For those unfamiliar with the All-Star starter selection process, fans make up 50% of the vote for two guards and three frontcourt players (forward or center) for the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. Current NBA players account for 25% and a media panel accounts for 25%. Players can vote for themselves, by the way.

The Dallas Mavericks are about to enter a challenging stretch of the season, and one underlying factor will make or break them moving forward.