The Boston Celtics may get a break on Wednesday night, as the Dallas Mavericks could be without superstar Luka Doncic. He suffered an ankle sprain on Saturday and he may not play in this game on Wednesday night on ESPN. The Celtics also have a nice advantage in terms of rest, as they have not played since last Thursday, while the Mavericks were in Milwaukee on Monday. Let’s look at the matchup for Wednesday and NBA picks.
This NBA regular season game between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks will be held at American Airlines Center in Dallas Texas, at 9:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 18, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
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The Celtics and Mavericks have similar records, as the Celtics are 17-7, while the Mavericks were 17-8 heading into Monday’s game at Milwaukee. The Celtics are 7-6 on the road, while the Mavericks are 8-6 at home. The advantage on Wednesday could be with Boston simply because of Doncic’s injury. X-rays on Doncic’s ankle were negative and the team is optimistic he will return quickly. "We hope it's not serious," said Mavs coach Rick Carlisle to the media, "That's about all that we have for you now."
Dallas still has Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr., so they are still capable of scoring plenty of points, but missing Doncic is huge. He is averaging 30.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game. Teams oftentimes pick up the slack in the first game without a superstar, but if Doncic is out, this will not be the first game without him.
Player To Watch
If Doncic was playing then he would be the focus, but the chances are that he is going to miss this contest. That puts the spotlight on Boston’s Kemba Walker. He has led the Celtics this season and he should relish the spotlight on Wednesday night. Walker is averaging over 23 points per game to lead the team in scoring and he also leads the team in assists at just over 5 per game. The problem the Celtics have had is that they are still learning to play with one another. ““We’re still learning each other, we’re still playing well," Walker said to the media, "One thing I love about us is that we’re not quitting. We’re still fighting through adversity. When things are getting rough we’re not putting our heads down, man. We’re competing at a very high level. So it can only go up from here.”
Key Numbers
Boston has won six of the last ten in this series with six of the last ten going over the total. The teams played in Boston last month and it was the Celtics winning 116-106 as 3-point home favorites. It has been a home team series, as the Mavericks have won 7 of the last 10 in Dallas, with five games going over and five going under.
NBA Pick
The advantage in this game is with Boston if Doncic is out and the early indications are that he probably won’t play. The travel situation also favors the Celtics, as they have not played in almost a week, while the Mavericks had to play in Milwaukee on Wednesday. Dallas hasn’t been anything special at home anyway, as they have played far better on the road. Boston has had plenty of time to practice and get ready for this contest and I expect a big effort from the Celtics on Wednesday night. I will take Boston to get the road win.
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