Battle of NBA's best headlines doubleheader tonight on TSN
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Two of the NBA's best teams kick off an intriguing doubleheader Thursday on TSN as the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics head to Brooklyn to take on the Nets, winners of nine of their last 10.
That matchup will be followed by LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers hosting Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
The Celtics are coming off a 125-114 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans Wednesday night and head into Barclays Center on a four-game winning streak. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 72 points on 25-of-43 shooting and continue to be one of the more dynamic offensive duos in the Association. Brown said after Wednesday's game the pair is just getting started.
“I don't think this is the best you will see,” he said. “I definitely think we've got other limits to reach in the future, in our career. This is just part of the process.”
“They continue to grow in front of our eyes," Celtics forward Al Horford said. "What we did last year and what they did last year leading us to the Finals, it shows a lot of growth on their end... Now I feel like they’re just playing basketball, trying to lead us.”
While the Nets would have their hands full with the two Jays on any given night, holding them in check will be even more crucial without superstar Kevin Durant.
The 12-time All-Star was diagnosed with an MCL sprain on Monday and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Brooklyn has yet to take the court since his injury, but head coach Jacque Vaughn said their mission doesn't change without Durant on the floor.
"That's the biggest thing. I'm not giving this group a chance to make excuses," he said. "Here to play. Here to win. Here to compete. It doesn't change. Love them."
Kyrie Irving has proven more than capable of shouldering an offensive load. He's averaged just shy of 27 points per game on on over 50 per cent shooting in his last six games and is in the midst of one of his most efficient seasons to date. The three-time All-NBA guard enters play Thursday with an adjusted field goal percentage of 56.7 per cent and trails only LeBron and Giannis Antetokounmpo in fourth-quarter scoring
With Irving and a talented roster around him, Vaughn thinks his team is capable of having success without their top gun.
"You just take the finish of the game in Miami. We were down nine and end up winning a basketball game without Kevin on the floor. So I think that's a direct reflection of this group," he said referencing Sunday's 102-101 victory over the Miami Heat where Durant left in the third quarter and did not return.
Mavericks vs. Lakers
It hasn't been the first half of the season James and the Lakers were hoping for as they sit 19-22, five games back of a play-in seed in the West.
In addition to Anthony Davis on the sidelines, LeBron missed Monday's loss to Denver and has now sat out two of the last four, one with a non-COVID-19 related illness while an ankle injury kept him out against the Nuggets.
But James appears set to return Thursday as he was upgraded to probable on Wednesday's injury report. The Lakers hung with Nikola Jokic and Co. for much of the night but the Nuggets -- tied for top spot in the West with the Memphis Grizzlies -- pulled away in the fourth quarter.
“The group that was out there, they were competitive, then gave it their all until we couldn’t give anymore,” head coach Darvin Ham said.
If LeBron returns Thursday, he'll do so just 422 points back of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time NBA record. But is there a possibility James' eventual new mark could be challenged?
Still only 23 years of age, Doncic is in his fifth NBA season and is leading the NBA in points per game at 34.2. He's averaging just over 40 a night over his last nine games and dropped 50 or more three times. So, data might suggest Doncic has a shot at eventually passing James' mark, whatever it ends up at. But he'll tell you otherwise.
"If you're saying me, there's no way," Doncic said of passing James. "Because I'm not playing that much."
The Mavs sit fifth in the Western Conference at 23-19 and are coming off two straight double-digit losses. While Doncic has been unstoppable, Dallas appears to have struggled to replace point guard Jalen Brunson, who joined the New York Knicks this past summer and is playing the best basketball of his career. In addition to Doncic, the Mavericks have just one player (Spencer Dinwiddie, 5.1) averaging over two assists per game and rank in the bottom half of the league in points per game, assists per game and field goal percentage.
The two teams met once earlier this season on Christmas Day, with the Mavs picking up a 125-115 win despite a game-high 38 from James.