Performance by Hardy one of the takeaways from loss to Celtics

A lot of folks have heard the phrase about the NBA being a make or miss league. Well, the Dallas Mavericks sure missed way too many shots during Thursday night’s 124-95 loss to the Boston Celtics.

While having their seven-game winning streak snapped, the Mavs missed 56 of their 90 field goal attempts, including misfiring on 25 of their 32 three-point tries. The Mavs wound up shooting 37.8 percent from the field and only 21.9 percent from behind the three-point stripe against the defending Eastern Conference champions.

“We just couldn’t score,” coach Jason Kidd said. “We had some great looks early and the ball just didn’t fall for us.”

The Mavs hope the ball will start falling for them on Saturday when they host the New Orleans Pelicans, who will be without injured All-Star forward Zion Williamson.

“We aren’t in the position to take anyone lightly,” guard Spencer Dinwiddie said. “We dug ourselves a hole dropping four or five games we should have won (while) up 20 and things like that. We needed a seven-game win streak just to get back in the thick of things. We can’t afford to revert back.

“Obviously, losing to the Celtics on paper isn’t the most terrible loss in the world. You would just rather have a more cohesive showing and a better defensive showing. That kind of is what it is, and we will move forward and try and start a new win streak.”

Here are the takeaways from the 29-point loss to the Celtics.

HARDY GOT BUCKETS: A bright spot for the Mavs was the superb play of guard Jaden Hardy. The rookie second-round pick from the G League Ignite put on a show while playing the game’s final 15 minutes. A proverbial bucket-getter, Hardy used his quickness and talents to score a career-high tying 15 points and collect two rebounds and two assists. Hardy was decisive, he was in attack mode, he played with poise and confidence, and he also went 5-of-8 from the field and made all three of his three-point attempts.

TATUM’S TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Celtics forward Jayson Tatum did his thing and showed why he’s one of the best players in the world. But the Mavs limited him to 16 points – on 5-of-16 shooting — 11 rebounds and six assists through three quarters when Boston held an 89-65 lead. However, in the fourth quarter with the final results no longer in doubt, Tatum was able to get the necessary numbers that enabled him to record his second career triple-double – 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.

CELTICS’ BENCH WAS DOMINANT: With the Mavs’ bench depleted due to injuries to Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Green and Maxi Kleber, a seismic shift occurred Thursday when the Celtics’ reserves outscored the Mavs’ reserves, 27-2, in the first half. By halftime, Malcolm Brogdon had already scored 11 of his 15 points off the bench and Grant Williams had scored 10 of his 12 points off the bench. Their play clearly shifted the balance of power in Boston’s favor.

Twitter: @DwainPrice