Dallas Mavericks secured a 127-120 victory over the Boston Celtics

Klay Thompson led the way with 25 points, while Daniel Gafford grabbed 15 rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks secured a 127-120 victory over the Boston Celtics in a rematch of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. With newly acquired star Anthony Davis sidelined due to an abdominal strain, the Mavericks built a commanding 27-point lead in the second half. Spencer Dinwiddie provided a spark off the bench, scoring 22 points.

Despite Dallas' dominance for most of the game, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla turned to his bench, and they nearly pulled off an improbable comeback, cutting the deficit to single digits in the final minute. Jaylen Brown, last season's NBA Finals MVP, led Boston with 25 points, while Jayson Tatum added 17. Payton Pritchard fueled the late rally with a team-high 21 points off the bench, but the Celtics ultimately fell short.