The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks Friday night, 114-93. But Brad Stevens was literally cheering for Mavs icon Dirk Nowitzki to get some buckets.

The Celtics' head coach was doing this out of respect for the 21-year veteran.

After the game, Stevens had this to say about Nowitzki.

Dirk Nowitzki played for 16 minutes on the night but wasn't able to score a single point. He shot 0-of-8 from deep and 0-of-10 overall.

“I was sitting right there, just like everybody else in the building, saying ‘go in, go in,'” Stevens said every time Nowitzki took a shot

Still, the Celtics showed Dirk Nowitzki the respect he rightfully deserved after the game.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 21 points, two rebounds, and two assists. While Jason Tatum had 18 points and six boards.

Harrison Barnes had 20 points and three boards while rookie sensation Luka Doncic had another stellar all-around game with 19 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.

With the win, Boston improved to 23-15 for the season and tightened its grip on the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Mavericks continue to struggle and are now 18-20 for the season.

Boston missed the services of All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who suffered an eye injury during the team's 115-102 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

The Celtics will finish their four-game road trip by facing the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 8 and the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 10.

The Mavericks, on the other hand, are currently 1-2 on their current four-game homestand, which will end when the Philadelphia 76ers visit them tomorrow.