Boston Celtics fans showered Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki with a lot of love on Friday night at the TD Garden. The Mavs icon is expected to retire after the 2018-19 NBA season.
The game against the Celtics on Friday will likely be his final game in Boston and Celtics fans made sure the legendary forward will have a memorable night in Beantown.
Fans cheered for the 40-year-old late in the fourth quarter and wanted Dirk Nowitzki to shoot a three-pointer. He had an open look with 28 seconds left but the shot did not fall. With less than two seconds left in the match, fans urged Nowitzki to shoot again, and he obliged, throwing a last-second shot that did not go in.
Everyone at TD Garden wanted Dirk to hit a 3, but he fell just short 😂 pic.twitter.com/JmwnXouog2
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 5, 2019
Earlier in the game, Celtics fans gave Dirk Nowitzki a standing ovation when he entered late in the opening quarter. With the game already decided, fans chanted Dirk's name, wanting to see him for the last time on the hardcourt. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle gave in to the request, as he fielded Nowitzki in the final minute of the match.
Dirk Nowitzki ended up scoreless, missing all of his ten attempts, including eight from beyond the arc. While he failed to score, the 21-year veteran surely felt a lot of love, as Celtics players were also seen paying their respect to the 13-time NBA All-Star and one-time Most Valuable Player.
The Celtics cruised to a 114-93 win with Jaylen Brown leading the way, scoring 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting. Jayson Tatum finished with 18 points and six rebounds, while Marcus Smart added 17 markers. Gordon Hayward flirted with a triple-double off the bench with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists.
With the win, the Celtics improved to 23-15, which is good for fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Mavs, on the other hand, dropped to 18-20 and moved down to the 12th spot in the tight Western Conference race.
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