DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons had the Dallas Mavericks on the way to a blowout before another poor third quarter got in the way.
Despite the surge by the Boston Celtics after halftime, the Mavericks held on for a 118-113 victory Monday night at American Airlines Center.
Dallas’ starting forwards combined for 56 points on 23-of-29 shooting in the team’s third straight win. The Celtics (1-2) were beaten twice in a two-game Texas road trip, and have lost nine of the last 10 against the Mavericks.
Dallas was a study in ball movement and open shots in opening up leads of 21 points in the first quarter and 31 in the second. The Mavericks drilled 14 of 25 3-pointers, with Nowitzki leading the way at 4-for-4.
Dallas center Tyson Chandler had 10 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. Shooting guard Monta Ellis added 14 points and six assists, and reserve guard Devin Harris scored 12.
Boston has also lost 22 consecutive road games against Western Conference teams, which is the longest active streak in the league. The drought includes five in a row in Dallas.
Celtics forward Jeff Green racked up 35 points to lead all scorers, while guard Avery Bradley had a career-high 32 points. Point guard Rajon Rondo dished out 15 assists and grabbed nine boards.
The Celtics shaved 18 points off a 26-point halftime deficit in the third quarter behind Green’s lead. A reverse layup by center Tyler Zeller pulled Boston within 77-69.
The Mavericks responded with a 7-0 run built by Harris and forward Brandan Wright off the bench. Dallas, which has been outscored by 47 points in third quarters this season, had a 91-79 edge going into the final period.
The lead shrunk to 107-104 on guard Marcus Smart’s 3-pointer with 3 1/2 minutes left. Nowitzki came back with a jumper, and Parsons followed with a 3-pointer and layup for a 114-104 advantage before a Boston timeout.
The Celtics didn’t go away. Bradley’s breakaway layup capped a 7-0 spurt to make it 114-111 with 1:11 remaining. After a Dallas timeout, Bradley had a chance to tie the game after being fouled by Ellis on a 3-point try. Bradley made two of three free throws with 39.5 seconds.
Ellis drove for a layup at the other end and, after a defensive stop, made two free throws to close out the win.
The Mavericks didn’t waste any time delivering a near knockout punch in another strong first quarter. Dallas is averaging 33 points in the opening period this season after outscoring Boston 40-19.
Parsons had 14 points in the first on 5-for-5 shooting, including 2-of-2 from 3-point territory. The Mavs missed just one of six shots from deep through 12 minutes.
Green scored the first seven points for the Celtics, knocking down the team’s first 3-point attempt. Boston missed its first 21 3-pointers Saturday at Houston.
The Mavericks didn’t let up in the second quarter and took a 67-41 lead into halftime. Dallas has now scored at least 65 points in the first half in three games in a row for the first time in franchise history.
Nowitzki had a team-high 16 points at the break. The Mavericks were shooting 63 percent to Boston’s 35 percent. Green had 18 points.
NOTES: Dallas F Al-Farouq Aminu injured his left knee in the first half and didn’t return. … The Mavericks went into Monday having been outscored by 33 points in the third quarter of their first three games. “We’re going to have to do better,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’ve been really poor in all three games. That’s another thing that’s at the top of our list.” … Boston rookie G Marcus Smart visited the home he bought for his mother in nearby Flower Mound. “I promised my mom when I was a little boy, if I ever made it to the NBA, that’s the first thing I’d do for her,” Smart said. “Right now, I’m blessed to be able to do that for her.”