Dec 8, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics shooting guard Jason Terry (4) reacts after his three point basket against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Terry blah blah blah and the Jet blah blah blah…

Okay you’ve heard all that…now down to brass tacks…

The Boston Celtics, like the Dallas Mavericks, are not-so-long-in-the-past NBA Champions and were even contenders last year, coming dangerously close to knocking off the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

This season, not so much.

Hovering around .500 and struggling with rebounding issues (sound familiar?), the Celtics aren’t struggling according to the stats but the record shows they clearly are not themselves.

Perhaps while the departure of Ray Allen, replaced with solid talent including the Jet, Leandro Barbosa, Courtney Lee and others doesn’t look so bad on paper, it has had an effect that may take time to work out.  It may also be that Father Time is finally sneaking up on the Celtics who have one of the older rosters in the NBA.

Of course, so do the Knicks.  #oops

While Terry is down a bit averaging less than 12 points, the Celtics get balanced scoring from Paul Pierce (19), Kevin Garnett (16) and Rajon Rondo (13 points and 13 assists, leading the NBA).

The good news for the Mavericks of course is that while Boston is a middle of the pack team with all major parts intact, Dallas has done it without Dirk Nowitzki and for most of the last three games without Shawn Marion, who will be back for the game.  During this last three-game winning streak, O. J. Mayo and Chris Kaman have been huge for Dallas and other players such as Brandan Wright have been resurgent as well.   The inside game of the Mavs, while not being exploited enough this season, could present real problems for the Celtics if Kaman, Wright and Elton Brand push the envelope, which they most certainly should.  That should keep KG busy.

A solid inside/outside performance on offense always bodes well and the Mavs would do well to push hard on the Celtics who are vulnerable in transition and under the glass.  With apologies to the Jet, hopefully they will play good D on him as well.

Well great doesn’t really seem like the right adjective.

The Dallas Mavericks have rounded the final turn, and find themselves coming down the stretch. Less than 4 weeks left in the season, and the Mavericks have lost their swagger.

The Mavericks are the oldest team in the league, the Boston Celtics are the second oldest. The Celtics have been through a stretch run before, and they ultimately taught the old Mavericks a valuable lesson.

Excuses are pointless; winning games is all that matters.

So despite being as healthy as they have been since the All-Star break, despite being well rested, despite playing at home, despite knowing they need a win to stay in the playoff push, the Mavericks lost.

The battle got physical, it got personal, it got intense, and it got ugly. The Mavericks had the Celtics on the ropes, yet could not close them out. They lacked the knock out punch, and ultimately got knocked out themselves.

When inspiration was evident, the Mavericks looked uninspired. When they needed to make a statement, they left us only with questions.

Did the Mavericks peak too early? The smooth, well-oiled rotation that Carlisle seemed to have set up looked ugly and disoriented.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points, yet missed the shots down the stretch that Mavericks’ fans have come to take for granted. Jason Terry tried to inspire coming off the bench, ultimately growing cold down the stretch finishing with 18 points.

The East conquered the West. Boston handled the Mavericks in Dallas, and the Milwaukee Bucks went into Denver and beat the Nuggets. Meaning the Mavericks missed a chance to gain a game separation.

The Mavericks hopefully can regain their momentum, and regain their swagger. They have the firepower to win, but that doesn’t always mean wins should be taken for granted.

The Mavericks should have won the game. The excuses are pointless though.

So the Mavericks move on and hit the road starting on Monday in Charlotte. Needless to mention, but I will anyway, the Mavericks need to win on Monday