Celtics get crossed up

After leading by as many as 21 points in the first quarter and 28 in the second, the Mavericks coasted to a 113-94 victory at American Airlines Center. Rivers blamed overcoaching, though lopsided statistics suggested that one man couldn't possibly be responsible for the embarrassment that passed as an NBA game.

Most of the damage took place in the first half, when the Mavericks shot 65 percent and posted 73 points, Nowitzki scored 20 of his game-high 29 points, Jason Terry recorded 12 of his season-high 14 assists, and the Celtics could do nothing right.

"We played [expletive] and it was my fault," said Rivers. "I really thought I screwed them up. Honest to God. We worked all day on the pick-and-roll coverage that we're going to play all the time. And right before the game, I decided to change the pick-and-roll coverage and I thought it threw our team into flux.

"I was coaching too much in the beginning of the game and I really thought it hurt the team because they didn't have any confidence in what we were doing. It was a gamble and it was a bad gamble."

Meanwhile, Dallas coach Don Nelson challenged the Mavericks before the game, and like Rivers, he shouldered the blame for his team's recent struggles. The Mavericks' play of late has made Nelson angry, and he saw this stretch of five home games that started last night as an opportunity to build momentum. He wanted the Mavericks to play better at home, rely less on Nowitzki offensively, and move the ball more.

"I chose not to use excuses," said Nelson before the game. "It's up to me to get them to play to their potential. So I'll put the onus on me. That's why I've been angry at them. They need to respond to me and they need to respond to the situation. We've got to start winning at home. Real simple."

The Mavericks did more than respond to Nelson. They made a statement in the first half by taking a 73-49 lead. With a 14-4 run midway through the first quarter, the Mavericks were well on their way to a rout. They finished the opening period ahead, 41-20.

The Celtics' body language seemed to suggest they already had given up, and nothing that happened in the second quarter did anything to dispel that theory.