Mavericks 119, Celtics 101: Rajon Rondo scored 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting in the first period and finished with a season-high 29 points in the city he played for eight-plus seasons as visiting Dallas cruised in Boston.

Rondo shot 12-of-19 from the floor, including a career-high five 3-pointers, and added six rebounds and five assists for the Mavericks, who have won four straight and improved to 5-2 since the arrival of the mercurial point guard. Monta Ellis tallied 22 points and Tyson Chandler corralled 16 rebounds as Dallas got off to a strong start during a stretch in which six of the next seven games are on the road.

Avery Bradley scored 17 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter for the Celtics, who have lost five of six and dropped to 2-5 without Rondo. Jeff Green scored 18 points and Tyler Zeller added 17 and 10 rebounds for Boston.

Rondo scored the Mavericks' first 10 points, including two layups and two 3-pointers, in the first four minutes of the game. He ended the period with a 3-pointer at the buzzer to provide a 31-17 lead, sat through a sentimental scoreboard video tribute between the first and second periods and drained another shot from the arc 90 seconds into the second quarter.

Dallas led by as many as 20 in the second period before Boston pulled within 59-46 at the half and 66-59 in the third, but the Mavericks immediately responded with a 26-5 run to close the third with a 28-point lead. The Celtics hit 10 of their first 11 shots, including five from Bradley, to pull within 10 midway through the fourth, but Rondo hit a pull-up jumper and fed Chandler for a dunk before adding a driving layup and a 3-pointer as Dallas closed out its fifth straight win in the series.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Former Mavs Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder and Brandon Wright combined for 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting. … Boston shot 6-of-19 from the arc in the first half and 6-of-15 in the second, while Dallas shot 13-of-27 for the game. … Boston G Marcus Smart, the heir apparent to Rondo, had eight points on 2-of-7 shooting in 28 minutes off the bench as Evan Turner made his second straight start at point guard.