th a stop in Detroit on Saturday.---Follow | Forum

Esteban Gutierrez says it is irrelevant to dwell on where he will be in 2017 until he registers his first points of the current campaign. Mario Gomez Germany Jersey .Gutierrez trails Haas teammate Romain Grosjean by 28 points in the drivers standings after a frustrating half to the season, which has seen him finish 11th on four occasions. Haas boss Guenther Steiner has said the team will not delay on a 2017 driver decision, with an announcement expected to be made around the Italian Grand Prix in early September, meaning Gutierrez has two races after the summer break to register a score.?However the Mexican driver is refusing to focus on that imminent decision, saying it would distract him from the goal of finishing in the top ten after the summer break.?To be honest, its irrelevant for me to think about next year because what I want to achieve is points and good results with what I have at the moment. I think a lot of things have played around in the wrong way for me so I am not frustrated or worried thinking about [2017]. I am working hard to get the points [this year] - thats my goal and the rest at the moment is irrelevant.Though refusing to solely blame reliability for his lack of points, Gutierrez feels he has had the worse share of bad luck in the Haas garage this season.We all know that the most difficult part in racing is to be quick, [but] I think that my pace as a driver has improved pretty well, probably better than expected after one year off. The pace of the car is there as well but what has taken away from the points, or lets say for me more than the other car, is mechanical failures, strategy failures, things that are basic.Im not saying that it is only on one side because it has happened on both sides, and the other car has not scored in every race, and probably only in races where there was the chance, but, as a team we need to focus on minimising and solving those basic things and doing a normal weekend without problems, without failures.A normal weekend for me would be one with points. This is not going to be normal until then. Every time I dont score the points, I have to say okay there is something wrong, what can we do to be there in the points but, sometimes, we are P11 and P13 doing a normal job and not trying to do something extraordinary.We have the pace to be there, thats the simple thing and I focus on that. I would be frustrated and worried if I knew I didnt have the pace and the capacity to do it, but fortunately I have and the pace of the car is good. The team has done a great job, and it has shown the points that it has scored so far. Marc-Andre ter Stegen Germany Jersey . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. Mario Gomez Jersey . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. http://www.germanysoccerpro.com/Jonas-Hector-Germany-Jersey/ . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. BOSTON -- The Celtics dont want to rely solely on Isaiah Thomas to win.But on some nights, putting the ball in the All-Star guards hands is simply the best option.Thomas scored 22 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter in Bostons 90-83 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.He scored 20 of Bostons final 24 points to help the Celtics beat back a late Mavericks surge.Avery Bradley added 18 points and 13 rebounds.After the Mavericks took a 70-66 lead, Thomas scored Bostons next 13 points to put the Celtics back in front 79-76. They never trailed again.After one of the baskets late in the run Thomas ran down the court and flashed two thumbs up.I guess I just like that quarter, Thomas said. Sometimes guys get a little tighter, and then the pressure gets a little tougher for them. I guess I like the pressure.Harrison Barnes led the Mavericks with 28 points. Wesley Matthews added 22.Dallas, which was already missing several players because of injuries, lost two more. Starter Deron Williams exited in the second quarter with a left calf injury, and J.J. Barea was helped off the court in the fourth quarter after straining his left calf as well.Coach Rick Carlisle said it appears Barea will be out for a while, but added that he didnt think it was real serious. He said its his understanding that Williams just experienced some tightness.The Celtics outrebounded Dallas 53-32, which coach Brad Stevens said is a welcomed sign for a team that struggled in that department early in the season.Maybe its the law of averages, and some just bounced our way, Stevens said. But were defending at a better rate than we were.TIP-INSMavericks: Have lost three straight. ... Had a season-low 31 points at the first half. ... Dirk Nowitzki missed his fifth straight game with a right Achilles strain.Celtics: Thomas has scored 20 or more points in each of the first 11 games of the season. ... Scored a season-low 90 points. ...Tied their season high with 19 turnovers. ... Bosstons 10-point second quarter was its lowest scoring output in a second quarter this season. Julian Brandt Germany Jersey. ... Al Horford remains in the NBA concussion protocol and sat out his eighth straight game. Jae Crowder missed his seventh consecutive game with a sprained left ankle.TEAM MEETINGCeltics guard Marcus Smart said the team held a meeting after its blowout loss to the Wizards on Nov. 9 to help refocus its commitment on the defensive end.It was no coaches, just us, Smart said. We had to look ourselves in the mirror and come to the conclusion that it is on us and were the ones playing and that we have to get it together.Bradley said the conversation was frank and honest.Just that we need to hold each other accountable, he said. We werent playing to our ability. We had two or three guys playing hard at the defensive end, but the other three guys werent. And we needed everyone playing hard consistently as a team. Tonight I feel like was one our best defensive games.NO FREEBIESThere werent many trips to the free throw line in the first half for either team. The Celtics were just 2 for 6 in the half, and the Mavericks missed their lone attempt in the first quarter. Neither team attempted a free throw in the second quarter.INJURY UPDATEStevens said Crowder would practice Friday, but that he does not expect him to play Saturday against Golden State. Stevens said his last report on Horford was that the big man had a great workout on Wednesday.Carlisle said Dirk Nowitzki is making progress as well.It feel likes hes getting close, he said.UP NEXTMavericks: Return home Friday to host the Grizzlies, before heading back on the road for trips to Orlando and San Antonio.Celtics: Host the Warriors Friday, and then begin a three-game trip with a stop in Detroit on Saturday.---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower ' ' '