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MAVS WITH THRILLING COMEBACK VICTORY OVER NUGGETS 

The Mavericks enjoyed their last home match before a difficult stretch on the road, hoping to end the Nuggets’ five-game winning streak (not to speak of avenging their previous blowout loss in Denver). Down by 9 points at the end of the first half, our boys stormed out of the gates in the second, and cruised past the depleted, exhausted Nuggets. 


GAME NOTES

The Nugz were on the second night of a B2B, while the Mavs had been resting since Friday night. Maxi was still out with his back strain, while Jamal Murray, Will Barton, and Michael Porter, Jr. were unavailable for Denver. The usual starting unit began the game for the Mavs. 

FIRST QUARTER

Austin Rivers opens the scoring with a three. KP gets on the board for Dallas with a midrange jumper. Luka and Tim follow with scores at the rim. KP pump fakes Jeff Green for a three! Powell with an and-one from Hardaway! Misses the free throw, but still. The MVP has a basket disallowed for basket interference. Luka puts up his second airball. Yikes. 13-16 6:20

JB in, dishes to Powell for another and-one. DFS hits from above the break! A couple of these Denver guys seem lethal on long shots, so far. Luka scores at the rim off a screen from Willie! And does it again, this time for an and-one! Luka draws another foul on a drive. One of two freebies ties the game. 25-25 2:56

JaMychal Green barrels over Brunson, is called for the charge. KP up top from Sterling! Hardaway outlet pass to Porzingis for a dunk! Cheers abound. Buzzer-beating three from JB!!!  

35-32 after one.  It’s the Luka-KP show, with both guys leading all scorers with 10 points each. Jokic has 9 for Denver. Both teams shooting well. Nuggets have the rare quarter with no FTAs. Denver hurt by 5 turnovers.

SECOND QUARTER

Brunson jam off his own steal! Bol Bol, who had played sixteen minutes the whole season before this game, quickly earns 7 points. KP battles under the basket, draws free throws. Hits both. Mavs look like they’re making an organized effort to run the offense through KP. Mavs force a shot clock violation. 41-44 

Luka with the late-clock step-back jack from downtown! KP brings the ball down on a rebound, turns the ball over. Basics, KP.   44-50 3:41

Luka-KP with ATO play. Dunk. Luka furious over a non-call where his hand was hit. KP has another rim score. He’s looking really effective tonight. However, Denver is on a run. 

49-58 at halftime. Luka teed up. KP and Luka combine for 30. Jokic and Monte Morris total 24. Nuggets out-rebounding Dallas. Also have a 17-9 advantage in FB points, and a 6-0 edge in second-chance points. Mavs have an atrocious second quarter, scoring only 14 points, and shooting only 22% in the period. Nuggets went on a 14-5 run at end of the half. Sheesh. 

Bally studio guys think someone not named KP, Luka, or Jalen needs to step it up. Can’t argue with that.

THIRD QUARTER

Jokic misses the technical free throw. But Denver opens with a corner three. Dorian puts Dallas on the board with a little floater. Jokic with a three. Dang. Jokic over Powell, with a snazzy move. We can’t guard him. Powell knocks Jeff Green upside the head, inadvertently of course. KP puts one in on the third offensive rebound. 60-68 8:19

Austin Rivers crosses over JB. Mavs unit out there is the starters, with JB in place of Dorian. Mavs miss, get an OR, miss again, save in the ball, miss a third time. KP three from JB! KP getting some very good looks, with the Nugz smothering Luka. Luka and Denver guy called for double fouls. Luka is livid, remembers he has a T, backs off the ref. Kidd urges him to settle down. KP from the baseline! JB rack attack! Brunson again! Frankie with the corner three! Mavs making a push! 

Boban comes in, to loving cheers! Jokic hits over him. Then the Gentle Giant drops one in off a pass from Luka. Now he fouls Jokic, and comforts Nikola with a hand on his shoulder, lol. Bobi swats a Jokic shot away. Denver coach yelling at the ref, Luka calmly steps between them. Reggie with a runner! Jokic attempt over Frankie, travels. 

79-83 after three. Mavs were down to a 2-point deficit at one point. Luka-KP-JB have 56 of the team’s 79 points.

FOURTH QUARTER

Jokic and KP both getting a breather. DFS for three! Bullock with a deep three that puts Dallas ahead! Denver panics, calls a timeout. 85-83 11:14 

Kidd has a super-small lineup on the floor. Luka-Frank-Brunson-Reggie-DFS. Green yanks Frankie to the floor in what didn’t appear to be a basketball play.  Dorian and JaMychal get into it. Crowd boos Green loudly. Brazen stunt! Kidd comes out to calm his troops down. L-o-n-g review. Common foul on Green, double Ts on Green and Dorian. Letting Green off easy, if you ask me or the crowd. But they move on. Hardaway three over Bol Bol! Mavs defending very persistently now. Timmy with an and-one over Denver rookie Hyland. Jokic and KP back on the floor now. Jokic posterizes KP. 93-88 7:34

Luka returns. Brunson hits. Luka rainbow three off ball movement! That might be his first smile of the game! Mavs using JB and THJ to bring the ball up. Jokic runner over KP. THJ bank shot off an inbounds pass. Rivers left open at the three-point line. No, no, no. Hardaway runs for a dunk from JB off Jokic miss. Ex-cel-ent! 102-93 4:30

Jokic hook shot over KP. Jokic spins past Luka for a dunk. KP-Luka find, goaltended by Denver! Luka in the paint over Jokic! Timmy with a corner three off the extra pass! Tim has come alive in this quarter. 109-98 1:59

Kidd giving animated instructions on the sideline. KP successfully stops Jokic at the rim. JB one-legged fadeaway over Jokic! Morris misses, Timmy flies in for the rebound. Oh no. Luka hopping on the sideline, looks like his ankle is hurt. He goes to the locker room. JB dribbles the ball out for the Mavs’ last possession. 42-22 Dallas run to end the game!

111-101 FT. Mavs win! 


ANALYSIS

The Mavs got up a few more shots than the Nuggets, shot a little better overall, and were much better from long range (39%) than Denver’s dismal 28% from three. Point differentials were a push on points from twos, +15 on points from threes, and -5 on made free throws. Nothing like making your threes! Ball movement was very good, as confirmed by the Mavs’ 30 assists. Dallas took excellent care of the ball, losing only 5 points off 9 turnovers, while Denver had 12 giveaways for a loss of 17 points. The Nugz had a 10-point advantage in PIP, and an 8-point margin in second-chance points. 

After a good first quarter, Dallas went dry as a bone in the second, scoring only 14 points and going behind by 9 at halftime. I have to admit that I felt a little discouraged in the moment. But, they came out strong in the second half, and won the game handily when the whole 48 was in the books. I’m encouraged by the vibrant performances by the team’s four scorers, particularly KP. Looking really good out there! 


PLAYER NOTES

DONCIC (38 min).  Luka had a 23-8-11 line, to go with two steals and a block. He was only 6-17 from the field, but that Luka-KP combo is really singing. He was heavily defended all night, and did a great job getting looks for his teammates, especially KP, JB, and THJ. It is of some concern that Luka appeared to get hurt late in the game, having to enter the locker room early. Kidd reported that Doncic walked into the locker room under his own power, and that he’ll be re-assessed tomorrow

BRUNSON (36). Jalen was outstanding once again, with 17 points, phenomenal 8-12 shooting, and 5 dimes off the bench. He is becoming a staple in the closing unit, which tonight was Luka-Brunson-THJ-Bullock-KP. 

PORZINGIS (33). KP was amazing. Bubble quality. He put up an efficient 29 points on 11-20 shooting (5-8 from three), and also recorded 11 rebounds and a couple of steals. The chemistry between him and Luka was electric. The Bally guys say Kidd is following the Laker model — start the game with two bigs, close with one. His time at the 5 was particularly effective. 

Devin observed that we’re seeing KP punish smaller guys in the paint, rather than just settling on the perimeter, and that gives the team many additional options. Tim confirmed that the team had made a point of getting the ball to KP in scoring areas. Kidd said that KP was asked to defend the MVP tonight, and he “did his best.” They don’t always want to play him this much at the five, but they were glad he was able to handle it tonight, since that type of lineup gives him the most room to operate. They want KP to not just be a shooter, but also function as a  playmaker, and they think the schemes tonight enabled him to accomplish that.

THJ (33). Hardaway, after a lackluster first half, came out with the jets on in the second.  He was Mr. Fourth Quarter, playing all 12 minutes and hitting 13 of the team’s 32 points in a dazzling display of scoring. Overall, he contributed 19 points, 8-14 shooting, 7 boards, and 4 assists. Kidd said he was great on both ends. 

Tim took the postgame interview. He said halftime in the locker room was less than cheerful. They knew going into the interval that Kidd was going to yell at them, and no one argued with him, lol. Kidd told them that Denver had been the aggressors in the first 24, and that if they wanted officiating more to their liking, they needed to start imposing their will. Later, Kidd called him over in the fourth quarter, said they were going to start the period very small, and wanted THJ to pick up the pace for the team. Turned out to be an effective strategy. 

Hardaway admits that Denver’s depleted roster was likely a factor in the win, but they took advantage like they should. 

BULLOCK (30). Reggie played big minutes tonight. His stat line was modest (5-3-2), but he enjoyed the team’s highest +/- at +15, and was part of the closing unit. 

DFS (24). Doe-Doe enjoyed a little rest with a 24-minute outing, and had 8 points, including two threes, with Reggie taking up some of the slack when he was off the floor. Notably, he stepped up as the Enforcer, letting JaMychal have it for doing Frankie dirty, with Bullock and Hardaway also in the mix. Kidd complemented him for serving as the lone big along with four guards in a very effective lineup in the fourth. Noting some of  DFS’ offensive struggles, Uncle Devin says he has been encouraging Dorian to just relax and keep shooting.

MENTIONS. POWELL (17) didn’t play much in this one, as he doesn’t really have the size to defend Jokic, but had 5 points and 7 rebounds (4 offensive), and contributed to a few key plays. FRANKIE (16) enjoyed his usual stint off the bench, and survived his mauling by JaMychal Green. Hopefully, he knows his teammates have his back. He had three points on the night, and was credited with a steal. STERLING, WILLIE, and BOBAN played short minutes, and combined for 2 points and 3 assists. Boban was spotted engaging in an enthusiastic hug with Jokic. That prolly means the reigning MVP is about to be traded to Dallas. Either that, or Bobi to Denver. (JK, on both counts). Nah, we’ll chalk it up to the Serbian connection until we hear something different. Kidd noted that he wasn’t in for very long (3 min), but provided a needed change of pace.

MOSES, BURKE, and GREEN were DNP-CDs. MAXI is coming along, but his return is not imminent. He hasn’t been cleared for any contact action yet, and the team doesn’t foresee any further updates until he is able to practice.

NUGGETS. The Mavs had no answer for Nikola Jokic, who had 35 points, 16 boards, and 6 assists. It did seem to me that he wore down a little in the second half, which would be understandable, with his team being on their third game in four nights. Point guard Monte Morris had 17 points and 8 assists, and filled in well. Aaron Gordon had 14 points and 7 rebounds, and Austin Rivers was also in double figures with 12. I fear that, when this team gets back to full strength, they’re going to be quite fearsome. 


OBSERVATIONS 

Kidd felt that the team played well, but doesn’t think the victory bears any particular significance as far as predicting the next games against Phoenix. 

I loved this win, which was the season’s first against a “quality” opponent. Tbqh, I thought the Mavs caught a huge break with the Nuggets missing three key players and on a SEGABABA. Nonetheless, the Mavs must take opponents as they find them, and they did well to press their advantage.

 

NEXT. The Mavs travel to Phoenix to face the high-flying Suns in a baseball-style two-game series on Wednesday and Friday. Should be the toughest test yet. Biggest concern is Luka's ankle. If he can go, I think there’s a chance Dallas gets a win out of the series, and I’ll probably count the trip successful if they continue to show progress and perform respectably in both matches. Good times!

9-4!

Good story!

For just the second time this season, we’ve seen a single opponent score more than 25, as the MVP joined Jason Tatum as the only offenders to have showcase nights against the Kidd-coached Mavericks. And though Jokic looked unstoppable for much of the game, Kleber’s absence may have had something to do with that. In addition, Porzingis made him look mortal with impressive defensive stands in the game’s closing minutes. 

When the buzzer finally buzzed, the Mavs had won the Jokicless minutes by 9, the Jokic minutes by 1, and the game by double digits. A nice win for a deserving team.

Quote:Devin observed that we’re seeing KP punish smaller guys in the paint, rather than just settling on the perimeter, and that gives the team many additional options. Tim confirmed that the team had made a point of getting the ball to KP in scoring areas. Kidd said that KP was asked to defend the MVP tonight, and he “did his best.” They don’t always want to play him this much at the five

Big takeaway for me, Kidd's plan early on to revive the Unicorn looks to be on solid ground.   

The teams balance looks good.  If Luka's hobbled it'll delay a better read on it all in the upcoming stretch but Kidd era start, trajectory is up. 

So far so good. Let's see how they react when the challenges come around because all teams face them.

(11-16-2021, 08:23 AM)HoosierDaddyKid Wrote: [ -> ]So far so good. Let's see how they react when the challenges come around because all teams face them.

That's actually the most encouraging fact to me about starting 9-4. 

1) Luka has not been his best self (understatement).

2) KP has already been injured.

3) Maxi has been injured.

4) They started shooting threes under 30%. They were shooting 26% on OPEN threes. 

5) They have gotten severely outplayed and hustled at times.

And YET they are 9-4. They have gone through all sorts of challenges, struggles, and difficulties and have found a way to win most of their games. I have been impressed with their mental toughness honestly. Let's see where this goes.

TnX ML!

They played smart BB. Love how they are learning to win even in not best played games. Love D progress.
As we have now 2 operational PG's I expect a little LD's load management, lss minutes for him and his minutes distributed around. Almost 40 minutes so early in the season I don't think is wise if Kid is building more balanced team like it was last few seasons. Role players have to learn to take more responsibility to free some from LD and KP and if they will succeed I smell fresh danger in the league. And less stressful evenings for me.

(11-16-2021, 12:36 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]Noting some of  DFS’ offensive struggles, Uncle Devin says he has been encouraging Dorian to just relax and keep shooting.

Spreading his avuncular skills around?

(11-16-2021, 09:47 AM)michaeltex Wrote: [ -> ]Spreading his avuncular skills around?

Hahaha, I wondered if anyone would catch that. You get the sharp-eyes award!

(11-16-2021, 12:36 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]BRUNSON (36). Jalen was outstanding once again, with 17 points, phenomenal 8-12 shooting, and 5 dimes off the bench. He is becoming a staple in the closing unit, which tonight was Luka-Brunson-THJ-Bullock-KP. 

Not only 36 minutes, but Brunson came in during the third quarter and never left the game (I believe).  Typically he has been coming in and getting a long run in the third and start of the fourth.  Then he gets a 3-4 minute break and comes back in to close the game.  Last night, he played right through that break.

It shows how much confidence Kidd has in him now.

Second game in a row that KP plays only 12 minutes with another big and looks like bubble KP.  When Maxi gets back most or all of those minutes should be his.

(11-16-2021, 10:39 AM)mvossman Wrote: [ -> ]Second game in a row that KP plays only 12 minutes with another big and looks like bubble KP.  When Maxi gets back most or all of those minutes should be his.

Yeah, AND, while I understand and agree with the instinct to avoid KP having to bang with guys like Jokic the whole game, I was thrilled to see him succeed (relatively) in that role down the stretch. I think Kidd played this one just right.

(11-16-2021, 08:23 AM)HoosierDaddyKid Wrote: [ -> ]So far so good. Let's see how they react when the challenges come around because all teams face them.

True enough. I think we have been so starved for evidence that the Mavs can take on quality opposition that there is a natural-enough tendency to overreact a bit. Kidd talked about that a little after the game. It's a great opportunity to celebrate a win, but probably not really an indication that all the Mavs' issues have been solved or are far on their way to it. If Denver had been at full strength, it is not hard to imagine that this match could have been a massacre. 

As far as challenges go, they may be about to face a bad one. I see that the doctors who comment on sports injuries via reviewing the tape are video-diagnosing Luka's injury as a high ankle sprain, or injury of similar consequences, and predicting that he will be out for multiple weeks. I hope they're just full of it, but if they're right, we'll get a chance to see whether all the folks claiming that the Mavs play better without Luka are right on a grand scale. 

But I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, borrowing trouble after a win. While we await results, we might as well enjoy the victory and the team's improved performance!

(11-16-2021, 10:49 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah, AND, while I understand and agree with the instinct to avoid KP having to bang with guys like Jokic the whole game, I was thrilled to see him succeed (relatively) in that role down the stretch. I think Kidd played this one just right.

Ya it's becoming pretty clear that once things get serious we'll be rolling out KP as a single big pretty much 100% of his minutes but totally agree with the approach to not shatter the glass on our way to the playoffs.  He was easily our best defender on Jokic last night late in the game, was great to see.

(11-16-2021, 10:39 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: [ -> ]Not only 36 minutes, but Brunson came in during the third quarter and never left the game (I believe).  Typically he has been coming in and getting a long run in the third and start of the fourth.  Then he gets a 3-4 minute break and comes back in to close the game.  Last night, he played right through that break.

It shows how much confidence Kidd has in him now.

I think you're right. If I am not mistaken, JB played the last eight minutes of the third quarter, and then all 12 in the fourth. Hardaway also played the entire fourth quarter, and Reggie was one minute shy of doing so.

Agree that Kidd is relying heavily on Jalen.

(11-16-2021, 11:38 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]If I am not mistaken, JB played the last eight minutes of the third quarter, and then all 12 in the fourth.

Yep, JB checked in at 8:19 left in the 3rd and never checked out. He was +18 during that stretch to end the game. Incredible stuff. 

JB really is the heart of this team right now IMO, he seems to get everything settled down for the team, even when sharing the floor with Luka. Maybe he just has a better understanding of the new system on both ends at this point.

(11-16-2021, 11:26 AM)StrandedOnBeauboisHill Wrote: [ -> ]Ya it's becoming pretty clear that once things get serious we'll be rolling out KP as a single big pretty much 100% of his minutes but totally agree with the approach to not shatter the glass on our way to the playoffs.  He was easily our best defender on Jokic last night late in the game, was great to see.

That could certainly be the case. 

I probably lean a little more toward the idea that they may keep this two-big lineup strategy in place for 15-20 mpg, even if it isn't as efficient MBM as playing KP as the lone center. I say that for two reasons. 

1. They are very wary of overloading KP before the playoffs. Putting another big on the floor means KP won't have to take on difficult defensive assignments as much, and it may be less likely to wear him out or expose him to injury. 

2. They are also trying to protect KP from getting into foul trouble. If they put in another big who can guard the opponent's best big, or at least take some fouls, it makes it less likely that KP will commit too many fouls and/or have to defend less aggressively in that type of situation. 

A lot will depend on the matchup, of course. And I agree that they would prefer to play him at the 5, to the extent that they are not leaving him exposed. Should be interesting to see how this plays out.

(11-16-2021, 12:05 PM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]That could certainly be the case. 

I probably lean a little more toward the idea that they may keep this two-big lineup strategy in place for 15-20 mpg, even if it isn't as efficient MBM as playing KP as the lone center. I say that for two reasons. 

1. They are very wary of overloading KP before the playoffs. Putting another big on the floor means KP won't have to take on difficult defensive assignments as much, and it may be less likely to wear him out or expose him to injury. 

2. They are also trying to protect KP from getting into foul trouble. If they put in another big who can guard the opponent's best big, or at least take some fouls, it makes it less likely that KP will commit too many fouls and/or have to defend less aggressively in that type of situation. 

A lot will depend on the matchup, of course. And I agree that they would prefer to play him at the 5, to the extent that they are not leaving him exposed. Should be interesting to see how this plays out.

I would add this also allows KP to come in as an off-ball defender, which allows a defensive contribution without the wear and tear of guarding the other big.

(11-16-2021, 11:50 AM)Kammrath Wrote: [ -> ]Yep, JB checked in at 8:19 left in the 3rd and never checked out. He was +18 during that stretch to end the game. Incredible stuff. 

JB really is the heart of this team right now IMO, he seems to get everything settled down for the team, even when sharing the floor with Luka. Maybe he just has a better understanding of the new system on both ends at this point.

Thanks.  You are right.  It was a little earlier then he typically goes in.   I believe the score was fluctuating between 9 and 13 points and maybe Kidd wanted a jolt.   If I remember, he didn't come in for Powell or KP.   Do you remember who he came in for?  Hardaway?

(11-16-2021, 01:34 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: [ -> ]Do you remember who he came in for?  Hardaway?

 

DFS.