03-14-2021, 10:42 AM
MAVERICKS BLOW NUGGETS OUT IN DENVER
NEW TEAM IDENTITY EMERGING
The Mavs came together for an excellent collective performance, and showed us who this team can be when it is operating at its finest. Your boys played a beautiful brand of basketball, putting away a very good opponent in the mile-high city.
NOTABLE ITEMS
GAME FLOW. Denver was on the second night of a back-to-back, having played Memphis the previous evening. They were missing backup point guard Monte Morris. Dallas’ James Johnson was out for personal reasons.
The Mavs got off to a horrible start, going down 10-0 during the first two minutes. But after that, it was smooth sailing for the visitors. They closed the gap to one by the end of the first quarter, ending the period at 28-29. They created some separation in the second, going into halftime leading 62-51. A tired Denver squad was left in the dust in the third, with the Mavs achieving a 20-point advantage and entering the final frame with a 93-73 margin. Our team reached a game-high lead of 21 at 10:32 in the fourth. The Nuggets then made a stab at a rally, whittling their deficit to 11 within the last two minutes. However, the Mavs were never seriously threatened, and cruised to victory.
NUMBERS. The threes were falling for both teams, with the Mavericks completing 18 of 46 attempts (39%), and Denver putting in 16 of their own. Our guys were also hot from inside the arc (24-40, 60%), while the home team fell a little short in that area (21-39). Dallas out-rebounded their opponent 49-41, and the ball flew around the court like a rocket, with 26 of the team’s 42 made baskets being assisted.
DONCIC. Luka had one of his usual stellar performances, recording 21 points and 12 assists, with only 3 turnovers. He put on a ball-movement clinic, finding his teammates with a variety of breathtaking passes, and shredding Denver’s defense in the process. He drew a technical foul for a prolonged argument with a ref, but was able to collect himself with aplomb. He got a little lucky at one point, when an air-balled three landed in the arms of Dwight Powell and magically turned into an assist. A great job of game management. What an amazing player!
PORZINGIS. KP was at his stunning finest, demonstrating how transformative it is when he is at the top of his game. He stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, 10-15 shooting, 5-7 threes, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Even at that, the numbers don’t come close to conveying the impressiveness of his precision, amazing range, and ability to confound his opponent. He was in a bit of trouble for a good part of the game, but handled it well. He and Luka were clicking, and Kris looked sprightly and enthusiastic on the defensive end, bothering Jokic with his height and length. Denver had no answer for him. Rick raved about him after the game, and announced that he had been awarded the DPOG belt.
RICHARDSON. J Rich also had an excellent outing, with 20 points, 6-11 shooting, 4-5 threes, and 4 assists. He also played an important role in limiting Denver’s Jamal Murray to 10 points on 4-13 completions from the field. This is the version of Josh that the Mavs hoped they were getting when they signed him, effective defensively while being proficient and versatile on the offensive end. He also was remarkably composed in his post-game interview, despite Luka and Bobi clowning around and photo-bombing him in the background. Rick complimented him post-game, saying that the young man has become a defensive leader for the team in the last couple of weeks. Josh has had two fine games in a row of 20+ points, so we’ll see if he can sustain this kind of performance.
HONORABLE MENTIONS. DFS showed huge hustle, putting his imprint on the game with 11 points and 8 boards, while diving to the floor to wrestle down a loose ball, attacking the glass with ferocity, and hitting a couple of exciting threes. Good job, Doe-Doe! Maxi played with verve, taking advantage of open shots for 8 points and hitting the boards, collecting 7 rebounds in the process. He looked fired up out there in a 31-minute evening.
Jalen Brunson led the bench mob with 12 points and 4 assists. THJ missed all 5 of his three-point attempts, but the team was a game-high +22 when he was on the floor. Powell acted as the third big man on the night, and had one of his best performances of the season, combining well with Luka and grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds in 19 minutes of action. Burke took a turn for 13 minutes, hitting a couple of shots and drawing an important foul. Fans who have been yearning to see rookies Josh Green and Tyler Bey were treated to a glimpse of the pair late in the game.
NUGGETS. There is no such thing as locking Nikola Jokic down, but at least he was limited to an earthbound 26 points. The Mavs double-teamed him some, but Denver made them pay with made shots, and Jokic racked up 11 assists in the process. The Mavs’ kryptonite this season has been shooting behemoths, but they made the Denver big man work for his accomplishments on the evening. Michael Porter, Jr. and Will Barton poured in 23 points each, with Porter coming on strong at the end, scoring 17 points in the fourth-quarter comeback attempt.
OBSERVATIONS
Rick thought his squad did a lot of good things, particularly after the “very poor” start. Their goal is to be an attacking team, and they were able to score, but they are also developing a “collective will” defensively. He noted that the team has flourished in the last couple of weeks, and observed how much better the defense has been since KP healed from his sore back. He admitted that the team caught a “huge break” with Denver being on the second night of a B2B, but commended his men for holding their own in one of the most difficult venues in the league.
Derek Harper thought that this performance was the best of the season for the Mavs, and it was definitely up there. The ball zipped around the court, bumfuzzling the Nuggets, and it was great to see the Mavericks take advantage of the excellent looks created by Luka. Doncic and Porzingis looked fresh after their night off in OKC, and Mavs fans were treated to a lovely display of passing and shooting virtuosity, along with a much-improved defensive showing. More of the same, please!
With that, the Mavs captured the season series against Denver. They will welcome the Clippers to the AAC Monday night.
NEW TEAM IDENTITY EMERGING
The Mavs came together for an excellent collective performance, and showed us who this team can be when it is operating at its finest. Your boys played a beautiful brand of basketball, putting away a very good opponent in the mile-high city.
NOTABLE ITEMS
GAME FLOW. Denver was on the second night of a back-to-back, having played Memphis the previous evening. They were missing backup point guard Monte Morris. Dallas’ James Johnson was out for personal reasons.
The Mavs got off to a horrible start, going down 10-0 during the first two minutes. But after that, it was smooth sailing for the visitors. They closed the gap to one by the end of the first quarter, ending the period at 28-29. They created some separation in the second, going into halftime leading 62-51. A tired Denver squad was left in the dust in the third, with the Mavs achieving a 20-point advantage and entering the final frame with a 93-73 margin. Our team reached a game-high lead of 21 at 10:32 in the fourth. The Nuggets then made a stab at a rally, whittling their deficit to 11 within the last two minutes. However, the Mavs were never seriously threatened, and cruised to victory.
NUMBERS. The threes were falling for both teams, with the Mavericks completing 18 of 46 attempts (39%), and Denver putting in 16 of their own. Our guys were also hot from inside the arc (24-40, 60%), while the home team fell a little short in that area (21-39). Dallas out-rebounded their opponent 49-41, and the ball flew around the court like a rocket, with 26 of the team’s 42 made baskets being assisted.
DONCIC. Luka had one of his usual stellar performances, recording 21 points and 12 assists, with only 3 turnovers. He put on a ball-movement clinic, finding his teammates with a variety of breathtaking passes, and shredding Denver’s defense in the process. He drew a technical foul for a prolonged argument with a ref, but was able to collect himself with aplomb. He got a little lucky at one point, when an air-balled three landed in the arms of Dwight Powell and magically turned into an assist. A great job of game management. What an amazing player!
PORZINGIS. KP was at his stunning finest, demonstrating how transformative it is when he is at the top of his game. He stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, 10-15 shooting, 5-7 threes, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Even at that, the numbers don’t come close to conveying the impressiveness of his precision, amazing range, and ability to confound his opponent. He was in a bit of trouble for a good part of the game, but handled it well. He and Luka were clicking, and Kris looked sprightly and enthusiastic on the defensive end, bothering Jokic with his height and length. Denver had no answer for him. Rick raved about him after the game, and announced that he had been awarded the DPOG belt.
RICHARDSON. J Rich also had an excellent outing, with 20 points, 6-11 shooting, 4-5 threes, and 4 assists. He also played an important role in limiting Denver’s Jamal Murray to 10 points on 4-13 completions from the field. This is the version of Josh that the Mavs hoped they were getting when they signed him, effective defensively while being proficient and versatile on the offensive end. He also was remarkably composed in his post-game interview, despite Luka and Bobi clowning around and photo-bombing him in the background. Rick complimented him post-game, saying that the young man has become a defensive leader for the team in the last couple of weeks. Josh has had two fine games in a row of 20+ points, so we’ll see if he can sustain this kind of performance.
HONORABLE MENTIONS. DFS showed huge hustle, putting his imprint on the game with 11 points and 8 boards, while diving to the floor to wrestle down a loose ball, attacking the glass with ferocity, and hitting a couple of exciting threes. Good job, Doe-Doe! Maxi played with verve, taking advantage of open shots for 8 points and hitting the boards, collecting 7 rebounds in the process. He looked fired up out there in a 31-minute evening.
Jalen Brunson led the bench mob with 12 points and 4 assists. THJ missed all 5 of his three-point attempts, but the team was a game-high +22 when he was on the floor. Powell acted as the third big man on the night, and had one of his best performances of the season, combining well with Luka and grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds in 19 minutes of action. Burke took a turn for 13 minutes, hitting a couple of shots and drawing an important foul. Fans who have been yearning to see rookies Josh Green and Tyler Bey were treated to a glimpse of the pair late in the game.
NUGGETS. There is no such thing as locking Nikola Jokic down, but at least he was limited to an earthbound 26 points. The Mavs double-teamed him some, but Denver made them pay with made shots, and Jokic racked up 11 assists in the process. The Mavs’ kryptonite this season has been shooting behemoths, but they made the Denver big man work for his accomplishments on the evening. Michael Porter, Jr. and Will Barton poured in 23 points each, with Porter coming on strong at the end, scoring 17 points in the fourth-quarter comeback attempt.
OBSERVATIONS
Rick thought his squad did a lot of good things, particularly after the “very poor” start. Their goal is to be an attacking team, and they were able to score, but they are also developing a “collective will” defensively. He noted that the team has flourished in the last couple of weeks, and observed how much better the defense has been since KP healed from his sore back. He admitted that the team caught a “huge break” with Denver being on the second night of a B2B, but commended his men for holding their own in one of the most difficult venues in the league.
Derek Harper thought that this performance was the best of the season for the Mavs, and it was definitely up there. The ball zipped around the court, bumfuzzling the Nuggets, and it was great to see the Mavericks take advantage of the excellent looks created by Luka. Doncic and Porzingis looked fresh after their night off in OKC, and Mavs fans were treated to a lovely display of passing and shooting virtuosity, along with a much-improved defensive showing. More of the same, please!
With that, the Mavs captured the season series against Denver. They will welcome the Clippers to the AAC Monday night.
![[Image: giphy.gif]](https://media.giphy.com/media/DYnOMpjfmFtkzbJ8Y0/giphy.gif)
But he is still contributing. Defense is honest on him, he is aggresive on both sides of the court.