05-02-2021, 12:25 AM
KP-LESS MAVS SALVAGE THRILLER AGAINST WIZARDS
After squandering an 18-point lead, the Mavs came back from eight points down to start the fourth quarter. With a DFS game-winning three, your boys stole a heart-stopper in the clutch.
GAME STORY
Porzingis (knee) and Redick (heel) were on the injured list for the Mavs. The Wizards were at full strength, except for a couple of guys on season-ending injuries. Carlisle chose a starting lineup of Doncic-Richardson-DFS-Maxi-Powell.
Slow starts? What slow starts? The Mavs came out of the gates flying, shooting 61%, and completing 6-10 threes in the first quarter. The ball was zipping around the court like greased lightning. Dallas was out to a double-digit lead within 5 minutes, and ended the quarter at 38-26. Luka led the squad with13 points, scoring or assisting on every one of the team’s first 13 baskets. Whoo-ee!
The Mavs achieved an 18-point cushion a couple of times in the second, but the Wiz closed on a 16-5 run in the last 3:38, leaving Dallas with a 70-65 edge going into the locker room. Russell Westbrook imposed his will with 18 points in the period, and Bradley Beal wasn’t far behind with 11. The half was an offensive fireworks display, with both teams shooting 50% or more overall and from distance.
The Wizards continued chipping away in the third, achieving a lead at 3:22 and going on a 13-3 run to close the period. The Mavs were trailing 89-97 after three. Dallas went cold from the field, hitting 1-10 from three and managing a measly 19 points in the frame.
Carlisle went with a six-man rotation in the fourth, starting with Luka-Burke-THJ-DFS-WCS, and bringing in Powell for Willie in the last five minutes.
The Mavs fought back to a 2-point lead at 6:49. The game evolved into a dogfight at that point, with the score seesawing back and forth and never getting further apart than a two-point difference until a Burke triple put Dallas ahead by 3 at 3:17.
A Beal layup and Hachimura three put the Wiz back up two at 2:27. A Luka pull up tied the game at 2:02.
Hardaway drew an offensive foul on Bradley Beal, but then DFS stepped out of bounds for a turnover at 1:35.
Beal and DFS exchanged layups to tie the game again at 1:10.
Beal hit two free throws, and Luka countered with a 20’ pull up with 35 seconds left.
Beal completed another two free throws, and Luka passed to DFS for a go-ahead corner three with 9 seconds left.
The Wiz got an open shot on their last play, but Beal missed the three, Luka rebounded, and the buzzer sounded. Woo-hoo!
STATISTICS
Dallas tends to live and die by the three, and tonight was no exception. They put up 19 (!) more 3PTAs then the opponent, and hit 45% from range. The Wiz enjoyed a 31-22 advantage in FTAs, and the Mavericks also missed 8 freebies, resulting in a 24-14 advantage for Washington at the line. The Wiz dominated the interior, with a 60-42 margin in PIP. Your boys were out-rebounded 36-46, but had 31 assists on 47 made baskets. Our team lost 16 points on 11 turnovers to a Wizards team that has been forcing 18 per game.
The home team Mavs entered the clutch period tied at 111-all, and were 14-13 during that time. The clutch unit was Luka-Burke-THJ-DFS-Powell — what Carlisle termed the team’s “best offensive unit for the night.”
PLAYERS
DONCIC. Luka was stellar even by his own amazing standards, notching another triple-double with 31 points, 12 rebounds, a remarkable career-high 20 assists, and only one turnover. The Wiz were double-teaming him all night, and he responded in exactly the right way. In the stretch where the team was struggling to catch up, he came in with a spate of omg-he-really-did-that shots to confound the opposition and rescue his squad. At one point, Harp accused him of clowning the opponent with his many circus shots. Rick complimented his clutch management, admiring his poise and terming his performance “spectacular.” The Mavericks always have a chance with this phenom on the court.
DFS. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but Doe-Doe really seems to be making a leap in his offensive game. He had 22 points on 8-12 shooting, and was 6-9 from distance, including the game winner and his 100th three of the season. It seems to me that he is playing with a lot of confidence on the offensive end, and is scoring much more on cuts and drives, rather than just being a one-trick spot-up shooter. If he has turned into a genuine two-way threat, that’s huge for the Mavs. I liked it that Luka showed the confidence in him to give him the opportunity at the end of the game, even after his unforced out-of-bounds turnover. You go, Dorian!
WCS. Willie served as the game’s primary big, playing 27 minutes off the bench, recording 6 points and 12 boards, and also boasting 2 blocks and 2 steals. He was impactful defensively, until Rick went with Powell in the clutch for an offensive boost. Good one-two punch with these two variously talented big men!
STARTERS. Maxi had a great offensive game, hitting 5 threes and racking up 17 points, as well as providing his usual defense. He was upgraded from "probable" to open the contest, and did not play in the fourth period. Not the best night for Richardson, who had 8 points, 3-11 shooting, and 4 turnovers. There was a particularly bad sequence in the third, when his errant pass led to a broken play, and then he fumbled an inbounds pass back out of bounds on an unforced turnover. He was limited to 23 minutes on the night, as Carlisle went with Burke in the fourth quarter. Powell had 11 points in 19 minutes, got to the line for 5-6 FTAs, and was counted on by Rick to start and finish the game.
RESERVES. Hardaway was limited by foul trouble in the first half, but came back to score 9 of his 16 points in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. He had an 18’ pull-up, his blow-by of his defender for a layup triggered a Wiz timeout, he followed that with a three, his floater at 7:08 tied the game, and he drew an offensive foul on Beal with 1:47 left. He was 7-12 from the field (4-5 in the fourth), and also had 4 assists. Burke played all but 9 seconds of the fourth quarter, and had 7 timely points. Carlisle congratulated him for “coming up big” after sitting out during the first thirty-six minutes. Brunson filled in with 4 points in 15 minutes as backup point guard, and Melli put in 10 minutes of action.
WIZARDS. Russell Westbrook always puts on a show, and tonight was no exception, as he posted 42 points, 10 boards, and 9 dimes, and very nearly saved his team’s bacon. He did the Mavs a solid in the fourth with a spectacular tip-in of a DFS miss for a Maverick bucket. Bradley Beal torched the Mavs with 29 points. Rui Hachimura chipped in 18 points on 7-11 shooting.
OBSERVATIONS
The Wizards are a much better team than their record would suggest, and they came in on a roll. They had the Mavs’ attention from the outset, and Dallas was in some respects lucky to come away with the win. Rick gave credit to the Wiz for throwing a “hellacious” game at us, and noted that his team needs to do a better job bearing down once they have built a lead. However, he felt that this was a “phenomenal” and important victory, and took pride in his squad’s tenacity.
After witnessing a lukewarm performance by the Mavs in Detroit, I was somewhat apprehensive coming in to the game, and did not feel any better when the Wiz managed a 26-point swing, going from down 18 to up 8. Kudos to Rick for shaking up the rotation in the fourth and then sticking with what was working. Also to the players for their perseverance, and to Luka and Doe-Doe for their outstanding nights.
Our boys face Sacramento tomorrow night — a team which has had their number this season. KP will not be available, so the other bigs will need to step up and find a way to protect the paint on the second night of a back-to-back. Fortunately, only two Mavs exceeded 30 minutes tonight — DFS with 40 minutes and Luka with 39. It is yet to be determined whether any other Mavs will be rested against the Kings.
With this victory, the Mavs tied the Lakers at 36-27, and are a tiebreaker ahead with the fifth seed in the West!!! They control their own destiny now, so let’s hope they can hang on!
After squandering an 18-point lead, the Mavs came back from eight points down to start the fourth quarter. With a DFS game-winning three, your boys stole a heart-stopper in the clutch.
GAME STORY
Porzingis (knee) and Redick (heel) were on the injured list for the Mavs. The Wizards were at full strength, except for a couple of guys on season-ending injuries. Carlisle chose a starting lineup of Doncic-Richardson-DFS-Maxi-Powell.
Slow starts? What slow starts? The Mavs came out of the gates flying, shooting 61%, and completing 6-10 threes in the first quarter. The ball was zipping around the court like greased lightning. Dallas was out to a double-digit lead within 5 minutes, and ended the quarter at 38-26. Luka led the squad with13 points, scoring or assisting on every one of the team’s first 13 baskets. Whoo-ee!
The Mavs achieved an 18-point cushion a couple of times in the second, but the Wiz closed on a 16-5 run in the last 3:38, leaving Dallas with a 70-65 edge going into the locker room. Russell Westbrook imposed his will with 18 points in the period, and Bradley Beal wasn’t far behind with 11. The half was an offensive fireworks display, with both teams shooting 50% or more overall and from distance.
The Wizards continued chipping away in the third, achieving a lead at 3:22 and going on a 13-3 run to close the period. The Mavs were trailing 89-97 after three. Dallas went cold from the field, hitting 1-10 from three and managing a measly 19 points in the frame.
Carlisle went with a six-man rotation in the fourth, starting with Luka-Burke-THJ-DFS-WCS, and bringing in Powell for Willie in the last five minutes.
The Mavs fought back to a 2-point lead at 6:49. The game evolved into a dogfight at that point, with the score seesawing back and forth and never getting further apart than a two-point difference until a Burke triple put Dallas ahead by 3 at 3:17.
A Beal layup and Hachimura three put the Wiz back up two at 2:27. A Luka pull up tied the game at 2:02.
Hardaway drew an offensive foul on Bradley Beal, but then DFS stepped out of bounds for a turnover at 1:35.
Beal and DFS exchanged layups to tie the game again at 1:10.
Beal hit two free throws, and Luka countered with a 20’ pull up with 35 seconds left.
Beal completed another two free throws, and Luka passed to DFS for a go-ahead corner three with 9 seconds left.
The Wiz got an open shot on their last play, but Beal missed the three, Luka rebounded, and the buzzer sounded. Woo-hoo!
STATISTICS
Dallas tends to live and die by the three, and tonight was no exception. They put up 19 (!) more 3PTAs then the opponent, and hit 45% from range. The Wiz enjoyed a 31-22 advantage in FTAs, and the Mavericks also missed 8 freebies, resulting in a 24-14 advantage for Washington at the line. The Wiz dominated the interior, with a 60-42 margin in PIP. Your boys were out-rebounded 36-46, but had 31 assists on 47 made baskets. Our team lost 16 points on 11 turnovers to a Wizards team that has been forcing 18 per game.
The home team Mavs entered the clutch period tied at 111-all, and were 14-13 during that time. The clutch unit was Luka-Burke-THJ-DFS-Powell — what Carlisle termed the team’s “best offensive unit for the night.”
PLAYERS
DONCIC. Luka was stellar even by his own amazing standards, notching another triple-double with 31 points, 12 rebounds, a remarkable career-high 20 assists, and only one turnover. The Wiz were double-teaming him all night, and he responded in exactly the right way. In the stretch where the team was struggling to catch up, he came in with a spate of omg-he-really-did-that shots to confound the opposition and rescue his squad. At one point, Harp accused him of clowning the opponent with his many circus shots. Rick complimented his clutch management, admiring his poise and terming his performance “spectacular.” The Mavericks always have a chance with this phenom on the court.
DFS. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but Doe-Doe really seems to be making a leap in his offensive game. He had 22 points on 8-12 shooting, and was 6-9 from distance, including the game winner and his 100th three of the season. It seems to me that he is playing with a lot of confidence on the offensive end, and is scoring much more on cuts and drives, rather than just being a one-trick spot-up shooter. If he has turned into a genuine two-way threat, that’s huge for the Mavs. I liked it that Luka showed the confidence in him to give him the opportunity at the end of the game, even after his unforced out-of-bounds turnover. You go, Dorian!
WCS. Willie served as the game’s primary big, playing 27 minutes off the bench, recording 6 points and 12 boards, and also boasting 2 blocks and 2 steals. He was impactful defensively, until Rick went with Powell in the clutch for an offensive boost. Good one-two punch with these two variously talented big men!
STARTERS. Maxi had a great offensive game, hitting 5 threes and racking up 17 points, as well as providing his usual defense. He was upgraded from "probable" to open the contest, and did not play in the fourth period. Not the best night for Richardson, who had 8 points, 3-11 shooting, and 4 turnovers. There was a particularly bad sequence in the third, when his errant pass led to a broken play, and then he fumbled an inbounds pass back out of bounds on an unforced turnover. He was limited to 23 minutes on the night, as Carlisle went with Burke in the fourth quarter. Powell had 11 points in 19 minutes, got to the line for 5-6 FTAs, and was counted on by Rick to start and finish the game.
RESERVES. Hardaway was limited by foul trouble in the first half, but came back to score 9 of his 16 points in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. He had an 18’ pull-up, his blow-by of his defender for a layup triggered a Wiz timeout, he followed that with a three, his floater at 7:08 tied the game, and he drew an offensive foul on Beal with 1:47 left. He was 7-12 from the field (4-5 in the fourth), and also had 4 assists. Burke played all but 9 seconds of the fourth quarter, and had 7 timely points. Carlisle congratulated him for “coming up big” after sitting out during the first thirty-six minutes. Brunson filled in with 4 points in 15 minutes as backup point guard, and Melli put in 10 minutes of action.
WIZARDS. Russell Westbrook always puts on a show, and tonight was no exception, as he posted 42 points, 10 boards, and 9 dimes, and very nearly saved his team’s bacon. He did the Mavs a solid in the fourth with a spectacular tip-in of a DFS miss for a Maverick bucket. Bradley Beal torched the Mavs with 29 points. Rui Hachimura chipped in 18 points on 7-11 shooting.
OBSERVATIONS
The Wizards are a much better team than their record would suggest, and they came in on a roll. They had the Mavs’ attention from the outset, and Dallas was in some respects lucky to come away with the win. Rick gave credit to the Wiz for throwing a “hellacious” game at us, and noted that his team needs to do a better job bearing down once they have built a lead. However, he felt that this was a “phenomenal” and important victory, and took pride in his squad’s tenacity.
After witnessing a lukewarm performance by the Mavs in Detroit, I was somewhat apprehensive coming in to the game, and did not feel any better when the Wiz managed a 26-point swing, going from down 18 to up 8. Kudos to Rick for shaking up the rotation in the fourth and then sticking with what was working. Also to the players for their perseverance, and to Luka and Doe-Doe for their outstanding nights.
Our boys face Sacramento tomorrow night — a team which has had their number this season. KP will not be available, so the other bigs will need to step up and find a way to protect the paint on the second night of a back-to-back. Fortunately, only two Mavs exceeded 30 minutes tonight — DFS with 40 minutes and Luka with 39. It is yet to be determined whether any other Mavs will be rested against the Kings.
With this victory, the Mavs tied the Lakers at 36-27, and are a tiebreaker ahead with the fifth seed in the West!!! They control their own destiny now, so let’s hope they can hang on!
![[Image: tenor.gif?itemid=9792308]](https://media1.tenor.com/images/1ac2ba9fde8474047c7d32e6c379d2eb/tenor.gif?itemid=9792308)
