KP-LESS MAVS STUN JAZZ AT AAC

The Mavericks stepped up big against the team with the NBA’s best record, snapping Utah’s 9-game winning streak and extending their own string of consecutive victories to five. 


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PERSONNEL. Rick revealed before the game that KP would be out, citing a sprained wrist that has been bothering him for weeks. There is no set timetable for his returm. Maxi and J Rich returned to action. WCS-Redick-Terry were still out. Melli took KP’s place in the starting lineup, forcing the Jazz to guard the perimeter at every position. 

GAME FLOW.  Both teams went to-to-toe in the first quarter, and the Mavs held a 27-25 edge through twelve minutes.  Neither side recorded a free-throw attempt in the period. In the second, the Mavericks held Utah to a humiliating 17 points, and a putrid 1-13 performance from long range. Josh Richardson stepped up with an 11-point frame, and he and Brunson combined for 18 of the home team’s total 23 points. At the buzzer, Dallas had a 50-42 advantage.

The Mavs left the Jazz in the dust with a 37-27 third quarter. Luka and THJ combined for 28 points, hitting 7 of their total 9 attempts from deep. There was a scuffle toward the end of the quarter, involving several players, including Luka, Doe-Doe and Gobert, and somehow ending with DFS receiving the only tech. Dallas had an 87-69 cushion after three. Utah chiseled their deficit by 10 in the fourth, but Coach Snyder instructed his squad to refrain from intentionally fouling in the last minute, not wanting to drag out their misery, and your boys held on for a decisive win. 

STATISTICS. Look no further than two stats. The Jazz had a 22-8 advantage in FTAs, but the Mavs hit a scintillating 23-49 threes, which will put you in the win column most of the time. Five Mavs hit multiple triples — Luka 6, DFS and Josh 5, Brunson 4, and THJ 3. In a strange point distribution, 5 Mavs were in double figures, while neither Maxi nor Melli scored at all. The closing unit featured Luka and sharpshooters Brunson, THJ, DFS, and Maxi. 

DONCIC. Luka had a sparkling 31/9/8 line, and went 6-11 from deep. Luka gets up for games against the best teams, and he was locked and loaded for the duration. He did not disdain the dirty work, digging his missed shot off the floor for a second-chance shot early in the third. With the young superstar at the helm, KP was barely missed. 

DFS. Doe-Doe had a stellar outing, stepping up to the plate with 23 big points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals to go along with his tenacious defense on Mitchell and Gobert. Part of Utah's game plan was evidently to dare him to shoot, and he made them pay big time  He confessed that after missing a couple of threes and hesitating to take another, he got “yelled at” for not shooting, so was encouraged enough to return to full bombs-away mode. He also had a great drive from the corner against Gobert in the second, and he posterized the Utah star in the third. Outstanding!

KLEBER. Maxi had an underwhelming line (0/5/2), taking only 2 shots, but was relentless against the Utah front court. Not every contribution shows up in the box score. His defense was critical to the win. 

MELLI. Nicolo had 7 boards, 2 blocks, 1 assist, and a steal. He played a full 32 minutes, and won the belt for Defensive Player of the Game. He showed tremendous hustle on the defensive end and on the glass, and no one could fault him for lack of energy. Since it’s a win, I guess we’ll overlook the 0-7 shooting performance. His unnecessary foul of a three-point shooter went largely unpunished, when Bogdanovich missed both the shot and two of his three freebies. He was subbed out for Hardaway with 3:45 left in the game. The Mavs remain undefeated since the Melli Trade. 

BRUNSON. Jalen continued his excellent run of play with 20 points on 8-15 shooting in 30 minutes off the bench. Jalen’s decision-making has really come along this season, and Rick keeps trusting him to be on the floor at the ends of games.  Such an intelligent player!

RICHARDSON. Josh had one of his best outings as a Mav, putting up 17 efficient points (6-9), and going 5-5 from range. Just as importantly, he frustrated the Jazz with his persistent defense, particularly on Mitchell. If J Rich can get to the point where he consistently completes his threes, he’ll be at the next level. 

HARDAWAY. Timmy had 30 productive minutes off the bench, scoring from anywhere and everywhere, putting up 16 points and 5 assists, and ratcheting up the excitement meter with back-to-back transition buckets in the first, along with a three over Derrick Favors, a drive resulting in and-one, and a buzzer-beating three  in the third. 

POWELL. Dwight put in a 14-minute shift, and had a couple of slams. 

JAZZ. Utah played with intensity, but didn’t really look like the league’s best team. They had a very bad performance from deep (12-44) and missed 5 of their 22 FTAs. Mike Conley was their standout player, leading the team in scoring with 28 points, and accounting for 6 of the team's 12 made threes. Bogdanovic, Mitchell, and Clarkson had 16 apiece, and Gobert added 14 points and 15 boards. Donovan's points were attained via embarrassing 6-23 shooting, and Rudy was limited to 6 shots. O'Neale and Mitchell were both 0-8 from long range, and Clarkson was 2-9. Yikes!


OBSERVATIONS

This was a high-intensity game with a playoff atmosphere. The Mavericks were underdogs going in, but held their own with cohesive defense and stylish offense. It was raining threes on the Mavs’ end of the court, and the team rarely comes up short shooting 47% beyond the arc. Dallas may have gotten a little lucky with the Jazz missing some open shots, but that doesn't take away from their fine accomplishment.

This was an important victory for the home team, and constituted a statement that they can beat anybody when they’re on their game. 

The Mavericks face the bottom-feeding Rockets in Houston on Wednesday. Taking care of business should be the order of the day. 

Fantastic!

Who was the player of the game who elevated his game to help the team win?

MAVS SMASH WIZARDS IN DC

This contest was predicted to be a high-scoring affair, and turned out to be anything but. The visitors got another chance to shine with their defense, which has to warm our coaches’ hearts.


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PERSONNEL. Carlisle was back on the bench, the mystery regarding his positive COVID test being resolved. After what turned out to be a false positive, the NBA required that he return three negative tests before returning to “unmasked activities,” like coaching. The results of the third test did not come back in time for him to take the bench against the Celtics. However, two negative tests were enough to clear him for “masked activities,” like travelling, so he was able to fly with the team to DC. In the meantime, the team surprised Mosely with a champagne shower in the locker room to celebrate his first win. 

As far as players go, the Mavs had a veritable crowd on the injured list this game, with WCS-Redick-Terry still out for the usual reasons, and Josh (left calf), Maxi (left leg contusion), and KP (knee recovery) included. Beal, Hachimura, Bryant, and Gafford were absent for the Wiz. 

With 60% of the starting lineup missing, Rick treated us to an amuse-bouche of Luka, THJ, DFS, Melli, and Boban as the new unit. 

GAME FLOW. The game was close-fought in the first quarter, and the Mavericks came out leading 24-19 after one, on the strength of a 10-point frame by Luka. The intensity increased in the second period, and the two teams battled to a 28-28 draw, with Melli leading the Mavs with 8 points. The score was 52-47 going into the locker room.

The Mavericks started creating some separation in the third, building a lead of as much as 13, and ending a 23-20 frame 75-67. Ya boys ran away with all the cookies in the fourth, leaving the Wiz wondering what happened. 

STATISTICS. Maverick point differentials were even on points from twos, +15 on points from threes, and +7 on made free throws. Although the visitors did not shoot well behind the arc (10-30), the Wiz were even worse (5-25).  The Wiz had a 48-36 advantage in points in the paint, but the Mavs countered with a 24-15 edge in free throw attempts. The Dallas defense was very persistent, and the team earned 23 points off 14 Wizard turnovers. 

DFS.  Doe-Doe led the team with 37 minutes, and chipped in 11 points on efficient 4-8 shooting, in addition to defending well and playing with energy. With three triples, he was one of only two Mavs, along with Tim,  to hit multiple threes. His defensive assignment was triple-double machine Russell Westbrook, whom he held to 11-24 shooting, zero made threes, and only five assists. We all enjoyed watching Doe's rim-rocker from Powell in the fourth. 

DONCIC. Luka recorded a 26/8/6 line, although he was 1-8 from range. Westbrook knocked him to the floor late on his way up to the basket, causing consternation among Luka's faithful fans. However, after the game, Doncic indicated that he didn’t blame Westy for fouling him, since he was about to deliver the “dunk of the year.” Luka, what a card, haha. Perhaps one of his most important stats was his 32 minutes of playing time. He went out halfway through the fourth quarter and never had to return, allowing the Mavs to sneak a few additional minutes of rest for him in this crowded schedule of games. 

HARDAWAY. Tim had 16 points in a starting role. Although it was not a particularly efficient effort (6-19), Carlisle pointed out that he had a couple of “huge” threes late to put the game away. A couple of his more exciting moments involved the rare and-one on a goaltended basket, and an acrobatic leaner over an opponent. 

BRUNSON. Jalen continues to exceed expectations, and was the second-leading scorer with 19 points in 30 minutes off the bench. Not sure he has ever fouled out before, but he exited with his sixth when the game was already in hand. Feisty little rascal. Rick praised his consistency after the game. He drew a couple of charges against Hutchinson, and his highlight reel will doubtless include an and-one jumper over Lopez in the second, and a three off a pass from Josh Green in the first. He is starting to look almost Luka-like with some of his dances to the rim and fancy passes. 

MELLI. Nicolo had a lovely evening in his first start with the Mavs, with 10 points on perfect shooting from the field and the line, in addition to 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Luka noted that the team is undefeated with Melli on the floor. Coach was extremely complimentary, calling attention to Melli’s defensive versatility, ability to guard both the perimeter and the post, rebounding, and quickness on his feet. Rick was pleased with his defense on Bertans, who was held to 11 points. He had a noteworthy trio of plays late in the second quarter — a blow-by for a made basket at the rim, a fly-in over the Wiz for a tip-in and-one, and a three. 

MARJANOVIC. Boban contributed 15 points and 12 boards as starting center. Rick observed his team-high +/- of 22, acknowledging that the stat is not an especially accurate measure of a player’s performance, but serves as a general indicator of what happened when the player was on the floor. He praised Bobi’s rebounding, block, free-throw shooting (5-6), and force around the basket. In general, he said that Boban is a productive guy, tireless worker, and as a person, has a great deal of gratitude, a positive vibe, and is great to be around. Boban exhibited some versatility in this match, showing that an elbow jumper and a free-throw line jumper are included in his repertoire. 

Boban is a heartwarming player to watch, and the fans aren’t the only ones who like him. Eleven different countries were represented between these two teams, and it appeared that they were all friends of Bobi’s, as Marjanovic was late for his post-game interview due to so many players wanting to greet him on the sideline. In Luka’s interview, the reporter commented that she knew Bobi and Luka were friends off the court, whereupon Luka wagged his finger at her and told her not to spread fake media stories about him, grinning all the while. The gentle giant has to be one of the most beloved players in the NBA. For all his smiles and goofiness, he says he approaches his career with the utmost professionalism and seriousness, and who would doubt ti?

MENTIONS. Powell served as the third big, and had 7 boards and 2 assists off the bench. Rick commented that Dwight and Boban make a good one-two punch in the middle, with Powell being a little quicker guarding the perimeter, and Bobi more of an inside presence. Green got some meaningful PT tonight, playing 20 “solid, quality” minutes off the bench, per Rick, and grabbing 7 rebounds. Although, if we were nitpicking, we would mention that he airbailed a wide open three. Burke had an unremarkable 10 minutes. 

WIZARDS. Westbrook played his usual frenetic game, and had 26 points and 14 rebounds. Lopez and Neto did a pretty good job carving up the Mavs off the bench, combining for 34 points. Davis Bertans put up 11 in his return to the court. 


OBSERVATIONS

Carlisle thought his team got off to a good start, and, although the game never had “much of a rhythm,”  they played “the right way,” and improved as the contest went along. He particularly liked the defense, adding that the 8-day snowpocalypse break had enabled the team to steal enough practice time to take their defense to a higher level, emphasizing physicality and attention to detail. 

The Mavs caught a break in this one, with Beal and Hachimura being late scratches, but they also had important players out themselves, and it was reassuring to see them win so decisively with KP resting and Luka cold from deep. I especially liked the energy, the focus, the defense, and the cohesion in the back-to-back. An encouraging step forward.

On Monday at the AAC, the Mavericks face one of the league’s best in the Utah Jazz. KP is expected to be available, and Maxi and J Rich are considered day-to-day. Should be a good test for the home team, as they try to move up the standings. 

Home again, home again, jiggety-jog!

Who was the player of the game who elevated his game to help the team win?

MAVS WIN DEFENSIVE BATTLE IN BIG APPLE

In a game where shots weren’t falling, both teams relied on their defensive chops to stay in the match. Although the Knicks put up a determined fight, the Mavs were able to put their stamp on the game at the end. 


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PERSONNEL. We all got a surprise when the news came out that Carlisle had unexpectedly tested positive for COVID in the morning, despite having been vaccinated in January. He remained in the hotel for the game, pending results of a re-test. Coach Mosley assumed sideline duties as acting head coach. After the game, Moze reported that Rick has been cleared for travel to D. C. tomorrow, so hopefully, it was just a false positive. 

WCS was still out pursuant to health and safety protocols, per the injury report. Willie has been listed as absent for that reason for over two weeks, so one hopes that nothing more serious has intervened. Redick was with the team in an observer capacity. Before the game, he said he is eager to get back on the court as soon as possible, and is very excited about playing with Luka and KP. Terry remained out for personal reasons. Mitchell Robinson was absent for the Knicks. 

GAME FLOW. The game began in a “ratty” manner, to quote Moze, and was pretty much a dogfight in the first quarter. Dallas trailed 22-25 after one. The Mavericks went through a putrid stretch to begin the second, allowing NY to accumulate a 13-point lead. Your boys came right back to close the quarter on an 18-2 run, with the Mavs taking a 49-46 lead on a 29’ step back three from Luka to end the period. 

Both teams exchanged runs in the third, and Dallas led 72-69 after thirty-six. The Mavericks really clamped down around halfway through the fourth, built a double-digit lead, and never looked back. 

STATS. The teams were about even in the possession battle, but the Mavs shot better inside the arc (47% v 36%). Point differentials for the Mavericks were +18 on points from twos, even on points from threes, and -5 in made free throws, with our men missing five of their 10 freebies. The visitors had a 50-25 advantage in PIP, but were on the wrong end of a 21-11 difference in points off turnovers. The defense can be credited for holding the Knicks to 86 points on 36% shooting overall. Five Mavs scored in double figures — Luka leading with 26, Brunson with 15 off the bench, KP and THJ chipping in 14 apiece, and Josh adding 11. 

KLEBER. Maxi had 7 points and 7 boards, but made his best contribution on the defensive end, holding his assignment Julius Randle to 14 points on 5-20 shooting. Coaches and players alike were raving about the German after the game, expressing amazement at the job he had done on Randle. Good work, Maxi!

DONCIC.  Luka had a 26/8/7 line, with a decent shooting night at 11-23. After the game, he said he didn’t think he had played all that well, but he was happy that the team managed the win. He is the motor that makes this team go, and he did a splendid job finding his teammates. He had a couple of nifty no-look passes, and Boucek commented that she has seen a lot of players make those passes, but the difference with Luka is that he uses his eyes to move the defense before making those unexpected passes. We’ll keep a lookout for that. 

In the fourth quarter, Luka draw a technical foul, softer than a baby’s skin, for yelling “and-one” after posterizing RJ Barrett. He may have gotten a makeup call later in the period, when he swung like Tarzan from the rim. At any rate, that was his 11th tech, so he may want to be a little careful going forward to avoid the automatic suspension after 16 T’s. 

PORZINGIS. Kristaps got off to a bad start, and looked unimpressive throughout most of the first half. He got it together more in the second, and ended up with a not-too-bad 14 points and  11 boards, although the points were on 6-17 shooting, and he had three turnovers. Returning to his old team, and perhaps extra motivated by the lusty boos of the “crowd” at MSG, I am sure that he hoped he would do way better, but it wasn’t to be. He had a technical foul at halftime — not sure what that was about, but may have reflected his frustration at how things were going. 

Post-game, the Bally crew and Boucek postulated that KP may have gotten a little overanxious to impress and ended up with a case of the yips. Coach Jenny said, however, that she was proud of KP for sticking with the game plan, refraining from forcing his offense, and “didn’t hurt the team.” Whoa, faint praise. Whatever the issues, Kris will get another crack at his old squad before long. 

BRUNSON. Jalen continued to wow with another phenomenal game. He had 15 points (6-9 FGA), 7 rebounds and 5 assists in 25 minutes off the bench. It was very enjoyable to watch the way he is able to break down the defense and get to the rim. Jenny admired his secondary playmaking, poise, and shot creation, declaring the Mavs to be a better team when JB is on the floor. Moze also complimented Jalen for his timing, game management, court vision, and team leadership. Wonderful!

MENTIONS. THJ made a good recovery from a forgettable game against Boston, and had 14 points on 5-9 shooting in 21 minutes of action. Jenny called his performance “tremendous,” and commented on what a luxury it is to have a guy off the bench who can get hot so fast and operate as a game changer. She allowed that whenever the Mavs get down, Timmy is going into the game. Richardson had a few really nice plays, and had an efficient (5-10 FGA), if limited, evening with 11 points. Powell and Melli served as the third and fourth bigs, and combined for 4 points and 1 rebound in 24 minutes. 

REDICK. JJ didn’t play, but Coach Boucek gave us some insights as to what he is expected to contribute to the team. She confirmed that what the Mavs were really looking for in signing Redick is help in the playoffs (hence, why they are not too discombobulated by his lack of a timetable right now). They see him as a shooter who can run off ball screens and hit with a high degree of accuracy. He also has more playoff experience than the whole rest of the team combined, and they think he will be a great addition in the locker room. We hope he makes his way to the court before long. 

KNICKS. The Knicks have really come along, particularly on the defensive end, of late, and aren’t the pushovers they once were. Alec Burks was their leading scorer with 20 points off the bench. Randle had 14 points and 11 boards, and Reggie Bullock added 13. The Mavs deserve some credit for holding several Knicks to extremely inefficient shooting — Randle 5-20, Barrett 3-11, Rose 1-10, Quickley 2-9. Pee-ew. 


OBSERVATIONS

The acting head coach applauded his squad for a “great team effort.” He said he felt a sense of comfort when Rick messaged him before the game with the news that Moze would probably coach, and assured Mosley that he was ready. Jenny added that, at this point in Rick’s career, he is all about leaving a legacy and passing the torch, and gives a lot of attention to the professional development of his coaching staff. The players who spoke after the game unanimously declared that Mosley did a great job. 

This was an unusual contest, in that the Mavs’ high-powered offense was not consistently on display. It was a grit n’ grind type of game, and it was great to see that our team was able to dig out with defense and win ugly, since that’s probably what they’re going to see in the playoffs. It was also satisfying to see the opponent crater in the stretch and the Mavs to build on and cement their lead, for a change. 

The Mavericks travel to DC tonight for a SEGABABA against the Wizards. I don’t know whether the Mavs are going to rest players, but if Luka plays, I look forward to the Luka-Russ matchup. 

I like this game. Hope they can keep up the good work tomorrow.

Who was the player of the game who elevated his game to help the team get the win?