Mavs Fall Short to Team Kawhi in Clutch
Powell Goes Down With Achilles Injury

The home-team Mavs went down big in the second quarter, came back just as big, had several chances in the clutch, but ultimately just made too many mistakes and missed too many free throws. The really terrible news of the night was Dwight Powell falling down without contact, and being diagnosed with an Achilles injury, feared to be severe. Dwight will have an MRI on Wednesday. 


Game Story

Porzingis made his return after ten games out. YAY!!!  Paul George was out for the Clips. 

Both teams got off to a putrid start, combining for 1-20 on their first twenty shots. The Mavs eventually recovered, and the score was tied at 24-24 after the first. Powell went down toward the end of the quarter and was helped to the locker room. 

The Mavericks held on to their lead for a while, but the Clippers closed the second period with a 27-10 run, as the wheels fell off the Mavs bus and the chassis crumbled to dust. The reffing left something to be desired, and Harp thought the team was letting that mess with their heads. I wonder if they weren't also rattled by Powell's injury, as word filtered through the arena that he had indeed suffered an Achilles injury. I know I was finding it harder to pay attention. The Mavs were down 49-60 at halftime. 

Barea started in Maxi's place in the third. Rick wanted more playmaking on the court, and to give Luka more time off the ball. However, the team was getting crushed on the boards. Adjustments were made, and the home team ended the frame with a deficit narrowed to 78-82.

Dallas ground their way to a couple of 2-point leads in the last five minutes of the game. They couldn't sustain it, though. A Maxi dunk put them within 3 with 25 seconds left. Delon Wright stole the inbounds pass and Luka passed to Tim for an open three-point shot, which Tim unfortunately missed. Maxi intentionally fouled Jamychal Green, who obligingly missed both free throws. Shamet intentionally fouled Luka, who missed his first free throw, and then was forced to intentionally miss the second with 12 seconds left. Kawhi, however got the rebound. Porzee intentionally fouled Kawhi, who hit both of his free throws. That left the Clips up 5 with six seconds left. Luka ended the game with a meaningless floater. 


Analytics

The Mavs were undone by:

-- very poor three-point shooting (28%). Luka, KP, DFS and Maxi combined to go 6-29 from long range. They got some great looks, but weren't able to hit. 

-- poor free-throw shooting. The team missed 7 free throws -- more than twice the point differential in the game. The Mavs need to get a handle on this issue. Game after game after game, they miss an inordinate number of foul shots. That's just a lack of focus, and it is costing them wins. 

-- poor performance on the boards. The boys in blue gave up an appalling 20 offensive rebounds, along with 20 second-chance points. Have to do better than that. 

-- turnovers. Turnovers continue to bite the Mavs, as they lost 19 points to giveaways on the night. 

-- disappointing clutch performance. This is an old story, so I won't belabor it. To the Mavs' credit, they did fight hard, and were in it until the very end, but just never could get over the hump. 

What is really surprising about this match is that the Mavericks came as close as they did. The Clippers didn't play all that well either, but, in the end, they were just too good. No shame in losing to a team of that quality. Just a shame to come that close and let it slip away. 


Players

Luka (37 min) ended the game with a 36-10-9 line. He was 3-12 from three, and got to the line for a game-high 14 FTAs, but missed 5 of them, some at crucial junctures. Luka got a little grief for passing to Tim on that clutch shot, but he maintained that passing to Hardaway was "the 100% right play." Carlisle backed him up on that, saying that, considering how well Tim is shooting, that was the play to make. I tend to agree. Luka is not a good three-point shooter, but he is a great passer, and a pass to an open shooter seemed like the best percentage play. 

KP (27 min) was on his first game back after a knee injury, and he moved well, but was clearly shaking off some rust. He had 10 points and 9 boards, but was 4-17 from the field and 1-8 from three. Carlisle said that it will take a little time for Zinger to regain his rhythm, but he doesn't expect it to be long. Coach also praised his big man for his blocks and deflections protecting the rim. KP was limited to short stretches of play, and was on a minutes watch. Porzee was kicking himself after the game, saying that the team could have won if he had played a little better, and that the loss was on him. 

Boban (16 min) got some extended run in light of DP's injury. He had 12 points and 7 rebounds in his time on the court. He added some interior offense, with layins, post-ups, floaters, and flat-footed shots and rebounds with a smile in the opponent's face, lol. It slays me to watch him play -- in a good way.  He rarely misses shots, and went 5-6 on the night. Also exhibited some passing skill, and made good decisions.  He was one of 5 Mavs who ended up in net positive territory in the +/- column. Carlisle commended him for being ready. I think we will be seeing more of Bobi in days to come. 

Clippers.  Kawhi burned the Mavs with 36 points and 11 boards, although he was 1-9 from three. DFS was not strong enough or big enough to guard him, and Maxi wore himself out trying. Lou Williams led the bench unit with 16 points, and Montrezl Harrell bully-balled the Mavs with a shocking lack of repercussions from the refs. This is a very good team -- and they didn't even have Paul George. If moral victories counted for anything, the Mavs might have earned one playing them so close. 


Remarks

Rick observed that it was a "somber" night, and he looked devastated over Powell's injury. He commended Powell for being a "soldier of the franchise," and for "defining the Mavs culture." As far as the game was concerned, he thought his squad competed well and consistently, but Kawhi was amazing and the Clips just overpowered them. 

The loss almost seems beside the point, in light of Powell's injury. He had been playing so well the last 10 games or so, and he will definitely be missed. If his Achilles is indeed ruptured, he will miss the rest of the season. Rick said they will be looking at "everything" in terms of trying to fill the void, declining to speak about personnel changes from outside the current roster. Powell will have an MRI on Wednesday, and the Mavs should have an official statement thereafter. 

This game had some of the aspects of the little brothers playing the big brothers. The Mavs didn't have quite the head game that the Clips did, although the Luka-Kawhi show was entertaining. Kudos to the overmatched Mavs for making a game of it. They still have a lot to work on, but the overall trajectory is upward, aside from injuries. 


Next. The Mavericks will take on the Blazers on Thursday, this time in Portland. Will be interesting to see what happens, as they reset once again. 

Soldier on, Mavs!

https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status...4761451521

Good episode. Not atypically, they discussed things that we talk about.

A few notables:

The defense is built around KP and should improve quite a bit with the Unicorn coming back. He'll erase a portion of the layups we've been seeing. 

The Mavs lineups haven't logged many minutes compared to other teams.

• Dallas most used lineup has played only 199 minutes together. 
  
• Denver's has played 577 min
  
• Houston's has played 347 min. 
  
• Clippers are the only playoff team like us. 
  
• Our second and third most used lineups were the starting lineups when Luka was out and then when KP was out. 
  

• Maxi is playing like a 3&D wing. He shuts down guys like Siakam. Guards' eyes light up when Maxi switches on to them, and then he swallows them up. 
  
• There are only 16 players who shoot 37% from 3 and have a positive defensive box plus/minus. The Mavs have two of them (Maxi and DFS). 
  
• The Mavs always liked THJ. Last season they were telling Bobby, "wait til Tim is healthy". He had the tools just needed a different situation.
  
• Only 3 players have an eFG% of 59%, score 16 points, and shoot 3 - 3's. Towns, Giannis and THJ. 
  

• Sounds like a Mavs staffer told Skin that the Mavs had their eyes on a player but that the other team asked for too much and never came off their asking price. He doesn't think that particular want is going to happen at this point. Didn't hint at the player, except to say
  
• The biggest need would be a vet presence others can learn from, good defender who can make plays late in games, keeps his head under pressure (because he's a vet) and only needs 15 minutes per night. My thought: Seems obvious to me who he's talking about.
  
• At one time he thought a 3&D wing was the biggest need, and he'd still take one, but DFS and Maxi have made this need not as urgent. 
  
• Other need is for big body who can defend and is able to play in more game situations than Boban
  

Always like his toughness. He needs help
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/...peers/amp/

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2020/01/17/ch...ricks.html

What’s happened with going local?
AT&T or American Airlines weren’t available?

Former Mav Chandler Parsons was hit by a drunk driver when he was driving home from practice with the Atlanta Hawks on the 15th. His injuries include a brain injury, herniated disc(s), and a torn labrum. There is no timetable for his return, and the injuries are potentially career-ending, according to a lawsuit filed on his behalf. Parsons was concussed in the accident, and has reportedly not been able to grasp the import of the accident at this point. 

Get well, Chandler!

Mavs Top Blazers in Fourth Straight Win

The Mavericks took care of business in front of their home fans in what turned out to be the Luka v Lillard show. 


Game Story

Collins, Hood, and Labissiere occupied slots on Portland's injury list. Dame played with an upper respiratory infection, which could have meant a cold. McCollum left the game in the second quarter with a sprained ankle. On the Mavs' side, KP was out for the 10th consecutive game. So, what IS wrong with Zinger, anyway?

Maxi took Porzee's place in the starting lineup. Dallas opened the game slogging through mud, and were down by 11 within the first five minutes. Then they stormed back with 26 points in four minutes or so, and took their first lead with 4:09 left in the quarter. Two Brunson free throws put them ahead 38-37 at the end of the frame in what was turning into a shootout. The two teams combined for 22 3PTAs in the period, hitting 12. Luka dazzled for the Mavs with fourteen points. The home team would never surrender their lead.

The Mavericks surged in the second, and went into the half with a 72-63 advantage. Not a lot of defense being played from either squad. Brunson led the team with 11 points in the quarter, and put the finishing touch on the period with a running reverse layup. Bazemore, who drew the bewildering job of guarding Luka, had four fouls by halftime, limiting his ability to be aggressive in his defensive duties. 

The third period was Hardaway's time to shine, and he put on a show with 15 points. The team had a game-high 17-point lead with 3 minutes left. Being the Mavs, they found a way to make it interesting, and the opponents went on a 12-4 run to close the quarter. Dallas' lead was down to 98-89 when the buzzer sounded. 

The home team continued their slide to begin the fourth, and their edge was down to four within the first five minutes. The starters came back in en masse with 8 minutes left, and the unit ended the period with an 18-14 edge. Seth led the squad with 7 points and some clever ball handling. His dramatic steal from Lillard and ensuing layup was a momentum move and was deemed the play of the game. The Mavs clamped down toward the end with five defensive stops, and a layup and dagger three from Luka sealed the deal. 


Analytics

Three-point shooting was the name of the game for the Mavs. They took 17 more long-range attempts than Portland, and hit 20 of those for a 43% pyrotechnical display. The match was a little choppy, with 50 fouls called, but the Mavs responded by shooting 79% from the line. The Mavericks' overall game plan with KP out appeared to be trading threes for twos, as they repeatedly funneled the Blazers into the paint, and provided little to no resistance at the rim. It worked, after a fashion, and the blue and silver ended up +33 on points from threes, +7 on made free throws, and -32 on points from twos. 

Dallas secured 13 offensive rebounds and had 20 second-chance points. The Mavs lead the league in second-chance points -- who knew? On the other hand, they gave up 17 points off turnovers, leaving the possession game relatively even. The second period was key, with the Mavs' point differential per quarter being +1, +8, 0, and -1. The bench showed up with 42 points, while Portland's second unit had a measly 20. Defense began as a nonexistent concept, but grew progressively better as the game went along, and was impressive during the final run. 


Players

Luka (34 min) was on fire. He had a 35-8-7 line, and hit a career-high 8 threes in the contest. His 7 assists led the team, and he kept his turnovers down to a relatively reasonable three. He had a dramatic four-point play in the second, when he shocked his man with a sudden pull-up three, despite being closely guarded. Bazemore was tagged with his fourth foul with about a minute left in the second period, and Luka took advantage with a 26-foot three and driving finger-roll layup before the interval. 

Doncic was called for a controversial flagrant in the third, when he raised his arms to shoot with Whiteside in his grill, and his elbows caught Hassan's face. Guess ball don't lie, as HW missed both free throws. The young phenom lit the place up all night. Amazing to think that his best is yet to come. 

Maxi (33 min) had 10 points on 2-8 shooting, to go with 5 rebounds. His contributions, however, far outweighed his line, and he and Doe Doe led the team in +/- at +9. He drew defensive duty on Carmelo, who was a handful, but he performed with aplomb. The Mavs ran some MK-SC pick and roll in the fourth, and MK had a beautiful kick-out to Seth for a three. Playmaker! Rick noted that Maxi had long minutes as one of the team's only two bigs. While Carlisle prefers to keep their minutes in the twenties, he thought that Kleber made it through his 33 minutes just fine. At one point, I was watching a play out of the corner of my eye and thought that Luka was looking quite stellar on defense, only to realize on closer inspection that it was Maxi I was watching, lol.

Hardaway (32 min) was blazing, putting together an amazing 29 points on 16 shots. Portland focused on trying to keep the ball out of Luka's hands, and Tim stepped up in a big way. Rick gushed over the guard, who he thought was great all night on both ends. Coach appreciated his aggression, dialed-in focus, concentration, brilliant shotmaking, great presence, and infectious energy. 

Carlisle opined that there is no question that Tim is a starter in the league, and the only question roster-wise was whether he should be used as a starter or a sixth man. He tried Tim in a sixth-man role to begin the season. When Seth got sick and THJ filled in, Rick thought it was "pretty clear" that Tim should play the starting role, and that Seth had had a great attitude about it.

Seth (29 min) had 16 points off the bench, and played a key role in the stretch. Rick has been giving Luka periods of "rest" during the game by taking him off the ball, so that he doesn't have to use up his energy driving all the time. Seth drew that responsibility in the fourth, and Luka looked fresh and strong delivering in the clutch. Rick thought Curry's glittering steal and layup was "huge," and was key to getting the crowd involved. Seth revealed that Rick is making an effort to use Seth more as a ball handler when he and Luka are both on the floor, and the experiment worked on the night. 

Brunson (19 min) had a pretty good night out, with 13 points on 5-10 shooting. In addition to leading the offense, he had an exciting giant-killer, when his shot close to the rim arched WAY up high over his big man defender, and came down right through the nylon. He was aggressive off the bench, and provided a steadying influence when Luka was off the floor. 

Blazers. Dame entertained with 34 points and 10 assists. What a great player! Although there is no stopping a player of that quality, the Mavs gained some valuable experience giving it a go. The Luka-Lillard matchup was a highlight of the season. Carmelo had 22 points on 16 shots. We can talk a lot (and we have) about Melo's deficiencies, but he can flat put the ball in the basket. Whiteside dominated the paint on both ends, and stuffed the box score with 21 points, 18 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Nevertheless, he had plenty of head-scratching plays, dopey fouls, and several defensive three-second technicals. Some commentators thought he was one of the best players for the Mavs, lol. The Blazers had a bad break when CJ went out with a sprained ankle, and the visitors lost the starting back court battle 38-64.


Remarks

Rick thought that this was a good win and liked his squad's play, while acknowledging that his team dodged bullets all night and committed mistakes that they can improve on in the future. He thought they performed well in the clutch, winning the game with stops. He praised Seth's huge steal and layup and PNR plays, Hardaway's deflections, DFS' rebounding, and Luka's dagger in the final few minutes.

The Mavs made their share of cringeworthy mistakes in this match (for example, giving up offensive rebounds while ball-watching, including after a lane violation on a Portland free throw attempt), but on balance, I liked the performance. They held onto the lead for the last three quarters. Despite narrowing their advantage from 17 to 4 over the last few minutes of the third and beginning of the fourth, they had some good energy in the tank to finish the game strong. I think the extra day of rest after the last game had Luka looking lively, after he had seemed to be wearing down under the pressure of a crowded schedule. 

The team still allowed a parade to the basket, with no one offering the rim protection that KP does. However, hot three-point shooting covers a multitude of sins, and the Mavs sparkled from long distance. Hardaway was spectacular, and the entire team showed a lot of synergy. Defense was impressive in the fourth, and the squad looked rejuvenated at home. It wasn't their best performance, but it was a long way from their worst, and they are showing progress as the season rolls along. Good win!


Next. The Mavs will get another run at the Clippers on Tuesday. Hopefully, they will benefit from the rest between now and then. 

Go Mavs!

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

Just thought he deserves his own thread.