https://youtu.be/fMNUfgHohZE

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Mavs Set Records, Survive Late Spurs Rally


The season's first match with South Texas rival San Antonio Spurs did not disappoint for entertainment.


Story Arc.  The Mavs got out to an early start (improvement!), and claimed 36 points and a 14-point lead when the first quarter buzzer sounded. The home team Mavericks built their advantage to a game-high 18 points several times in the second, and entered the half with a ten-point edge. The Spurs battled back to within four in the third, but Dallas entered the fourth with a 14-point cushion. The Spurs had no intention of going quietly, and cut the deficit to two points within the last minute. The Mavs closed out with fireworks, and the good guys won. 

Analytics. The Spurs stayed in the game with more possessions than the Mavs, getting 12 more shots up, and with better FT shooting. They grabbed an amazing 17 offensive boards, and limited their turnovers to 9. Mavs, however, had a more efficient shooting pattern, attempting 41 threes to the Spurs' 23. The boys in blue hit 17 of those 3PTAs (41%), and got to the line for 16-23 FTAs (70%), compared to the black and silver's 8-24 3PTAs (33%), and 14-16 FTAs (88%). The Mavericks also exhibited good team offense. Fully two-thirds of the Mavs' baskets were assisted (!), while only about a fourth of the Spurs' buckets were. There you have it. 


Record-Setters

    Luka.  Luka played a superlative, breathtaking game in 35 minutes, and earned a career-high 42 points on his sixth triple-double of the season (42-11-12). He became the second player in NBA history to have a forty-point triple-double under the age of 21 (after LeBron), and the only Maverick, no matter what age, to ever accomplish such a feat. He got to the free throw line 13 times, and hit 9. 

    Carlisle's postgame comments were interesting. He noted that Luka is having a magical run, with most of his teammates "along for the ride," and that sustaining that kind of performance would be a lot to ask. Luka was huffing, puffing, and sweating at the end, and Carlisle added that these games take a lot out of him physically and emotionally, and that it is necessary to watch his load carefully. He commended Luka for calling a play for DFS to get a three, which Dodo banked in, saying that it was an example of Luka's leadership on the court. 


    DFS. DFS co-led the team with 35 minutes, and set a career-high in scoring with 22 points on crazy 8-10 shooting, including 3-4 threes, along with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, a block, only 1 turnover, and, remarkably, only two PFs. When Luka was asked after the game what accounted for his being able to put together a career game, he replied, "Dorian Finney-Smith. That's it." Dodo termed Luka's comment "magnanimous." The SF played determined defense, as always. Rick approved of his "huge game,  decisive shot-making, and defense of DDR." Cedric Ceballos said that DFS is a finisher, goes hard for offensive rebounds, and runs hard in transition. 


Honorable Mention

    KP.  Porzingis had what was probably his best game as a Mav, contributing 18 points (including 4 threes) and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes. He played well defensively, and seemed to be in a much better flow in the attack. 

    Ceballos noted that the motion offense caters to him, that he is now shooting standing straight up rather than taking so many fadeaways, he had a couple of good post-ups, his lack of need for much shooting space is lethal, and he is shooting with more confidence as he is settling in. Skin commented that KP isn't forcing shots now, is playing in the flow rather than taking turns with Luka, and opens up opportunities for other players. He said we should remember that KP has never played this style of basketball in the NBA before. At the Knicks, he was the first option in an iso-oriented system, and he is actually learning Rick's style more quickly than most players would be able to do. Pop observed that KP is a "wonderful" athlete, "smart," and "has it all." 


A Thriller in the Clutch 

    The Mavs are still learning how to hold onto leads at the ends of games, and they got another workout by the Spurs. The home team entered the fourth quarter with a 14-point lead. The bench did a decent job of keeping the Mavericks in it, with a lead of 8 when Luka came back in with 6:25 to play. The last 15 possessions were both hair-raising and instructive. 

    6:14 Luka is fouled, and hits both free throws.  103-93. KP re-enters the game. 
            DeRozan hits a 17-foot jump shot over DFS.  Have to shake his hand on that one. 103-95.

    5:34 KP turnover on DeMarre Carroll steal. Live ball TO. 
            DDR hits over Luka.  103-97.  It's either team's game now. Mavs call a timeout. Seth comes in. 

    5:13  Luka called for a charge for jumping into DDR. His third foul. Dead ball TO. Maxi enters. The Mavs now have their closing lineup on the floor -- Luka, Seth, DFS, KP, Maxi. 
             DeMarre Carroll hits open 23-ft three on kick-out assist from DDR. OMG! 103-100. 

    4:50  Carroll fouls KP, who splits his FTs. 104-100.
             DDR drives to the basket and scores. 104-102.

    4:21  Luka responds in kind.  106-102
             Luka collects his fourth foul on a Bryn Forbes drive. Forbes hits his FTs.  106-104

    3:54  Luka misses a contested floater, but KP tips it in. Yay!  108-104
             Luka called for a blocking foul -- his fifth. RC chooses not to challenge. DFS blocks DDR's shot at the rim. 

    3:24  DDR fouls Luka attempting a three. The foul is called on the floor. Doncic splits his free throws. 109-104   Spurs take a timeout. 
             Patty Mills misses a three, and LaMarcus Aldridge fouls DFS on the rebound. 

    3:03  DFS splits his free throws.  110-104
             Forbes makes huge 25-foot three from DDR. Mavs could have done better there.  110-107

    2:35  KP misses a floater.
             Dodo called for a foul, but no free throws. DDR kicks out to an open Forbes, but Bryn misses a three. 

    2:05  Doncic misses a step-back three off a Maxi screen. 
              Mills misses a three.

    1:31  Luka drives to the basket with about ten seconds left on the shot clock. He misses a contested layup. Somehow, Seth grabs the offensive board in a crowd and takes it out to the arc again. He gets the rock to KP, who bobbles the ball up into the air, and reaches up to tip it to DFS, who hits a shot-clock beating 22-footer!  It survives a shot clock violation review. What a possession! The arena is rocking!   112-107   Spurs call time. 
            Maxi intercepts a bad pass from Mills!

    0:54  But Luka loses the ball, and Forbes steals. Live ball TO. 
             And Rudy Gay takes advantage with a 24-foot three over KP. 112-110

    0:28  Luka retorts with a 29-foot step back dagger over Forbes! The arena roof is lifting. Luka magic!  115-110
             Spurs take a timeout. Mavs start their late-game subs. Spurs commit a 5-second violation on the inbounds!

    0:04  Luka dances with the ball, drives into the paint, falls on his knees, dishes an assist from his knees to Seth, who makes the layup. Wow! One could argue that the safer play might have just been to smother the ball, but it really didn't matter, and this was as dramatic as it gets. What an incredible recovery to end the match! 117-110  Full time!


A wildly entertaining last 6 minutes, with mistakes alternating on a second-by-second basis with amazing play from both teams. The Mavs still have issues in the clutch with turnovers, fouls, and missing free throws. To their credit, they did not allow offensive rebounds, in a game where the Spurs had been monstrous on the offensive glass. The Spurs made their fair share of errors, as well. But both sides exhibited some "hellacious shot-making," to quote Rick Carlisle, and the Mavs escaped with a W in the end. Whew!


Impressions

    Carlisle. Mavs got off to a very good start, and had some good responses to runs. On the other hand, his team got a little lucky with some  Spurs' misses, lost three-point shooters, gave up offensive rebounds as the Spurs crashed the boards hard, missed some loose balls, and gave up too many free throw attempts. However, he thinks the overall learning curve is trending upward. 

     Ceballos remarked that the Spurs' defense kept them in the game, and that the Mavs' three-point shooting enabled them to hold on. 


Spurs

    I hardly recognized the Spurs at first, although their squad did contain such familiar luminaries as LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan, DeMarre Carroll, Rudy Gay, Marco Belinelli, and Patty Mills. Despite good defense from DFS and others, DDR torched Dallas for 36 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists with some stellar play. LMA threw in 16 points and 9 boards, and shooting guard Bryn Forbes was the third Spur in double digits with 13 points. Backup center Jakob Poetl had 10 rebounds off the bench. 

    San Antonio was coming off 5 straight losses, got off to a poor start, but fought back until the bitter end. A Mavs victory in a close Spurs rivalry game is always sweet. 


Random observation.  The Mavs' starting back court looked snazzy in fluorescent kicks -- Luka sporting lime green, and Seth making a splash in red-orange. Fashion plates!


Closing remarks. Not to throw cold water on any euphoria, but the Mavs came close to losing to a woeful Spurs team. When SA finally ratcheted it up in the fourth quarter, Dallas barely managed to salvage its lead with some literally last-minute heroics. However, there were so many dazzling moments that I think we are justified in reveling in our delight, and saving the worries for next time. A truly exciting experience!


Next. The Mavs face Golden State on Wednesday. The tank is rolling is San Francisco, so another W may be in the offing. Until then!

My (@"aguiar95") 2020 Dallas Mavericks NBA Draft Big Board 3.0:

I'll do the last one close to the draft when more information are shared.

Tier I: Superstar. Trade anything but Luka to get this guy. Potential 1st/2nd best player on our championship team.

- No one.

Tier II: All-Stars in Dallas. Trade anything but Luka/KP to get this guy. Potential 2nd/3rd best player on our championship team.

- No one.

Tier III: Trade-up for a future starter in Dallas. Trade anything but our core-6 to get this guy if he falls to #9 or lower. Potential 3rd/4th/5th best player on our championship team. 

1) D. Vassell (Elite defender that can hit from outside, one of the best 3&D prospects in years)
2) T. Haliburton (PnR player with great defensive instincts)

Tier IV: Stay put for a Future role player in Dallas. Wouldn’t trade up for them. If they reach #18, we draft them. Potential 5th/6th best player on our championship team.

3) R.J. Hampton (homeboy like Trey Burke on steroids, highest ceiling of the guys available)
4) P. Achiuwa (switchability 1-5, anchor of the best defense in the country)
5) S. Bey (Elite C&S with fundamentals and versatility on defense)
6) K. Lewis Jr. (great PnR offense, shooter and as quick as it gets in this class)
7) J. Smith (modern big, shoot switch and protect)

Use #18 to get an upgrade on the roster. Guys beyond this we pick only if we can’t find a good deal to improve our roster.

8) J. Green (good C&S paired with great on-ball defense) 
9) T. Maledon (killer PnR hostage, good 3rd guy potential) 
10) T. Terry (elite 3-pt shooting)

Tier V: Rotation players. Wouldn’t draft them at #18 unless all options above are gone. If they reach #31 (or we trade #18 down), we draft them. Potential 6th/7th/8th best player on our championship team

11) T. Bey (vertical, post defender, lob thread, sb5 if needed)
12) N. Mannion (playmaker and shooter with elite vision)
13) L. Bolmaro (Stash, we have Madrid/Betis guys, complete with a Barcelona kid that can make plays and defend)
14) K. Tillie (best pick-and-pop guy in the draft, ready to contribute, have to pass medicals)
15) I. Quickley (FT hunter, PoA defense, 6”3 with 6”8 wingspan)

Use #31 to dump Jackson/Wright. Don’t think anyone besides this is going to have a major impact here, so we’re better off clearing some money. 

Tier VI: Rotation substitute players. Wouldn’t draft them at #31, but are worth keeping an eye for a possible trade-down/undrafted/two-way scenario (all have interesting skillsets that match what we want). Possible 8th/9th/10th best player on our championship team.

16) I. Joe (Top C&S on the draft, not bad on D)
17) M. Diakite (Everything we want on defense for a PF help/post/switch with 3-pt range)
18) M. Simonovic. (Balkan boy to pick-and-pop/roll man)




Time to revise my (@"Scott41theMavs") draft board in response to Kamm's way-too-conservative one...

Do not want for the Mavs, but they'll push the guys I do want down:
1) Ball
2) Edwards
3) Toppin
4) Wiseman

Trade-up Targets (if they slip to #10 or lower). Offer Brunson, 18, and 31. 
5) Okongwu
6) Vassell
7) Haliburton
8) Avdija
9) Okoro

Trade-up targets (if they slip to 12 or lower) 18 + 31 packaged
All of the above, plus
10) S. Bey
11) Smith
12) Terry
13) Nesmith - the big addition. If Kamm trusts that he might become worth a damn at defense, he deserves to be here.
14) Achiuwa
15) Hayes

Draft at #18 Targets. Wouldn’t trade up for them. If they reach #18, we draft them.
All of the above, plus
16) Hampton
17) Green
18) Reed (if I'm the Mavs and he's the best of these 18 available, I either reach for him here or trade down for him, as the next three guys should have strong value)

The pass on Reed, buy another pick for him, and take one of these guys instead if Donnie wants to take a flyer on this guy or simply build value crew:
19) Maxey
20) Lewis
21) Anthony

Trade for/Buy a later first Targets. Wouldn’t draft them at #18. Cuban said he was a buyer. Time for him to prove it.
All of the above if available, plus
22) Tiger
23) Williams
24) Woodard
25) Bane
26) Bolmaro

Draft at #31 (or another 2nd round pick) Targets. Wouldn’t trade up for them. If they reach #31, we draft them.
Any of the above, plus
27) Ramsay
28) Aleksej
29) Alexander

Draft using a traded-for additional second:
30) Riller
31) Flynn
32) Scrubb
33) Hughes
34) Joe





My (@"Kammrath") FINAL Mavs-centric draft board (meaning I am listing the guys I think are a good fit in the organization and possible to get in the right situation).

I have 9 guys I am grading as first rounders for the Mavs to try to get (3 as trade-up targets and 6 as #18 targets) and then I have 6 guys I am grading for the 2nd round. 


Trade-up Targets

1) Killian Hayes -- 19.3 years -- 6'5" | 6'8" wingspan

• is one of the potential stars in this draft IMO...already pretty dominant while having no right hand to speak of and being terrible in catch and shoot situations (0.67 PPP)...with improvement in those two areas I think he would be the 3rd star the Mavs need
  
• good off the dribble (0.99 PPP) and around the rim in the half court (1.25 PPP)
  
• when he is locked-in he is a very good on-ball and off-ball defender 
  

• is the exact wing defender the Mavs need in the starting lineup with a great three ball
  
• elite in catch and shoot (1.22 PPP) and transition (1.41 PPP)
  
• great on-ball defender (0.50 PPP)
  

• great potential to be 3rd banana/2nd creator and great defender but more of a role-player than star
  
• elite in spot up (1.43 PPP) and catch and shoot (1.49 PPP)
  
• great on-ball defender (0.50 PPP)
  

• if his shooting improvement is legit...TAKE all day, one of the highest ceilings in the draft
  
• probably the fastest player in the draft
  
• can get to the rim at will in basically any situation, something most guys can not do, but needs to improve finishing at the rim a whole lot
  

• athletic wing prospect who can be a small ball big as well, the kind of versatile player that can bring team defense together
  
• great around the rim (1.33 PPP) and good at spot up (1.02 PPP) and elite mid-range jump shot (1.14 PPP)
  
• solid post defender (0.82 PPP) and great one-on-one on the perimeter (0.48 PPP)
  

• young player that played in the EuroLeague with a hurt shooting shoulder and showed flashes of great potential as a creator, shooter, and defender
  
• good at the rim (1.23 PPP), at spot up (1.0 PPP), and pick and roll (0.87 PPP)
  
• promising defender with lots of potential for growth to guard 1-3
  

• great 3&D player, but his lack of athleticism, explosiveness, and lateral quickness in game film is concerning
  
• elite in transition (1.39 PPP) and in spot up (1.31 PPP) and great in pick and roll (0.94 PPP)
  
• great one-on-one defender (0.56 PPP)
  

• his shooting numbers are just insane (relatively small sample size though) and he shows enough potential as a defender to intrigue me
  
• elite at spot up (1.23 PPP), catch and shoot (1.64 PPP), and off screens (0.93 PPP) and good off dribble (0.92 PPP)
  
• solid defender one-on-one (0.71)
  

• all the athletic tools and with the right development has the potential to be the exact kind of big the Mavs need with the ability to rim roll and defend 1-5 on the switch
  
• good on-ball defender (0.61 PPP)
  

• unselfish player who can facilitate when needed
  
• shot shows promise but needs lots of work
  
• great, hard nosed, and competitive defender
  

• elite catch and shoot (1.63 PPP) and around the rim (1.45 PPP)
  
• good defender with versatility, even a solid defender in the post (0.82 PPP)
  

• great around the rim (1.29 PPP) and at good catch and shoot (1.08 PPP)
  
• good one-on-one defender (0.62 PPP) who gave up only 32.3% on all FG attempts
  

• great at spot up (1.08 PPP), pick and roll (0.91), and with the floater (0.94 PPP) and elite off the dribble (1.38 PPP)
  
• great one-on-one defender (0.48 PPP)
  

• 40% three point shooter who is better off-ball
  
• elite overall defender (opponents shot 30.3%, 0.62 PPP)
  

• great around the rim (1.29 PPP)
  
• good post defender (0.78 PPP) and one-on-one (0.55 PPP)
  

Who was the "player of the game" who elevated their game above normal to get the team the win?

Hello all,

I've been following the boards for the past year or so and watching games on League Pass and if all goes well the time has come for me to have a live experience.

I just sorted my US visa (or ESTA or whatever it's called if you're from Lukaland) as a just in case thing but it's looking increasingly likely I will be in Dallas this Friday for the Cavs game then in Houston on Sunday and back in Dallas on Tuesday for the Clippers. And then either back home or extending the trip to Phoenix on Friday and LA on Sunday and then going back on Sunday evening.

So I thought I'd ask you experts/natives for some advice like

What are the best (reasonable) seats go get? The closer the better? Asking because especially the Clippers game seems to be VERY expensive (for me anyway) and don't even get me started on prices in the Staples Center.

Which site is it best to buy them from?

What time do I show up at the arena(s)?

Where do I get good food in Dallas?

Anything else you might think of...

Thank you in advance and sorry for probably posting in the wrong section but I thought the post might get more exposure here.

I'm just curious how we are distributed around the globe.

Feel free to add your country of origin and how you became an NBA/Mavs fan.

I'm from Germany. I got into the NBA by a Childhood friend and due to playing some oldsql NBA games on Gameboy and PC. Greg Ostertag for three! , Plus we had weekly highlights of the NBA running in free tv in Germany.
Oh and I think Space Jam was one of the first movies I've ever been to the cinema.

I became a Mavs fan in 2006, watched the whole Playoffs to cope with the death of my father.

Stayed on ever since, sometimes watching more sometimes only reading the forums.

I like these guys, they're a pretty good listen. Lots of stuff that we talk about in this episode

Too Long Won't Listen Summary:

• Made fun of Mavs Twitter for thinking that moving 2 minutes of Luka from the 3rd quarter to the 4th was the key to the win.
  
• This starting lineup is their favorite, has been their favorite (even though the #s aren't great so far) because of the combo of shooting, defense and playmaking.
  
• Loved Maxi's defense and Maxi/DFS defense down the stretch.
  
• Is the minutes distribution (high minutes for starters) a sign that Rick thought of this as a must win or is it a sign of the minutes distribution moving forward (set starters and shortened rotation)? 
  
• KP stated after the game that he attacked the boards because he wanted to do things other than score. 
  
• Nick and Isaac liked that KP, DFS and Maxi were more versatile offensively rather than just doing the same things over and over again. They detailed some different offensive things that KP did they they liked. 
  
• They would like to see more KP with DFS at 4, though that lineup with back up guards didn't work at all in this game. 
  
• Liked J. Jackon's scoring in his short stint but think that he needs to develop more of his game (other than shooting) to be able to break into the rotation.
  
• Really funny Harp quote involving THJ: Skin: "The Mavs really like to play Brunson, Wright and Hardaway JR. together."...pause....Harper: That's "Two really intelligent players."
  
• Talked about the Luka 4th quarter minutes Twitter dust up (without making fun of it this time). "Do you want Rick to take Luka out during a big 3rd quarter run? OR do you want to stop the run to save him for some 4th quarter minutes?" The lineup that started the 4th played great. Delon had a really great sequence in the 4th. 
  
• Talked about how great Luka is but also talked about his struggles in this game (shooting, assist hunting in the 4th). Gushed about some of his amazing plays. 
  

After the Knicks game I was ready to jump off a bridge and then the Mavs go and totally redeem themselves.

The standings are starting to shape up. The Suns and Timberwolves are surprise top 8 teams, it's hard to tell if either of them having staying power at this point.

The Blazers and Spurs are both in a bad way. The Spurs have lost 5 straight. I have figured the Spurs will come around and at least be on the border-line of the playoff race but now I am not sure. My best guess is that of the teams outside of the top 8, that the Blazers are most likely to get things figured out.

I thought all summer people were overrrating the West. It's only natural that only so many teams can have top talent and injury luck. Mavs are right in the thick of things. I do think Mavs need to make 1 big move this year to lock in a playoff spot.