MAVERICKS BLOW OUT LAKERS IN COMEBACK VICTORY
MAVS DOWN 17 IN SECOND QUARTER
Your Dallas Mavericks, with KP and J Rich out injured, laid a rope-a-dope on the visiting Lakers, even if unintentionally, playing a second half that left the opponents trudging off the court wondering what hit them. WOO-HOO!!
GAME STORY
KP was out with a sprained ankle from the previous evening, and Josh Richardson was also on the injured list with a hammy. KCP was newly out for the Lakers, and AD’s minutes restriction was raised to 25 minutes. Rick went with a starting lineup of Luka, Hardaway, DFS, Powell and Maxi.
The Mavs got out to as much as a five-point lead a couple of times in the first quarter, but the Lakers closed well, with Dallas trailing 23-26 after one. New Laker Ben McLemore torched the home team Mavs with 12 points, and the visitors boasted 6 threes in the quarter. Meanwhile, the Mavs’ jump-shooters were not hitting, and Dallas had only one triple in the entire frame. No Maverick scored more than 4 points, and the team had 5 turnovers.
The Mavs put up a clinic in the second quarter on how to give away a game. Shoot terribly — check. They were 6-20 from the floor. Turn the ball over — check. Five more giveaways for a loss of six points, and a 7-0 Laker margin in fast-break points. Allow the opponent a red carpet to the rim — check. Lakers had an 18-6 advantage in PIP. Do not adjust to the opponent’s defense — check. The Lakers double-teamed Luka the entire time, and the Mavs consistently failed to make them pay. The offense was creating open looks, but no one could hit the broad side of a barn, and Luka’s teammates continued to stand around gaping while he was repeatedly trapped. The Lakers lead ballooned to 17 at one point, and the Mavs were at a 46-58 disadvantage going into the locker room.
The Mavericks adjusted with a vengeance in the third on both ends of the floor. Dallas ratcheted up their defense big-time, and the Lakers were held to six made shots in the quarter. The Mavs shooters started feeling it, and five triples helped the cause. The ball and the players were moving, and an astounding 11 of Dallas’ 12 made baskets were assisted. This frame, it was the Mavs who were dominating the lane, for a 14-2 advantage in PIP. The game was knotted at 79-all after thirty-six minutes on the basis of a 33-21 quarter by the Mavs.
WHAT A FOURTH QUARTER! The Mavericks put together a 29-14 final frame, fueled by a 12-point period from Dwight Powell, who dunked on the Lakers five times, as the Luka-Powell PNR repeatedly flummoxed the visitors. The Lakers absolutely crumbled, going 0-10 from distance, completing only six shots, and being out-rebounded 6-15. Their late-game execution was a mess, whereas the Mavs looked sharp and crisp, putting together a breathtaking 19-6 run in the last five minutes. The Mavs took the lead for the first time in the second half at 5:41, and never trailed again. For the period, 8 of Dallas’ 11 made baskets were assisted. The Mavericks excellent clutch unit consisted of Luka, Redick, DFS, Maxi, and Powell. RAIN DOWN THE CONFETTI!!!!
STATISTICS
The Lakers put up 8 more shots than the Mavs, and 15 more 3PTAs (!). Maverick point differentials were +8 on points from twos, +3 on points from threes, and +4 on made free throws. The shooting stats tell the story, the Lakers hitting 51% inside the arc, 27% from three, and 79% from the line. Comparable percentages from the Mavs were 52/43/76. Live by the three, die by the three, and the Mavericks were living large, percentage-wise. The home team also unexpectedly dominated the glass with a 51-36 rebounding advantage. OTOH, they did have a dismal 18 turnovers, for a loss of 19 points, and the opponent had an 11-2 margin in fast-break points. Kudos to Carlisle for the halftime adjustments, and to the players for their high-intensity second half.
PLAYERS
POWELL. This match included a superb demonstration from Powell, who played 28 minutes in a starting role. He led the team with 25 points on spectacular 11-12 shooting, and also chipped in 9 rebounds. Dwight’s rolls, dives, and cuts made for one easy basket after another, totally embarrassing the Lakers, who were getting dunked on by #7 on consecutive plays. It was a season-high in points for Powell, and a career-high in second-half points with 21. Who saw that coming? WOW!!
DONCIC. Luka had 18 points, 13 assists and 8 rebounds in a team-high 39 minutes. The Lakers aggressively double-teamed him, leading to his recording 6-15 shooting along with 6 turnovers. But he attacked in the second half, pick-and-rolling the hapless visitors to death, and passing brilliantly out of those traps. He did get called for his 13th technical foul of the season for erupting in the second quarter. I feared he might get another, as he looked quite frustrated and even flustered with the constant traps, but he maintained his poise going forward. He was a splendid game manager in the clutch, completing or assisting on 12 points in the last five minutes, including a remarkable 34’ shot from the sideline with Schroder’s hand in his face. Great job, Luka!
DFS. Dorian had an excellent showing, with an amazing 21 points on 8-13 shooting, together with 7 rebounds, some stifling defense, and a team-high +28. In the third quarter, he was called for an over-the-back foul on Drummond, and a slight tug on Andre’s jersey as he came down. Drummond put on a fake-tough show for a couple of minutes, scowling, punching the air alongside Doe-Doe, screaming for Dorian to stay off him, and calling him a son of a bitch. DFS left the play laughing, as the refs assessed double techs on the tussle, lol.
KLEBER. Maxi had a season-high 9 points, 10 boards, and a career-high 5 assists on his return from a back bruise. He was only 3-9 from the floor, but all of his completed shots were treys. He was listed as questionable before the game, and I was really glad he was able to play. I think it’s fair to say that it would have been much harder to make this win happen without him. Accordingly, he was awarded the DPOG belt.
MENTIONS. It was a nightmare evening for THJ, who was 2-13 and played some pretty sketchy defense. He did have a highlight moment with a 29’ pull up three to tie the game at the end of the third quarter. He put one in the basket in the fourth, but was called for an offensive foul. Not a great night for Brunson, who registered 7/5/3 on 1-7 shooting, but he did have some good defensive plays. Redick played 20 minutes off the bench, had 8 points on 3-4 shooting, was in the clutch unit, and was the only bench player in positive territory at +7. He did have three rather awful turnovers, but I guess we aren’t required to nitpick in a victory of this nature. Willie had 19 minutes, and put up 8 points, providing a lob threat, and playing some energetic defense. Melli rounded out the bench mob with 6 points and 5 boards in 14 minutes. He had some good contributions on both ends of the floor, including a pass to Willie for a lob in the first quarter, and a return-the-favor lob-dunk from Willie in the third.
LAKERS. Ben McLemore led the visitors in scoring with 20 points, including six threes. He got into foul trouble in the fourth, limiting him to six minutes in the final period. Davis had a better night than he did on Thursday, but was still held to 17 points, completing only five of his 19 shot attempts, and going 0-6 from range. Schroder continued to be a thorn in Dallas’ side with 16 points and 10 assists, although he was limited to 7-18 from the field. Kuzma had 14 points.
OBSERVATIONS
This game was very much a tale of two halves, with the scoreline reading 46-58 at the interval, and Mavericks seemingly coming out of nowhere to stun the Lakers with an incredible 62-35 second half.
I think the opponent followed the blueprint the league has set for defending the Mavs — double-teaming Luka and daring the others to beat them. The second quarter is a poster-child period for how not to respond to the defensive focus on Doncic. It goes without saying that the other Mavs have to be able to score and hit shots in such a case. In this contest, the home squad seemed to have forgotten the process in the first half, especially in the second quarter. The four other Mavs on the floor CANNOT simply watch Luka struggle against two defenders, standing around with their thumbs up their butts. The guys have to MOVE to create passing angles and outlets for their star, It did not surprise me to see Redick and Powell in the closing unit, as they each add a unique dimension to the offense, and both are good movers. Hopefully, the Mavericks will take note, and play in a winning way henceforth, as they did in the second half.
Such a fun victory!! I can’t emphasize enough how important this sweep of the mini-series was. The Mavs now move a full game ahead of Portland and are only a game and a half behind the Lakers, with this win giving Dallas the tiebreaker over LA.
We face Sacramento again on Monday. That team embarrassed us in the last match, and we need to take care of business this time.
All this without Kris and Josh! Cool beans, MFFLs!
MAVS DOWN 17 IN SECOND QUARTER
Your Dallas Mavericks, with KP and J Rich out injured, laid a rope-a-dope on the visiting Lakers, even if unintentionally, playing a second half that left the opponents trudging off the court wondering what hit them. WOO-HOO!!
GAME STORY
KP was out with a sprained ankle from the previous evening, and Josh Richardson was also on the injured list with a hammy. KCP was newly out for the Lakers, and AD’s minutes restriction was raised to 25 minutes. Rick went with a starting lineup of Luka, Hardaway, DFS, Powell and Maxi.
The Mavs got out to as much as a five-point lead a couple of times in the first quarter, but the Lakers closed well, with Dallas trailing 23-26 after one. New Laker Ben McLemore torched the home team Mavs with 12 points, and the visitors boasted 6 threes in the quarter. Meanwhile, the Mavs’ jump-shooters were not hitting, and Dallas had only one triple in the entire frame. No Maverick scored more than 4 points, and the team had 5 turnovers.
The Mavs put up a clinic in the second quarter on how to give away a game. Shoot terribly — check. They were 6-20 from the floor. Turn the ball over — check. Five more giveaways for a loss of six points, and a 7-0 Laker margin in fast-break points. Allow the opponent a red carpet to the rim — check. Lakers had an 18-6 advantage in PIP. Do not adjust to the opponent’s defense — check. The Lakers double-teamed Luka the entire time, and the Mavs consistently failed to make them pay. The offense was creating open looks, but no one could hit the broad side of a barn, and Luka’s teammates continued to stand around gaping while he was repeatedly trapped. The Lakers lead ballooned to 17 at one point, and the Mavs were at a 46-58 disadvantage going into the locker room.
The Mavericks adjusted with a vengeance in the third on both ends of the floor. Dallas ratcheted up their defense big-time, and the Lakers were held to six made shots in the quarter. The Mavs shooters started feeling it, and five triples helped the cause. The ball and the players were moving, and an astounding 11 of Dallas’ 12 made baskets were assisted. This frame, it was the Mavs who were dominating the lane, for a 14-2 advantage in PIP. The game was knotted at 79-all after thirty-six minutes on the basis of a 33-21 quarter by the Mavs.
WHAT A FOURTH QUARTER! The Mavericks put together a 29-14 final frame, fueled by a 12-point period from Dwight Powell, who dunked on the Lakers five times, as the Luka-Powell PNR repeatedly flummoxed the visitors. The Lakers absolutely crumbled, going 0-10 from distance, completing only six shots, and being out-rebounded 6-15. Their late-game execution was a mess, whereas the Mavs looked sharp and crisp, putting together a breathtaking 19-6 run in the last five minutes. The Mavs took the lead for the first time in the second half at 5:41, and never trailed again. For the period, 8 of Dallas’ 11 made baskets were assisted. The Mavericks excellent clutch unit consisted of Luka, Redick, DFS, Maxi, and Powell. RAIN DOWN THE CONFETTI!!!!
STATISTICS
The Lakers put up 8 more shots than the Mavs, and 15 more 3PTAs (!). Maverick point differentials were +8 on points from twos, +3 on points from threes, and +4 on made free throws. The shooting stats tell the story, the Lakers hitting 51% inside the arc, 27% from three, and 79% from the line. Comparable percentages from the Mavs were 52/43/76. Live by the three, die by the three, and the Mavericks were living large, percentage-wise. The home team also unexpectedly dominated the glass with a 51-36 rebounding advantage. OTOH, they did have a dismal 18 turnovers, for a loss of 19 points, and the opponent had an 11-2 margin in fast-break points. Kudos to Carlisle for the halftime adjustments, and to the players for their high-intensity second half.
PLAYERS
POWELL. This match included a superb demonstration from Powell, who played 28 minutes in a starting role. He led the team with 25 points on spectacular 11-12 shooting, and also chipped in 9 rebounds. Dwight’s rolls, dives, and cuts made for one easy basket after another, totally embarrassing the Lakers, who were getting dunked on by #7 on consecutive plays. It was a season-high in points for Powell, and a career-high in second-half points with 21. Who saw that coming? WOW!!
DONCIC. Luka had 18 points, 13 assists and 8 rebounds in a team-high 39 minutes. The Lakers aggressively double-teamed him, leading to his recording 6-15 shooting along with 6 turnovers. But he attacked in the second half, pick-and-rolling the hapless visitors to death, and passing brilliantly out of those traps. He did get called for his 13th technical foul of the season for erupting in the second quarter. I feared he might get another, as he looked quite frustrated and even flustered with the constant traps, but he maintained his poise going forward. He was a splendid game manager in the clutch, completing or assisting on 12 points in the last five minutes, including a remarkable 34’ shot from the sideline with Schroder’s hand in his face. Great job, Luka!
DFS. Dorian had an excellent showing, with an amazing 21 points on 8-13 shooting, together with 7 rebounds, some stifling defense, and a team-high +28. In the third quarter, he was called for an over-the-back foul on Drummond, and a slight tug on Andre’s jersey as he came down. Drummond put on a fake-tough show for a couple of minutes, scowling, punching the air alongside Doe-Doe, screaming for Dorian to stay off him, and calling him a son of a bitch. DFS left the play laughing, as the refs assessed double techs on the tussle, lol.
KLEBER. Maxi had a season-high 9 points, 10 boards, and a career-high 5 assists on his return from a back bruise. He was only 3-9 from the floor, but all of his completed shots were treys. He was listed as questionable before the game, and I was really glad he was able to play. I think it’s fair to say that it would have been much harder to make this win happen without him. Accordingly, he was awarded the DPOG belt.
MENTIONS. It was a nightmare evening for THJ, who was 2-13 and played some pretty sketchy defense. He did have a highlight moment with a 29’ pull up three to tie the game at the end of the third quarter. He put one in the basket in the fourth, but was called for an offensive foul. Not a great night for Brunson, who registered 7/5/3 on 1-7 shooting, but he did have some good defensive plays. Redick played 20 minutes off the bench, had 8 points on 3-4 shooting, was in the clutch unit, and was the only bench player in positive territory at +7. He did have three rather awful turnovers, but I guess we aren’t required to nitpick in a victory of this nature. Willie had 19 minutes, and put up 8 points, providing a lob threat, and playing some energetic defense. Melli rounded out the bench mob with 6 points and 5 boards in 14 minutes. He had some good contributions on both ends of the floor, including a pass to Willie for a lob in the first quarter, and a return-the-favor lob-dunk from Willie in the third.
LAKERS. Ben McLemore led the visitors in scoring with 20 points, including six threes. He got into foul trouble in the fourth, limiting him to six minutes in the final period. Davis had a better night than he did on Thursday, but was still held to 17 points, completing only five of his 19 shot attempts, and going 0-6 from range. Schroder continued to be a thorn in Dallas’ side with 16 points and 10 assists, although he was limited to 7-18 from the field. Kuzma had 14 points.
OBSERVATIONS
This game was very much a tale of two halves, with the scoreline reading 46-58 at the interval, and Mavericks seemingly coming out of nowhere to stun the Lakers with an incredible 62-35 second half.
I think the opponent followed the blueprint the league has set for defending the Mavs — double-teaming Luka and daring the others to beat them. The second quarter is a poster-child period for how not to respond to the defensive focus on Doncic. It goes without saying that the other Mavs have to be able to score and hit shots in such a case. In this contest, the home squad seemed to have forgotten the process in the first half, especially in the second quarter. The four other Mavs on the floor CANNOT simply watch Luka struggle against two defenders, standing around with their thumbs up their butts. The guys have to MOVE to create passing angles and outlets for their star, It did not surprise me to see Redick and Powell in the closing unit, as they each add a unique dimension to the offense, and both are good movers. Hopefully, the Mavericks will take note, and play in a winning way henceforth, as they did in the second half.
Such a fun victory!! I can’t emphasize enough how important this sweep of the mini-series was. The Mavs now move a full game ahead of Portland and are only a game and a half behind the Lakers, with this win giving Dallas the tiebreaker over LA.
We face Sacramento again on Monday. That team embarrassed us in the last match, and we need to take care of business this time.
All this without Kris and Josh! Cool beans, MFFLs!