01-04-2022, 12:38 AM
MAVS LEAVE NUGGETS POUNDING ROCKS IN DEFENSIVE BATTLE
The Mavericks return home from a 5-game road trip to face the Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back. Several Mavs are still out, including Boban, Willie, McLaughlin, Thomas, and new protocols entrant Kristaps Porzingis. Burke has exited protocols, but is not active for the game. The Nuggets are compromised by injuries and illness, with 7 players out, but Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon are available. With Denver’s head coach in protocols, former Mav Popeye Jones is manning the sideline for the Nugs.
Update: The Mavericks put together a decisive victory, and looked rather splendid out there, especially Luka and the defense. Denver looked discombobulated, and never led by more than two points.
GAME NOTES
Starting lineup. Luka-Brunson-DFS-Maxi-Powell
FIRST QUARTER
Dallas gets on the board first with a JB three from Luka. — Jokic finds Gordon for a slam. — Luka and Powell return the favor. — Luka backs down Rivers and draws a foul, upon which Rivers volubly indicates his disagreement. One of two at the line. — Rivers teed up, still jawing after he is called for his second. — Jump hook by Jokic, not much way to defend that.— Not to be outdone, Luka answers. — Maxi swats away Jokic’s layup attempt. “Not in my house,” says the German!
11-10 6:04
Maxi corrals a Jokic pass. He’s looking very alert out there. — Dramatic cross-court pass from Luka to Dorian, who hits the three from the corner. The crowd loves it!
18-12 4:30
Followill reports that Skin is expected to be back on the broadcast after he completes his cancer therapy. Good to hear. — Doe-Doe called for his second foul, leaves the court looking irritated. — We have an all-bench unit now, except for JB. — Jokic with an easy layup. — Bol Bol with his first three of the season. Woah. Denver pulls ahead with an 8-0 run.
18-20 1:43
Luka comes back, to try to stop the bleeding. — Jokic teed up from the bench. This Denver team doesn’t seem very composed. — Great defensive possession by Mavs, Chriss blocks Bol’s dunk attempt, Denver gets the OR, but then turns it over.
24-20 after one
Luka and Brunson have taken 11 of the Mavs’ 18 FGA. Dallas has also earned 6 FTA. Denver was hurt by 5 turnovers.
SECOND QUARTER
Luka with another brilliant pass, Reggie hits from the corner. — Now a laser from Luka to Chriss, who was ready. — Luka running point tonight, looks REALLY good. — Luka to a cutting Josh Green. The crowd is swooning. — 13-0 run by the Mavs comes to an end with Denver free throws. — Beautiful ball movement results in a three by Timmy.
34-24 8:51
Luka takes a rest. — Jokic returns to rescue his team from their scoring drought. — Doe-Doe returns, but is immediately called for his third. He stays in, but gets called for his fourth right away. Kidd takes him out. — Brunson turns the ball over against Campazzo’s aggressive defense. — Mavs need to stay calm here. — Luka comes back, has a chat with Ed Molloy after he’s called for his second. At least he’s smiling. — Powell has the crowd on its feet with an excellent steal from Jokic, then beating his defender to the basket. — Both teams having a hard time scoring here.
42-31 1:44
Pretty lob from Luka to Josh Green. Denver thought he was sailing the rock to Maxi, lol.
46-37 HT
A very low-scoring second quarter, with the Mavs winning it 22-17. Both teams shot horribly.
This has to be one of the lowest combined scoring halves of the season, with the Nuggets’ 36-point total being especially embarrassing. Scoring for the Mavs has been very balanced, and Luka leads with 9. Denver has lost 15 points off 14 turnovers. Dallas’ free-throw defense is in fine form, with Denver going 7-14 from the line. Jokic and Gordon have 22 of the Nuggets’ 37 points.
Dorian is the only Mav in foul trouble, but he has four. TBD whether he can return to the floor in the third quarter.
THIRD QUARTER
Aaron Gordon goes off, clutching his elbow. — DFS starts the quarter, and is called for his fifth foul within the first three minutes. Wow. — Brunson’s body is taking a pounding here with all of his charges taken and attempted. — The Luka-Powell PNR working like a charm with all the shooters spaced out and leaving them room to work. — Luka has a double-double now, with 11 points and 10 assists. Ditto for Jokic with 17 points and 11 boards.
57-49 6:20
Nuggets looked like they were making a push, but the Mavs have come back and then some. — Do I speak too soon? Denver going through Jokic now. A 7-0 Nuggets run brings on a Dallas timeout.
62-56 3:36
Luka resting now. ATO play call for Brunson works. — But Nuggets draw within three, just like that. — We’re back to another all-bench lineup, excepting Brunson. Kidd brings Luka back quickly. — Denver puts Chriss in the blender, leaving the broadcasters chuckling a little. That was Denver’s first basket without Jokic on the floor. — Denver calls a timeout, looks like Cancar is hurt.
67-63 24 seconds
They’re carrying Cancar to the locker room. Looks like it could be something serious, hope not. — Reggie Bullock ends the quarter with a one-man fast break against Jokic.
69-63 after three
Mavs lose the third 23-26. Maxi had 8 points for Dallas, Jokic 11 for Denver. DFS has five fouls headed into the fourth. Denver shot 48% and out-rebounded the Mavs 13-5.
FOURTH QUARTER
Luka with an amazing drive, overpowering a couple of defenders. — Chriss fouls Campazzo on a three-point attempt. Ugh. — Chriss argues his case, and Luka, of all people, encourages him to get back to the game. Kidd takes him out. — Luka, looking Dirk-like with some demoralizing midrange contested Js. — THJ with a drive and flush that has the bench on their feet hooting and hollering.
75-68 9:52
Dorian checking in, with his five fouls. — Luka is resting, — Powell with a late-clock corner three! — We’re getting a stretch of ugly basketball from both sides. JB at a disadvantage without Luka on the court to draw off the defensive attention, having trouble penetrating/scoring inside. — Kidd sends Luka back in. — DFS hits from downtown!
84-74 4:23
Mavs defense forces a wild shot up in the air from Jokic. — It’s raining Dallas threes, woohoo!
95-80 2:12
Luka signature step-back. Gorgeous! — Kidd empties the bench with a little over a minute remaining.
103-89 FT
ANALYSIS
The Mavs had a 78-67 advantage in shot attempts, and shot 45% overall. They were a very respectable 38% from three, with Reggie headlining the effort with a 4-8 performance from long distance. All starters were in double figures, along with Bullock off the bench. Mavs’ point differentials were -8 on points from twos, +24 on points from threes, and -2 on made free throws.
The Mavs won the possession battle, despite being out-rebounded 28-47, largely on the basis of 28 points gained off an astounding 26 Denver turnovers.
Why They Won, short version — great defense, and 14 made threes.
Closing lineup — Luka-Brunson-Bullock-DFS-Powell.
PLAYER NOTES
DONCIC (34 min). Luka had a brilliant match, and that needs no qualification for being fresh off having COVID. (At this point in time, I’m calling BS on the fat, slow, and lazy narrative.) He had another near triple-double, putting up 21 points and 8 rebounds, and was an absolute maestro conducting the game, with a season-high-tying 15 assists. Unlike the previous night, he ran the offense when he was on the court. He also was much more aggressive offensively, driving and dishing like a boss. Denver was double- and triple-teaming him for much of the night, and he responded with aplomb. Not least important, it was great to see a well-run, effective end-of-game offensive drill with our closer back.
BRUNSON (34). Jalen had a little quieter evening tonight, with a 13-3-4 line on 4-14 shooting. It is just harder for him to serve as an engine, against long defenders and big guys packing the paint. But he had some chances, especially with Luka drawing off defenders, and I thought he and Doncic worked well together in the starting back court.
KLEBER (31). Maxi didn’t have a flashy line, with 10 points and 8 boards, but make no mistake, he was the anchor of the Mavs’ impressive defense in this one, and was active, alert, and aggressive against the Nuggets’ talented bigs.
BULLOCK (29). Reggie led the bench in minutes and points (15), including four made threes. He made it into the closing lineup, in place of Maxi, and did well there.
POWELL (27). Dwight put in a good performance, filling in for KP. He had 15 points on 5-6 shooting, and held his own surprisingly well against Jokic. A corner three and a clever steal and dunk will doubtlessly be on the game’s highlight reel. The spacing was unusually good tonight, and we got to see what a powerful offensive weapon that Luka-Powell combo is when they have room to perform their magic.
DFS (18). Doe-Doe’s time was limited due to foul trouble, but he came back in the fourth and was an important part of the finishing unit.
GREEN (17) and CHRISS (16) didn’t have a huge impact, but they got decent minutes, and every appearance is an opportunity to learn.
NUGGETS. Jokic was a dominant presence, with 27 points and 16 rebounds, but the Mavericks made him work. He is such an unusual player, it's always fun to watch him play. Aaron Gordon had 15 points and 7 boards, and was 7-9 from the field. Will Barton added 12 to the scoreline, and contributed 6 assists. This team has been hit by the injury bug, not just COVID, and they were far from full strength. However, they had enough firepower to keep the game interesting, and they promise to be a powerhouse when and if they get their players back.
OBSERVATIONS
Kidd thinks his squad is playing “pretty good” defense. He believes that they are getting more comfortable with the defensive schemes, particularly respecting communications, deflections, and steals, and praised their performance in this match. He thought the offense was improved due to Luka causing problems, guys hitting their shots, and playing at a faster pace. He felt that this starting lineup played well, but he doesn’t anticipate sticking with it, once KP returns. Says they’re still trying out combinations, no final decisions yet. Addressing the hoped-for transition out of the COVID interval, he said that the emergency rosters lost some games, but they played hard, and he enjoyed coaching them. Nevertheless, he’s glad to get his regulars back, especially Luka.
I hadn’t anticipated that this game would be a blowout, but was pleasantly surprised at the level of play of the Dallas guys. Not just because of the W, as Denver was pretty shorthanded, but also the way they played — faster, and with an emphasis on defense. Hopefully, this will not prove to be the case of the outlier game where the shooters were hitting. I was particularly struck by how much difference the spacing made, and I hope this doesn't disappear when KP returns. The performance was far from perfect, but gave some reason to hope that better days may be in the offing.
NEXT. Wednesday evening will be a great night in Mavs-land. In addition to facing the Golden State Warriors at the AAC, the great Dirk Nowitzki’s jersey will be raised to the rafters. The ceremony will be held after the game, and I’m sure it will be a stirring event.
The Mavericks return home from a 5-game road trip to face the Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back. Several Mavs are still out, including Boban, Willie, McLaughlin, Thomas, and new protocols entrant Kristaps Porzingis. Burke has exited protocols, but is not active for the game. The Nuggets are compromised by injuries and illness, with 7 players out, but Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon are available. With Denver’s head coach in protocols, former Mav Popeye Jones is manning the sideline for the Nugs.
Update: The Mavericks put together a decisive victory, and looked rather splendid out there, especially Luka and the defense. Denver looked discombobulated, and never led by more than two points.
GAME NOTES
Starting lineup. Luka-Brunson-DFS-Maxi-Powell
FIRST QUARTER
Dallas gets on the board first with a JB three from Luka. — Jokic finds Gordon for a slam. — Luka and Powell return the favor. — Luka backs down Rivers and draws a foul, upon which Rivers volubly indicates his disagreement. One of two at the line. — Rivers teed up, still jawing after he is called for his second. — Jump hook by Jokic, not much way to defend that.— Not to be outdone, Luka answers. — Maxi swats away Jokic’s layup attempt. “Not in my house,” says the German!
11-10 6:04
Maxi corrals a Jokic pass. He’s looking very alert out there. — Dramatic cross-court pass from Luka to Dorian, who hits the three from the corner. The crowd loves it!
18-12 4:30
Followill reports that Skin is expected to be back on the broadcast after he completes his cancer therapy. Good to hear. — Doe-Doe called for his second foul, leaves the court looking irritated. — We have an all-bench unit now, except for JB. — Jokic with an easy layup. — Bol Bol with his first three of the season. Woah. Denver pulls ahead with an 8-0 run.
18-20 1:43
Luka comes back, to try to stop the bleeding. — Jokic teed up from the bench. This Denver team doesn’t seem very composed. — Great defensive possession by Mavs, Chriss blocks Bol’s dunk attempt, Denver gets the OR, but then turns it over.
24-20 after one
Luka and Brunson have taken 11 of the Mavs’ 18 FGA. Dallas has also earned 6 FTA. Denver was hurt by 5 turnovers.
SECOND QUARTER
Luka with another brilliant pass, Reggie hits from the corner. — Now a laser from Luka to Chriss, who was ready. — Luka running point tonight, looks REALLY good. — Luka to a cutting Josh Green. The crowd is swooning. — 13-0 run by the Mavs comes to an end with Denver free throws. — Beautiful ball movement results in a three by Timmy.
34-24 8:51
Luka takes a rest. — Jokic returns to rescue his team from their scoring drought. — Doe-Doe returns, but is immediately called for his third. He stays in, but gets called for his fourth right away. Kidd takes him out. — Brunson turns the ball over against Campazzo’s aggressive defense. — Mavs need to stay calm here. — Luka comes back, has a chat with Ed Molloy after he’s called for his second. At least he’s smiling. — Powell has the crowd on its feet with an excellent steal from Jokic, then beating his defender to the basket. — Both teams having a hard time scoring here.
42-31 1:44
Pretty lob from Luka to Josh Green. Denver thought he was sailing the rock to Maxi, lol.
46-37 HT
A very low-scoring second quarter, with the Mavs winning it 22-17. Both teams shot horribly.
This has to be one of the lowest combined scoring halves of the season, with the Nuggets’ 36-point total being especially embarrassing. Scoring for the Mavs has been very balanced, and Luka leads with 9. Denver has lost 15 points off 14 turnovers. Dallas’ free-throw defense is in fine form, with Denver going 7-14 from the line. Jokic and Gordon have 22 of the Nuggets’ 37 points.
Dorian is the only Mav in foul trouble, but he has four. TBD whether he can return to the floor in the third quarter.
THIRD QUARTER
Aaron Gordon goes off, clutching his elbow. — DFS starts the quarter, and is called for his fifth foul within the first three minutes. Wow. — Brunson’s body is taking a pounding here with all of his charges taken and attempted. — The Luka-Powell PNR working like a charm with all the shooters spaced out and leaving them room to work. — Luka has a double-double now, with 11 points and 10 assists. Ditto for Jokic with 17 points and 11 boards.
57-49 6:20
Nuggets looked like they were making a push, but the Mavs have come back and then some. — Do I speak too soon? Denver going through Jokic now. A 7-0 Nuggets run brings on a Dallas timeout.
62-56 3:36
Luka resting now. ATO play call for Brunson works. — But Nuggets draw within three, just like that. — We’re back to another all-bench lineup, excepting Brunson. Kidd brings Luka back quickly. — Denver puts Chriss in the blender, leaving the broadcasters chuckling a little. That was Denver’s first basket without Jokic on the floor. — Denver calls a timeout, looks like Cancar is hurt.
67-63 24 seconds
They’re carrying Cancar to the locker room. Looks like it could be something serious, hope not. — Reggie Bullock ends the quarter with a one-man fast break against Jokic.
69-63 after three
Mavs lose the third 23-26. Maxi had 8 points for Dallas, Jokic 11 for Denver. DFS has five fouls headed into the fourth. Denver shot 48% and out-rebounded the Mavs 13-5.
FOURTH QUARTER
Luka with an amazing drive, overpowering a couple of defenders. — Chriss fouls Campazzo on a three-point attempt. Ugh. — Chriss argues his case, and Luka, of all people, encourages him to get back to the game. Kidd takes him out. — Luka, looking Dirk-like with some demoralizing midrange contested Js. — THJ with a drive and flush that has the bench on their feet hooting and hollering.
75-68 9:52
Dorian checking in, with his five fouls. — Luka is resting, — Powell with a late-clock corner three! — We’re getting a stretch of ugly basketball from both sides. JB at a disadvantage without Luka on the court to draw off the defensive attention, having trouble penetrating/scoring inside. — Kidd sends Luka back in. — DFS hits from downtown!
84-74 4:23
Mavs defense forces a wild shot up in the air from Jokic. — It’s raining Dallas threes, woohoo!
95-80 2:12
Luka signature step-back. Gorgeous! — Kidd empties the bench with a little over a minute remaining.
103-89 FT
ANALYSIS
The Mavs had a 78-67 advantage in shot attempts, and shot 45% overall. They were a very respectable 38% from three, with Reggie headlining the effort with a 4-8 performance from long distance. All starters were in double figures, along with Bullock off the bench. Mavs’ point differentials were -8 on points from twos, +24 on points from threes, and -2 on made free throws.
The Mavs won the possession battle, despite being out-rebounded 28-47, largely on the basis of 28 points gained off an astounding 26 Denver turnovers.
Why They Won, short version — great defense, and 14 made threes.
Closing lineup — Luka-Brunson-Bullock-DFS-Powell.
PLAYER NOTES
DONCIC (34 min). Luka had a brilliant match, and that needs no qualification for being fresh off having COVID. (At this point in time, I’m calling BS on the fat, slow, and lazy narrative.) He had another near triple-double, putting up 21 points and 8 rebounds, and was an absolute maestro conducting the game, with a season-high-tying 15 assists. Unlike the previous night, he ran the offense when he was on the court. He also was much more aggressive offensively, driving and dishing like a boss. Denver was double- and triple-teaming him for much of the night, and he responded with aplomb. Not least important, it was great to see a well-run, effective end-of-game offensive drill with our closer back.
BRUNSON (34). Jalen had a little quieter evening tonight, with a 13-3-4 line on 4-14 shooting. It is just harder for him to serve as an engine, against long defenders and big guys packing the paint. But he had some chances, especially with Luka drawing off defenders, and I thought he and Doncic worked well together in the starting back court.
KLEBER (31). Maxi didn’t have a flashy line, with 10 points and 8 boards, but make no mistake, he was the anchor of the Mavs’ impressive defense in this one, and was active, alert, and aggressive against the Nuggets’ talented bigs.
BULLOCK (29). Reggie led the bench in minutes and points (15), including four made threes. He made it into the closing lineup, in place of Maxi, and did well there.
POWELL (27). Dwight put in a good performance, filling in for KP. He had 15 points on 5-6 shooting, and held his own surprisingly well against Jokic. A corner three and a clever steal and dunk will doubtlessly be on the game’s highlight reel. The spacing was unusually good tonight, and we got to see what a powerful offensive weapon that Luka-Powell combo is when they have room to perform their magic.
DFS (18). Doe-Doe’s time was limited due to foul trouble, but he came back in the fourth and was an important part of the finishing unit.
GREEN (17) and CHRISS (16) didn’t have a huge impact, but they got decent minutes, and every appearance is an opportunity to learn.
NUGGETS. Jokic was a dominant presence, with 27 points and 16 rebounds, but the Mavericks made him work. He is such an unusual player, it's always fun to watch him play. Aaron Gordon had 15 points and 7 boards, and was 7-9 from the field. Will Barton added 12 to the scoreline, and contributed 6 assists. This team has been hit by the injury bug, not just COVID, and they were far from full strength. However, they had enough firepower to keep the game interesting, and they promise to be a powerhouse when and if they get their players back.
OBSERVATIONS
Kidd thinks his squad is playing “pretty good” defense. He believes that they are getting more comfortable with the defensive schemes, particularly respecting communications, deflections, and steals, and praised their performance in this match. He thought the offense was improved due to Luka causing problems, guys hitting their shots, and playing at a faster pace. He felt that this starting lineup played well, but he doesn’t anticipate sticking with it, once KP returns. Says they’re still trying out combinations, no final decisions yet. Addressing the hoped-for transition out of the COVID interval, he said that the emergency rosters lost some games, but they played hard, and he enjoyed coaching them. Nevertheless, he’s glad to get his regulars back, especially Luka.
I hadn’t anticipated that this game would be a blowout, but was pleasantly surprised at the level of play of the Dallas guys. Not just because of the W, as Denver was pretty shorthanded, but also the way they played — faster, and with an emphasis on defense. Hopefully, this will not prove to be the case of the outlier game where the shooters were hitting. I was particularly struck by how much difference the spacing made, and I hope this doesn't disappear when KP returns. The performance was far from perfect, but gave some reason to hope that better days may be in the offing.
NEXT. Wednesday evening will be a great night in Mavs-land. In addition to facing the Golden State Warriors at the AAC, the great Dirk Nowitzki’s jersey will be raised to the rafters. The ceremony will be held after the game, and I’m sure it will be a stirring event.
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