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!
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!