Mavs Come Up Short in Comeback Thriller at the AAC
After going behind by 24 points in the third quarter, the Mavericks cut the deficit to 16 in the middle of the fourth. Then, they went on a 16-2 run to draw within 2 inside the 1-minute mark. Our boys got a stop, but Luka missed his last shot, with the help of an uncalled bump on the arm, and the hole they had dug turned out to have been just a little too deep. Very good fight down the stretch!
Game Story
Delon Wright was out with his adductor strain. Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley were out of action for Sacramento.
As Tim Hardaway said, the Kings came out and "punched us in the mouth." It was the fourth game in six nights for Dallas, and they looked like they might be running on fumes. The Mavericks couldn't buy a stop, and weren't so great on the offensive end, either. By halftime, the league's best offense had produced 46 points, while Sac had rollicked and danced their way to 66. The guys played much better in the second half offensively, but they just couldn't slow the Kings down. After Luka and Hardaway came back in the fourth, the team clamped down on both ends of the court and almost shut their opponents down in a valiant comeback try, but in the end, they were a day late and a dollar short.
Reasons for the Loss
The box score told almost no story in terms of category differentials. The Mavs faced a white-hot shooting barrage from Sacramento, and offered little in the way of resistance until they broke out their matchup zone late in the third, and the game began to turn a bit. The referees were very much in a let-them-play mode, with only 27 personal fouls called, and only 19 combined free throws attempted. The closing unit consisted of Barea/Doncic/THJ/DFS/Porzingis, until the last 34 seconds, when situational subs began. The Kings' Nemanja Bjelica and Buddy Hield torched the home team with 56 points, including 9 threes, on 23-33 shooting, and Bjelica recording a career high with 30 points.
Players
Porzingis led the team with 37 minutes, and produced 13 points and 8 rebounds. It feels like he had more of an impact on the game than his stats would indicate. He had the last made basket for the Mavs, with a great quick clock-saving turnaround fadeaway that took only 5 seconds. Despite the loss, he seemed to be making progress in the match, fitting more comfortably in with his teammates.
Hardaway had a superlative night, and it was heartbreaking to see it come to naught. He was the team's leading scorer, putting up an amazing career-high 9 of 12 triples, and going 10-13 overall. He kept the Mavs in the game for long stretches.
DFS had 13 points, including three threes, and 8 rebounds. He executed a highlight reel play with a steal at his own basket, followed by a coast-to-coast transition run for a slam.
Luka didn't have an amazing night by his own standards, but was a solid 27-7-8 in 35 minutes. That line set a record, and he leaped over Michael Jordan as the player with the longest streak of games with at least a 20-5-5 performance since the ABA-NBA merger, at 19. Next up is Oscar Robertson, who had three such streaks at 19, 25, and 29.
Doncic seemed quite engaged with the refs, yapping at them on an almost constant basis, not without reason in many cases. He drew a technical near the end of the first quarter for gesturing at one of the refs. The postgame presentation showed video of Courtney Lee and Mark Cuban on the sideline, trying to urge him to turn his attention away from the officiating. Harp said that if Mark Cuban tells you to lay off the refs, you know you're carrying it a little too far. Carlisle allowed that Luka had a case in some situations, but he declined to analyze it publicly and thus coach Luka through the media. Luka himself admitted that he allows himself to get too distracted by the officials sometimes, saying that sometimes he just needs to calm down and go on to the next play.
Much has been made of the contact on the elbow on the last shot, which the refs either didn't see, or decided not to call. Porzingis said he thought there was some contact, but said the refs are not going to get everything right, and he thinks it was "all right."
It should be noted that the Mavs' comeback didn't really take fire until Luka and Tim re-entered the game in the fourth quarter. Whether Luka is making shots or not, he has a massive impact on the game.
Barea got a 19-minute runout, and provided a much-needed burst of energy. I thought he played pretty well, although the sizable Kings took some advantage of his diminutive proportions. The Mavs were a team-high +14 when he was on the court.
Bench. The bench didn't provide its usual boost tonight, scoring only 18 points, despite playing high minutes.
Former Mavs. Harrison Barnes and Yogi Ferrell both made an appearance. Barnes was 13-7-5 in 38 minutes, and Yogi had 6 points and 4 assists off the bench.
Remarks
Carlisle found the match very disappointing. He said the Kings came out very dialed in and with a physical presence, and the Mavs didn't respond well or play well. He thought the second half went much better, but felt that the first quarter killed them. He didn't accept fatigue as an excuse, and in fact said he thought there was no excuse. Hardaway acknowledged that there was a lot of frustration in the locker room, and was disappointed that his career night didn't result in a win.
My impressions. I am not sure I know what to make of this one. Despite Carlisle's no-excuse policy, I think playing this many games in so few nights is bound to have taken a toll, even on these young bodies. Harp noted that the Mavs used a great deal of energy in the comeback, and might have just run out of gas a little bit at the very end.
I think the positives in this game, apart from Hardaway's sterling night, center around their spectacular comeback attempt. They can build some confidence, knowing how well they played at the end, almost pulling off an unlikely victory. One could disagree with the reffing, but I don't blame the loss on that. The Mavs played badly for much of the game, and they can't take refuge in blaming the loss on officiating mistakes. If they had played up to their usual standards, the refs wouldn't have been in a position to change the game at the end of the line.
Sometimes, things just don't go your way. I think this was one of those nights in the NBA, and hopefully, it will prove to be a good learning experience for the team. They have had some difficulties with very physical teams, and this match will provide fodder for improvement.
Next. The Mavs will take on the Pistons Thursday in Mexico City. I look for a good response to this loss.
The incident with Cuban interceding with Luka occurred after the first quarter. As reported by McMahon, Luka went onto the court to confront the officials. Barea and Boban joined Lee in urging him not to do so, afraid he would draw a second T and an ejection. Cuban sprinted over to add his two cents to the issue.
McMahon reports that Luka said after the game that he knows he is too animated with the officials, citing his passion for the game. He said sometimes the refs are wrong, sometimes he is wrong, everyone makes mistakes. And that he needs to be calmer.
Coop observed that Luka has to accept that he can't complain after every call, because the refs just tune you out in that circumstance. He feels that Luka gets a lot of respect from the officials already, shooting 9 FTAs per game, fourth in the league.
Coop also views it as a problem that Luka is shooting 26% on threes in the last 7 games, on 10 attempts per game, often on very difficult shots. He thinks it would be beneficial if Luka took a few less step backs, and a few more catch-and-shoots.
After going behind by 24 points in the third quarter, the Mavericks cut the deficit to 16 in the middle of the fourth. Then, they went on a 16-2 run to draw within 2 inside the 1-minute mark. Our boys got a stop, but Luka missed his last shot, with the help of an uncalled bump on the arm, and the hole they had dug turned out to have been just a little too deep. Very good fight down the stretch!
Game Story
Delon Wright was out with his adductor strain. Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley were out of action for Sacramento.
As Tim Hardaway said, the Kings came out and "punched us in the mouth." It was the fourth game in six nights for Dallas, and they looked like they might be running on fumes. The Mavericks couldn't buy a stop, and weren't so great on the offensive end, either. By halftime, the league's best offense had produced 46 points, while Sac had rollicked and danced their way to 66. The guys played much better in the second half offensively, but they just couldn't slow the Kings down. After Luka and Hardaway came back in the fourth, the team clamped down on both ends of the court and almost shut their opponents down in a valiant comeback try, but in the end, they were a day late and a dollar short.
Reasons for the Loss
The box score told almost no story in terms of category differentials. The Mavs faced a white-hot shooting barrage from Sacramento, and offered little in the way of resistance until they broke out their matchup zone late in the third, and the game began to turn a bit. The referees were very much in a let-them-play mode, with only 27 personal fouls called, and only 19 combined free throws attempted. The closing unit consisted of Barea/Doncic/THJ/DFS/Porzingis, until the last 34 seconds, when situational subs began. The Kings' Nemanja Bjelica and Buddy Hield torched the home team with 56 points, including 9 threes, on 23-33 shooting, and Bjelica recording a career high with 30 points.
Players
Porzingis led the team with 37 minutes, and produced 13 points and 8 rebounds. It feels like he had more of an impact on the game than his stats would indicate. He had the last made basket for the Mavs, with a great quick clock-saving turnaround fadeaway that took only 5 seconds. Despite the loss, he seemed to be making progress in the match, fitting more comfortably in with his teammates.
Hardaway had a superlative night, and it was heartbreaking to see it come to naught. He was the team's leading scorer, putting up an amazing career-high 9 of 12 triples, and going 10-13 overall. He kept the Mavs in the game for long stretches.
DFS had 13 points, including three threes, and 8 rebounds. He executed a highlight reel play with a steal at his own basket, followed by a coast-to-coast transition run for a slam.
Luka didn't have an amazing night by his own standards, but was a solid 27-7-8 in 35 minutes. That line set a record, and he leaped over Michael Jordan as the player with the longest streak of games with at least a 20-5-5 performance since the ABA-NBA merger, at 19. Next up is Oscar Robertson, who had three such streaks at 19, 25, and 29.
Doncic seemed quite engaged with the refs, yapping at them on an almost constant basis, not without reason in many cases. He drew a technical near the end of the first quarter for gesturing at one of the refs. The postgame presentation showed video of Courtney Lee and Mark Cuban on the sideline, trying to urge him to turn his attention away from the officiating. Harp said that if Mark Cuban tells you to lay off the refs, you know you're carrying it a little too far. Carlisle allowed that Luka had a case in some situations, but he declined to analyze it publicly and thus coach Luka through the media. Luka himself admitted that he allows himself to get too distracted by the officials sometimes, saying that sometimes he just needs to calm down and go on to the next play.
Much has been made of the contact on the elbow on the last shot, which the refs either didn't see, or decided not to call. Porzingis said he thought there was some contact, but said the refs are not going to get everything right, and he thinks it was "all right."
It should be noted that the Mavs' comeback didn't really take fire until Luka and Tim re-entered the game in the fourth quarter. Whether Luka is making shots or not, he has a massive impact on the game.
Barea got a 19-minute runout, and provided a much-needed burst of energy. I thought he played pretty well, although the sizable Kings took some advantage of his diminutive proportions. The Mavs were a team-high +14 when he was on the court.
Bench. The bench didn't provide its usual boost tonight, scoring only 18 points, despite playing high minutes.
Former Mavs. Harrison Barnes and Yogi Ferrell both made an appearance. Barnes was 13-7-5 in 38 minutes, and Yogi had 6 points and 4 assists off the bench.
Remarks
Carlisle found the match very disappointing. He said the Kings came out very dialed in and with a physical presence, and the Mavs didn't respond well or play well. He thought the second half went much better, but felt that the first quarter killed them. He didn't accept fatigue as an excuse, and in fact said he thought there was no excuse. Hardaway acknowledged that there was a lot of frustration in the locker room, and was disappointed that his career night didn't result in a win.
My impressions. I am not sure I know what to make of this one. Despite Carlisle's no-excuse policy, I think playing this many games in so few nights is bound to have taken a toll, even on these young bodies. Harp noted that the Mavs used a great deal of energy in the comeback, and might have just run out of gas a little bit at the very end.
I think the positives in this game, apart from Hardaway's sterling night, center around their spectacular comeback attempt. They can build some confidence, knowing how well they played at the end, almost pulling off an unlikely victory. One could disagree with the reffing, but I don't blame the loss on that. The Mavs played badly for much of the game, and they can't take refuge in blaming the loss on officiating mistakes. If they had played up to their usual standards, the refs wouldn't have been in a position to change the game at the end of the line.
Sometimes, things just don't go your way. I think this was one of those nights in the NBA, and hopefully, it will prove to be a good learning experience for the team. They have had some difficulties with very physical teams, and this match will provide fodder for improvement.
Next. The Mavs will take on the Pistons Thursday in Mexico City. I look for a good response to this loss.
The incident with Cuban interceding with Luka occurred after the first quarter. As reported by McMahon, Luka went onto the court to confront the officials. Barea and Boban joined Lee in urging him not to do so, afraid he would draw a second T and an ejection. Cuban sprinted over to add his two cents to the issue.
McMahon reports that Luka said after the game that he knows he is too animated with the officials, citing his passion for the game. He said sometimes the refs are wrong, sometimes he is wrong, everyone makes mistakes. And that he needs to be calmer.
Coop observed that Luka has to accept that he can't complain after every call, because the refs just tune you out in that circumstance. He feels that Luka gets a lot of respect from the officials already, shooting 9 FTAs per game, fourth in the league.
Coop also views it as a problem that Luka is shooting 26% on threes in the last 7 games, on 10 attempts per game, often on very difficult shots. He thinks it would be beneficial if Luka took a few less step backs, and a few more catch-and-shoots.