GAME 3: POR (2-1) @ DAL (2-1) | 119-121 loss

[LukTheShadow]

The game was lost in defense, offense was ok. Maybe we watched different games, I don't know..

[mtrot]

This loss is on f****** Rick Carlisle. Completely out-coached with the coaches challenge.

If he used it just once, thats the difference between a Portland bucket or not. Add onto it playing THJ 20+ minutes again.

Refs also blowhard. Im so annoyed.

You should calm down. Bad offense in the second half lost it, not RC. Luka went 2-11 from three point line. Last two 3 pointers totally unecessary. Taking too many difficult stepbacks while he can drive and get to the free throw line or pass to an open teammate. They shot 26 % from 3 as a team and 39 overall. Portland shot 40 from three and 52 overall. Here is the difference.

Great game to watch.

Well, RC said it years ago, "we're a jump shooting team".  That's just what he's comfortable with.  He has no stomach for hard nosed NBA ball like Stotts does.  He should have insisted that Luka drive the lane like he was doing in the first half, which was working like a charm.

[SportPsychMav]

50 threes, most of them ill advised are not good shots.

In the first quarter they played as a team, starting the 3rd lead by Brunsons they started chucking.

[Mak]

Mavs win this game easily with a healthy Powell. No worries.

[SleepingHero]

This loss is on f****** Rick Carlisle. Completely out-coached with the coaches challenge.

If he used it just once, thats the difference between a Portland bucket or not. Add onto it playing THJ 20+ minutes again.

Refs also blowhard. Im so annoyed.

You should calm down. Bad offense in the second half lost it, not RC. Luka went 2-11 from three point line. Last two 3 pointers totally unecessary. Taking too many difficult stepbacks while he can drive and get to the free throw line or pass to an open teammate. They shot 26 % from 3 as a team and 39 overall. Portland shot 40 from three and 52 overall. Here is the difference.

Great game to watch.

Luka went 2/8 from 3 if you take out his half court heaves. 2/8 is certainly bad, but not as bad as 2/11. The team shot poorly, but even with their bad shot selection (which is normal for a young team figuring it out), the game was there for the taking if Carlisle played it smarter. Which falls on the coach.

Poor FT shooting was also their biggest downfall this game not poor shot selection. Missing 5 free throws in the 4th alone, and 9 in the game overall.

[dirkfansince1998]

So we are back to RC bashing. What´s next? Team tank?
RC missed open 3s. RC missed FTs.
Can we be honest at least once and admit that both Luka and KP played really bad in the 4th quarter. Chucking 3s and losing the momentum.

That is the system the  coach wants, he talekd about it all off season more and more thress

 why not post Luka on the block when things are not going well, instead of chucking three's

Because Luka was gassed. Sloppy handles no dribble penetration. Lukas starts to force 3s when he is tired. Has been the same last season.
I know that you want to run some kind of medieval basketball without 3-point shooting but outside of the forced 3s in the 4th the Mavs created a lot of open looks. Looked great in the first half when they made them at a decent percentage. Obviously looked really bad in the second half.
I am the first one to question the amount of 3s this team takes but I won´t blame everything on the coach when KP takes semi contested early shot clock 3s on consecutive possessions or when Luka forces step back 3s to close out the game.

[SleepingHero]

jacking threes is what the coach wants,    
 Mavs need to play through Luka in the post way more

I think Carlisle is well aware of how good Luka is in the post. They ran it multiple times a game last year with plenty of success. I think he's saving that trick though, and doesn't want it to be scouted. 

If the Mavs do indeed make the playoffs, posting up Luka and running the offense that way would be a complete game changer.

[SportPsychMav]

Still great game, forced Portland to their absolute limits. They needed to play playoff ball to have a chance while we did rookie mistakes. McCollum played 41 minutes.

Still a young team, hope they learn.

I mean first quarter was beautiful basketball.

They looked visibly tired in the 4th.

[mtrot]

Mavs win this game easily with a healthy Powell. No worries.

Eh, sorry but I don't agree.  I don't think that would have changed a thing.  As long as the same decisions were made down the stretch by Luka and RC, I think we get the same outcome.

[bartlettbear]

So we are back to RC bashing. What´s next? Team tank?
RC missed open 3s. RC missed FTs.
Can we be honest at least once and admit that both Luka and KP played really bad in the 4th quarter. Chucking 3s and losing the momentum.

That is the system the  coach wants, he talekd about it all off season more and more thress

 why not post Luka on the block when things are not going well, instead of chucking three's

Because Luka was gassed. Sloppy handles no dribble penetration. Lukas starts to force 3s when he is tired. Has been the same last season.
I know that you want to run some kind of medieval basketball without 3-point shooting but outside of the forced 3s in the 4th the Mavs created a lot of open looks. Looked great in the first half when they made them at a decent percentage. Obviously looked really bad in the second half.
I am the first one to question the amount of 3s this team takes but I won´t blame everything on the coach when KP takes semi contested early shot clock 3s on consecutive possessions or when Luka forces step back 3s to close out the game.

If he is gassed then you  defenitly throw him on the block,  three point shot is fine but not taking 50 of them.   Especailly when the other team had 4 fouls wiht 9 minutes left.

[dirkfansince1998]

To sum it up...KP and Doncic can do no wrong and if they make mistakes we blame the coach instead.
Wonder why no one was complaining in the first quarter. Team was coached by RC for the whole game. One not used challenge vs tons of mistakes from the players.
Of course RC can try to influence the game from the sideline but he cannot make a shot or freethrow himself. If Porzingis and Luka make their freethrows the Mavs win the game. Wonder why that isn´t the topic right now.

[SleepingHero]

Mavs win this game easily with a healthy Powell. No worries.

Eh, sorry but I don't agree.  I don't think that would have changed a thing.  As long as the same decisions were made down the stretch by Luka and RC, I think we get the same outcome.

I do think, even with the same decisions made my RC and Luka occured, if Brunson played well the game wouldn't have been close.
1/6 FG. Basically did absolutely nothing while he was on the court in 26 minutes.

Had Brunson played just a little like normal, the game would've been a 10 point win.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

It's a bad loss. They'll be ok, did you think they were going undefeated the whole season ? They're going to drop a few more games. This is a young team, learning how to play together. The talent is there.. When they get some continuity and experience playing with each other, watch out.

[mtrot]

jacking threes is what the coach wants,    
 Mavs need to play through Luka in the post way more

I think Carlisle is well aware of how good Luka is in the post. They ran it multiple times a game last year with plenty of success. I think he's saving that trick though, and doesn't want it to be scouted. 

If the Mavs do indeed make the playoffs, posting up Luka and running the offense that way would be a complete game changer.

You seem to think the Mavs have any latitude on making the playoffs, like RC can hold anything back.  RC better go all out to win each and every game.

[Mak]

Mavs shot 27% from the field in the 4th quarter. Doubt that happens with Powell on the floor, nor would the game be as close as it was in the 4th if we had him in quarters 1-3.

[SportPsychMav]

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/portland-tr...TEwMjcwNi8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGxg7sjZxPf-SvGIeEGfa3c3FcpdLQL3rfTGolOOJh5vFa5-NealsssClBvy1jn19fVlw5VDSZbh1XAMWrbISdkqwuPS0Wl-2Vfkfyy0pE4Bz5tLuhqCPf_9eBLL8ylrNSIFRxQFYaYYNQ1bmNT99D27l1fWm4VLuU0aYI8u3AU4&_guc_consent_skip=1572224265&guccounter=2


If you compare the shot chart of the first quarter with the 4th you can see that they almost stopped mixing it up in the 4th compared to the first quarter.

Ok it does not show fouls, but still.

Portland only took 20 threes.

[TXBamanut]

Both teams played hard

All three refs earned their money...

Instant replay review formula...
(Highest Q rating*Biggest sneaker deal)+Longevity in the league = Review winner

Simple as that.

We can all talk about what happened, and the woulda couldas and I agree to some extent, but plain and simple, the game came down to the refs screwing up a replay.  Mavs should have NEVER let it get to that, but regardless of what argument you run out there for it, doesn't make it right.

I say that they need to change the replay rule to say that if one part of the replay is reviewable, the WHOLE replay is reviewable...then you REALLY roll the dice for both teams.  DFS was fouled on the catch of the rebound, on the way down and by McCullum when he got to the ground, and then was fouled by Lillard.

Okay...I'm done now...let's move on to the next game.  #donaghywasright

Well, NOW, I'm done.

[Mak]

Mark Cuban tweeting hard @nba’s official account over the officiating. Interesting strategy. Let’s see how it olays out.

[SportPsychMav]

To sum it up...KP and Doncic can do no wrong and if they make mistakes we blame the coach instead.
Wonder why no one was complaining in the first quarter. Team was coached by RC for the whole game. One not used challenge vs tons of mistakes from the players.
Of course RC can try to influence the game from the sideline but he cannot make a shot or freethrow himself. If Porzingis and Luka make their freethrows the Mavs win the game. Wonder why that isn´t the topic right now.

They did not chuck threes in the first half.

Luka was gassed in mid of the 3rd, you can blame that on him if you want. Maybe he als tweaked his ankle in the first half, I remember a scene and he was walking it up.

Porzingis shot selection isn't optimal.



All in all Portland played playoffball and it was a good experience for our team.

It's better to lose one early to keep them accountable.

[fifteenth]

What a game. When the missed 3s and FTs started piling up I took that as a sign that they didn't have their legs in the 4th. Gotta get to the basket at that point. And we did! And leaned on Seth, a took the lead. But down the stretch we went back to shooting 3s. Great game. Tough loss. Crazy overturn! 

For 30 years I've been watching last second hustle plays like DFS' play get rewarded, which it was, and then a very questionable overturn happened. 

But then, the Mavs gotta win that jump ball.

Winnable game that the Mavs have to learn from.