GAME 28: POR (16-10) @ DAL (13-15) | 118-121 loss | 1 game losing streak

[hakeemfan]

This same team won 6 of their last 7. So perhaps they have adequate replacements for those two starters...

That is for the other teams who lost to introspect. We are at relatively full strength. We lost. There are no moral victories when you lose to a team missing two starters.

[KillerLeft]

This one didn’t offend me. There are things the Mavericks didn’t do well, and I think it took them a little too long to match Portland’s increased intensity during the third quarter, but it wasn’t a bad game to the level of some during the losing streak.

[dmavs4life03]

You post up KP, WCS, even Boban in the paint and force the issue there.

imagine that!?! analytics says shoot 3s and layups.

[Scott41theMavs]

Luka and DFS 9-15 from three. The rest of the team, 5-26. If just one other player doesn't shoot like ass, this is a Mavs' win.

[omahen]

Yes. Compared to the last two games defense and effort improved. Percentages aren´t telling the whole story. RoCo hit 4 highly contested 3s. Same for Trent and Simmons.
Blazers made difficult shots. Pelicans and Hawks scored uncontested layups and dunks all game long.

They mostly played excellent defense on Lillard, as strange as it may sound since he scored 34. As you said, they were killed by excellent contested three point shooting from the rest of the crew. A little bit more resistance against Kanter and Melo would have been nice

[KillerLeft]

Yes, this is about as well as you can play Lillard… I might have forced the ball out of his hands on his last possession, when he hit the dagger three, but other than that it was a pretty good game plan on him.

EDIT: And, to be fair, it’s their catch and shoot guys who killed the Mavericks all game long, so I can kind of understand why Carlisle didn’t opt to go that way.

[hakeemfan]

They mostly played excellent defense on Lillard, as strange as it may sound since he scored 34. As you said, they were killed by excellent contested three point shooting from the rest of the crew. A little bit more resistance against Kanter and Melo would have been nice

Anytime Kanter was in the game, Boban should be there. Is he injured?

[omahen]

There are no moral victories when you lose to a team missing two starters.

I am not looking for a moral victory. Doesn't change the fact it was a good performance... Game over, move on, tomorrow is another day.

[KillerLeft]

Anytime Kanter was in the game, Boban should be there. Is he injured?

How would that have helped defend all of those threes they gave up?

[Scott41theMavs]

That is for the other teams who lost to introspect. We are at relatively full strength. We lost. There are no moral victories when you lose to a team missing two starters.

Sorry, Hakeem, I'm not buying it. Look at our record, look at Portland's. Doncic and Dame cancel each other out. The rest of their team that played tonight eats the rest of our roster for lunch talent-wise. That's how big the talent gap is. Then you throw in how abominably Dallas has been playing defensively.

Fine, no moral victory, but I called it in the second post on this thread - people who thought that it was probable that Dallas would win this were out to lunch. A Dallas victory would have been a fun upset, but objectively, 10 times out of 10, an upset. Portland is still a better team than we are. If it makes you feel better to be bitter about it, carry on.

If we lose a single one of the games against the Thunder, Magic, Pistons, Grizz, or Rockets, that's the time to be disgusted.

[KillerLeft]

If we lose a single one of the games against the Thunder, Magic, Pistons, Grizz, or Rockets, that's the time to be disgusted.

I have a feeling they will lose more than one.

[Hypermav]

If we lose a single one of the games against the Thunder, Magic, Pistons, Grizz, or Rockets, that's the time to be disgusted.

Time to start another run.  Although the Pistons beat the Nets and the Celtics recently. Delon Wright revenge game

[hakeemfan]

I am not looking for a moral victory. Doesn't change the fact it was a good performance... Game over, move on, tomorrow is another day.

Not debating that.  Always another day but losing two quality starters and still losing at home IMO is nothing to praise the team about. The Mavs did not lose because the Blazers were unconscious despite great defense. Interior players like Kanter also made a difference.

[KillerLeft]

Interior players like Kanter also made a difference.

I agree that neither Porzingis nor WCS handled Kanter very well. There’s no way you can get away with playing Boban against Lillard though.

[Scott41theMavs]

I have a feeling they will lose more than one.

Having a feeling that they will lose even one takes a great deal of disgust and defeatism. Do you really think the Mavs are that bad? Woof. Deeply depressing if you're right.

[hakeemfan]

Sorry, Hakeem, I'm not buying it. Look at our record, look at Portland's. Doncic and Dame cancel each other out. The rest of their team that played tonight eats the rest of our roster for lunch talent-wise. That's how big the talent gap is. Then you throw in how abominably Dallas has been playing defensively.

Fine, no moral victory, but I called it in the second post on this thread - people who thought that it was probable that Dallas would win this were out to lunch. A Dallas victory would have been a fun upset, but objectively, 10 times out of 10, an upset. Portland is still a better team than we are. If it makes you feel better to be bitter about it, carry on.

If we lose a single one of the games against the Thunder, Magic, Pistons, Grizz, or Rockets, that's the time to be disgusted.

I am fine with that as I have been saying our talent level does not match other teams and have been told by Kamm especially that I am wrong and RC is holding us back. Full strength Portland might be better but missing CJ and Nurkic if we are still worse, how good or bad are we?

[KillerLeft]

Having a feeling that they will lose even one takes a great deal of disgust and defeatism. Do you really think the Mavs are that bad? Woof. Deeply depressing if you're right.

I think Memphis can beat anyone if you catch them on the right night. Houston, too. Almost every win Detroit has is against a contender. What you are asking for is like a five game win streak. I don’t know how frequently those are going to happen this year, regardless of the schedule.

[hakeemfan]

I agree that neither Porzingis nor WCS handled Kanter very well. There’s no way you can get away with playing Boban against Lillard though.

No one on our team was stopping Lillard anyway. So if Boban gets caught in a few switches, so what?  Kanter is the same on the defensive end. Yet Stotts uses him. I am not even asking for Boban in every game. But against players like Kanter if he cannot get in, then as I said earlier the Mavs should just cut him today.

[KillerLeft]

No one on our team was stopping Lillard anyway. So if Boban gets caught in a few switches, so what?  Kanter is the same on the defensive end. Yet Stotts uses him. I am not even asking for Boban in every game. But against players like Kanter if he cannot get in, then as I said earlier the Mavs should just cut him today.

I know what you mean when comparing Kanter to Boban, but I don’t think the comparison does enough justice to how unbelievably slow and unplayable Boban really is. It’s like saying “I know that old dump truck with no tires isn’t as fast as the formula one car, but that other team has a Jeep wrangler and they’re still driving it.”

Just my opinion.

[Scott41theMavs]

I think Memphis can beat anyone if you catch them on the right night. Houston, too. Almost every win Detroit has is against a contender. What you are asking for is like a five game win streak. I don’t know how frequently those are going to happen this year, regardless of the schedule.

Actually, those five games are broken up by three games against Boston, Philly, and the Nets. We might be able to beat the Nets. Boston, we'd have to be steadily improving in the games leading up. Philly, lulz. I'm just asking for a three-game winning streak before Boston, and for us to TCB finishing up this half of the season so that we're at .500 at the halfway mark. I do have concerns about those three teams you mentioned, and for the reasons you mentioned, but the Mavs *will* beat all three of them if they play decently, as in a bit better than they've played the past five games. If we lose any of those games, it will be for reasons that we'll be collectively ranting about when the horn sounds, imho.