MAVS PUT KINGS AWAY ON HALLOWEEN
The Mavericks faced last season’s nemesis, the Kings, in a matinee Halloween match at the AAC. They salted away another win, leading wire-to-wire but for a brief interval in the third quarter.
GAME NOTES
Sterling Brown returned to the active roster, but Porzingis was declared out for his third consecutive game with back tightness. Some of the Mavs players showed up in costume, with Bobi sporting long hair, a headband, and sunglasses in a hysterical impersonation of Axl Rose. Kidd went with a new starting lineup, selecting Luka-THJ-DFS-Maxi-Powell, substituting Maxi for Bullock.
FIRST QUARTER
Luka-DP full downcourt pass results in a bucket. Woo-hoo! Powell hits his second three of the season! THJ sails one in from the corner. 12-3 9:28. Now this is more like it for a start.
Maxi from three! The treys are raining down! DFS from way downtown! Maxi lay-up following two offensive rebounds by the Mavs! 5:48 22-9. This Mavs team looks nothing like the sluggish squad in Denver. This is a high-energy scoring extravaganza!
Brunson and Willie have come in. Maxi throws it down, but then motions that he needs to come out. Hope he’s okay. Bullock enters. Frankie makes an appearance, scores immediately. Ntlikina with a l-o-n-g three. Sterling Brown enters the game. 31-22 after one. Mavs achieve their first twelve-minute lead of the season.
SECOND QUARTER
Maxi reported questionable to return after a back strain. Dang. Mavs leave Harrison Barnes open in the corner. Bad idea. Luka back in, draws a foul, misses both freebies. Then, has an impressive drive to the basket. 37-32 6:49. Dallas managing to keep a little separation. Bobby Karalla suggests that Dallas’ 22-9 early run was followed by a 23-11 run by the Kings. I believe it.
Hardaway bombs in a three, followed by a Dorian dunk. The crowd loves it. Hardaway for three again! Sac scoring well in the paint, but 2-16 from three. Frankie takes a charge. Luka signature drive and and-one. Misses the free throw, but still. Mavs force a shot-clock violation. Luka earns two points on a Kings goal tend. Luka from downtown! Sac forces a shot violation with very aggressive D on three Mavs. Luka forces a Barnes turnover. 53-47 at halftime.
Luka leads the team with 16 points, but has missed 4 of his six FTAs. The fourth miss brought on a frustrated scream. Maxi has been ruled out for the rest of the game. Mavs will miss him. All the starters are in double-digit positive figures, while all the bench boys are negative, confirming the eye test. The crowd is filled with beasties, lol. Looks very festive.
THIRD QUARTER
Reggie Bullock comes out in Maxi’s place. A second goaltended shot from Luka. Maybe the Kings should take a look at the rule book re hands in the cylinder. Bullock to a cutting DFS for a dunk! Bullock scores on a baseline cut. Luka teed up for sassing the ref. Sac takes their first lead of the game. Mavs are unable to stop them in the paint. Both teams miserable from three. 61-60 6:28. Mavs holding on.
Timmy from long-range. DFS blocks a Barnes dunk attempt. Moses in for a couple of possessions. Frank looking good. 70-68 2:52.
Bullock tips in a Kings shot. Yikes. Then Kings called for basket interference. Again? This is an NBA team, right? Mavs closing the half with an all-bench unit. Bullock dunks on a fast break. Reggie from the corner! 82-72 after three. The bench stretched the lead from 2 to 10!
FOURTH QUARTER
Kidd continues with on-fire bench unit — FN-JB-SB-RB-WCS. Luka checks back in with less than two minutes played. Luka-WCS! S Brown with a three in transition! 89-77 8:44.
DFS and Powell back in. The Luka-Powell connection strikes again! 91-83 8:38. Kidd calls time to nip this Kings run in the bud. DP drive-and-dish to DFS (yes, you read that right) draws free throws for Doe-Doe. Sac making a run here. Two offensive fouls on DFS and DP. Kings within three. Luka loses the ball, runs to the backcourt, and hits from the center! Then a transition jam by DFS! 97-89 3:50.
DFS with a huge hustle play to keep a rebound inbounds. THJ runs the floor and dunks with authority! Dallas closes with the starting unit, using Brunson in place of Maxi. Mavs put Kings on free-throw line with 30 seconds left. Well, it won’t matter. 105-99 FT. Nice finish!
ANALYSIS
The Mavs were not impressive beyond the arc at 32%, but the Kings’ putrid 19% performance gave Dallas the advantage. The Mavs also had a pretty insipid night from the line, earning 20 attempts and hitting only 13. Sac’s 17 offensive rebounds and 29 second-chance points kept them in it. They were also very good inside, with 60 PIP. The Mavs, however, almost matched with 52. Dallas had a rare substantial advantage in fast-break points (13-1), which made for a lot of shock and awe in the arena.
PLAYER NOTES
DONCIC. Luka returned to his old form with 23 points and 10 boards, and took charge of the game like his usual self. Best performance of the young season! He led the Mavs in scoring despite going 1-7 from three (but the one being from the logo!) and 2-6 from the line. Was able to get to the rim, recovering from Friday night. Another entertaining show from the Slovenian!
DFS. Dorian still hasn’t quite gotten into his offensive groove, but showed a little improvement at 12 points (5-13, 1-6 from three). He was a critical part of the defense, however, and joined Luka in co-leading the Mavs in minutes (35).
THJ. Timmy didn’t have a great shooting night (5-14, 4-11 from range), but still put up a team-second 16 points. He also had 3 assists and a couple of steals, and was one of the most energetic guys on the court. The Mavs haven’t been getting him the best looks this season, but I imagine that will be on their priority list.
POWELL. Dwight and Timmy both played 33 minutes tonight, with Powell getting extended run with Maxi and KP out. He and Luka were cooking, and DP ended the game with 12 points (4-5) and 8 rebounds (4 offensive). Luka really likes playing with the Canadian, and this game was a good example of the tandem working.
FRANK. The French Prince earned the post-game interview, and looked tres bien on the court. He got an extended runout of 21 minutes, and was the leading scorer off the bench with 12 points (4-6). He also showed off some of the ball handling and defensive skills in his repertoire. Very impressive! It wouldn’t shock me to see this guy graduate to the rotation this season. Whatever his shooting issues were, he appears to have worked on them. Looked nothing like the player we saw in NY (and that’s a good thing!). Kidd commended him for having a well-rounded game (scoring, playmaking, and defense), and ventured that, as hard as he works, you just have to play him.
BENCH. Brunson had a little trouble finishing tonight (3-10), but led a bench run and spent some time playing off Luka. Bullock had 7 points on 3-9 shooting in 22 minutes as a reserve, and was the only Mav playing more than a minute who was in negative figures (-6). Seems like he is still working his way into the system. Willie was the backup center, and had 4 points and 6 boards in 14 minutes. He also appears to be working his way back to being a high-impact player. Sterling made one shot, a three, in 12 minutes. Meh. Moses appeared for a couple of possessions.
Maxi had to retire with his back strain after playing only 7 minutes. Let's hope he is back in action soon. The team needs him. Omoruyi, Boban, Burke, and Green were DNP-CDs, and KP was sidelined with injury. Boban, however, was the star of the costume show, with his campy appearance as a huge Axl Rose, lol.
KINGS. Sac had six guys in double figures, led by Richaun Holmes with 22 points and 13 boards. Former Mav Harrison Barnes did himself proud with 15-10-5, despite being targeted by Dallas. Their 7-36 performance from three really killed their chances. I was not especially impressed by this group. Horrible long-range shooting, airballs, reaching in over the rim, mistakes all over the place. But, give them credit, they made a game of it.
OBSERVATIONS
Kidd started the game at a fast pace in honor of Halloween (?!). Was proud of the defensive effort. Thought good attention to detail resulted in a fine start. The absence of two bigs gave some of the smaller players (Reggie, S Brown, for example) a chance for some minutes. Thinks the guys were great in transition defense. Also said the Luka-Powell duo was instrumental in enabling them to play faster, and they want to get back to doing more of that.
One could probably argue that a six-point win was not that much of a statement, but we aren’t going to look any gift horses in the mouth, and we have to remember they were playing without two of their big guys. The win leaves Dallas with a 4-2 record, which is a pret-ty good win-loss number to start the season.
NEXT. Dallas will face Miami on Tuesday night at the AAC. I think a win is doable.
The Mavericks faced last season’s nemesis, the Kings, in a matinee Halloween match at the AAC. They salted away another win, leading wire-to-wire but for a brief interval in the third quarter.
GAME NOTES
Sterling Brown returned to the active roster, but Porzingis was declared out for his third consecutive game with back tightness. Some of the Mavs players showed up in costume, with Bobi sporting long hair, a headband, and sunglasses in a hysterical impersonation of Axl Rose. Kidd went with a new starting lineup, selecting Luka-THJ-DFS-Maxi-Powell, substituting Maxi for Bullock.
FIRST QUARTER
Luka-DP full downcourt pass results in a bucket. Woo-hoo! Powell hits his second three of the season! THJ sails one in from the corner. 12-3 9:28. Now this is more like it for a start.
Maxi from three! The treys are raining down! DFS from way downtown! Maxi lay-up following two offensive rebounds by the Mavs! 5:48 22-9. This Mavs team looks nothing like the sluggish squad in Denver. This is a high-energy scoring extravaganza!
Brunson and Willie have come in. Maxi throws it down, but then motions that he needs to come out. Hope he’s okay. Bullock enters. Frankie makes an appearance, scores immediately. Ntlikina with a l-o-n-g three. Sterling Brown enters the game. 31-22 after one. Mavs achieve their first twelve-minute lead of the season.
SECOND QUARTER
Maxi reported questionable to return after a back strain. Dang. Mavs leave Harrison Barnes open in the corner. Bad idea. Luka back in, draws a foul, misses both freebies. Then, has an impressive drive to the basket. 37-32 6:49. Dallas managing to keep a little separation. Bobby Karalla suggests that Dallas’ 22-9 early run was followed by a 23-11 run by the Kings. I believe it.
Hardaway bombs in a three, followed by a Dorian dunk. The crowd loves it. Hardaway for three again! Sac scoring well in the paint, but 2-16 from three. Frankie takes a charge. Luka signature drive and and-one. Misses the free throw, but still. Mavs force a shot-clock violation. Luka earns two points on a Kings goal tend. Luka from downtown! Sac forces a shot violation with very aggressive D on three Mavs. Luka forces a Barnes turnover. 53-47 at halftime.
Luka leads the team with 16 points, but has missed 4 of his six FTAs. The fourth miss brought on a frustrated scream. Maxi has been ruled out for the rest of the game. Mavs will miss him. All the starters are in double-digit positive figures, while all the bench boys are negative, confirming the eye test. The crowd is filled with beasties, lol. Looks very festive.
THIRD QUARTER
Reggie Bullock comes out in Maxi’s place. A second goaltended shot from Luka. Maybe the Kings should take a look at the rule book re hands in the cylinder. Bullock to a cutting DFS for a dunk! Bullock scores on a baseline cut. Luka teed up for sassing the ref. Sac takes their first lead of the game. Mavs are unable to stop them in the paint. Both teams miserable from three. 61-60 6:28. Mavs holding on.
Timmy from long-range. DFS blocks a Barnes dunk attempt. Moses in for a couple of possessions. Frank looking good. 70-68 2:52.
Bullock tips in a Kings shot. Yikes. Then Kings called for basket interference. Again? This is an NBA team, right? Mavs closing the half with an all-bench unit. Bullock dunks on a fast break. Reggie from the corner! 82-72 after three. The bench stretched the lead from 2 to 10!
FOURTH QUARTER
Kidd continues with on-fire bench unit — FN-JB-SB-RB-WCS. Luka checks back in with less than two minutes played. Luka-WCS! S Brown with a three in transition! 89-77 8:44.
DFS and Powell back in. The Luka-Powell connection strikes again! 91-83 8:38. Kidd calls time to nip this Kings run in the bud. DP drive-and-dish to DFS (yes, you read that right) draws free throws for Doe-Doe. Sac making a run here. Two offensive fouls on DFS and DP. Kings within three. Luka loses the ball, runs to the backcourt, and hits from the center! Then a transition jam by DFS! 97-89 3:50.
DFS with a huge hustle play to keep a rebound inbounds. THJ runs the floor and dunks with authority! Dallas closes with the starting unit, using Brunson in place of Maxi. Mavs put Kings on free-throw line with 30 seconds left. Well, it won’t matter. 105-99 FT. Nice finish!
ANALYSIS
The Mavs were not impressive beyond the arc at 32%, but the Kings’ putrid 19% performance gave Dallas the advantage. The Mavs also had a pretty insipid night from the line, earning 20 attempts and hitting only 13. Sac’s 17 offensive rebounds and 29 second-chance points kept them in it. They were also very good inside, with 60 PIP. The Mavs, however, almost matched with 52. Dallas had a rare substantial advantage in fast-break points (13-1), which made for a lot of shock and awe in the arena.
PLAYER NOTES
DONCIC. Luka returned to his old form with 23 points and 10 boards, and took charge of the game like his usual self. Best performance of the young season! He led the Mavs in scoring despite going 1-7 from three (but the one being from the logo!) and 2-6 from the line. Was able to get to the rim, recovering from Friday night. Another entertaining show from the Slovenian!
DFS. Dorian still hasn’t quite gotten into his offensive groove, but showed a little improvement at 12 points (5-13, 1-6 from three). He was a critical part of the defense, however, and joined Luka in co-leading the Mavs in minutes (35).
THJ. Timmy didn’t have a great shooting night (5-14, 4-11 from range), but still put up a team-second 16 points. He also had 3 assists and a couple of steals, and was one of the most energetic guys on the court. The Mavs haven’t been getting him the best looks this season, but I imagine that will be on their priority list.
POWELL. Dwight and Timmy both played 33 minutes tonight, with Powell getting extended run with Maxi and KP out. He and Luka were cooking, and DP ended the game with 12 points (4-5) and 8 rebounds (4 offensive). Luka really likes playing with the Canadian, and this game was a good example of the tandem working.
FRANK. The French Prince earned the post-game interview, and looked tres bien on the court. He got an extended runout of 21 minutes, and was the leading scorer off the bench with 12 points (4-6). He also showed off some of the ball handling and defensive skills in his repertoire. Very impressive! It wouldn’t shock me to see this guy graduate to the rotation this season. Whatever his shooting issues were, he appears to have worked on them. Looked nothing like the player we saw in NY (and that’s a good thing!). Kidd commended him for having a well-rounded game (scoring, playmaking, and defense), and ventured that, as hard as he works, you just have to play him.
BENCH. Brunson had a little trouble finishing tonight (3-10), but led a bench run and spent some time playing off Luka. Bullock had 7 points on 3-9 shooting in 22 minutes as a reserve, and was the only Mav playing more than a minute who was in negative figures (-6). Seems like he is still working his way into the system. Willie was the backup center, and had 4 points and 6 boards in 14 minutes. He also appears to be working his way back to being a high-impact player. Sterling made one shot, a three, in 12 minutes. Meh. Moses appeared for a couple of possessions.
Maxi had to retire with his back strain after playing only 7 minutes. Let's hope he is back in action soon. The team needs him. Omoruyi, Boban, Burke, and Green were DNP-CDs, and KP was sidelined with injury. Boban, however, was the star of the costume show, with his campy appearance as a huge Axl Rose, lol.
KINGS. Sac had six guys in double figures, led by Richaun Holmes with 22 points and 13 boards. Former Mav Harrison Barnes did himself proud with 15-10-5, despite being targeted by Dallas. Their 7-36 performance from three really killed their chances. I was not especially impressed by this group. Horrible long-range shooting, airballs, reaching in over the rim, mistakes all over the place. But, give them credit, they made a game of it.
OBSERVATIONS
Kidd started the game at a fast pace in honor of Halloween (?!). Was proud of the defensive effort. Thought good attention to detail resulted in a fine start. The absence of two bigs gave some of the smaller players (Reggie, S Brown, for example) a chance for some minutes. Thinks the guys were great in transition defense. Also said the Luka-Powell duo was instrumental in enabling them to play faster, and they want to get back to doing more of that.
One could probably argue that a six-point win was not that much of a statement, but we aren’t going to look any gift horses in the mouth, and we have to remember they were playing without two of their big guys. The win leaves Dallas with a 4-2 record, which is a pret-ty good win-loss number to start the season.
NEXT. Dallas will face Miami on Tuesday night at the AAC. I think a win is doable.
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