GAME 21: PHX (11-8) @ DAL (8-13) | 108-109 loss | 6 game losing streak

[Reunion Mav Old]

Had to watch late tonight. Just finished the game. What a gut punch. Here are a few thoughts (haven’t read this thread, so don’t attack me like I’m your nemesis if any of this disagrees with something you’re fighting with someone about, please):

1) I thought Porzingis had a GREAT game tonight. He still doesn’t look fully comfortable on offense, and wasn’t very efficient on that end, although he certainly had some encouraging moments. On the defensive end, however, he was a different guy than he has been over the last two weeks. He was engaged, active, aggressive and mobile. He contested a ton of shots (many went in anyway, but not because he didn’t defend) and even played pretty decent defense on like 90% of the times he had to switch onto Paul and got iso’d. The only major error I can remember is when he came off of Paul prematurely late in the fourth and gave up a wide open three-point shot. I believe this made the score 95-90. If this is the kind of effort he brings consistently moving forward, I believe he will work his way through this rough patch. 

2) Building off of point number 1, Porzingis and WCS both combined to play probably the best 48 minutes of pick and roll defense I have seen the Mavericks play this year. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t often successful, but they did play hard and almost always intelligently. Sometimes, you just can’t judge everything by the results. This brings me to point number 3...

3) They were not going to beat Phoenix tonight. Chris Paul was the best player on the floor for either team, and it wasn’t even remotely close. At his age, I’m not sure how many more of these he has in him, but tonight he was the Point God. This was not the same as his dominant performance the other night, when the Mavericks acted like they had no idea where he was trying to get to on the floor. It also wasn’t like the back to back performances from Jordan Clarkson against Utah. The Mavericks played defense tonight, but Chris Paul was just too good. I know that sounds like a copout, but he would’ve beaten the Lakers or Nets tonight. I believe that. Phoenix has been going through a rough patch themselves, so this win was just as important to them as it was for the Mavs. BOTH teams played like they really wanted it.

4) Not to beat a dead horse, and I know people don’t want to hear this, but I really thought the Mavericks played a good game tonight. If this had not happened to extend a five-game losing streak into a six game losing streak, we would all just shake our heads with a little bit of frustration and tip our hats to Phoenix. It stings more right now because of the losing streak, I know, but this is the type of game you lose, sometimes. I cannot express strongly enough how much better I feel tonight than I have after the other 5 losses in this streak. I actually feel better tonight than I did after a few of this season’s wins. The Mavericks played like a team who knew what they wanted to accomplish and couldn’t quite get it done.

5) For the most part, I thought Luka had a really good, unselfish game, and for the most part it paid off. I am not trying to nitpick him, but he passed up a layup late to kick it out to the perimeter, and I think that was a pretty costly mistake. In my opinion, he should have just taken the shot. It led to a wide open Chris Paul layup, which miraculously was one of the few bad plays CP3 made tonight, as he missed the chippy, Josh Green style. Crisis averted, temporarily, but I bring it up because I honestly think that Luka has barely scratched the surface of what he is capable of. I believe his decision making will continue to get better for several years, and as it progresses, so too will the Mavericks ability to close out games like this. Please don’t interpret this as me pinning the loss on Luka - that’s not what I mean. I honestly think it is unfair to expect ANY 21 year old who has ever lived to close a game out better than veteran Chris Paul. That’s not to say it will never happen, it’s just to say we cannot be mad when it doesn’t. It’s freaking Chris Paul.

6) Good gravy, anyone who wonders why coaches don’t like to play young players, just look at Phoenix. I have not checked the data (sorry @"Kammrath") and this could just be a tonight only happening, but my goodness is Phoenix a better team with Kaminsky on the floor than they are when Ayton plays. Night and day. They have to play Ayton, of course - he’s the future - but man, it must be frustrating to be in that situation when trying to win games.

7) I thought Kleber looked rusty tonight, but he had the best debut of any of the Covid guys, by far. He made some mistakes that ultimately contributed to the loss, but I thought he gave the team a much needed shot in the arm, energy wise. Glad to have him back. He worked his butt off. 

8) I really like the wing rotation of Richardson, Hardaway and DFS. I really like Hardaway coming off of the bench. All three of them had their moments, and we really didn’t get the absolute best game from any of them, but that is an area of the team that I think will be working in a couple of weeks when everyone gets back into shape and rhythm. 

9) I am not sure why Powell didn’t play. I’m sure you guys do know, but like I said, I had to tune in late and so I didn’t hear anything pregame. I assume he was just being rested, but if this was Johnson’s opportunity to get in front of him, I think it’s safe to say it’s a missed opportunity. Powell was badly missed tonight, in my opinion.

10) to get to the next level, I believe the team is going to need just a little bit more from Brunson. He did not play badly tonight at all, quite the opposite. I just think a stronger, more aggressive version of him is needed when Luka sits, especially if he’s to move decisively ahead of Burke in the rotation, which it appears he has. 

I know it’s hard, but in many ways this is sort of the beginning of the season for our Mavericks. It’s going to take a week or two for them to get to the end of this rough patch, but tonight showed me that there is light at the end of the tunnel and I do not believe they are going to spiral down any farther. Chins up, my dudes.

I agree!!!!!!
I have seen progress toward a return to the team we really are the last two games. I really liked what I saw out of Josh Richardson tonight. Porzingis got two blocks and forced a jump ball in the last couple of minutes. That was good effort and the beginning of great defense....except we did not get the ball and they scored on all three. Man what a gut punch.

We made all four free throws down the stretch. If DFS makes that three in the end, and we play the game from there just as we did, we win. They made the game winning three...Booker...and we did not. Oh so close.

For Mavs fans this is hell for sure. But in basketball, from the depths, and this year has truly been the depths...sometimes we rise from the depths on our way to the top. 

One last player I really liked to night...THJ. He made several very big plays though the biggest defensive one, we somehow didn't get the ball and they scored. That was the theme for the night. The way Phoenix played, they would kill lots of teams but somehow, we really deserved to win for our effort as well.