Mavs Crush Wolves at AAC
The Mavericks demonstrated their class at home, comfortably putting an overmatched Minnesota team away.
Game Story and Analytics
Luka returned to the court after having been listed as "probable" before the game. His ankle is still bothering him, and it was fortunate that he was only required for 25 minutes on the night. Jalen Brunson was out with his sprained shoulder, and will not play in the upcoming road trip. Seth took Powell's place in the starting lineup.
Dallas came out of the gate strong, winning the first quarter 41-27. Their point differentials in the remaining three quarters were +2, -2, +2. Minny made a couple of runs, but never looked like seriously threatening.
Oddly enough, excellent inside shooting (61%) won the day for the Mavs, who had 60 points in the paint. You don't see that very often. The home team were +3 on points from three, -3 on made free throws, and +16 on points from twos.
Players
Tim (28 min) put on a clinic, leading the team with 23 points. His full arsenal was on display, as he scored from long range, drove to the basket, executed backdoor cuts, had a lovely floater over an opponent, posterized Layman, and had a variety of fancy finishes. Carlisle showered him with praise, not only for this match, but for being a "culture guy" and being "about the right stuff." Jason Terry thinks that the Mavs have found their third option, and believes that Hardaway can be counted on for 18-20 points per game when it matters. What a serendipitous find!
Luka (25 min) was proficient, boasting a 20-9-7 line. He came up limping after stepping on Johnson's foot in the first quarter, but was able to continue playing. He looked like his ankle was still bothering him throughout the game, and the FSSW crew thought his most important number was 25 -- the minutes required of him on the court. I hope he is able to shake off what appears to be a nagging injury. It can't be comfortable having to play on an injured ankle.
Porzingis (25 min) also made his return to action, and had a relatively quiet night, but still put up 15 points and 9 boards. Seth (25 min) did yeoman's work as a starter, and registered an efficient 19 points, including a team-high 5 threes, on 7-11 shooting. Wright (22 min) led the bench with 16 points (6-11 FGA), displaying his athleticism zipping to the basket and pestering the Wolves on defense. Barea (22 min), dubbed the "Puerto Rican flash" by Jason Terry, got a run-out in Brunson's absence, and played like the champ he is, recording 12 points and a game-high 8 assists. Maxi (21 min) was miked up, and contributed some colorful commentary, along with 11 points and 7 rebounds. MKG (21 min) got his first extended run as a Mav, albeit serving much of it in garbage time. He opened his Mavericks account with 2 points, to go with his six boards, and had some exciting defensive play. Fan fave Boban had 6 points in 4 minutes, delighting the loving crowd.
Wolves. We got to see Minny's new roster, which was fun, but this team was far from impressive. Recent arrival D'Angelo Russell featured with 29 points. Karl Anthony-Towns was on the injured list with a fractured wrist.
Remarks
Carlisle had some good words for THJ and Seth, but did not seem especially pleased with the performance. He was particularly critical of the first half, despite his squad scoring a season-high 81 points. He thought the team's excellent shotmaking in the half covered a poor defensive performance, with the Wolves blowing by the Mavs and the home team fouling too much. He accorded his guys a lukewarm commendation for tightening up the defense in the second half, while noting that the two teams split the points evenly in the second 24. He thought the first 8 minutes of the fourth quarter were key, allowing him to rest all of his starters but Seth in the final frame.
I was happy to see the Mavericks live up to their superior talent at home, putting a bad team away and not making a thriller of it at the end. A great team effort, with seven guys in double figures. I think we can take heart from the tremendous start in their own arena, a situation that has all too often not materialized. Neither star had an especially noteworthy night, but they provided a solid foundation and provided opportunities for their teammates to shine. There were enough exciting plays to fill up a highlight reel, but as a competition, the match was a bit of a yawner, tbh. As it should be.
Next. The Mavs face the Spurs in a rivalry game in San Antonio on Wednesday. A Pop-Rick chess match is always fascinating.
Go Mavs!
The Mavericks demonstrated their class at home, comfortably putting an overmatched Minnesota team away.
Game Story and Analytics
Luka returned to the court after having been listed as "probable" before the game. His ankle is still bothering him, and it was fortunate that he was only required for 25 minutes on the night. Jalen Brunson was out with his sprained shoulder, and will not play in the upcoming road trip. Seth took Powell's place in the starting lineup.
Dallas came out of the gate strong, winning the first quarter 41-27. Their point differentials in the remaining three quarters were +2, -2, +2. Minny made a couple of runs, but never looked like seriously threatening.
Oddly enough, excellent inside shooting (61%) won the day for the Mavs, who had 60 points in the paint. You don't see that very often. The home team were +3 on points from three, -3 on made free throws, and +16 on points from twos.
Players
Tim (28 min) put on a clinic, leading the team with 23 points. His full arsenal was on display, as he scored from long range, drove to the basket, executed backdoor cuts, had a lovely floater over an opponent, posterized Layman, and had a variety of fancy finishes. Carlisle showered him with praise, not only for this match, but for being a "culture guy" and being "about the right stuff." Jason Terry thinks that the Mavs have found their third option, and believes that Hardaway can be counted on for 18-20 points per game when it matters. What a serendipitous find!
Luka (25 min) was proficient, boasting a 20-9-7 line. He came up limping after stepping on Johnson's foot in the first quarter, but was able to continue playing. He looked like his ankle was still bothering him throughout the game, and the FSSW crew thought his most important number was 25 -- the minutes required of him on the court. I hope he is able to shake off what appears to be a nagging injury. It can't be comfortable having to play on an injured ankle.
Porzingis (25 min) also made his return to action, and had a relatively quiet night, but still put up 15 points and 9 boards. Seth (25 min) did yeoman's work as a starter, and registered an efficient 19 points, including a team-high 5 threes, on 7-11 shooting. Wright (22 min) led the bench with 16 points (6-11 FGA), displaying his athleticism zipping to the basket and pestering the Wolves on defense. Barea (22 min), dubbed the "Puerto Rican flash" by Jason Terry, got a run-out in Brunson's absence, and played like the champ he is, recording 12 points and a game-high 8 assists. Maxi (21 min) was miked up, and contributed some colorful commentary, along with 11 points and 7 rebounds. MKG (21 min) got his first extended run as a Mav, albeit serving much of it in garbage time. He opened his Mavericks account with 2 points, to go with his six boards, and had some exciting defensive play. Fan fave Boban had 6 points in 4 minutes, delighting the loving crowd.
Wolves. We got to see Minny's new roster, which was fun, but this team was far from impressive. Recent arrival D'Angelo Russell featured with 29 points. Karl Anthony-Towns was on the injured list with a fractured wrist.
Remarks
Carlisle had some good words for THJ and Seth, but did not seem especially pleased with the performance. He was particularly critical of the first half, despite his squad scoring a season-high 81 points. He thought the team's excellent shotmaking in the half covered a poor defensive performance, with the Wolves blowing by the Mavs and the home team fouling too much. He accorded his guys a lukewarm commendation for tightening up the defense in the second half, while noting that the two teams split the points evenly in the second 24. He thought the first 8 minutes of the fourth quarter were key, allowing him to rest all of his starters but Seth in the final frame.
I was happy to see the Mavericks live up to their superior talent at home, putting a bad team away and not making a thriller of it at the end. A great team effort, with seven guys in double figures. I think we can take heart from the tremendous start in their own arena, a situation that has all too often not materialized. Neither star had an especially noteworthy night, but they provided a solid foundation and provided opportunities for their teammates to shine. There were enough exciting plays to fill up a highlight reel, but as a competition, the match was a bit of a yawner, tbh. As it should be.
Next. The Mavs face the Spurs in a rivalry game in San Antonio on Wednesday. A Pop-Rick chess match is always fascinating.
Go Mavs!