PLAYOFF ROUND 2 GAME 5: DAL (2-3) @ PHX (3-2) | 80-110 loss

[cow]

Give Powell's minutes to Bertans.  Give Spencer's minutes to.......
.....
.......
.........

[MaxiThreeba]

Chicken and Egg question.  

Did Dallas stop moving the ball because they couldn’t make shots or could they not make shots because they didn’t move the ball?

8 assists is pathetic.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Not going to beat any good team with just two players in double figures. Where did everybody go?

[MaxiThreeba]

Give Powell's minutes to Bertans.  Give Spencer's minutes to.......
.....
.......
.........

The Suns?

[cow]

Not going to beat any good team with just two players in double figures. Where did everybody go?

Dorian has six shot attempts, Bullock has five, Powell has 0.

[BoredAssistant]

Green is stronger than he looks.

[ThisIStheYear]

The totality of Powell tonight:  2 fouls, 1 defensive board. Token defense. One of the worst games I’ve ever seen. You’d think he could find a way to contribute somewhere in three playoff series.

[SwisherPrice]

Suns know how to play lockdown defense at home when it matters. We can play 2-3 quarters of good basketball in Phoenix but we can't put together a full game against a 60+ win team

[Jason Terry]

Luka dives for a loose ball down 20, I just  don't know what to think anymore.

He’s not disinterested, he’s tired. Which hopefully gets addressed in the offseason. Reggie and Dorian also look gassed. We need more quality depth

[cow]

He’s not disinterested, he’s tired. Which hopefully gets addressed in the offseason. Reggie and Dorian also look gassed. We need more quality depth

I don't think it is just him being tired.  He played well for the first six minutes and subpar after.  He got the first six minutes of the 2nd quarter.  Maybe Kidd needs to pull him sooner in the 1st quarter.  And speaking of that, he kept the starters in way too long into the 4th while down 20 if the team being tired is a concern.

[Jason Terry]

Give Powell's minutes to Bertans.  Give Spencer's minutes to.......
.....
.......
.........

Dragic

[cow]

Dragic

I almost said Bubble.  Maybe a double scoop of Frank.

Maybe we start Spencer and let Jalen come off the bench?

[MaxiThreeba]

He’s not disinterested, he’s tired. Which hopefully gets addressed in the offseason. Reggie and Dorian also look gassed. We need more quality depth

Luka could change nothing about his body, conditioning, defense, off ball offense, free throw shooting, catch and shoot or any other perceived flaws in his game…and be a no doubt Hall of Famer. 

He could improve a couple of those things and be one of the top 3 players of his era. 

He could improve all those things…and break the NBA. 

His talent is generational.  If his work ethic (and I am NOT calling him lazy or anything like that) gets to the level of his talent…he is the biggest problem in the NBA for the next 10-12 years. 

All that said…series ain’t over.  Mavs learn a bit more about the Suns and themselves every game.  And Luka is about to hear once again for 48 hours about everything he does wrong from a national media that just refuses to give him an ounce of credit but wants to give him all 10,000 pounds of blame.

[cow]

All that said…series ain’t over.  Mavs learn a bit more about the Suns and themselves every game.  And Luka is about to hear once again for 48 hours about everything he does wrong from a national media that just refuses to give him an ounce of credit but wants to give him all 10,000 pounds of blame.

He's not the shiny toy any more so national reception is to be expected.  A lot of that is self inflicted with him coming into camp out of shape, his constant complaining and flopping.  Whatever puzzle Phoenix put in front of him tonight, it didn't have an answer for.  

He needs to hang out with Dorian this summer and figure out how that dude stays in shape.  There should be no doubt that any and all resources the Mavs have need to go to replacing Powell and adding another 4/5 rotational piece.

[Kammrath]

https://twitter.com/NickVanExit/status/1...7586832384

[SwisherPrice]

When you're already using a roster spot on a team chemistry/locker room guy like Boban, you better have someone better than Chriss who could possibly be useful when Powell sucks. But nope...we're wasting 3 center spots on guys who can't play in the playoffs

[MrGoat]

Atrocious ball movement in this game, granted we were missing shots. Live by the 3 die by the 3. We finished with 9 assists and 16 turnovers. Nobody had more than two assists. 

We let Jalen stat pad a bit late in the third and in the 4th. Looking at our cap sheet it makes me wonder if he's potentially on the block for an S & T

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Luka and Brunson had 2 assists a piece.  No ball movement whatsoever. Luka was hunting shots and didn't get his teammates involved.

[omahen]

Game over on to the next one. Phoenix plays much better at home. 12 turnovers in the third quarter were the killer.

[ThisIStheYear]

I remember at the beginning of the year, it seemed like every other Mavericks player was a center. It was sort of a joke. And yet, here we are at the end of the year, and they barely have 1.