Game 3 Playoff Dirkie: P.J. Washington

[ballsrchr]

Another good team win. If they didn't play as a team they would surely lose. Some great defense as well.

I can't remember P.J. Washington playing so well when he was at Charlotte...but then again I don't pay any attention to any team but the Mavs. PJ deserves a Dirkie, but so do some other guys.

Luka has been playing through some tough injuries. He's like the EveryReady Bunny. He just keeps going. He also took some terrible falls in this game. And the refs allowed Dort and others to beat him half to death...while SGA gets the pittiepat fouls. I'm giving Luka my Dirkie for that reason, BUT also for the 15 rebounds.

[Mavs2021]

PJ is now a 47% career shooter in the play-offs with 41% from three. Luckily the Thunder didn´t hack him, cause he´s just a 52% career FT shooter unlike Lively, who is now at 58% career in the play-offs.  ´

If Washington is a game-raising cunt in the play-offs as the British so accurately say, we are in good hands. We desperately need a 3rd guy with no fear.

[The Jom]

Washington is fantastic. He’s that 4th guy we needed. The 3rd guy was already here. You saw him hitting the clutch FTs and manning the middle of that fabulous second-half D.

[DallasMaverick]

Appreciated how Lively didn’t fold under the pressure.  He’s made of good stuff.

[LukaMVP]

hard choice between lively and PJ imho. PJ played great again this afternoon (and this is the first afternoon game we won this playoffs), he took the most shots of the team and got the highest score, with zero turnover. solid in defense as always.

lively was great last game and he played even better this game. if he develops some midrange shooting this summer he would be poor man's Wembanyama. picking some new skills will always be a good thing for a rookie, although it's hard to believe he's just a rookie based on his performances on court.

lively gets my vote because PJ already got it last game and PJ is already an established star player (hopefully).

[dirkfansince1998]

PJ emerging as a legit 3rd (right now even 2nd) option on offense changes everything. Another well deserved Dirkie for him. Honorable mention for Lively. Many veterans bigs have been played off the floor by hack-a-... tactics but the Mavs rookie big showed his mental toughness and made his last four FTs of the game.

[omahen]

A team victory. Most of the guys that saw the floor gave their best. Luka is hobbled by a bunch of injuries, not himself offensively and is hounded by that Dort flopper. But, he played smart, 15 rebounds and really fought. I would say that is leading by example. PJ up to the task offensively with OKC giving so much attention to the paint and stars. Kyrie a stabilizing force on offense. Lively good on defense and hit important FT well enough

[MrGoat]

Lively's been struggling on offense in these last couple of games but his defensive presence is undeniable. It had been a while since I'd seen a team earnestly attempt the Hack a Shaq strategy to try to get a center off the floor and hitting 4 in a row like that was huge.

[The Jom]

Appreciated how Lively didn’t fold under the pressure.  He’s made of good stuff.

Yep. You could see the confidence grow. Those last 2 FTs didn’t touch rim.

[Mavs2021]

Another good team win.  If they didn't play as a team they would surely lose.  Some great defense as well.

I can't remember P.J. Washington playing so well when he was at Charlotte...but then again I don't pay any attention to any team but the Mavs.  PJ deserves a Dirkie, but so do some other guys.

Luka has been playing through some tough injuries.  He's like the EveryReady Bunny.  He just keeps going.  He also took some terrible falls in this game.  I'm giving him my Dirkie for that reason, BUT also for the 15 rebounds.

HE IS HOME. 

Luckily Cuban has ignored Dallas natives/college stars begging to play for the Mavs for years. Saved us from having to watch Julius Randle, Myles Turner, Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane amongst others. Instead he´d rather complain about his geographical disadvantages against the big markets, when he simply refused to use them.

I just had to smile, when I read about the contract extension of Kidd. Not because we extended Kidd, but all I read in the article was Nico Harrison and Patrick Dumont. No mention of Cuban. I think Cuban is just a glorified mascot/spokesperson now. The decisions are made by other people.

[KillerLeft]

Give me the first actual two-way player the Mavs have had since maybe those glorious two years of Josh Howard's prime: PJ Washington, Jr.

[Scott41theMavs]

I love the chemistry of this team. Luka's woes might be the best thing to happen to them, as it puts him in the role of doing the dirty work a lot of the time so as to grow in the love and respect of his teammates and help the chemistry grow even more. Thank you, Nico and Charlotte, for PJ Washington. And thank you, Lindsay, for Dereck Freaking Lively II.

I have to apologize for sleeping on the job and failing to create the Cancunie thread after Game 1.

I hope I never have to make one again. TEN AND OH IN THE NEXT TEN GAMES, BABY!!!! LARRY, HERE WE COME!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chicagojk]

PJ for me. Good defense and we really needed his scoring today. Before the series, I was hoping for two good shooting games from PJ. I am greedy, I want more. If he shoots his normal percentage for most of the year, I think we lose both games.

Special appreciation for Lively (just can't give it to him with his makeable misses), Green (not enough minutes and a rough first half), Luka (he has high standards), Kyrie (same high standards), Hardaway (two threes, a nice pullup and a few nice passes)

PJ was just a stud though.

[Hypermav]

https://x.com/MavsMuse/status/1789435933818753433

These Playoffs, PJ Washington has hit more 3’s than…

• any player on the Thunder
• Jalen Brunson
• Jayson Tatum
• Anthony Edwards
• Donovan Mitchell
• Nikola Jokic
• Jamal Murray
• Karl Anthony-Towns
• Joel Embiid
• Paul George
• Tyrese Maxey
• Damian Lillard

[BolsDamols]

If you do the Hack a Shaq strategy in the playoffs you already lost. it shows you dont have enough confidence in your team to get a stop, and a lack of trust in your guys. Panic move by the COY.
Lively for runner up honors as he got his rhythm at the line and made his last few free throws.

Its coming to a point where I expect every PJ 3 to go in, in contrast to his early days in Dallas where he did not have the confidence to shoot at all. Mr Standing on Business gets the Dirkie.

Side Notes:

Kyrie was great at the end but I did not like his early play as he was putting guys like DJJ and Green to make a play in uncomfortable situations. We need him to be more aggressive in these spots.

Luka I felt let Dort and the refs get to him early in the game taking his focus away - though he had a key steal late and was a monster on the boards-gritty performance by Luka.

[KillerLeft]

If you do the Hack a Shaq strategy in the playoffs you already lost. it shows you dont have enough confidence in your team to get a stop, and a lack of trust in your guys. Panic move by the COY.

I couldn't agree more, especially when you go that route with 6 minutes left in the game! What a chump coaching choice!

[DallasMaverick]

I couldn't agree more, especially when you go that route with 6 minutes left in the game! What a chump coaching choice!

I wonder if OKC fans hate him as much as Dallas fans hate Kidd.

[KillerLeft]

I wonder if OKC fans hate him as much as Dallas fans hate Kidd.

I doubt it. 

I watched the game with the biggest OKC fan I know, and it seems like they're still in the honeymoon phase with pretty much everything in that fan base.

[The Jom]

PJ is now a 47% career shooter in the play-offs with 41% from three. Luckily the Thunder didn´t hack him, cause he´s just a 52% career FT shooter unlike Lively, who is now at 58% career in the play-offs.  ´

If Washington is a game-raising cunt in the play-offs as the British so accurately say, we are in good hands. We desperately need a 3rd guy with no fear.

The British want no part of another Washington.

[ThisIStheYear]

Gutty is the right word. Not a good offensive game, but the defense really showed up. PJ is getting it done on both sides. He has a little Paul George in his style of play. If the Mavs can find their offensive flow, they’ll have a shot at this thing.