Mavs Obliterate Warriors in San Francisco
Mavs crushed the tanking Golden State. As a result, we got to see what we have in the way of deep bench players. They looked pretty good!
Game Story and Analytics
I can't say this match had much narrative drama. The Mavericks put their foot on the Dubs' neck early, and never took it off. As far as statistics are concerned, the visitors dominated in most categories.
Players
Luka (27 min) had a 20-8-2 line. It was a very off night for the young superstar. He was 2-9 on 3PTAs and a horrific 2-8 from the line. He had 2 assists and 3 turnovers. He played off the ball a fair amount, as the Mavs went for a more diversified offense. Despite his poor performance, he was smiling, and seemed pretty relaxed, perhaps in view of the blowout. Luka looks to me as if he might be wearing down a little, with the grind of a long season. Hopefully, not. Other than that, I don't know how to explain his shooting slump (by his standards), but his teammates stepped up, and things worked out for the best.
Steve Kerr lavished Luka with compliments after the game, saying that he is Larry Bird-like in his knack for seeing the floor and always being a step ahead in the chess match. Kerr also compared Doncic to Harden, with his crossovers and step-backs. Steve expects the Slovenian to be a cornerstone of the league for a long time. High praise from a very respected source!
Powell (24 min) had an outstanding game. He was the team's leading scorer with 21 points on perfect 9-9 shooting. He scored in a variety of ways, including hitting a three, putting the ball on the deck, putting it back after his teammates' misses, and throwing down lob dunks. This represented the continuation of a great stretch for Dwight. Rick praised him for being one of the most efficient players in the game offensively. Way to go, Diamond!
Hardaway (24 min) had 12 points on 11 shots, and was 2-8 from long range. What I think is interesting here, as well as in recent games, is the way they are using him as a distributor. He was second on the team with 4 assists, and was the primary ball handler in stretches. It looks as if Rick is trying to turn THJ into a secondary playmaker. That would be big, if it happens.
Boban (20 min) had an extended run-out, and put up 13 points and 11 boards. It is so much fun to watch the giant play! Although Bobi is not known for defense, when he stands next to the rim, the opponent can hit him with everything they've got, and he doesn't move an inch, lol. After the game, he cited the team's great chemistry as a factor in their performance. Rick commended him for a very solid game.
Barea passed Jason Terry to become the player who has played the 6th most games for the Mavs.
Remarks
Carlisle said there are a lot of new guys on the team, and he thinks the synergy is finally starting to come together. He liked the way the squad played, complimenting them on their concentration and focus on the defensive end of the court.
The Warriors are a seriously sucky team. Kudos to their fans for continuing to turn out for this mess. I don't know how much we can read into this blowout, given how terrible the home team was. We'll take the win, but this match didn't offer a lot in the way of entertainment value, tbh.
Next. Sacramento, on Wednesday. I have a conflict, and it is doubtful that I will be able to do a recap. If anyone wants to do a postgame thread, feel free. I will be very interested in whatever transpires.
Go Mavs!
Mavs crushed the tanking Golden State. As a result, we got to see what we have in the way of deep bench players. They looked pretty good!
Game Story and Analytics
I can't say this match had much narrative drama. The Mavericks put their foot on the Dubs' neck early, and never took it off. As far as statistics are concerned, the visitors dominated in most categories.
Players
Luka (27 min) had a 20-8-2 line. It was a very off night for the young superstar. He was 2-9 on 3PTAs and a horrific 2-8 from the line. He had 2 assists and 3 turnovers. He played off the ball a fair amount, as the Mavs went for a more diversified offense. Despite his poor performance, he was smiling, and seemed pretty relaxed, perhaps in view of the blowout. Luka looks to me as if he might be wearing down a little, with the grind of a long season. Hopefully, not. Other than that, I don't know how to explain his shooting slump (by his standards), but his teammates stepped up, and things worked out for the best.
Steve Kerr lavished Luka with compliments after the game, saying that he is Larry Bird-like in his knack for seeing the floor and always being a step ahead in the chess match. Kerr also compared Doncic to Harden, with his crossovers and step-backs. Steve expects the Slovenian to be a cornerstone of the league for a long time. High praise from a very respected source!
Powell (24 min) had an outstanding game. He was the team's leading scorer with 21 points on perfect 9-9 shooting. He scored in a variety of ways, including hitting a three, putting the ball on the deck, putting it back after his teammates' misses, and throwing down lob dunks. This represented the continuation of a great stretch for Dwight. Rick praised him for being one of the most efficient players in the game offensively. Way to go, Diamond!
Hardaway (24 min) had 12 points on 11 shots, and was 2-8 from long range. What I think is interesting here, as well as in recent games, is the way they are using him as a distributor. He was second on the team with 4 assists, and was the primary ball handler in stretches. It looks as if Rick is trying to turn THJ into a secondary playmaker. That would be big, if it happens.
Boban (20 min) had an extended run-out, and put up 13 points and 11 boards. It is so much fun to watch the giant play! Although Bobi is not known for defense, when he stands next to the rim, the opponent can hit him with everything they've got, and he doesn't move an inch, lol. After the game, he cited the team's great chemistry as a factor in their performance. Rick commended him for a very solid game.
Barea passed Jason Terry to become the player who has played the 6th most games for the Mavs.
Remarks
Carlisle said there are a lot of new guys on the team, and he thinks the synergy is finally starting to come together. He liked the way the squad played, complimenting them on their concentration and focus on the defensive end of the court.
The Warriors are a seriously sucky team. Kudos to their fans for continuing to turn out for this mess. I don't know how much we can read into this blowout, given how terrible the home team was. We'll take the win, but this match didn't offer a lot in the way of entertainment value, tbh.
Next. Sacramento, on Wednesday. I have a conflict, and it is doubtful that I will be able to do a recap. If anyone wants to do a postgame thread, feel free. I will be very interested in whatever transpires.
Go Mavs!
