Mavs Top Blazers in Fourth Straight Win
The Mavericks took care of business in front of their home fans in what turned out to be the Luka v Lillard show.
Game Story
Collins, Hood, and Labissiere occupied slots on Portland's injury list. Dame played with an upper respiratory infection, which could have meant a cold. McCollum left the game in the second quarter with a sprained ankle. On the Mavs' side, KP was out for the 10th consecutive game. So, what IS wrong with Zinger, anyway?
Maxi took Porzee's place in the starting lineup. Dallas opened the game slogging through mud, and were down by 11 within the first five minutes. Then they stormed back with 26 points in four minutes or so, and took their first lead with 4:09 left in the quarter. Two Brunson free throws put them ahead 38-37 at the end of the frame in what was turning into a shootout. The two teams combined for 22 3PTAs in the period, hitting 12. Luka dazzled for the Mavs with fourteen points. The home team would never surrender their lead.
The Mavericks surged in the second, and went into the half with a 72-63 advantage. Not a lot of defense being played from either squad. Brunson led the team with 11 points in the quarter, and put the finishing touch on the period with a running reverse layup. Bazemore, who drew the bewildering job of guarding Luka, had four fouls by halftime, limiting his ability to be aggressive in his defensive duties.
The third period was Hardaway's time to shine, and he put on a show with 15 points. The team had a game-high 17-point lead with 3 minutes left. Being the Mavs, they found a way to make it interesting, and the opponents went on a 12-4 run to close the quarter. Dallas' lead was down to 98-89 when the buzzer sounded.
The home team continued their slide to begin the fourth, and their edge was down to four within the first five minutes. The starters came back in en masse with 8 minutes left, and the unit ended the period with an 18-14 edge. Seth led the squad with 7 points and some clever ball handling. His dramatic steal from Lillard and ensuing layup was a momentum move and was deemed the play of the game. The Mavs clamped down toward the end with five defensive stops, and a layup and dagger three from Luka sealed the deal.
Analytics
Three-point shooting was the name of the game for the Mavs. They took 17 more long-range attempts than Portland, and hit 20 of those for a 43% pyrotechnical display. The match was a little choppy, with 50 fouls called, but the Mavs responded by shooting 79% from the line. The Mavericks' overall game plan with KP out appeared to be trading threes for twos, as they repeatedly funneled the Blazers into the paint, and provided little to no resistance at the rim. It worked, after a fashion, and the blue and silver ended up +33 on points from threes, +7 on made free throws, and -32 on points from twos.
Dallas secured 13 offensive rebounds and had 20 second-chance points. The Mavs lead the league in second-chance points -- who knew? On the other hand, they gave up 17 points off turnovers, leaving the possession game relatively even. The second period was key, with the Mavs' point differential per quarter being +1, +8, 0, and -1. The bench showed up with 42 points, while Portland's second unit had a measly 20. Defense began as a nonexistent concept, but grew progressively better as the game went along, and was impressive during the final run.
Players
Luka (34 min) was on fire. He had a 35-8-7 line, and hit a career-high 8 threes in the contest. His 7 assists led the team, and he kept his turnovers down to a relatively reasonable three. He had a dramatic four-point play in the second, when he shocked his man with a sudden pull-up three, despite being closely guarded. Bazemore was tagged with his fourth foul with about a minute left in the second period, and Luka took advantage with a 26-foot three and driving finger-roll layup before the interval.
Doncic was called for a controversial flagrant in the third, when he raised his arms to shoot with Whiteside in his grill, and his elbows caught Hassan's face. Guess ball don't lie, as HW missed both free throws. The young phenom lit the place up all night. Amazing to think that his best is yet to come.
Maxi (33 min) had 10 points on 2-8 shooting, to go with 5 rebounds. His contributions, however, far outweighed his line, and he and Doe Doe led the team in +/- at +9. He drew defensive duty on Carmelo, who was a handful, but he performed with aplomb. The Mavs ran some MK-SC pick and roll in the fourth, and MK had a beautiful kick-out to Seth for a three. Playmaker! Rick noted that Maxi had long minutes as one of the team's only two bigs. While Carlisle prefers to keep their minutes in the twenties, he thought that Kleber made it through his 33 minutes just fine. At one point, I was watching a play out of the corner of my eye and thought that Luka was looking quite stellar on defense, only to realize on closer inspection that it was Maxi I was watching, lol.
Hardaway (32 min) was blazing, putting together an amazing 29 points on 16 shots. Portland focused on trying to keep the ball out of Luka's hands, and Tim stepped up in a big way. Rick gushed over the guard, who he thought was great all night on both ends. Coach appreciated his aggression, dialed-in focus, concentration, brilliant shotmaking, great presence, and infectious energy.
Carlisle opined that there is no question that Tim is a starter in the league, and the only question roster-wise was whether he should be used as a starter or a sixth man. He tried Tim in a sixth-man role to begin the season. When Seth got sick and THJ filled in, Rick thought it was "pretty clear" that Tim should play the starting role, and that Seth had had a great attitude about it.
Seth (29 min) had 16 points off the bench, and played a key role in the stretch. Rick has been giving Luka periods of "rest" during the game by taking him off the ball, so that he doesn't have to use up his energy driving all the time. Seth drew that responsibility in the fourth, and Luka looked fresh and strong delivering in the clutch. Rick thought Curry's glittering steal and layup was "huge," and was key to getting the crowd involved. Seth revealed that Rick is making an effort to use Seth more as a ball handler when he and Luka are both on the floor, and the experiment worked on the night.
Brunson (19 min) had a pretty good night out, with 13 points on 5-10 shooting. In addition to leading the offense, he had an exciting giant-killer, when his shot close to the rim arched WAY up high over his big man defender, and came down right through the nylon. He was aggressive off the bench, and provided a steadying influence when Luka was off the floor.
Blazers. Dame entertained with 34 points and 10 assists. What a great player! Although there is no stopping a player of that quality, the Mavs gained some valuable experience giving it a go. The Luka-Lillard matchup was a highlight of the season. Carmelo had 22 points on 16 shots. We can talk a lot (and we have) about Melo's deficiencies, but he can flat put the ball in the basket. Whiteside dominated the paint on both ends, and stuffed the box score with 21 points, 18 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Nevertheless, he had plenty of head-scratching plays, dopey fouls, and several defensive three-second technicals. Some commentators thought he was one of the best players for the Mavs, lol. The Blazers had a bad break when CJ went out with a sprained ankle, and the visitors lost the starting back court battle 38-64.
Remarks
Rick thought that this was a good win and liked his squad's play, while acknowledging that his team dodged bullets all night and committed mistakes that they can improve on in the future. He thought they performed well in the clutch, winning the game with stops. He praised Seth's huge steal and layup and PNR plays, Hardaway's deflections, DFS' rebounding, and Luka's dagger in the final few minutes.
The Mavs made their share of cringeworthy mistakes in this match (for example, giving up offensive rebounds while ball-watching, including after a lane violation on a Portland free throw attempt), but on balance, I liked the performance. They held onto the lead for the last three quarters. Despite narrowing their advantage from 17 to 4 over the last few minutes of the third and beginning of the fourth, they had some good energy in the tank to finish the game strong. I think the extra day of rest after the last game had Luka looking lively, after he had seemed to be wearing down under the pressure of a crowded schedule.
The team still allowed a parade to the basket, with no one offering the rim protection that KP does. However, hot three-point shooting covers a multitude of sins, and the Mavs sparkled from long distance. Hardaway was spectacular, and the entire team showed a lot of synergy. Defense was impressive in the fourth, and the squad looked rejuvenated at home. It wasn't their best performance, but it was a long way from their worst, and they are showing progress as the season rolls along. Good win!
Next. The Mavs will get another run at the Clippers on Tuesday. Hopefully, they will benefit from the rest between now and then.
Go Mavs!
The Mavericks took care of business in front of their home fans in what turned out to be the Luka v Lillard show.
Game Story
Collins, Hood, and Labissiere occupied slots on Portland's injury list. Dame played with an upper respiratory infection, which could have meant a cold. McCollum left the game in the second quarter with a sprained ankle. On the Mavs' side, KP was out for the 10th consecutive game. So, what IS wrong with Zinger, anyway?
Maxi took Porzee's place in the starting lineup. Dallas opened the game slogging through mud, and were down by 11 within the first five minutes. Then they stormed back with 26 points in four minutes or so, and took their first lead with 4:09 left in the quarter. Two Brunson free throws put them ahead 38-37 at the end of the frame in what was turning into a shootout. The two teams combined for 22 3PTAs in the period, hitting 12. Luka dazzled for the Mavs with fourteen points. The home team would never surrender their lead.
The Mavericks surged in the second, and went into the half with a 72-63 advantage. Not a lot of defense being played from either squad. Brunson led the team with 11 points in the quarter, and put the finishing touch on the period with a running reverse layup. Bazemore, who drew the bewildering job of guarding Luka, had four fouls by halftime, limiting his ability to be aggressive in his defensive duties.
The third period was Hardaway's time to shine, and he put on a show with 15 points. The team had a game-high 17-point lead with 3 minutes left. Being the Mavs, they found a way to make it interesting, and the opponents went on a 12-4 run to close the quarter. Dallas' lead was down to 98-89 when the buzzer sounded.
The home team continued their slide to begin the fourth, and their edge was down to four within the first five minutes. The starters came back in en masse with 8 minutes left, and the unit ended the period with an 18-14 edge. Seth led the squad with 7 points and some clever ball handling. His dramatic steal from Lillard and ensuing layup was a momentum move and was deemed the play of the game. The Mavs clamped down toward the end with five defensive stops, and a layup and dagger three from Luka sealed the deal.
Analytics
Three-point shooting was the name of the game for the Mavs. They took 17 more long-range attempts than Portland, and hit 20 of those for a 43% pyrotechnical display. The match was a little choppy, with 50 fouls called, but the Mavs responded by shooting 79% from the line. The Mavericks' overall game plan with KP out appeared to be trading threes for twos, as they repeatedly funneled the Blazers into the paint, and provided little to no resistance at the rim. It worked, after a fashion, and the blue and silver ended up +33 on points from threes, +7 on made free throws, and -32 on points from twos.
Dallas secured 13 offensive rebounds and had 20 second-chance points. The Mavs lead the league in second-chance points -- who knew? On the other hand, they gave up 17 points off turnovers, leaving the possession game relatively even. The second period was key, with the Mavs' point differential per quarter being +1, +8, 0, and -1. The bench showed up with 42 points, while Portland's second unit had a measly 20. Defense began as a nonexistent concept, but grew progressively better as the game went along, and was impressive during the final run.
Players
Luka (34 min) was on fire. He had a 35-8-7 line, and hit a career-high 8 threes in the contest. His 7 assists led the team, and he kept his turnovers down to a relatively reasonable three. He had a dramatic four-point play in the second, when he shocked his man with a sudden pull-up three, despite being closely guarded. Bazemore was tagged with his fourth foul with about a minute left in the second period, and Luka took advantage with a 26-foot three and driving finger-roll layup before the interval.
Doncic was called for a controversial flagrant in the third, when he raised his arms to shoot with Whiteside in his grill, and his elbows caught Hassan's face. Guess ball don't lie, as HW missed both free throws. The young phenom lit the place up all night. Amazing to think that his best is yet to come.
Maxi (33 min) had 10 points on 2-8 shooting, to go with 5 rebounds. His contributions, however, far outweighed his line, and he and Doe Doe led the team in +/- at +9. He drew defensive duty on Carmelo, who was a handful, but he performed with aplomb. The Mavs ran some MK-SC pick and roll in the fourth, and MK had a beautiful kick-out to Seth for a three. Playmaker! Rick noted that Maxi had long minutes as one of the team's only two bigs. While Carlisle prefers to keep their minutes in the twenties, he thought that Kleber made it through his 33 minutes just fine. At one point, I was watching a play out of the corner of my eye and thought that Luka was looking quite stellar on defense, only to realize on closer inspection that it was Maxi I was watching, lol.
Hardaway (32 min) was blazing, putting together an amazing 29 points on 16 shots. Portland focused on trying to keep the ball out of Luka's hands, and Tim stepped up in a big way. Rick gushed over the guard, who he thought was great all night on both ends. Coach appreciated his aggression, dialed-in focus, concentration, brilliant shotmaking, great presence, and infectious energy.
Carlisle opined that there is no question that Tim is a starter in the league, and the only question roster-wise was whether he should be used as a starter or a sixth man. He tried Tim in a sixth-man role to begin the season. When Seth got sick and THJ filled in, Rick thought it was "pretty clear" that Tim should play the starting role, and that Seth had had a great attitude about it.
Seth (29 min) had 16 points off the bench, and played a key role in the stretch. Rick has been giving Luka periods of "rest" during the game by taking him off the ball, so that he doesn't have to use up his energy driving all the time. Seth drew that responsibility in the fourth, and Luka looked fresh and strong delivering in the clutch. Rick thought Curry's glittering steal and layup was "huge," and was key to getting the crowd involved. Seth revealed that Rick is making an effort to use Seth more as a ball handler when he and Luka are both on the floor, and the experiment worked on the night.
Brunson (19 min) had a pretty good night out, with 13 points on 5-10 shooting. In addition to leading the offense, he had an exciting giant-killer, when his shot close to the rim arched WAY up high over his big man defender, and came down right through the nylon. He was aggressive off the bench, and provided a steadying influence when Luka was off the floor.
Blazers. Dame entertained with 34 points and 10 assists. What a great player! Although there is no stopping a player of that quality, the Mavs gained some valuable experience giving it a go. The Luka-Lillard matchup was a highlight of the season. Carmelo had 22 points on 16 shots. We can talk a lot (and we have) about Melo's deficiencies, but he can flat put the ball in the basket. Whiteside dominated the paint on both ends, and stuffed the box score with 21 points, 18 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Nevertheless, he had plenty of head-scratching plays, dopey fouls, and several defensive three-second technicals. Some commentators thought he was one of the best players for the Mavs, lol. The Blazers had a bad break when CJ went out with a sprained ankle, and the visitors lost the starting back court battle 38-64.
Remarks
Rick thought that this was a good win and liked his squad's play, while acknowledging that his team dodged bullets all night and committed mistakes that they can improve on in the future. He thought they performed well in the clutch, winning the game with stops. He praised Seth's huge steal and layup and PNR plays, Hardaway's deflections, DFS' rebounding, and Luka's dagger in the final few minutes.
The Mavs made their share of cringeworthy mistakes in this match (for example, giving up offensive rebounds while ball-watching, including after a lane violation on a Portland free throw attempt), but on balance, I liked the performance. They held onto the lead for the last three quarters. Despite narrowing their advantage from 17 to 4 over the last few minutes of the third and beginning of the fourth, they had some good energy in the tank to finish the game strong. I think the extra day of rest after the last game had Luka looking lively, after he had seemed to be wearing down under the pressure of a crowded schedule.
The team still allowed a parade to the basket, with no one offering the rim protection that KP does. However, hot three-point shooting covers a multitude of sins, and the Mavs sparkled from long distance. Hardaway was spectacular, and the entire team showed a lot of synergy. Defense was impressive in the fourth, and the squad looked rejuvenated at home. It wasn't their best performance, but it was a long way from their worst, and they are showing progress as the season rolls along. Good win!
Next. The Mavs will get another run at the Clippers on Tuesday. Hopefully, they will benefit from the rest between now and then.
Go Mavs!
.. But if he'll absorb Maxi's D performance beside his look I hope I'll be mistaken many more times in the future.
