Mavs Silence Shorthanded Thunder
The Mavericks enjoyed a relatively drama-free victory over the Thunder in Loud City. OKC made some runs, but in the end, the Mavs were just the better team.
Game Story
Chris Paul, Ferguson, Nader and Roberson were out for Oklahoma City. Broekhoff was still inactive for the Mavs. Powell had successful surgery on his ruptured Achilles, but of course remains out for the season.
The first quarter began with an 8-second backcourt violation by the Mavs, followed by a 24-second shot clock violation by the Thunder, honoring Kobe's two shirt numbers. There was a somber ambience, both teams got off to a slow start, and even the crowd seemed flat. The energy eventually picked up, however. The score differential was never more than 5 points at any time in the period, the quarter ended with back-to-back traveling calls, and the Mavs led 25-22 when the buzzer sounded.
The two teams exchanged a few runs in the second period, and Dallas pulled ahead by double digits late, entering the locker room with a 59-47 advantage. Luka had a game-high 9 points for the quarter, and the team as a whole collected an amazing 18 boards in the frame (compared to OKC's 6).
The visiting team accumulated a game-high lead of 16 at a couple of points in the third, but OKC responded with an 11-0 run. Dallas, in turn, surged ahead again, fell short again, and were down to a 5-point lead with a couple of minutes left in the quarter. Fortunately, they extended their margin to 88-77 at the end of the frame. Luka shined with 12 points and three triples in the period.
The fourth period wasn't pretty, with the two teams combining for only 39 points (Mavs 19, OKC 20), and went a combined 4-19 on 3PTAs. Yuck. However, the Mavericks maintained their double-digit lead for the entire quarter. Yay.
Analytics
The Mavs got up 13 more shots than the Thunder, and a startling 21 more three-point attempts. However, they had a measly 9 FTAs, and missed three of those. The home team, on the other hand, had 19 attempts and missed only two. So, at the end of the day, the Mavericks were +21 on points from threes, -11 on made free throws, and even on points from twos. Dallas won the possession game primarily with superior rebounding (56-48), including 12 offensive boards, and a 14-point edge in second-chance points. Both teams took good care of the ball, combining for only 19 turnovers, but the Thunder gained exactly ZERO points off the Mavs' miscues. Good effort from the Mavs.
Players
Hardaway (35 min) contributed 15 points on 6-12 shooting. In addition to witnessing his threes, we were entertained with a thunderous throw down from a guy who doesn't dunk very often. He led the team in minutes, and in +/-, at +16.
Luka (33 min) dazzled, with a 29-11-5 line and NO turnovers. He revisited his three-point game, hitting 5 of 12 triples, and was active on the glass. He got to the line for 7 of the team's 9 free-throw attempts, but missed three of those, so I guess that situation remains a work in progress. Rick observed that Luka has taken Kobe's death very hard, which may have accounted for a certain lack of focus to begin the game (2-8 shooting in the first quarter). However, he got better and better as the contest wore on, and Coach thought his overall performance was "great." Hang in there, Luka!
Seth (30 min) had a relatively modest 8 points, taking only 8 shots, but played a very good all-around game. He made some fine passes, and drew a charge from Shai in the first half. This guy has been playing very well lately, displaying his broad array of skills. Maybe that accounts for his elevation to a starting role since Powell went down.
DFS (28 min) had 8 rebounds, but only 2 points, and was the only Mav in negative territory (-4). Rick successfully challenged an offensive foul that was called on him, and we learned that Rick has the highest successful challenge rate in the league (6-8). Show those refs up, Rick!
Wright (27 minutes) had an amazing night off the bench, earning his first double-double of the season with 14 points (6-10 shooting) and 12 rebounds. The Mavs designate a player to hang back after a Mav shot to try for an offensive rebound. Delon has apparently embraced that role, and he accounted for fully half of the team's 12 offensive rebound total. He had three put backs in the first half, drew a charge, hit a couple of threes, had a fantastic offensive board darting in from the baseline, and executed a dramatic spinning finish under the basket, among other feats.
Jet called Delon one of the best offensive-rebounding guards in the league. Rick thought he was great, and added that Wright impacts the game defensively, and with his pace, rebounding, and pressure on the rim. He thrives in this type of high-speed game, has been getting better and better all year, and is a great kid who is proud to be a Maverick. High praise from the boss!
Porzingis (26 min) didn't shoot very well (5-15), but still managed a double-double, with 14 points and 10 boards. Rick mentioned that KP is still on a minutes watch, which Zinger finds frustrating, but Rick thinks he is doing great, and loves how he is playing, both with the starters and the second units.
Jackson (22 min) put up four boards and three assists, and had a good impact on the game (+11), but shot poorly (2-8) and scored only 5 points. I have observed that this young man makes a profound pushing motion on his shots. I wonder if the shooting coaches should work with him a little on his form. Worked wonders for Hardaway.
Maxi (22 min) looked a little better in this match, earning 11 points, including three triples. He also had three rebounds, a steal, and a block in his box score line. Rick is still playing only one big man at a time, and KP and Maxi shared center duties -- not an easy job with the Thunder bigs.
Brunson (16 min) was effective, and had a pretty decent defensive night, in addition to his competent offensive game.
WCS, who has not participated in a team practice, was active but didn't play.
Thunder. Schroder, in for CP3, had 21 points, but it took him 16 shots to get there. SGA put up 16 points and 11 boards, but shot an horrendous 5-20. Former Mav Nerlens Noel had 9 points and 8 rebounds off the bench, and former Mav and new Thunder Isaiah Roby had a DNP-CD.
Remarks
Rick said that the whole team has been affected by Kobe's accident, and that he was proud of them for "keeping it together." He acknowledged that his squad got a break with Paul being out. He admitted that the team had some breakdowns, particularly in the third quarter, but thinks they did well to "get through it." All in all, a "tough, emotional win."
Kudos to the Mavs for not letting the game get too interesting, and maintaining their lead at the end. They managed well, especially considering the circumstances, but clearly got a break with CP3 and several other Thunder out and in encountering an OKC squad that, frankly, performed relatively poorly on the night.
Next. The Mavs will face Phoenix Tuesday night at the AAC. Will KP play on the SEGABABA? Will Rick break WCS out? We're about to find out!
Go Mavs!
The Mavericks enjoyed a relatively drama-free victory over the Thunder in Loud City. OKC made some runs, but in the end, the Mavs were just the better team.
Game Story
Chris Paul, Ferguson, Nader and Roberson were out for Oklahoma City. Broekhoff was still inactive for the Mavs. Powell had successful surgery on his ruptured Achilles, but of course remains out for the season.
The first quarter began with an 8-second backcourt violation by the Mavs, followed by a 24-second shot clock violation by the Thunder, honoring Kobe's two shirt numbers. There was a somber ambience, both teams got off to a slow start, and even the crowd seemed flat. The energy eventually picked up, however. The score differential was never more than 5 points at any time in the period, the quarter ended with back-to-back traveling calls, and the Mavs led 25-22 when the buzzer sounded.
The two teams exchanged a few runs in the second period, and Dallas pulled ahead by double digits late, entering the locker room with a 59-47 advantage. Luka had a game-high 9 points for the quarter, and the team as a whole collected an amazing 18 boards in the frame (compared to OKC's 6).
The visiting team accumulated a game-high lead of 16 at a couple of points in the third, but OKC responded with an 11-0 run. Dallas, in turn, surged ahead again, fell short again, and were down to a 5-point lead with a couple of minutes left in the quarter. Fortunately, they extended their margin to 88-77 at the end of the frame. Luka shined with 12 points and three triples in the period.
The fourth period wasn't pretty, with the two teams combining for only 39 points (Mavs 19, OKC 20), and went a combined 4-19 on 3PTAs. Yuck. However, the Mavericks maintained their double-digit lead for the entire quarter. Yay.
Analytics
The Mavs got up 13 more shots than the Thunder, and a startling 21 more three-point attempts. However, they had a measly 9 FTAs, and missed three of those. The home team, on the other hand, had 19 attempts and missed only two. So, at the end of the day, the Mavericks were +21 on points from threes, -11 on made free throws, and even on points from twos. Dallas won the possession game primarily with superior rebounding (56-48), including 12 offensive boards, and a 14-point edge in second-chance points. Both teams took good care of the ball, combining for only 19 turnovers, but the Thunder gained exactly ZERO points off the Mavs' miscues. Good effort from the Mavs.
Players
Hardaway (35 min) contributed 15 points on 6-12 shooting. In addition to witnessing his threes, we were entertained with a thunderous throw down from a guy who doesn't dunk very often. He led the team in minutes, and in +/-, at +16.
Luka (33 min) dazzled, with a 29-11-5 line and NO turnovers. He revisited his three-point game, hitting 5 of 12 triples, and was active on the glass. He got to the line for 7 of the team's 9 free-throw attempts, but missed three of those, so I guess that situation remains a work in progress. Rick observed that Luka has taken Kobe's death very hard, which may have accounted for a certain lack of focus to begin the game (2-8 shooting in the first quarter). However, he got better and better as the contest wore on, and Coach thought his overall performance was "great." Hang in there, Luka!
Seth (30 min) had a relatively modest 8 points, taking only 8 shots, but played a very good all-around game. He made some fine passes, and drew a charge from Shai in the first half. This guy has been playing very well lately, displaying his broad array of skills. Maybe that accounts for his elevation to a starting role since Powell went down.
DFS (28 min) had 8 rebounds, but only 2 points, and was the only Mav in negative territory (-4). Rick successfully challenged an offensive foul that was called on him, and we learned that Rick has the highest successful challenge rate in the league (6-8). Show those refs up, Rick!
Wright (27 minutes) had an amazing night off the bench, earning his first double-double of the season with 14 points (6-10 shooting) and 12 rebounds. The Mavs designate a player to hang back after a Mav shot to try for an offensive rebound. Delon has apparently embraced that role, and he accounted for fully half of the team's 12 offensive rebound total. He had three put backs in the first half, drew a charge, hit a couple of threes, had a fantastic offensive board darting in from the baseline, and executed a dramatic spinning finish under the basket, among other feats.
Jet called Delon one of the best offensive-rebounding guards in the league. Rick thought he was great, and added that Wright impacts the game defensively, and with his pace, rebounding, and pressure on the rim. He thrives in this type of high-speed game, has been getting better and better all year, and is a great kid who is proud to be a Maverick. High praise from the boss!
Porzingis (26 min) didn't shoot very well (5-15), but still managed a double-double, with 14 points and 10 boards. Rick mentioned that KP is still on a minutes watch, which Zinger finds frustrating, but Rick thinks he is doing great, and loves how he is playing, both with the starters and the second units.
Jackson (22 min) put up four boards and three assists, and had a good impact on the game (+11), but shot poorly (2-8) and scored only 5 points. I have observed that this young man makes a profound pushing motion on his shots. I wonder if the shooting coaches should work with him a little on his form. Worked wonders for Hardaway.
Maxi (22 min) looked a little better in this match, earning 11 points, including three triples. He also had three rebounds, a steal, and a block in his box score line. Rick is still playing only one big man at a time, and KP and Maxi shared center duties -- not an easy job with the Thunder bigs.
Brunson (16 min) was effective, and had a pretty decent defensive night, in addition to his competent offensive game.
WCS, who has not participated in a team practice, was active but didn't play.
Thunder. Schroder, in for CP3, had 21 points, but it took him 16 shots to get there. SGA put up 16 points and 11 boards, but shot an horrendous 5-20. Former Mav Nerlens Noel had 9 points and 8 rebounds off the bench, and former Mav and new Thunder Isaiah Roby had a DNP-CD.
Remarks
Rick said that the whole team has been affected by Kobe's accident, and that he was proud of them for "keeping it together." He acknowledged that his squad got a break with Paul being out. He admitted that the team had some breakdowns, particularly in the third quarter, but thinks they did well to "get through it." All in all, a "tough, emotional win."
Kudos to the Mavs for not letting the game get too interesting, and maintaining their lead at the end. They managed well, especially considering the circumstances, but clearly got a break with CP3 and several other Thunder out and in encountering an OKC squad that, frankly, performed relatively poorly on the night.
Next. The Mavs will face Phoenix Tuesday night at the AAC. Will KP play on the SEGABABA? Will Rick break WCS out? We're about to find out!
Go Mavs!
![[Image: giphy.gif]](https://media.giphy.com/media/xT1XGwKKgdcLVdSxvW/giphy.gif)
