Mavs Make a Game of It Against Celtics
The Mavs were competitive against the Eastern Conference's second best team, and without Luka, that's not such a bad thing. The emotional impact was disappointing, because our guys were in the lead for much of the game, and the contest seemed winnable. Oh, well. To paraphrase the Shirelles, Mama said there'd be games like this.
Game Story and Analytics
Luka was still out with his adductor, and Marcus Smart and Gordon Hayward were on the Celtics' injury list.
Dallas maintained an advantage for most of the first three periods. Their edge reached 12 points a couple of times, and was 8 around the middle of the third. Then, the Celtics went on a 16-5 run through the end of the quarter, took the lead with about a minute left in the frame, and never trailed again. The Mavs attempted a late rally, but it ended up being too little, too late.
Stats-wise, the loss came down to rebounding and poor shooting. The Celts had a 54-42 rebounding margin, with the number of missed shots by each team almost exactly equal, and the Mavs allowed Boston to grab 14 offensive boards. Enes Kanter, in particular, burned the Mavs on the glass with 13 rebounds off the bench.
A number of the Mavs had shooting nights ranging from simply terrible to pretty bad. Looking at you, Tim Hardaway (4-17), Jalen Brunson (4-13), DFS (2-7), Dwight Powell (2-6), and Justin Jackson (1-4). They were actually getting some good looks, but couldn't manage to knock them down. The Celtics, except for Kemba, weren't exactly lighting it up either, but ultimately, the Mavericks' inability to put the ball in the basket cost them.
The Mavs also had a 7-point deficit in made free throws, a combination of Boston getting to the line a few more times and hitting at a better rate.
Good Stuff
There were some positives to take away from this match.
KP continues to look better and better. He was the team's leading scorer with 23 points, and had 13 boards, 3 blocks, and numerous deflections. His defense was excellent, especially around the rim. He appeared to assume an alpha mentality, especially in the first half, and took an aggressive approach on the offensive end. He still wasn't shooting well (8-19, 2-7 3PTA, 5-8 FTA), but he was effective at the basket, and we even got a taste of his drive-and-kick game, along with a couple of successful post-ups. Extremely encouraging!
Seth was an exception to the poor shooting mode of the night, with 20 efficient points (8-13, 4-8 3PTA). He went on a little scoring spree at the end, which spurred the Mavs' comeback attempt, but Dallas was already in too deep a hole. But overall, looked very good and performed well generally.
Mixed Stuff
The Mavs' defense was pretty good, although not as on-a-string as we have seen it. Kemba burned them with 16 points in the first quarter. They adjusted to double team him in the second, and he was essentially shut out until he experienced a renaissance in the fourth. I was a little surprised to see them make a few baffling mistakes, however. For example, Seth got matched up with a big, was struggling, there was plenty of time for someone to come and help, and instead, everyone stood around and watched the big ultimately shoot over him. Just some confounding stuff -- maybe that's what happens sometimes when a bunch of youngsters are on the floor.
Brunson ran the offense well for a long time, and made some good defensive plays, but again demonstrated his penchant for going off the rails at the end. Carlisle eventually took him out and let Wright close, but by that point, the Mavs were 12 points down with less than 4 minutes to go. It occurred to me that RC might break Barea out, but he didn't. Brunson isn't the only problem -- the units as a whole seem to be falling apart in closing stretches. I'm not super-concerned about it, largely because I don't think these bench players are likely to close any clutch games in the absence of injuries to the starters. However, it's something to watch.
Takeaways
Despite the frustration of watching the Mavs dribble away a lead and a win, I think this match is mostly encouraging, considering the circumstances. It had occurred to me when Luka went down that this team might be blown out a few times by these Eastern teams. But even without their offensive engine, they were competitive, and did not embarrass themselves. They gave Boston a run for their money, and mostly acquitted themselves respectably.
Although this team looked like it might have taken a step backward from its performance in Milwaukee, I don't think that's what really happened. They appear to be on an upward trend, and to even be in the game against Boston without Luka should probably get a satisfactory mark. The squad is still in a building mode as far as learning to play together, and there are going to be fits and starts. Win a few, lose a few. Hopefully, KP's star will continue to rise as we await Luka's return.
Next. The Process-Trusting Generational Dynasty To-Be, in Philadelphia on Friday.
The Mavs were competitive against the Eastern Conference's second best team, and without Luka, that's not such a bad thing. The emotional impact was disappointing, because our guys were in the lead for much of the game, and the contest seemed winnable. Oh, well. To paraphrase the Shirelles, Mama said there'd be games like this.
Game Story and Analytics
Luka was still out with his adductor, and Marcus Smart and Gordon Hayward were on the Celtics' injury list.
Dallas maintained an advantage for most of the first three periods. Their edge reached 12 points a couple of times, and was 8 around the middle of the third. Then, the Celtics went on a 16-5 run through the end of the quarter, took the lead with about a minute left in the frame, and never trailed again. The Mavs attempted a late rally, but it ended up being too little, too late.
Stats-wise, the loss came down to rebounding and poor shooting. The Celts had a 54-42 rebounding margin, with the number of missed shots by each team almost exactly equal, and the Mavs allowed Boston to grab 14 offensive boards. Enes Kanter, in particular, burned the Mavs on the glass with 13 rebounds off the bench.
A number of the Mavs had shooting nights ranging from simply terrible to pretty bad. Looking at you, Tim Hardaway (4-17), Jalen Brunson (4-13), DFS (2-7), Dwight Powell (2-6), and Justin Jackson (1-4). They were actually getting some good looks, but couldn't manage to knock them down. The Celtics, except for Kemba, weren't exactly lighting it up either, but ultimately, the Mavericks' inability to put the ball in the basket cost them.
The Mavs also had a 7-point deficit in made free throws, a combination of Boston getting to the line a few more times and hitting at a better rate.
Good Stuff
There were some positives to take away from this match.
KP continues to look better and better. He was the team's leading scorer with 23 points, and had 13 boards, 3 blocks, and numerous deflections. His defense was excellent, especially around the rim. He appeared to assume an alpha mentality, especially in the first half, and took an aggressive approach on the offensive end. He still wasn't shooting well (8-19, 2-7 3PTA, 5-8 FTA), but he was effective at the basket, and we even got a taste of his drive-and-kick game, along with a couple of successful post-ups. Extremely encouraging!
Seth was an exception to the poor shooting mode of the night, with 20 efficient points (8-13, 4-8 3PTA). He went on a little scoring spree at the end, which spurred the Mavs' comeback attempt, but Dallas was already in too deep a hole. But overall, looked very good and performed well generally.
Mixed Stuff
The Mavs' defense was pretty good, although not as on-a-string as we have seen it. Kemba burned them with 16 points in the first quarter. They adjusted to double team him in the second, and he was essentially shut out until he experienced a renaissance in the fourth. I was a little surprised to see them make a few baffling mistakes, however. For example, Seth got matched up with a big, was struggling, there was plenty of time for someone to come and help, and instead, everyone stood around and watched the big ultimately shoot over him. Just some confounding stuff -- maybe that's what happens sometimes when a bunch of youngsters are on the floor.
Brunson ran the offense well for a long time, and made some good defensive plays, but again demonstrated his penchant for going off the rails at the end. Carlisle eventually took him out and let Wright close, but by that point, the Mavs were 12 points down with less than 4 minutes to go. It occurred to me that RC might break Barea out, but he didn't. Brunson isn't the only problem -- the units as a whole seem to be falling apart in closing stretches. I'm not super-concerned about it, largely because I don't think these bench players are likely to close any clutch games in the absence of injuries to the starters. However, it's something to watch.
Takeaways
Despite the frustration of watching the Mavs dribble away a lead and a win, I think this match is mostly encouraging, considering the circumstances. It had occurred to me when Luka went down that this team might be blown out a few times by these Eastern teams. But even without their offensive engine, they were competitive, and did not embarrass themselves. They gave Boston a run for their money, and mostly acquitted themselves respectably.
Although this team looked like it might have taken a step backward from its performance in Milwaukee, I don't think that's what really happened. They appear to be on an upward trend, and to even be in the game against Boston without Luka should probably get a satisfactory mark. The squad is still in a building mode as far as learning to play together, and there are going to be fits and starts. Win a few, lose a few. Hopefully, KP's star will continue to rise as we await Luka's return.
Next. The Process-Trusting Generational Dynasty To-Be, in Philadelphia on Friday.