Game 25: Dallas Mavericks (16-9) @ Portland Trail Blazers (6-18) 131-120 WIN!

[DanSchwartzgan]

OMax has a very key 5 minute stretch in the early 4th quarter (4 boards and an assist).  It was all the more important because to that point Grant hadn't done a thing.

The group on the floor to start the fourth (and give Luka a much needed rest) was Exum, Curry, THJ, OMax and Powell.  They held their own (+2) and gave Luka almost 5 minutes off.  If you go back and look at the same period in the first half, the Exum/Curry backcourt (this time with Morris, GWill and THJ) were the ones responsible for turning the game around with a +13 (with an 18-3 run).  They also played together (with Luka, Powell and THJ) for a couple of minutes in the first quarter and were +2.

The common denominators in all three of those stints were Exum, Seth and THJ.  You wouldn't think that to be a net positive lineup with so little defense on the floor, but it worked.

Exum has now started six games and Dallas is 5-1 (LAL was really the only quality win, but we probably lose that one and some of those other games last season).  As a starter, Exum is 17/4.3/5.0 in 30 minutes.  His TS% is .743 and he is hitting .560 from 3 (take out the 7 of 9 in that LA game and he's still 7/16 or .437 in the other games).  Exum is productive in his non-starts, but his shooting is not good.  The confidence of starting (or maybe it is just being relied upon) looks good on him.