GAME 72 DIRKIE: Ka-Powell! (80%)

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/dallasmavs/status/15...6025540613

https://twitter.com/dallasmavs/status/15...4832774145

[ItsGoTime]

Gotta be, DP.

[Tyler]

This is one of the more difficult Dirkies in a while.

Bullock was absolutely terrific in his first game back. DFS was right there with him with some big shots and great defense. And who had Powell matching KAT in points and rebounds but in less than half the attempts?

My instinct is that the tiebreaker goes to Bullock. Great to have him back.

[SleepingHero]

Powell for actually managing to slow down KAT. My goodness he was effective. Never would've ever thought he could be capable of a defensive performance like tonight. 

DFS and Bullock both came up big tonight as well.

Refs let Minny get away with murder on Luka. How many blatant missed calls? Ridiculous. I'm shocked at how well Luka kept his cool. I know he turned the ball over tonight a lot, but every pass he made was huge. Always found the right guy at the right time for a wide open and usually key bucket. 

It takes a lot for Luka to defer as much as he did tonight. He was off from the first minute, and he made sure to get the ball to everyone else in the clutch.


Also when do we hit the panic button regarding Maxi....? I'm getting close.

[ThisIStheYear]

Five guys tied for the Dirkie, even without a Luka curve. I voted for Reggie. Welcome back!  He was hitting tonight, almost as much as the halftime show. Great game. Very entertaining, except for some ridiculous officiating. The TWolves play an entertaining style of basketball and have a talented roster. They’ll be a tough out in the playoffs.

[ItsGoTime]

Only negative about DP tonight was that he fouled out in 26 minutes of play. He was what he's supposed to be when the other team has no clue how to defend the roll player in the PnR.

[Hypermav]

Ka Powell

[ItsGoTime]

Also when do we hit the panic button regarding Maxi....? I'm getting close.

Holy crap! WTF is wrong with him? These are WIDE open shots he's taking too.

[Tyler]

https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1506111817160052738

[ItsGoTime]

https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1506111817160052738

We played a 9 man playoff rotation tonight. Hopefully we keep that up through the end of the year. Our 9-man playoff rotation needs to get settled into their playing time!

[SleepingHero]

Holy crap! WTF is wrong with him? These are WIDE open shots he's taking too.

I was curious as to just how bad Maxi has been and I regret looking.

Since Jan 30th, Maxi has been averaging 6.4ppg/5.9rpg/1.4bpg on 37/27/66. But that is including his 2 back to back career games against MIA and Pelicans pre-all star break.

If we take those two outliers out, he's basically been putting up 4.9ppg on 31.5% from the field and 22.6% from 3. SHEESH.

The fact he still gets consistent minutes every night despite putting up some of the worst offensive numbers of all time is just a testament to how good defensively he really is.

[ItsGoTime]

I was curious as to just how bad Maxi has been and I regret looking.

Since Jan 30th, Maxi has been averaging 6.4ppg/5.9rpg/1.4bpg on 37/27/66. But that is including his 2 back to back career games against MIA and Pelicans pre-all star break.

If we take those two outliers out, he's basically been putting up 4.9ppg on 31.5% from the field and 22.6% from 3. SHEESH.

The fact he still gets consistent minutes every night despite putting up some of the worst offensive numbers of all time is just a testament to how good defensively he really is.

And how bad our big rotation is.

[ballsrchr]

Well...I gotta go with Powell for the Dirkie.

Bullock was nice.

6 players in double figures is nice.

If I was Minnesota I'd be treating the refs to a fine steak dinner for the way they called this game.  I sort of suspect that the refs have been instructed to slow the Mavs down.  Paranoid?  I guess.  But if somebody is shooting at you...it's ok to be paranoid.

[MrGoat]

Powell. Matched KAT's scoring output on only 8 shot attempts. 

But still, welcome back Reggie

[Jommybone]

Well...I gotta go with Powell for the Dirkie.

Bullock was nice.

6 players in double figures is nice.

If I was Minnesota I'd be treating the refs to a fine steak dinner for the way they called this game.  I sort of suspect that the refs have been instructed to slow the Mavs down.  Paranoid?  I guess.  But if somebody is shooting at you...it's ok to be paranoid.

Maybe refs are slowing Dallas. To me it looked like the mirror image of that—like they’ve been instructed to give Minny most-favored-franchise treatment. 

Last year it was NY and ATL getting bring-the-fans-back officiating. Those teams used up their temporary good will, and they’re back in the lottery. (Or does finishing in the 10th spot put ATL just out of the lotto now?)

This year, Cleveland is getting that treatment. As was Washington early on, before they packed it in to focus on the tank. Since the Wiz passed the baton, it seems the Wolves have been the beneficiaries of the whistles pretty consistently. 

That’s my theory anyway. Adam Silver trying to be more subtle with the manipulation than his predecessor. Rather than just giving Michael Jordan treatment to the superstars and a few extra calls for the home crowd, he seems to be trying to diversify. Certainly his end game is the same though. Maximizing revenue. So don’t expect the Lakers to be bad for long. 

And somehow that seems to explain giving Russell free throws on a rip through move in the final minute of a close game. At least it does in my brain.

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/MFollowill/status/15...4605618177

[Chicagojk]

I gave it to Powell.   Just a real efficient performance.  Mavs really needed it too.  With Maxi's continued offensive difficulties, the Mavs needed Powell to get some easy baskets.  Otherwise, it could have been one of those nights when KAT gets 35 and our front court gets 6 points.   That is tough to overcome.  Powell also did his usual hustle plays too.