SUBJECT: Mavs (12-6)
TRACKING… GM. 2 • 11/29 @ PHX
W, 120-113
Following their toughest loss of the season, Dallas bounced back with an impressive, 120-113 victory in Phoenix. A physical back & forth matchup, it wasn’t until late in the 4th where DAL was able to create some separation and pull away for a W.
Let’s take a look at a few notable performances:
Luka Doncic • Doncic was incredible once again - ended up just an assist shy of a 40-point trip-dub: 42!, 11 & 9 dimes. Most notably, Luka went to the line 18! times (made 15) & committed just 2 TOs - his efficiency set the tone. Instead of forcing the issue like he did v. LAC, his aggressiveness was controlled into smarter driving attempts & patient playmaking.
Tim Hardaway Jr • THJ earned Star UnderDOG of the Night honors with his huge, 26-point performance - shot 57% from the field & hit 6 triples in 36 minutes. THJ is often a barometer for success: when his offense is going, it not only gives Coach Carlisle a true second or third option, he reps another confident shooting threat (besides Luka) who isn't bothered by any moment.
Kristaps Porzingis • Though KP had a great game on the glass (13 boards) & was active around the rim (3 blocks), his offense has gone by the wayside early on. It’s unfair to criticize him too much following his ACL tear but the Mavs need to do a better job of featuring Porzingis during the outset of quarters. Often, he wanders on the perimeter waiting for a spot up 3 (0/6 from deep, 0/8 overall) - a steadier dose of paint touches should be a priority moving forward.
Bench • Delon Wright, Jalen Brunson, Seth Curry, Maxi Kleber & Justin Jackson rounded out DAL’s 10-man rotation v. PHX. It was a strong outing for the reserves - Curry (11 pts) & Kleber (9 & 7 boards) saw crunch time minutes, D. Wright was a +20 in 15! minutes, and Jackson & Brunson hit key shots during a close contest in the final period.
Outside of KP’s play, Dallas is an excellent shape when Luka gets this sort of complementary production. His efficient shot creation resulted in countless avenues for teammates to exploit - unlike the Clipper game, role players like THJ were a bit more comfortable getting into an offensive rhythm and knocking down shots.
While Coach Carlisle’s starting 5 seems set (Luka-THJ-DFS-Porzingis-Powell), he’s still searching for the most effective supporting combinations to make things easier on Luka.
Tomorrow’s matinee @ Staples, versus the streaking LA Lakers (10 Ws in a row, 17-2 record, 1st! out West), is a sort of revenge game for Dallas, who fell 119-110 in their last meeting on November 1st.
Pt. II of Luka v. LeBron is worth the price of admission alone. In more of a statement game for the Mavs, it’s a battle between the league’s most effective offense (#1 in offensive rating) v. the top squad out West (17-2) & one of the league’s stingiest defenses (LAL is #5 in defensive rating at 102.8).
QUICK NOTES
Starting 5: Luka-THJ-DFS-Porzingis-Powell
L. Doncic: 3rd player in league history (Oscar Robertson, Russell Westbrook) to average a 30-pt. triple-double in a calendar month (via stats.nba.com)
Luka & THJ: combined for 68 of DAL’s 81 pts from starters
S. Curry: 2nd straight game in double figures - 13 pts v. LAC (11/26)
D. Powell: 3 & 5 boards in 23 min.
J. Brunson: 9 pts in 9 min. (off bench)
DAL: 20 dimes v. 8 TOs
DAL: 33!/38 from the line
DAL: 17!/47 from deep