After a tough battle on Friday to lose Part 1 of a 2-game series in Portland, 125-119, the Dallas Mavericks came back strong on Sunday night to shoot the Portland Trail Blazers out of their own gym. The Mavs shot 19 of 37 (51%) from three, while the Trail Blazers shot 9 of 41 (22%) from deep, ultimately resulting in a 132-92 finish.
In Game 1, Portland saw huge contributions from their stars, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Carmelo Anthony. The three combined for 81 points on 27 of 53 (51%) from the field. This game was evenly matched throughout the entire game, but this one came down to the Blazers playing great team defense down the stretch.
Game 2 was a perfect representation of what the NBA is today. It’s all about who can make more threes than the other team. The Mavs could’ve beat anyone the way they shot it last night. Luka Doncic continued his hot shooting streak, he made his first 8 threes, ending the night 8 of 9 from deep.
They must’ve read my last article, calling them out on lack of ball movement. 12 out of 15 players on the Mavs’ roster had at least 1 assist. Not a single Maverick had over 4 assists on the game, and the team combined for 23 on the night.
STAR OF THE GAME
Game 1: It was nice to see CJ McCollum back to his true form on Friday. CJ missed 25 games in a row, suffering a broken left foot on January 16 against the Atlanta Hawks. In his third game back, McCollum scored 32 points in 28 minutes against Dallas, leading them to a W. I’m a big fan of his silky smooth game, and wish he was given a little more respect by NBA fans.
I can’t not acknowledge Luka’s incredible passing display he showcased on Friday. He is truly a MAGIC-ian.
Game 2: Luka Doncic might have posted the best shooting performance of his entire career last night. He was red hot, nailing his first 8 threes, until missing a 27-footer late in the 3rd, SIGH.
The Mavericks are in great hands when their star is shooting the ball well.
BIGGEST CONCERN
Kristaps Porzingis‘ does not shoot enough for being the 2nd best player on the team.
On Friday, he shot the ball 11 times in 34 minutes. On Sunday, he shot it 7 times in 25 minutes.
His coaches, teammates, and Kristaps all KNOW he can not only shoot it, but he can shoot over anybody in the league. The big man needs to demand for the ball more, because he can get an open shot on every possession.
SURPRISE CONTRIBUTION
Game 1: Enes Kanter put up a huge 2nd quarter on the glass, and in the post for the Blazers’. He played a huge role in the win on Friday night, putting up 14 points and 9 rebounds (5 were offensive).
Game 2: Josh Richardson gave the Mavs a push with 21 points on 8 of 11 shooting, along with 3 rebounds and 4 assists. It’s been painful to watch Seth Curry kill it in Philly since the trade, but Rick Carlisle and Donnie Nelson can’t be upset with Josh’s role on this team.
NEXT GAME
@ Minnesota, Wednesday, March 24th at 7:00pm CT
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