The way this season has gone thus far for the Dallas Mavericks, I wasn’t surprised to see them beat the Harden-less Brooklyn Nets last night.
They’ve played well in the spotlight against good teams, and played horribly against bad teams. Make no mistake, that’s nothing to complain about. It’s good to see your team stepping up when the lights shine the brightest.
Kyrie Irving was spectacular, he scored 45 points along with 4 steals, but it wasn’t enough. The Mavs defense clamped down on the rest of the Nets, holding Kevin Durant to just 7 of 21 shooting (20), and Blake Griffin to only 10 points.
Luka Doncic had a strong first half. Including a fun stretch late in the second quarter, trading buckets back and forth with Kyrie. Luka tailed off in the second half. He went cold in the third quarter, ending the night on just 7 of 22 shooting and 24 points.
The rest of the Mavs picked up the slack. They saw giant contributions from Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, Jalen Brunson, and Dwight Powell. The four combined for an impressive 59% shooting from the field, along with great defensive help to seal the victory at home, 113-109.
Star of the Game
Tim Hardaway Jr. is my star of the game, shooting 8 of 16 from the field, with 23 points and 6 rebounds.
Although I haven’t written a game recap in a week, I’ve noticed the absolute tear Tim Hardaway Jr. has been on. Averaging 30 points a night in the last four games, Tim has been a key factor in the Mavs winning 3 of their last 4.
I’ll go ahead and throw out the generic, “I just hope he can continue that form come playoff time.”
Biggest Concern
A loss to the spare Cleveland Cavaliers tonight in the second half of a back-to-back wouldn’t shock me at all.
Surprise Contribution
An efficient 12 point, 10 rebound double-double, on 100% shooting from Dwight Powell gives him the coveted ‘Surprise Contribution’ award.
I am a Dwight Powell believer, unlike many Mavericks fans. He’s their strongest big man, and the most consistent when he’s not dealing with an injury.
Next Game
Tonight vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:30pm CT
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