G59 Battle Report: Requiem for Birthday Night.
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Toronto Raptors 136-125 on the road. Luka Doncic had 30 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists for Dallas. The Raptors' Quickley scored 28 points. After a clayoff in Cleveland, Dallas faced an opponent who was inferior to him, and comfortably ended the game and got back on winning track.
The Raptors hit two three-pointers in the opening stanza, while the Mavericks looked a little weak. But P.J. Washington held the tide and hit two three-pointers in a row, with the Mavericks scoring 10 of the first 16 points. Dallas' momentary sloppiness gave Toronto the upper hand, but a strong play late in the first quarter helped the Mavericks take a 36-34 lead into the second quarter.
Luka Doncic started to work in the second quarter to help the Mavericks build a slim lead. However, the Raptors showed a tenacious fighting spirit, responding and keeping the score at around 1 point for most of the game. The two sides have come and gone, but they have not been able to widen the difference. Dallas struggled before half-time due to consecutive errors, and Toronto went into halftime with a one-point advantage.
At the start of the third quarter, the two teams continued to alternate scores, without giving in. Drake Lively had a great quarter, with his blocks and interior scoring impressive. As the game progressed, Dallas finally began to pull away and extend their lead to 14 points. Before the end of the quarter, Derrick Jones Jr. hit a three-pointer for the first time in a long time, and Dallas went into the final quarter 106-92.
The fourth quarter was, of course, Kyrie Irving's showtime: the super-guard scored 13 points in the first six minutes to help his team maintain the lead without Luka. When Doncic returned to the court, the game was basically over. The Raptors had a chance of coming back, but Dallas quickly snuffed them out and walked away from Canada. They have done the job and deserve praise. The day after tomorrow will be an important matchup in Boston, and the Mavericks need to be tested in this game.
Return of the Twin Towers:
In the game against the Cavaliers the day before yesterday, head coach Jason Kidd chose to play Maxey Kleber at the No. 5 position for most of the second half, much to the chagrin of Mavericks fans. Among them, Daniel Gafford only played 7 minutes. I believe it was the right decision, though, as the small lineup allowed Dallas to take on Cleveland's dynamic ball handlers and make changes.
And tonight's game is more suited to the duo of Drake Livelyy and Gafford United. Toronto don't have a ton of shots, and they lack dynamic point guards. In addition, they have a traditional non-shooting center Jacob Poltel on their roster. The Lone Ranger recognizes this and gives Kleber a chance to rest for the night.
Lively and Gafford took his place, combining for 22 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks – five of which were added by Lively alone. All of this shows that Dallas' actions ahead of the trade deadline have given them the flexibility to play different styles and be creative with their alignment.
Washington found the shooting sensation:
P.J. Washington had the best offensive performance to date in his short Mavericks career, finishing with 23 points and seven rebounds on 9-of-18 shooting, 5-of-10 three-point shooting. Washington's three-pointers are eye-catching, but his shooting from the bottom corner is far less puzzling, and four of the five three-pointers he made tonight were at 45 degrees on either side, which still needs to be improved, but his 50% three-point shooting rate is undoubtedly commendable.
Washington looks to be getting more comfortable with the team's offense, and hopefully he can build on that shooting performance.
Hardaway Jr.'s Redemption Battle:
Hardaway have been in a very sluggish run of form in their last six games. I'm not even going to announce his hit percentage here because people are watching him all the time. He was terrible on both ends of the floor. His performance tonight wasn't anything spectacular, but I think it was a step in the right direction. Hardaway scored 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-10 from three-point range.
What's more, he didn't overstep: he took advantage of the offensive and hit a couple of key three-pointers. His defense wasn't that bad. Hopefully he can come to Jitai. A fiery little haha can reignite a winning streak in Dallas.
Welcome back, Exum :
Dent Exum came off the bench and only made two shots and hit a three-pointer, but his impact on the Mavericks was clear. He dished out five assists in just 17 minutes of appearance, and his playmaking and dribbling ability opened the door for the Mavericks' offense. Defensively, he helped Dallas stabilize the situation and give them another size player who can save and defend.
The return of Exum is encouraging. If he can stay healthy and efficient at the end of the season, the Mavericks' roster will be incredibly deep, diverse, and threatening.
—mffl———
Here are some notable stats from the game:
Washington's scoring in the first five minutes: 10
PJ Washington got off to a great start in Toronto after his last game (11 points on 5-of-8 shooting plus three steals). He hit his first two three-pointers rhythmically, then hit a second shot after he missed it to help Dallas tie the score at 12-10.
Washington received a pass from Doncic with 7:04 left in the first quarter to give the Mavericks a 16-14 lead, but Toronto's 11-2 run in three minutes erased Washington's advantage from a hot start and relied on Barrett's throw to take a 25-18 lead.
Washington received a wonderful pass from Doncic at 45 degrees and hit his third three-pointer of the first quarter to score 13 points in the first quarter and the Mavericks trailed the score to 25-23. He had 23 points and seven rebounds that night, and was one of five Mavericks players to score in double figures. He shot 5-of-10 from three-point range, his best performance since he donned the Mavericks.
Doncic's first-quarter assists: 6
With Washington hitting early shots and Daniel Gafford also playing on both ends of the floor, the Mavericks took a 36-34 lead after the quarter. Assist Washington hit his third three-pointer and also brought Doncic his fourth assist of the quarter. Doncic found Gafford, who cut in the second quarter, and assisted the latter's dunk to tie the score at 25 with 3:22 left in the first quarter.
Then, with 2:05 left to find Hardaway Jr., he hit an open three-pointer in the bottom corner to give the Mavericks a 30-27 lead. Doncic had six points and six assists in the first quarter, while Gafford contributed eight points and three boards. It's a prime example of Doncic waiting for his time to come, as he got off to a slow start — shooting just 2-of-7 from the field in the first quarter and 0-of-3 from three-point range. He also accounted for three of the five turnovers in the Mavericks' first quarter.
In the face of Toronto's defense, Doncic did find his groove in the long cross of the quarterback, opening up Dallas's transition offense. Five of his 16 assists that night were long balls that ran through the pitch to open teammates who weaved through gaps like receivers in football.
First half blocks: 8.
Washington and Drake Lively each made three blocks in the first half. Early in the second quarter, Lively landed two hot pot shots in a single round, first denying Bruce Brown's shot under the basket and then slapping Olynyk's throw away.
Gafford and Kyrie Irving also had blocks in the first half. The Mavericks made 10 blocks in the game, with Lively scoring a team-high five.
Change the third quarter of the game - 9
The Mavericks scored nine straight points early in the third quarter to turn a 75-79 deficit into an 84-79 advantage. The Mavericks were unable to extend the score further, but it seemed to be the turning point of the game, and Dallas has had more control of the game since then.
Four minutes later, Exum hit his first three-pointer of the game to give the Mavericks a 91-83 lead, their biggest lead of the game so far, with 4:10 left in the third quarter.
It turned out that Exum's three points were part of the decisive offensive. Two minutes later, Exum also found Doncic with a full-court long pass on the fast break, and the Mavericks led 100-86. In the final 5 minutes and 15 seconds of the third quarter, the Mavericks went on a 20-9 surge to completely turn the game around, leading Dallas 106-92 in the third quarter.
Kyrie Irving's second half scores: 21
Irving was the reassurance that the Mavericks would completely separate the victory and defeat with the Raptors in the final quarter. He scored 21 of his 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting in the second half. He never misses a layup, he's efficient from beyond the three-point line, and he's more reliable from mid-range than any other player on the floor.
A minute and a half into the second half, his three-pointer allowed the Mavericks to tie the score at 72, and with 7 minutes and 54 seconds left in the third quarter, he played 2+1 under the basket to give the Mavericks an 81-79 lead. Irving also hit multiple jumpers late in the fourth quarter to extinguish Toronto's last-ditch comeback.