Kyrie Irving, Josh Green Lead Dallas Mavs' Hot Scoring in Win vs. Detroit Pistons
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks played their only game at American Airlines Center to conclude their preseason schedule on Friday night. With a dynamic offensive performance, the Mavs took care of the Detroit Pistons for a 114-104 victory, finishing the preseason with a 1-3 record.
With Luka Doncic sidelined due to a mild calf strain, the Mavs played a faster unit that focused on quickly getting into the action offensively — often playing out of the corner using a handoff or ball screen. With a strong shooting display from beyond the arc, the Pistons struggled to keep up with Dallas.
“When you look at the way we have been talking about pace," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. "We haven’t been seen by the public for a while, so I thought for the public to see that we can play fast, and to have 40 points in that first quarter and then also come back in the third and almost have that same mentality. It was good to see that starting group play."
Kyrie Irving returned to the lineup after missing the last two games due to groin soreness. He set the tone as a facilitator while picking his spots as a scorer, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists. He was encouraged by the team's results, given the injuries and lengthy international travel.
"It just felt good to be back out there with the guys," Irving said. "We've been working incredibly hard during this preseason — traveling to Abu Dhabi and Madrid. We are just trying to catch our bodies up on the time change. We've had a few good practices, so I like to see a carryover, and I've been active in practice trying to get after guys getting after me, and you know, tonight was just one of those tests where we get to go against an opponent who doesn't know our place."
Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving drives the lane against the Detroit Pistons in preseason.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Mavs produced a hot first quarter, scoring 40 points on 60.9 percent shooting overall and six made 3s. Josh Green was instrumental in setting the tone with his aggression on the catch, scoring 15 of his 22 points without a missed shot.
“I just wanted to come out and just win the game going into the season with a win under our belt and with momentum," Green said. "I wanted to come in and when I’m open, shoot the ball. I know what I’ve been doing to work on. Just a little bit of everything and just trying to have fun.
The Mavs' shooting execution declined significantly in the second quarter, as they were limited to 19 points. However, Dallas had a strong showing after the break, reclaiming control of the momentum after the Pistons had begun closing the gap. Dallas caught a rhythm from 3-point range again, outscoring the Pistons by a 10-point margin through the 6:41 mark, establishing a 78-61 advantage, which became a 21-point edge at the end of the period.
Lively was a standout with a solid all-around outing, totaling 14 points, five rebounds, and two assists. He was a frequent play-finishing option in the two-man game with Irving, along with being the big in dribble handoff actions offensively while also setting the tone as a defensive paint protector.
"[I’m] just trying to build confidence. You just try to use every play, use every possession, and just use my teammates," Lively said. "These past couple of weeks, we’ve just been building chemistry, so it’s been making a lot of things easier.”
The plan for minutes distribution for the Mavs entering this game was to use the fourth quarter to give minutes to players on two-way deals who have received limited playing time. With a little over half of the period remaining, that's precisely what Dallas did with personnel combinations.
The Mavs open the regular season on Oct. 25 in a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, featuring rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama.
