Slow Start, No Heart? 3 Big Takeaways from Mavs' Blowout Loss to Cavs
The Dallas Mavericks fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night in what was a spiritless blowout, 105-90.
Dallas got off to another slow start — something the team has become accustomed to this season — as Cleveland quickly jumped out to a double-digit lead in the opening minutes of the first quarter.
The Mavericks cut the lead to single digits several times throughout the night, but Donovan Mitchell and company kept their foot on the gas to eliminate any chance of a comeback. Against the league’s second-best defense, the Mavericks scored a season-low 90 points.
Luka Doncic led the way for the Mavs with 30 points, five rebounds, and six assists on 9-of-23 shooting from the floor and 10-of-11 from the free throw line.
Christian Wood added 20 points and seven rebounds in a season-high 35 minutes.
Here are three big takeaways from Dallas' blowout loss on Wednesday.
Another slow start…
A slow start against a below-average team is one thing, but it's an entirely different story against an elite team like the Cavaliers.
To start the game, Cleveland jumped out to a 7-0 lead, which grew into a 16-2 advantage before the Mavericks woke up from their pregame nap.
Starting the first few minutes of the game already down 14 points to a contending team like the Cavaliers is less than ideal, especially for the Mavs who were without two of their most energetic players in Maxi Kleber and Josh Green.
It's understandable to be a little sluggish in a random Wednesday night game in December, but as a professional basketball team, you have to get up for these games against good teams like Cleveland, who will gladly punch you in the mouth in the opening moments to leave you dazed for the remainder of the night. Dallas fought back in the second half, but too much damage had already been done.
Lack of energy
Dallas came out the gates lethargically and that continued for most of the game. Doncic just seemed out of it and shot uncharacteristically poor at the rim throughout the game.
"We will figure out tomorrow what we're going to do about defense,” said Doncic. “We just didn't guard and then our offense was static. We missed a bunch of layups too, especially me. I have to do way better than this. And we just have to bounce back."
Aside from a burst of energy from Christian Wood and Reggie Bullock off the bench, the Mavericks seemed lifeless everywhere else. At this point in the season, that’s not a good sign going forward, especially considering Dallas has had relatively good health and a favorable schedule.
Granted, the Mavs have played six games in the last 10 days, but there’s no room for excuses in the Western Conference standings.
Would a lineup change light a spark under the team? Is a trade needed? Regardless of the answer, this team needs something to happen, and quickly, or they'll find themselves fighting for a play-in spot at the end of the year. At that point, the panic level of being able to keep No. 77 happy could heighten.
Bullock back?
One positive from Wednesday night's loss was Bullock finding his groove from 3-point land. In 36 minutes off the bench, Bullock finished with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor and 3-of-5 from downtown.
Bullock's resurgence from deep fits his career timeline, as it's been noted that he historically starts every season off slow in October and November. His shooting always picks up come December.
Through eight games in December, Bullock is shooting 48 percent from 3-point range after a shooting an abysmal 27 percent through 19 games in October and November.
Whether Bullock stays coming off the bench or re-enters the starting lineup, as long as his shooting picks up, the Mavericks will have a much-needed boost from their 3-and-D specialist.
The question is, can all the other key pieces click at the same time as Bullock? If not, his 3-point resurgence might not matter as much as Dallas hoped it would.
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