Luka Doncic: Mavs Winning Games They 'Wouldn't Have Won' Before Trade Deadline
The mark of a great team isn't just in their ability to win when they're firing on all cylinders, but also in finding a way to win on a night when they don't play their best or a star player has an off night.
The Dallas Mavericks have found a way to win ugly and on nights when Luka Doncic doesn't have a 30-point triple-double in their recent run. The latest of which came on Tuesday, when Dallas pulled out a 113-107 win over the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center.
Luka Doncic goes for a layup.
Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
Doncic shot 22 percent from the field (6-27), his worst this season. He also only shot 16.7 percent from the 3-point line, tying his third-lowest total of the season. Despite those struggles, he still managed a triple-double with 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds.
Four different players scored in double-figures with Kyrie Irving leading the way with 28 points. Dante Exum was stellar off the bench, scoring 16 points and shooting a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc.
"We have a great team," Doncic said. "That's why we got a win today. Everyone who stepped on the court was playing hard and at the end, we got a win, which we came here for. In the past, we probably wouldn't have won that game, but the players we have around now, it's a little different and it's amazing."
On March 13, the Mavs had a similar performance in a 109-99 win over the Golden State Warriors at the American Airlines Center. Dallas struggles from 3, shooting 6-27 and Doncic was forced to exit in the fourth quarter due to a hamstring injury.
After the win against Golden State, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd echoed the same sentiment as Doncic.
"I don't think so," Kidd said when asked if his team had won a game like that one at any point this season. "I think a couple things: we would have been stubborn to shoot 3s and then also our defense would not have been up to par. Again, I said this earlier, I think P.J. [Washington Jr.] is playing at a high, high level for us on both ends. He doesn't let the 3s or missed shots affect him; he competes on the other end. That's what we need."
The growth Dallas has shown has helped propel it to win six of its seven games. That growth is going to be paramount for the Mavs in the playoffs if they're going to make a run. If Dallas can continue to win on nights when Doncic isn't at his best or the team isn't clicking offensively, it'll have a shot against anyone in the postseason.
