Luka Doncic-Less Mavs Get Win at Lowly OKC
The Dallas Mavericks finally beat a team without Luka Doncic in the lineup.
Despite No. 77's absence from Sunday evening's contest vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder due to an ankle flare-up suffered Friday in Indiana, the Mavericks found solace in beating a rebuilding franchise, 103-84 on the road.
Bench points and paint points tell the story of Sunday's game. Dallas ranks last in the NBA at scoring points in the paint. But in either an act of defiance or sheer circumstance, the typically dreadful paint-scoring production seemed like a thing of the past as the Mavericks outscored the Thunder 30-12 in the aforementioned area by halftime alone.
Backup center Moses Brown's positive production alleviated the load for Kristaps Porzingis. Brown saw his opportunity and ran with it, literally.
Brown and Maxi Kleber combined for 11 of 16 shooting, scoring 31 total points. And Kristaps Porzingis chipped in with 13 points.
Said coach Jason Kidd: “As a staff, we talked about getting Moses more time. I thought he gave us some energy. He did great. The more minutes he gets, the better he gets. He works extremely hard.”
Void of the elite play-making Doncic, someone needed to take charge.
Jalen Brunson saw the assignment and went to work. Brunson's 12-point third quarter put the Mavs firmly in the driver's seat. The Villanova alum produced a team-high 18 points and secured nine rebounds.
Said Kidd: “I thought Brunson did a great job,” coach Jason Kidd said. “The luxury is you can have him come off the bench or you can start him.
“He’s a true pro. He ran the team great.”
Doncic is out at least two games, possibly returning Wednesday vs. the Los Angles Lakers. Without their superstar, it's imperative the Mavericks take advantage of securing victories over below-.500 teams such as the Thunder.
The 13-13 Mavs play 15-13 Charlotte Hornets at the AAC Monday evening.
