Mavs Monday Full-Contact Donuts
The Dallas Mavericks are oh-so-close as their otherwise-successful NBA week ends on a sour note ... and with a bloody lip. Mavs Monday Donuts ...
DONUT 1: Pacers 112, Mavericks 109
So much for the afterglow.
The Mavericks got a big overtime win last week - a win that showed that they can overcome late-game deficits and execute in clutch situations. But on Sunday at the AAC (game story here) they came up empty in the clutch once again.
People are going to talk a lot about the officiating (yet again) in this one. That’s fair. ... Especially in the wake of the NBA taking a “nothing to see here” attitude about wave after wave of officiating blunders this season. But, let’s make no mistake, the Mavericks should have won this game, anyway.
It was a hard-fought duel that stayed close pretty much start-to-finish. So, when the Mavericks took a 108-104 lead with 4:40 remaining, it felt like all the momentum had shifted in their favor. I guess the Mavericks felt that way, too, because they only scored a single point over the final four minutes and 39 seconds (a Luka free throw that made it 109-104).
The Mavericks didn’t score at all over the last 3:14 of the game. Luka missed back-to-back three attempts on the final possession. Another clutch loss in the books.
DONUT 2: Breaking Ties
Luka did it again.
Earlier in the weekend, Dončić tallied his league-leading 14th triple-double of the season in a win against Zion and the Pelicans, temporarily breaking a two-way tie with LeBron James (who has 13). Luka’s final line was 30 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists, a block, and a steal. Every single ounce of that stat line was necessary for the Mavericks' overtime win.
Dončić also broke a two-way tie with Jason Kidd for most triple-doubles in Dallas Mavericks’ history. It seems crazy that Luka would probably have even more triple-doubles if not for a string of injuries and some blowout wins that kept him on the bench for much (sometimes all) of over a dozen fourth quarters.
DONUT 3: Luka Keeps Moving up the Ranks
It might seem crazy because Luka has only played 124 regular-season games, but he’s already vaulting up the list of all-time Mavericks players.
Against the Pacers, Luka became the 25th player in Mavericks history to score 3,000 points. He only needs four points to pass Jerry Stackhouse for fourth in all-time scoring by a Maverick.
Luka ranks 14th in total three-pointers made (just two behind Harrison Barnes and Josh Howard for 12th).
He’s 34th all-time in rebounds with 1,052 and he’s 13th all-time in assists with 882.
You’d think the NBA would do a better job protecting a player with that kind of talent.
DONUT 4: Protest Denied
The NBA has denied the Mavericks’ protest of the final moments against the Atlanta Hawks on February 22. In doing so, they also announced their punishment for owner Mark Cuban. Cuban was fined $500,000 and the league accused him of creating an “intimidating workplace environment.”
Don’t forget. Mark was also fined $600,000 for admitting aloud that tanking works.
Meanwhile, The Lakers were fined only $50,000 for actually cheating.
The NBA has its priorities straight. (And, in all seriousness, our Bri Amaranthus has the story and video here.)
And as long as we're dealing with league matters, our Matthew Postins asked coach Rick Carlisle questions and got answers on the NBA and coronavirus, here.
DONUT 5: Mavs vs. Pelicans Quick Trivia
The Mavericks were 0-3 in overtime games this season before their gutty home win against New Orleans last week.
The Mavericks had 13 blocks against the Pelicans (one from Luka, two from Willie Cauley-Stein, and five apiece from Porzingis and Kleber. 11 of their blocks came in a record-setting first half (their previous record for blocks in a half was 10).
The Mavericks swept the season series vs. the Pelicans for the first time since the 2013-2014 season (New Orleans’ first year as the Pelicans).
DONUT 6: Kleber’s Big Night
Maxi Kleber is shooting over 45 percent from the floor this season and almost 38 percent from three-point range. He’s an 86-percent free-throw shooter. He also pulls down 5.4 rebounds per game (and 10.3 rebounds per 48 minutes). That’s all icing on the cake. What makes Maxi such a great asset for the Mavericks, especially as they get into a playoff mindset, is his ability as a defender.
His work on Zion Williamson on Wednesday was elite-level defense. He seemed to know just how to guide Zion to his weaker side, which flustered Zion much of the night. Zion is so used to overpowering his opponent, that he had no “Plan B” when Maxi stood his ground. Kleber managed that defensive poise despite very little time to prepare.
How good can Maxi be in a playoff series when he has several games to study his opponent and counter his tendencies?
DONUT 7: Living by the Three
The Mavericks have five players this season with over 100 three-pointers: Tim Hardaway Jr., Luka Dončić, Seth Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, and Maxi Kleber. Dorian Finney-Smith sits at 96 threes made, and it won’t take him long to join them once he’s healthy.
Hardaway Jr. has 171 threes this season, which ties him for sixth most in a single-season for a Maverick (shared with Jason Terry). Luka is just behind them with 168 threes so far this year. Both players seem poised to blow past Wes Matthews (189) and Jose Calderon (191) for some share of second. Time will tell if George McCloud’s 257 holds up for another season.
DONUT 8: Non-Contact Blows to the Face
Luka didn’t have any of his “aww-shucks” demeanor left at the end of the Mavericks-Pacers game Sunday night. He’s a guy who’s usually having fun out there, so it’s a little sobering to see him shout his frustrations down the tunnel while leaving the court, as recorded by DBcom's Matthew Postins.
It’s even more unusual to have a player pause to articulate a detailed series of complaints while still drenched in his own sweat.
In one sequence Luka was bloodied by an Oladipo shot to the face. Not only was no foul called, but the Mavericks also had to intentionally foul to stop the game and take care of Dončić.
It’s one thing to call a block a foul once in a while. It’s another thing to see a player bleeding and not think, “oh, I missed that one.”
Mike Fisher digs deeper into this issue here.
DONUT 9: Division Dominance
The Mavericks just picked up back-to-back division wins. One of them a much-needed overtime victory, the other a statement-making win against Memphis, a playoff team that blew the Mavericks out last time they played.
So far this season the Mavericks are 10-2 in the Southwest Division and on the verge of two divisional sweeps. With the Rockets’ division lead so paper-thin, it could easily be decided by the final two games between Dallas and Houston.
Right now that would mean the difference between finishing sixth and finishing seventh.
DONUT 10: Tough Finish
The Mavericks have 17 games left in the regular season. Ten of those games are against current playoff teams. If you expand that to their final 20 games, they’ll face 12 playoff teams in their final 20 games. For the Mavericks to realistically miss the playoffs two things would have to happen. Dallas would have to absolutely collapse in their final 17 games while some team below them in the standings plays almost perfect basketball for the same stretch.
I’ll admit it’s not a likely scenario. Wins against those lottery-bound teams would make it impossible.
DONUT 11: What’s on Tap?
The Mavericks travel to play the San Antonio Spurs for the final time this season. The Tuesday night matchup marks a rare chance for the Mavericks to sweep the season series between the two teams. Even a 3-1 finish would be huge for the rivalry because the Mavericks haven’t won the season series since the 2009-2010 season. Over the previous nine seasons, the Mavericks are 7-29 against the Spurs. Their 3-0 start has nudged them to 10-29 over the last ten years.
The Spurs are 26-35 this season, floundering at 12th in the Western Conference, and nearly a half-dozen games out of a playoff spot. They also have a well-coached team of feisty players, and the Mavericks are a long-time rival. As long as the Spurs have something to play for, they’re a little dangerous every night.
Still, this year is probably the long-awaited end to their consecutive playoff streak (they haven’t missed the playoffs since 1997). If the Mavericks can piece together anything close to a full lineup, they should complete their second season sweep in as many weeks.
All of this is a build to the future, of course - a future that our Dalton Trigg says should arrive with no more "Plan Powder.'' His column is right here.
DONUT 12: The Final Word
"We're playing five-on-eight.'' - Luka Doncic.
