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The Dallas Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 127-106 as the team came back to full force with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis back on the field.
The Thunder, however, were without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Al Horford and mapped a roster that would suggest the organization is heavily invested in a first draft pick.
Being the better team, the Mavericks played the part for the entire first quarter and even won the opening frame for the first time in 11 games. But the Thunder bench took over in the second to keep Oklahoma City close at hand. Midway through the second quarter, the Thunder reservists scored 27 points on 10 of 13 shots.
However, behind the Mavericks’ impressive 10-of-22 shot, Dallas took a 71-63 lead before the break.
The Mavericks imposed their will in the second half and sidelined the game in the third quarter. Doncic and Porzingis rested in the fourth and the rookies were able to play late. It was an ideal finish against an inferior team, and the Mavericks have managed their business to move up to 24-21 this season.
Here are a few observations:
Porzingis’ struggles were well documented at the start of this season, and frustrations persist when he sits back to back, but he looked fluid and smooth for most of the game. He carried the Mavericks with 12 points and five rebounds in the first quarter, starting the game with a nice long ball, a silky pull-up and a fierce dunk in traffic. He finished the game with 20 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks, although he spent most of the fourth quarter with the game put aside.
Notice the Mavericks played the least talented team in the league, so performance should be seen under that lens, but he made the plays that earned him the Unicorn moniker. Most notably, he had back-to-back Moses Brown tricks in the third quarter and held the Thunder big man 1 in 5. If I had to pick his game, Porzingis scored 12 points in a terrific first quarter, but didn’t scored only eight in the rest of the time.
After scoring 30 points (57% from the field, 50% from three) on Saturday, Hardaway followed with 19 points while shooting 50% on three again. Hardaway is essentially the X-factor every night (as long as Doncic plays to give the Mavericks a chance), and his 11 points in the second quarter helped stabilize the ship as the Thunder’s reserves kept the game close at hand.
This is by no means a revolutionary analysis, but with their best players on the board, the Thunder barely rolled out a competitive lineup. On the one hand, the Mavericks did what they needed to do. The game was sidelined in the third quarter with Doncic, Porzingis and Hardaway combining for 64 points and the team shooting 53 percent from the field. The Mavericks won three quarters of four (the Thunder beat the Mavericks by a point in the second), and the rookies burned themselves without collapsing under the pressure.
On the other hand, there isn’t much to glean in the game. The Mavericks were successful in their shots and the Thunder couldn’t keep up. It is more or less that. It was a good game for Doncic to shake off two rest games before the Mavericks faced a much tougher test on Wednesday against the Celtics.
Here is the post-match podcast, Mavs Moneyball after dark. If you don’t see the integration below “More Mavs Moneyball”, Click here. And if you haven’t already, subscribe by searching for “Mavs Moneyball podcast” in your favorite podcast app.
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