By going 2-1 on their three-game trip to start the stretch drive after the All-Star break, the Mavericks served notice that the rest of the Western Conference better take them seriously the closer the playoffs get.
The Mavericks got a 21-point lead on the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday, lost it, plus some more, fell behind 100-94 midway through the fourth quarter and still found a way to win 109-104. When you finish a game on a 15-4 blitz for a come-from-behind win, it’s a sign that you have a little something in your mojo tank.
So here’s our takeaways from Tuesday’s win – and the road trip – as the Mavericks get ready to play four home games in a row with a chance to move further up the standings.
LUKA TOPS LEBRON: Though LeBron James still cranked up an amazing third quarter to get the Lakers back in the game, Luka Dončić was the man at crunch time. In the final 6:05, he had seven points, two assists, hit 3-of-5 shots and the Mavericks were plus-9 while he was on the court. James wasn’t bad. But he had just two points on a meaningless dunk with 13 seconds left and the Lakers were minus six while he was on the court for the final 5:44. This is a small snapshot, but to quote a famous former hoopster, Father Time is undefeated. James remains one of the best players in the game and one of the best in NBA history. But youth will be served.
NO PLAY-IN FOR MAVS: The Mavericks have 20 games left – 10 at home, 10 on the road. They have done a good job so far of making it a virtual sure thing that they will be in the playoffs, and not in the play-in tournament for teams seeded seven through 10 in each conference. The Mavericks are 37-25, four games ahead of seventh-place 34-29 Minnesota in the loss column. That’s a huge cushion with so few games left. At this point, it’s a safe bet that the Mavericks will either be the fourth, fifth or sixth seed in the West. Their playoff opponent is less certain. Could be Denver, Utah, Memphis or Golden State, which visits American Airlines Center on Thursday. Going to be a fun five weeks of scoreboard watching the rest of the way.
DEFENSE NEVER RESTS: The Mavericks scored just 38 points after halftime and won. Part of that was because they had a 15-point advantage to start the third quarter. But they also limited the Lakers to 17 fourth-quarter points, which took a lot of pressure off the Mavericks’ offense. “We held them to 17 points,” coach Jason Kidd said. “That’s pretty good, especially when the momentum was on their side.” The Lakers were just 7-of-19 (36.8 percent) from the field and 1-of-6 from 3-point range. They also had four turnovers in the quarter and were outrebounded by the Mavericks 10-7.
THE DUNK: The Mavericks don’t often see a Dončić dunk, let alone the kind he threw down in the second quarter. Spencer Dinwiddie misfired from the corner, but Luka stormed in from the elbow of the paint and, in one motion, rose up, caught the rebound with his right hand and threw it into the net with massive amounts of authority. It was the highlight of the game and ignited the Mavericks on the surge that pushed them ahead by 21 points before halftime.
SUPPORTING CAST SHINES: Dinwiddie had a terrific road trip. In the three games, he averaged 19.3 points and 5.3 assists, including nine against the Lakers. He shot 23-of-35 in the three games. He wasn’t the only one supporting Dončić. Jalen Brunson had 22 points, four steals and four assists. Dorian Finney-Smith had 16 points and nine rebounds. This is the kind of support-by-committee that will always benefit Luka – and the Mavericks.
Twitter: @ESefko
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