TORONTO – The way the Mavericks have shot the ball this season, maybe it was inevitable that when they came to the Great White North, it would extend their hibernation from the three-point line.
Another frosty shooting night merged with terrible rebounding and an inability to make defensive stops late, dooming the Mavericks to a 105-100 loss to the Toronto Raptors Saturday evening at Scotiabank Arena.
The Raptors were playing without Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes, and the Mavericks got stung again by a shorthanded team.
It’s the fourth time this season they’ve lost on the road to a team missing its best player(s).
Asked if their crooked shooting eyes and 11-of-39 3-point shooting (28 percent) were to blame, coach Jason Kidd didn’t mince words.
“I think that’s safe to say,” he said. “Of the 39, 25 were uncontested or lightly contested. That’s been the whole year. We’re just not shooting the ball straight.”
Another thing they weren’t doing Saturday night was rebounding it, either.
They got dusted 48-34 on the glass and gave up 17 offensive rebounds. The Raptors scored 25 second-chance points to just five for the Mavericks. And it’s not the first time they’ve been smoked on the boards by the Raptors.
“In Game 1 (a 111-110 Mavs win in Dallas earlier this month) they had 18 offensive rebounds, tonight they had 17,” Kidd said. “And also 10 steals. We got to take care of the ball because when we do, we get great looks. It’s just a matter of make or miss.”
Mostly miss, sadly.
The Mavericks actually had a shot to win this game late, starting when Reggie Bullock made two free throws and the Mavericks got the ball after a flagrant foul by OG Anunoby, who otherwise was sensational for the Raptors.
The free throws made it 97-96 and then Bullock got a clean look from the corner that would not go down.
“Reggie makes the free throws and the ball finds him on the next play for a wide-open three,” Kidd said. “I thought the seal was going to break on that play, but unfortunately, it didn’t.”
They got back within 101-100 but the Raptors made four free throws in the final 17 seconds. After Thad Young made a couple, the Mavericks tried to get a three-pointer, but this time they didn’t even get a shot off because of a Dorian Finney-Smith turnover – one of 16 the Mavericks had.
And so, they slipped to .500 overall at 9-9 and 1-6 on the road. The Raptors (10-9) made a conscious effort to double-team Luka Dončić whenever they could. They even threw three defenders at him occasionally.
The result was a 24-point night for the NBA’s leading scorer, 10 below his average. But he continually got his teammates open shots. That most of them didn’t go in is why Luka didn’t have a lot more than nine assists.
“For me, it’s not difficult at all,” Luka said of making opponents pay for the double-team. “We got to keep shooting and trusting the shots. One more thing, we got to be way more aggressive to the rim. As a team. They put two or three on the ball, be aggressive to the rim, dunk it (or) pass out and trust the shots.”
The best news is that the Mavericks have a quick turnaround. The worst news is that it’s against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, who own the NBA’s second-best record at 13-5.
“Big challenge, back-to-back,” said Maxi Kleber, who had 11 points and five rebounds in 29 minutes in his first game back from a back injury. “It’s not going to be easy. They’re one of the best teams. It’s another challenge for us, coming together, playing better especially on defense, not missing the rotations. That just can’t happen.”
At least the Bucks are mostly healthy. Maybe that’s what the Mavericks need after a familiar script showed up north of the border with an opponent missing key personnel.
Invariably, the Mavericks struggle against all of them. And Saturday was no different.
It’s been a special liability on the road, where New Orleans, Orlando and Washington all have beaten the Mavericks while their best player has been absent. And in some cases, more than one of their best players.
Add Toronto to the list as the Raptors were without Siakam and Barnes, who combine for 39 points, 16 rebounds and 13 assists per game.
So naturally, the Mavericks found themselves trailing at the half 54-52. And that was after getting out to an early 15-point lead.
Scuttlebutt pregame centered on whether Christian Wood would be inserted in the starting lineup. It turned out that Jason Kidd elected not to make a change, even though they had lost two in a row and three of their last four.
It turned out to be a sound decision. The Mavericks ripped ahead 22-7. The problems didn’t start until after the starters began trickling to the bench.
By early in the second quarter, the Raptors had the lead and the Mavericks had to remind themselves again that no opponent, regardless of who they are missing, is going to be easy to beat on the road.
Twitter: @ESefko
Share and comment