The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Toronto Raptors 136-125. Luka Doncic had 30 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists for Dallas. Immanuel Quickley paced Toronto with 28 points in a balanced scoring attack. Dallas bounced back from the heartbreak in Cleveland and put in the work to get back in the win column against inferior opponents.
Dallas looked a little lackluster coming out of the gate, but the Raptors started the game with back-to-back threes. But PJ Washington steadied his ship, hitting a few threes of his own and scoring 10 of the Mavericks' first 16 points. Dallas' sloppy play allowed Toronto to take the lead, but strong play near the quarter gave the Mavericks a 36-34 advantage going into the second set.
Luka Doncic started to improve in the second period and helped the Mavericks build a small lead. But the Raptors showed their nastiness and refused to go away, fighting back and keeping the game within one possession for most of the frame. Both teams went back and forth throughout the quarter, but neither was able to get a meaningful draw. Although Dallas struggled late in the first half, fueled by turnovers, Toronto entered halftime with a one-point lead.
A similar situation continued into the third quarter, with Dallas and Toronto continuing to trade baskets at stop highs. Derek Lively II had an impactful period, blocking shots and scoring inside at an incredible rate. As the third set progressed, Dallas finally began to pull away, extending its lead to 14 points. And on a rare Derrick Jones Jr. 3-pointer to close out the quarter, Dallas carried that 14-point lead into the fourth set, 106-92. .
The fourth quarter was, of course, Kyrie Irving's time. The superstar guard scored 13 points in the first six minutes, and Dallas maintained the lead even without Luka. By the time Doncic returned, the game was almost over. The Raptors had a hunch of a false comeback, but Dallas slammed the door and ran away from Canada with a win. With a big game coming up in Boston on Friday, this was a game the Mavericks needed. And let's praise them. they got the job done.
The four observations from this result are:
Return of the Two Towers
There was some frustration from the Maverick fan base last night after Jason Kidd used Maxi Kleber as the No. 5 for most of the second half. Daniel Gafford played just seven minutes. I believe this was the right decision, as the small-ball lineup allowed Dallas to compete with Cleveland's dynamic ball handlers and switch up their screening actions.
Tonight was a much better matchup for the duo of Lively and Gafford. Toronto doesn't have a lot of shooting numbers and lacks dynamic, ball-handling guards. Additionally, they employ a traditional non-shooting center in Jakob Poeltl. The Mavericks recognized this and saw an opportunity to give Kleber a much-needed night off. Lively and Gafford took his place, combining for 22 points, 10 rebounds, and six blocks, with Lively recording five blocks himself. All of this points to Dallas' trade deadline moves allowing them the flexibility to play different styles and creatively deploy personnel based on matchups.
PJ Washington finds his shot
Washington had by far the best offensive game of the Maverick's career, scoring 23 points on 9-for-18 shooting (5-for-10 from three) and grabbing seven rebounds. The corner threes continued to be chaotic, but the three-point shots were a sight to behold. Washington's shots from the corners didn't even come close to his feet, and all three of his shots tonight were above the break. This needs to improve, but he will be shooting 50% from his three shots overall at any given time. Washington seems to be getting more and more comfortable within the Maverick offense and looks to be able to build on this shooting performance going forward.
Tim Hardaway Jr.'s Redemption Game
Hardaway has been in a severe slump over the past six games. I won't even post his percentages here because you've probably all seen him. His play on both sides was brutal. And while tonight wasn't his best performance in the world, I saw it as a step in the right direction. Hardaway scored 16 points on 5-for-13 shooting (4-for-10 from three). More importantly, he didn't force things too much. He took shots in the flow of the offense and knocked down some key threes. His defense wasn't particularly terrible. Hopefully, he's turning the corner. Hot Timmy could ignite Dallas' winning streak.
Dante Exum, welcome back
Exum took just two shots (one three) in 17 minutes, but his impact on the Mavericks was noticeable. In that short amount of time, he had five assists and gave the Mavericks' offense a chance with his added playmaking and juice off the dribble. Defensively, he helped tie things together a little bit, forcing Dallas to throw more long bodies. It was an encouraging return for Exum. If he can stay healthy and productive for the stretch run, the Mavericks will be an incredibly deep, versatile and dangerous team.
