Name an NBA team that currently has a better atmosphere than the Mavs. Can not do that.
The trade deadline makes a big difference.
The atmosphere was once again on Monday as the Dallas Mavericks (30-23) prepared to take on the lowly Washington Wizards (9-43) at American Airlines Center on the second day of a four-game homestand. Perfect.
A win would extend the Mavericks' winning streak to five games, with a home game against the San Antonio Spurs coming up. On November 14, in the only meeting between the two teams this season, the Mavs defeated the Wizards 130-117 behind Tim Hardaway Jr.'s 31 points and Luka Doncic's 26 points and 10 assists.
And while the Mavs are not yet 100% back to full health, they will likely have much more ammunition at their disposal in their second matchup with the Wizards than they did in the first. First and foremost, Kyrie Irving (as well as Doncic and Maxi Kleber) are all listed as potential players on the injury report. Trade deadline rookies Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington also proved to be immediate assets in their first game against the Mavericks.
Derek Lively II (broken nose) and Dante Exum (knee bursitis) are still out for the game against Washington. It will be Lively's seventh consecutive game appearance and Exum's ninth consecutive game appearance.
While Washington had a great debut with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and five rebounds, Gafford really shined in his team's first game, a 146-11 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. I frowned. He lives above the rim and looked like he was taking lobs from Doncic for years on his way to scoring 19 points and nine boards on 7-of-11 shooting. In the pair's debut, the Mavericks produced one of their most impressive performances all season, defeating the Thunder 54-40.
The end result may be laughable, but here are three things that make the game worth tweaking anyway.
Too early Gafford revenge game
Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, 21, reacts during the second half of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at American Airlines Center.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Given the fact that Monday's game is the second game against the Mavericks, is it too early to declare this a Daniel Gafford revenge game? No one will care about any excuses if it gives Gafford an opportunity, as he had in his first game against the Mavericks.
Gafford is a four-year veteran who attacks the basket with his great length and athleticism, bouncy hop, fighting spirit to get to contested loose balls, body control in crowded lanes, and a unique combination of skill and skill. He showed off his soft, feather-like touch on the inside. Invasion. Gafford's tenacity and mental ability are great to see in a big man for Dallas.
Rookie is in the spotlight due to injury
The Mavs are missing Lively and Exum, a post and a wing. Fortunately, their acquisitions at the trade deadline were, you guessed it, pretty good, both in the post and on the wing. Joining the Mavs at this particular time gives them a unique opportunity to immediately become an integral part of the lineup.
Inevitably, there was no buffer for Gafford and Washington to get acquainted, allowing them to fit into the lineup and get a feel for how the team operated before jumping into the role. Their first game was against one of the best teams in the NBA through 52 games, and after all, both would have played high-leverage minutes. But that didn't happen. As a result, the rookie's first game in Dallas became an impromptu trade-deadline bounty celebration.
Gafford and Washington will be in a similar situation until Lively and Exum return. They're essential to a team that can suddenly become really dangerous.
Aiming for 5th consecutive victory
With Saturday's victory over the Thunder, the Mavs have won four straight games for the third time this year. Yes, I'm old enough to remember when the Mavs were in the bottom 26-23 and losing 8 of 12 — many fans activated their panic early warning systems and the numbers were high. It was enough for Man's crazy fans to start completely panicking. Dallas won its first four games of the year, then won four more in a row in early December, as Exum began to emerge as an offensive threat.
All they need to do to set a new season-best winning streak is beat one of the worst teams in the league. Only the Detroit Pistons (8-44) have a worse record than Washington entering Monday's NBA game. A win would match their six-game winning streak against the Spurs (10-43) on Wednesday, who have edged the Wizards by just 0.5 games so far this season.
The Mavs have been more thorough this season against teams that are clearly better than them, but they still share DNA with a team that went 21-25 against teams they lost to last season. That doesn't mean there aren't any. It's hard to overlook a team that has players like Kyle Kuzma (21.8 points, 6.3 rebounds per game) and Jordan Poole (15.8 points, 3.7 assists) who can fill that gap in the right situation. If the Mavs stick around, this game will be a great opportunity to give Doncic and Irving some rest towards the end of the night.
How to watch
Tipoff between the Wizards and Mavs at American Airlines Center is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. You can watch it on Bally Sports Southwest.
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