of dallas mavericks Aiming for 5 consecutive wins even in sluggish games washington wizards on monday.
The game also has new features Mavericks Center Daniel Gafford is playing against the team that traded him to Dallas last week.
Gafford had a promising debut in Dallas, scoring 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds in just 17 minutes. MavericksThe visiting Oklahoma City Thunder lost 146-111 on Saturday.
“It felt really good to step on the court and hear the crowd and hear the cheers,” said Gafford, who was 7 of 11 from the field. “It kind of fueled the energy I had throughout the game.”
Fellow rookie P.J. Washington, a power forward acquired from the Hornets, recorded 14 points and five rebounds in 24 minutes.
“They were great. They didn't seem nervous either offensively or defensively.” Mavericks Coach Jason Kidd said of Gafford and Washington. “We set a franchise record with 47 points in the first quarter, and you could tell everyone was relieved and excited to have these two guys on the team.”
Luka Doncic led Dallas with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, and Kyrie Irving contributed with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists, leading Dallas to an easy win against the Thunder, who entered the game with the NBA's 3rd-best record. did.
of Mavericks face it now wizard They faced the San Antonio Spurs before completing a four-game homestand against the Phoenix Suns after the All-Star break.
of wizard They begin a four-game road trip after suffering a six-game losing streak with a 119-113 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
Washington took on the struggling 76ers on Friday after suffering a four-point decision loss to the NBA-leading Boston Celtics.of wizardThey trailed by 15 points in the third quarter, but regained within two points in the middle of the fourth quarter, but faltered in the final stages.
Philadelphia had 74 points in the paint and Washington had 54 points.
“They were driving alongside us and that gave them confidence. And by the time we got into gear and changed our attitude, it was a little too late.” wizard forward Corey Kispert said.
Tyus Jones led Washington with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. Deni Avdija and Kyle Kuzma each added 21 points.
Avdija had 13 rebounds and five assists, making it his second straight game with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
“I think Deni has shown tremendous improvement over the last six to eight games.” wizard Interim coach Brian Keefe said. “He's playmaking, he's aggressive. … I trust him to make decisions with the ball and attack the rim. But what I like about this is His rebounding is high for a few games, and that's what we need from him.”
of wizardA struggling defense will be put to the test by a Dallas team that averages 118.8 points per game, the seventh best in the NBA. Washington's defense ranks last in the league, allowing 123.9 points per game.
Doncic had 26 points and 10 assists during the visit. Mavericks defeat wizard The team's first game of the season on November 15th was a 130-117 victory. Irving was out with a sprained left foot.
—Field Level Media
