DALLAS, TEXAS — Coming off the All-Star break the Mavericks continued their impressive stretch defeating the Spurs 115-104.
It was a chippy start between the inner state rivals and both teams wanted to make a statement early to make their attempt at stealing momentum. The Mavericks struggled from beyond the arc only knocking down 2 out of 8 of their shot attempts but made up for it on the boards, distributing the ball, and on the defensive end tallying 2 first quarter steals. The Mavericks thrived scoring in the paint and from mid range, but lacked balance turning in a poor first quarter from the three point line.
It was apparent the Mavericks needed to dust the rust off offensively after being off since last Wednesday and which resulted in a 5 point 32-27 deficit heading into the second.
The Mavericks flipped the script and started the second quarter with a Doncic to Kleber alley oop on their first possession leading to a run on offense scoring on 5 out of their first 7 shot attempts taking a 3 point 37-40 lead. The Spurs went on a run of their own and quickly regained the lead creating separation between them and the Mavs sustaining a lead of 7 points through the remainder of the second quarter.
The Mavericks had a decent second quarter but the output wasn’t enough to stop a San Antonio team that is known to get hot from the field if given the chance. The Mavericks trailed the Spurs 52-59 going into halftime, and facing a deficit wasn’t the greatest thing but the Mavericks have played better facing deficits over the course of the last month and the Spurs lead wasn’t insurmountable. The Mavericks faced a deficit but it wasn’t foreign territory. They’ve been there before and teams with experience know how to respond accordingly.
The Mavericks did just that going into the third quarter. It was a tight ball game but both teams had exceptional performances from the floor with the Mavericks converting on 57% of their shots and the Spurs connected on 50% of their shots from the field. Credit should be given to the Mavericks entire roster for how well they shared the ball to start the second half. Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis combined to convert on 64% of their shots from the field leading the charge to develop a 1 point 87-86 lead.
The game remained tight for most of the fourth quarter and the lead was up in the air. The Spurs and Mavericks had 8 lead changes throughout the game, but the Mavericks found a way to separate after Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis connected on an alley oop to switch the momentum into their favor. The Mavericks continued to build their lead from that point forward and grabbed their 11th win in their last 14 games.
The Mavericks accomplished two things in their win tonight. #1: They are now tied for first place in the Southwest division. #2 Another win would put them one game away from claiming the 7th seed in the Western Conference. This is the start to the second half of the schedule the Mavericks wanted and the start that will get the juices going.
The Mavericks have won their last 11 out of 14 games and will travel to Denver to face the Nuggets tomorrow night in hopes of shifting some momentum in their favor.
