DALLAS, TEXAS — Despite putting together one of their better months of basketball, the 28-22 Mavericks hit a snag last night losing to their inner state rival the Houston Rockets on the road. The Mavericks have been the epitome of road warriors and haven’t lost a game on the road since March 27th when they played the Pelicans with 4 players sidelined, but for the most part Dallas has been very consistent and efficient from the field and from beyond the arc.
Was the loss last night a cause for concern? Not really. Yes, they lost to a team that has zero possibility of making the playoffs and every win at this point in the season matters, but keep in mind the Mavericks were without one of their better defensive players and three point shooters Maxi Kleber and Trey Burke who played well when given the opportunity. Let’s also consider that the team has been without Willie Cauley-Stein due to health and safety protocols for weeks now and JJ Redick who has yet to play because of a lingering heel issue.
The biggest concern for this team right now is getting to a point where all of their players are healthy and can play a role as the latter part of the season gets underway.
Another factor that played a part in their loss last night was how poorly they shot from the field and from three. Quietly, over the past 6 games the Mavericks have been on fire from three and the Mavericks have 5 players who have shot well above 40% from beyond the arc, which was their key ingredient to their success during their 5 game winning streak. It was the first time the Mavericks shot less than 40% from the field for 4 consecutive quarters since their winning streak began and finished the night shooting 37% from the field and 25% from three.
Tonight the Mavericks will face the Bucks who are 8th in defensive rating and 6th in offensive rating. The last time the two teams played was in January when the Mavericks were still attempting to put all of their pieces together. The Bucks are coming off a 1 point loss to the Warriors but have won their last 3 out of 4 games.
In the game tonight the Mavericks have to attack early and match the Bucks intensity. There will be little room for mistakes and less room for the Mavericks to not make the easy shots early and respond on the defensive end. If Dallas manages to establish a lead, convert from three, and take smart shots early, they have a chance to take down the 3rd best team in the Eastern Conference and gain some much needed momentum and rest before they have to face another in-state rival the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
