CLEVELAND, OHIO — The Mavericks continued their winning streak defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-97.
The Mavericks have done what is necessary to hold the 5th spot in the playoff ranking which is priority at this point. However, the extra cushion they have is very slim and could be lost with little notice. Dallas holds just a half a game lead over the Trailblazers and the Lakers are in it but haven’t played their best brand of basketball with Lebron James missing more time. This is the opportunity the Mavericks needed to separate themselves and at the tail end of the season there is no time to slack.
During their three game winning stretch the Mavericks haven’t gone with the Luka performs well or bust method. When the Mavericks are at the top of their game it is because of their depth, and their depth makes it hard not to be optimistic about this team’s prospects moving forward.
Josh Richardson who has been one of the players the Mavericks have relied on heavily during this stretch scored 14 points on 67% shooting in the first quarter and Tim Hardaway Jr scored 9 first quarter points and converted on 3 out of 4 shots from beyond the arc and Luka Doncic played the all purpose role dishing out 4 assists and scored 5 points. Dwight Powell has provided this Mavericks team with the boost of energy they’ve needed time and time again and scored 6 points which were the final points scored for the Mavericks in the quarter.
Dallas finished the first quarter with a 39-30 lead over the Cavaliers converting on 64% of their shots. The Mavericks collective effort continued to be the difference between them and the opposition.
The Mavericks defense played well and began to disrupt the Cavaliers on the offensive end of the floor. Luka Doncic also had a fantastic quarter scoring 10 points in the quarter and Nicolo Melli and Dwight Powell had an electrifying start to the second quarter. The duo of Powell and Melli combined to score 11 of the Mavericks early second quarter points and helped Dallas develop a comfortable cushion to finish the half with a 64-53 lead.
A big swing in the game happened when Luka Doncic was ejected from the game after picking up a flagrant two foul, but even after losing the star of the team the other players rose to the occasion. Dallas really thrived scoring the ball inside and made the most out of their easy attempts. Tim Hardaway Jr scored 13 points in the third quarter which led the Mavericks in the scoring. Josh Richardson and Jalen Brunson both had respectable quarters shooting 53% from the field combined. Dallas flipped their 11 point lead into a 26 point lead going to the fourth quarter leading the Cavaliers 98-72.
Dallas did what they were supposed to do, close out the opponents they should and dominate doing it. Despite losing Luka Doncic they weathered the storm and adjusted accordingly and extended their winning streak to 4 games. Tim Hardaway Jr continued his streak of scoring more than 25 points in his last 5 games and Josh Richardson grabbed his 6th 20 point night of the season.
The Mavericks are tallying up wins late in the season and increasing their chances of cementing their positioning in the western conference right before the playoffs begin. Dallas has 4 games remaining on their schedule and will face the Grizzlies on the road who currently sit at the 9th spot in the playoff rankings. It’s a road that isn’t paved completely but if Dallas can continue to get solid production from other players on the roster this team has the potential to go far.
