The Dallas Mavericks entered their Saturday night matchup with the Toronto Raptors looking to continue their winning ways. The Mavs won 10 of their past 11 games and were looking to add to their current 6-game winning streak – fortunately they did just that with a 125 – 116 win. Both Maxi Kleber and Jaden Hardy joined Naji Marshall on the inactive list for this one, but the Mavs have demonstrated more balance than perhaps ever before. Through the first 23 games of the season, the Mavs have had 11 instances where 6 players have scored 10 or more points. In no other season in franchise history has that happened through the first 23 games. Another interesting fun fact is that Kyrie Irving logged his 100th (Regular Season) game in a Dallas uniform tonight.
In the early goings, Kyrie Irving was utterly ruthless. He looked like he was on a complete other level, which is saying a lot by his lofty standards. Luka Doncic also had a big game, netting his second triple-double in a row. The Mavs had a nice halftime lead after Luka hit a running, near-halfcourt buzzer beater and it seemed like the Mavs were on their way to taking over in this one. However, a Raptors run late in the third quarter made this one close down the stretch. Some may look at this game as the Mavs escaping, but I think they showed some guts in earning this one. They basically had an 8-man rotation (Powell logged only 3 minutes, with Grimes and Prosper almost merging into one SF in their combined 27 minutes) and have been on the road quite a bit, with their home games feeling like just another city to stop in briefly. It was nice to see them dig in and get this win. Let’s get to the grades!
Luka Doncic: A+
30 Points / 13 Rebounds / 11 Assists / 4 Steals / 0 Blocks (38 Minutes)
Luka is no stranger to highlights and he added to his list in this one. His no-look behind-the-head flip to Kyrie Irving for a made three and his 50-foot diagonal pass through multiple bodies to connect with Klay Thompson for another three, were exquisite. Then he hit a half-court buzzer-beater to end the first half. He became the second fastest player to record his 300th 20 point, 5 rebound, 5 assist game and had his second straight triple-double. On the negative side of the ledger, he was clearly frustrated with how he was being defended late in the third quarter (rightfully so) and responded by forcing frustrated shots which was almost the sole reason the Raptors got back in the game. Regardless of that, this was a stellar night where Luka made a bit of history and put up a gaudy stat line in a nice win
Kyrie Irving: A+
29 Points / 6 Rebounds / 4 Assists / 2 Steals / 1 Blocks (39 Minutes)
Kyrie played the entire first quarter, making the very most of it. In the opening 12 minutes alone, he had 16 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the floor including 4-for-5 on threes. Oddly, he didn’t attempt a shot in his 6 minutes of play during the second quarter before coming on again in the second half. While not as jaw-droppingly dominant in the second half, he was still super-efficient and hit some big buckets as the Raptors were making their run. All in all, he looked downright scary in this game. To me, he seemed like he had somehow found another level in this one and was looking to make his centennial game a special one.
Klay Thompson: A
20 Points / 5 Rebounds / 0 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (25 Minutes)
Thompson’s shot looked good in this one, as did his activity getting around the floor into open spaces. This sort of thing is something he has been known for and if he can do more of it, he’s only going to get more open shots and will open up the offense in general. He had two big threes in the fourth quarter to give the Mavs some space on the score board and shot 8-for-16 (3-for-9 on threes) on the night. Strangely, he was the only Mav with a negative plus/minus (-4), but this was nonetheless one of his best games, especially for 25 minutes of play.
P.J. Washington: C+
13 Points / 5 Rebounds / 1 Assist / 1 Steal / 1 Block (34 Minutes)
Washington struggled with his shot tonight, specifically from three where he was 0-for-6. He didn’t get much of an opportunity to invoke his post-up game either, something that seems to have gotten him going in recent games. His ability to get and make free throws was a highlight, but otherwise this wasn’t really his night.
Dereck Lively: B-
7 Points / 6 Rebounds / 2 Assists / 0 Steals / 2 Blocks (27 Minutes)
This game was as close as Lively has come to looking out of sorts in a very long time (if ever). Everyone has a “bad” game, but this appeared somewhat differently than that. For such a high-energy player, he looked slow in this one, bobbling the ball a few times and just looking a bit “off.” He salvaged his performance in a major way late in the fourth, with a huge block, winning a jump ball and knocking down three of four free throws. At the end of the day, this game could have gone a different direction without his late game play.
Quentin Grimes: C-
0 Points / 2 Rebounds / 1 Assist / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (17 Minutes)
Grimes was on the cusp of not being graded, however 17 minutes of play is meaningful enough time to produce something. It just didn’t happen for him tonight though. He did play some heady defense and was an overall positive plus/minus (+6), but otherwise there wasn’t much to this one.
Daniel Gafford: A-
10 Points / 6 Rebounds / 0 Assists / 1 Steal / 3 Blocks (20 minutes)
Gafford scored his first two points without registering an actual second of play. He very memorably caught an inbounds pass from Kyrie Irving and finished with an alley-oop dunk. He went on 5-for-6 shooting on the night and his 3 blocks were only overshadowed a bit by his 4 turnovers. He was on the edge of this grade, but for this level of efficiency in only 20 minutes of play, I erred on the higher side.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper: B+
5 Points / 6 Rebounds / 2 Assists / 1 Steal / 1 Block (10 Minutes)
O-Max made his first appearance to start the second quarter and immediately upon touching the ball out past the three-point line, he was locked in a double-team trap. He managed to work his way out and drove hard to the rim. A few plays later, he sprinted from near half-court to chase down and block a Raptors’ fast break layup. He also nailed his first three of the season. On a night were multiple players were sitting out, he had a solid 10 minutes of play with a couple assists and an impressive 3 offensive rebounds. It’s tough to grade O-Max since he doesn’t make too many appearances, but he provided valuable minutes on a night they were needed.
Spencer Dinwiddie: C+
11 Points / 2 Rebounds / 0 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (24 Minutes)
Dinwiddie didn’t have a great shooting night on relatively few shots, but he was very aggressive driving and drawing fouls. His 8-for-8 from the free throw line were the shining star in this one, as he didn’t contribute much else to the stat line. Still, he’s proving time and again that he’s a pro and a winning player. Having him to relieve Luka and Kyrie, as well as play alongside them in crucial moments, can’t be overlooked.
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