The Dallas Mavericks entered the second night of a back-to-back in a freefall, having lost a season-high five consecutive games amidst a long string of injuries. After winning the first two matchups this season against the San Antonio Spurs, the Mavs were looking to do it again to stop the skid, and they did just that, grabbing a 133-129 win.
For those of you who have embraced the bizarre - after having only nine available players for the last couple of games, the Mavs did themselves one worse by rolling out only eight tonight. It seems the ravenous injury bug that put the Mavs in such a predicament decided to increase it’s area of effect to the referees as well. In an NBA oddity, this game was officiated by only two refs for the majority of the evening.
If you missed this game, you missed an exciting one that was close throughout. The Mavericks are insistent on playing hard every minute of every game despite the odds and it was great to see them get a very hard-fought win. Let’s get to the grades!
Dante Exum: B-
10 Points / 2 Rebounds / 1 Assist / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (24 Minutes)
Exum has been a bit too quiet for my liking, especially with so much opportunity relative to the general lack of available players. He shot well, if not enough (4-for-9 overall, 2-for-4 from three) but somehow committed 5 fouls and only dished a single dime.
Max Christie: C
12 Points / 4 Rebounds / 5 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (28 Minutes)
Christie’s shot has lost its way of late and tonight continued the trend. In fact, he was nowhere to be found late in the game, a stark departure from when he first arrived in Dallas. He missed – a lot (26.7% overall) – tonight, especially from three, but his assists and solid defense spare him from the basement.
Klay Thompson: A+
26 Points / 2 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (36 Minutes)
Thompson’s shot wasn’t falling at an especially high clip to start, but then he went on a third quarter tear that instantly made you forget about a few early misses. His defense left a bit to be desired, as he got blown by on multiple plays and bit on a few pump fakes that led directly to drained threes, but in fairness, matching up against athletic point guards didn’t help his cause and it’s hard to fault him there. At the end of the day, you can’t ask for much more from him. 8-for-14 from the floor, 7-for-7 on free throws (two of which were in the clutch), zero turnovers and second on the team in scoring.
Naji Marshall: B+
21 Points / 5 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (39 Minutes)
After back-to-back games posting career highs in scoring, it was only natural Marshall would come back down to earth. A rough start worked itself out as the game got going. Despite 5 turnovers, Marshall gets relatively high marks because he just kept coming, always doing the right thing at the right time. I’m also giving the benefit of the doubt despite the turnovers and a somewhat rough start, as he had multiple no-calls go against him. His free throws (4-for-4) helped seal the game in the closing minutes.
Kessler Edwards: A+
22 Points / 11 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (35 Minutes)
If not for Kessler Edwards and his 8 points on 4-for-4 shooting in the first quarter, this game may have been over after 12 minutes. He continued his great play, registering a double-double on 9-for-12 shooting, a perfect 4-for-4 on free throws (read on), four offensive rebounds and no turnovers. If the grade wasn’t top marks for all of that, it gets there for the two free throws he made with 45.5 left in the game to give the Mavs a four-point lead – clutch!
Spencer Dinwiddie: A+
28 Points / 7 Rebounds / 6 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (37 Minutes)
Dinwiddie quickly came to the support of Edwards, showing what he can be at his best. He led all Mavs in scoring for the first half, accounting for almost one-third of their points at the time (18, on 6-for-9 shooting). Say what you will about him, but Dinwiddie has been a big part of the grit and effort the team has shown in this rough stretch. A missed call that should have been an and-one set him off, and although his outburst got him a technical foul, it also got him going. A step-back three resulting in a four-point play may have been the highlight in an overall great game.
Caleb Martin: C+
3 Points / 3 Rebounds / 1 Assist / 1 Steal / 1 Block (20 Minutes)
Martin didn’t leave much of a statistical mark on the game, but he did play solid defense in limited minutes. He’s still an unknown quantity for Dallas and therefore tough to grade, but regardless, there wasn’t quite enough in this one to go on. The turnover he forced with less than thirty seconds, which led to Marshall going 2-for-2 at the line on the other end (effectively ending the game), gives him a grade boost.
Dwight Powell: B+
9 Points / 6 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 0 Steals / 1 Block (21 Minutes)
Powell had himself a solid outing, doing a bit of everything. No one can question his intelligence or hustle and he showed both tonight in a well-rounded game, getting to the right spots and playing under control. A put-back jam in the fourth quarter not only looked nice, but was a big second-chance bucket in a close game.
P.J. Washington: A+
Washington gets a grade tonight, not for his on-court performance (like so many others, he did not play), but rather for his amazing sense of style. If you didn’t see him on the bench, you missed one of the best street clothes appearances of the season by any player.