**For you skeptics that have dismissed the Mavericks’ season as a goner, consider Friday’s 123-117 win over the Detroit Pistons a “take that” moment.**
The Mavericks stopped a five-game home losing streak as they dusted the Pistons at American Airlines Center behind 31 points from Spencer Dinwiddie and 27 from P.J. Washington.
They improved to 34-37 and pulled back ahead of Phoenix for the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference, pending the outcome of the Suns’ home game against Cleveland late Friday.
But the Mavericks are going to have to earn their way into the play-in tournament on the road, where they play their next four games and seven of their final 11, starting Monday in Brooklyn.
The Mavericks led by 12 early in the fourth quarter, but they have had trouble lately closing out games. Perhaps knowing that, the Pistons closed the gap to 102-98 before Washington drilled a corner three-pointer.
That steadied the Mavericks briefly, but it was going to require poise down the stretch.
A Dennis Schroder three-pointer with 2 minutes left cut the Mavericks’ lead to 114-110. After each team misfired, the Mavericks missed and the ball went out of bounds. Originally, possession was given to Detroit, but the call was overturned when Jason Kidd challenged it and the Mavericks had possession with 1:07 to go.
Dinwiddie was fouled, but made only the second of two free throws for a five-point advantage.
Schroder was fouled with 48 ticks left, with Kai Jones fouling out on the play. Schroder helped out the Mavericks by missing the first of the two freebies. The Mavericks had trouble handling Detroit’s pressure, but ran a smart play that got Washington a clear path to the rim, where he was met and fouled by Cade Cunningham.
Washington’s free throw (he missed the second) with 36.9 showing made it 116-111. This time, unlike Wednesday, there would be no late meltdown.
Cunningham would slice through the Mavericks twice, but Dinwiddie made two free throws and Brandon Williams converted a three-point play after taking a nice feed from Klay Thompson, who had 20 points, for a 121-115 lead with 16 seconds left to ice it.
The Mavericks had led most of the way but their advantage was only 76-73 midway through the third quarter. That’s when Klay Thompson took care of a couple of defensive rebounds that led to a four-point possession on the other end, then a bucket by Naji Marshall and an 82-73 advantage.
At that point, the Mavericks had to dig a little deeper. They had been doing a solid job against the bigger, more physical Pistons, but center Jalen Duren started to impose his will and his 6-10, 250-pound frame.
Still, the Mavericks did not wilt. Interestingly, the Mavericks led the entire third quarter, but never by more than nine points. And when Naji Marshall coaxed in a floater in the paint at the third-quarter buzzer, they had a 91-83 advantage going into the fourth.
And, critically, they were winning the rebound game 35-32 after three quarters.
Said Kidd before the game: “We have to be physical, too. We can’t back down from their physicality. We understand that that’s what they’re going to do. We have to brace for that. But we can be physical, too. We have to box out and secure the rebound and put a little more pressure on them in the transition game.”
**X: @ESefko**