The Mavericks got Daniel Gafford back in the lineup Monday night, but it wasn’t enough to keep them from a costly loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
Despite a flurry of clutch plays by Gafford when the game was hanging in the balance, the Mavericks couldn’t get enough stops at the end to avoid a 113-109 loss to the Nets, a team they had beaten by 19 points last week in Brooklyn.
The Mavericks slipped to 37-39 and their hold on a play-in tournament spot was dinged by the loss as they continue to fight it out with Sacramento and Phoenix for the final two spots.
The Mavericks had gone back and forth with the Nets and were trailing 108-107 with 1:16 left when D’Angelo Russell completed a three-point play.
Anthony Davis missed a push shot from the paint and the Nets ran a nice play for a layup and three-point play for Nic Claxton to make it 111-107 with 47.6 remaining.
After a timeout and misfires by each team, the Mavericks got two free throws from P.J. Washington and then stopped the Nets, getting the rebound with 9.1 seconds to work with after a timeout.
They got the ball to Klay Thompson first, whose three-pointer was short. The rebound went to the Mavs and the ball found Spencer Dinwiddie, whose three-pointer from the left wing rattled halfway down the basket before popping out and hitting the shot clock above the backboard.
The Nets took over possession and were able to run out the clock.
The Mavericks had limited Brooklyn to 81 points last week in a 19-point win, but this was a more determined bunch of Nets, who were down only 98-95 midway through the fourth quarter and had four chances to tie it.
With that many opportunities, they finally got a three pointer from Tyrese Martin, then a dunk from Keon Johnson and the Mavericks were down 100-98 with 4:31 to go.
They had given the Nets, a team that is already plotting strategy for the draft lottery, life.
Earlier, the Gafford showing was the whole story.
The 6-10 center quickly made his presence known as the Mavericks dusted off their big-man-to-big-man lob pass.
Davis played the role of quarterback and he hit Gafford with a beautiful lob that he threw down with authority to open the second quarter and put the Mavericks in front 31-25.
Gafford was on a minutes restriction, sort of like half of the Mavericks’ roster is these days.
But it didn’t impact his aggression. The Mavericks were able to start Gafford at center with Davis at power forward and P.J. Washington at small forward for the first time.
And the Mavericks could get more help in the paint with Dereck Lively II close to returning from a stress fracture in his right ankle. Coach Jason Kidd said it could be later this week when Lively suits up for the first time since Jan. 14.
Gafford had seven points, three rebounds and two assists in the first half when the Mavericks eased ahead 63-58.
This was the same Nets team that they had beaten 120-101 last week in Brooklyn. But the Nets had D’Angelo Russell back from injury for this one and that clearly improved their offense. They eclipsed the 81 points they scored last week by the end of the third quarter, when the Mavericks were clinging to a 87-84 lead and braced for a treacherous fourth quarter.
X: @ESefko