Anthony Davis hit a shot in the final seconds on Wednesday night, giving the Dallas Mavericks a 120-118 victory over the Atlanta Hawks as the season gets close to ending. With five games remaining, Dallas holds a 1.5-game lead over the Sacramento Kings, sitting in 9th place in the West and seemingly a shoo-in for the final Play-In Tournament game.
The Hawks led for most of the second and third quarters, taking a lead as large as 11 early in the third. Dallas came all the way to take a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but despite holding the Hawks without a field goal for over four minutes, the Hawks clawed back in and even took a late lead, giving Mavs fans a flashback of Monday night's despicable loss to the Brooklyn Nets. But the Mavericks made enough plays at the end, starting with Klay Thompson's clutch three in the final minutes, and closed off by Anthony Davis' game-winner in the final seconds.
Here are three takeaways from this win.
READ MORE: Anthony Davis' game-winner lifts Mavericks over Hawks, 120-118
Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis
Apr 2, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) reacts in front of Atlanta Hawks guard Terance Mann (14) during the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Anthony Davis had a spectacular debut with the Mavericks in February before he went down in the third quarter against the Houston Rockets, ending a possible record-setting game early. And since returning from that adductor strain last week, he has mostly been struggling. He did not struggle on Wednesday night, finishing with 34 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks; his most points as a Maverick. This was the AD Mavericks fans had been waiting on.
Trae Young and Naji Marshall
Apr 2, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) shoots past Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (13) during the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Dallas' defensive effort in the first half was disappointing, to say the least. Atlanta was shooting 53.1% from the floor and 41.2% from three going into the break and had only turned it over four times. That changed in the third quarter, which helped get the Mavericks back into it. The Mavs held the Hawks to 30.8% shooting from the floor, 33.3% from three, and forced three turnovers. Without that change in defensive momentum, the Mavs wouldn't have won this game.
Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie
Apr 2, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie (26) reacts in fron tof Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) after scoring during the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Mavericks held a slim 115-113 lead with three minutes to go. Their next three offensive possessions: missed Spencer Dinwiddie pull-up transition three, missed wild layup by Spencer Dinwiddie, and missed finger roll by Spencer Dinwiddie. That left them with a three-point deficit heading into the final minute, and luckily Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis made up for it, but the Mavs made this much more complex than they needed to.
READ MORE: Mavericks' Anthony Davis hits game-winner to beat Hawks
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