You can be led by one of the stars who plays the most “on the ground” in the NBA and still put on a show in the air. Thursday, the Mavericks beat the Jazz by relying on dominating the battle at altitude. Dallas thus accumulated 18 dunks, second largest total collective on a match in the last 25 years (since “play-by-play” allowed it to be counted), behind the 20 of the Clippers on December 21, 2019 in San Antonio.
The American Airlines Center had a blast, and there was something for everyone. Pick-and-roll with Luka Doncic as a maestro, counterattack, high-altitude alley-oop, tap dunk…
If there was any question about the idea that “Dunks Are Fun,” check out this video from our @wfaa broadcast of the game, with highlights of the team record 18 dunks in the Mavs win vs Utah… pic.twitter.com/utNyfdUzvb
— Mark Followill (@MFollowill) March 22, 2024
Ten dunks just for Daniel Gafford
The various adjustments this season, with the Draft of Derek Lively II, then the trades to recover PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford have considerably increased the athletic potential of Jason Kidd's squad.
“ We've been talking about getting the ball in the racket since training camp.” thus assures the Texan coach. “The guys were able to find each other, they were particularly unselfish tonight. Our interiors have benefited from it. When you look at our previous squads, we weren't very athletic, we weren't the type to win the Dunk Contest in warm-ups. »
Daniel Gafford, in particular, brings his quality near the circle, with his relaxation, his positioning but also his speed of movement for a pivot. “ His ability to finish in traffic is something we didn't have » confirmed Jason Kidd once again at a press conference.
The former Wizards player finished with 24 points at 10/11 shooting… Nothing but dunks! Since 1996, only Shaquille O'Neal has had more dunks in a single game, according to Stathead.
Even Kyrie Irving is getting in on the action!
But none of the flights of the evening left as much of an impression as that of Kyrie Irving. The one who maliciously compared himself to Benjamin Button after signing his third dunk of the season Tuesday in San Antonio added a fourth Thursday, sent into the air by Luka Doncic. Kyrie Irving further improves his most prolific season in the exercise of his career, and participates in the show, to the delight of his teammates.
“ I didn't think he completely had it in him to be honest. » smiled Daniel Gafford at a press conference. “ It was a pretty high pass, I thought, 'Oh, damn.' I thought he was going to get it with two hands, he gave us this one-handed dunk. It was fantastic. » « I give it a 50 for sure » laughed Derrick Jones Jr, quite an expert on the subject. “ I'm happy that Luka sent me this pass, it's confidence » reacted Kyrie Irving, all smiles. “ Some of my teammates were laughing a few weeks ago when I told them to send me to the alley-oop. Guess who's laughing now? »
KYRIE THROWS DOWN THE LOB FROM LUKA
Jazz-Mavs | Live on the NBA App
https://t.co/Xc5yr7KUoO pic.twitter.com/kqFE8lQ7OL— NBA (@NBA) March 22, 2024
“ It's vital for us to continue to attack the racket, to test the opponents with the hoop » he continued with more seriousness. “ It's the most effective shot in basketball. I just want to continue to have that mentality of attacking other teams. If you don't stop us, then let's continue! I think this can greatly help us prepare for the playoffs. »
These “new look” Mavericks have won seven of their last eight matches, and now climb to 6th place in the West, synonymous with qualification without going through the play-in. With Daniel Gafford in the starting five, the record is impressive: nine victories for only one defeat… in which Luka Doncic was absent.
