Two days after signing one of the smallest offensive performances of their season (90 points), the Mavs showed a completely different face against the Blazers. With leaders in great shape, a handful of productive role players and 3-point skill, the Texans stuck 130 points to a Blazers defense on a very bad night (130-110).
The visitors had however made the best start by offering themselves three possessions in advance after four minutes of play (8-16). This lead was quickly erased by the locals in the first (31-32) and especially the second quarter. Where Christian Wood did massive damage with his mobility near the circle.
Luka Doncic ended the period strong with his outside address and the Mavs returned to the locker room after an attacking festival in the first period (72-63). This festival continued in a fatal third quarter for Portland players. As good lieutenants, Spencer Dinwiddie and Tim Hardaway Jr. both lent their support to the Doncic-Wood pair and the gap soared to 27 units against outmatched Blazers.
From the start of the last quarter (110-85), the two coaches could rest their major players. The match had already been folded for a while.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Blazers no longer defend. Kemba Walker quietly wandered into the Blazers’ racket without the latter being able to ensure a minimum of rotation. The point guard only had to find Luka Doncic absolutely alone behind the arc. This action at the end of the first period summarizes well the defensive underperformance of the visitors. Chauncey Billups also noted after the meeting that they had lacked something, energy of course. A bad sign for the coach whose team, after showing real progress at the start of the season, is collecting more and more points, week after week.
– Chauncey Billups quickly dropped the match. There were still nearly seven minutes left in the third quarter when the Blazers coach took his time-out. And decided to leave without Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant and Josh Hart. None of these will come back into play since the gap was already huge (95-70). Jason Kidd preferred to wait until the end of the quarter to release his incumbents.
– The elevation of Luka Doncic! We have rarely seen the Slovenian go up to the circle in this way. After a very daring feint at the start of the dribble, the Mavs point guard went to crush the hoop in front of Drew Eubanks. Enough to put his hands on his head to “protect” himself from the violence of his gesture.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Luka Doncic and Christian Wood. The winning ticket to Dallas. The two men had already passed the bar of 20 points each at the break and displayed a great bond in the game. The leader found his inside more than once at the exit of “pick-and-roll”. The latter, in double-double, signed his best game since wearing the Mavs jersey.
✅ Frank Ntilikina. A quick word about the Frenchman who made a remarkable comeback in the second quarter with two 3-point baskets to help widen the gap, before finishing a confident drive in garbage time. . On arrival, eight points, his best total of the season…
⛔ Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons. While Damian Lillard rather held his rank, his two lieutenants did not exist in this meeting ended with a 5/19 on cumulative shots… When they were in play, Portland sank in terms of the score (-29 and -21 respectively).
THE FOLLOWING
Dallas (15-14) : traveling to Cleveland the next night.
Portland (16-13) : moving to Houston next night.
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