Luka Doncic can take his time before coming back, his Mavericks have learned to win without him! Still deprived of their leader, but also of Klay Thompson and Daniel Gafford, the NBA finalists easily won against the Knicks after an almost perfect first half.
After the traditional observation round of three or four minutes, and despite their awkwardness from afar, the Mavericks jumped at the throats of Karl-Anthony Towns' teammates. The ball releases are clean, and Naji Marshall and PJ Washington make easy baskets. The entry of Spencer Dinwiddie is good, and Dallas signs a 16-3 to take a 13-point lead (20-7). Opposite, the Knicks are clumsy, and the fallback is poorly assured. After twelve minutes, the 2nd best attack in the NBA has only scored 15 points, and the Mavericks maintain these 13 points in advance (28-15).
A real collective demonstration
We are waiting for a reaction from the Knicks, but it does not come… and it is Quentin Grimes who is responsible for punishing his former teammates (38-20). At his side, PJ Washington breaks the screen. He stifles OJ Anunoby, while playing the hubs on offense. And when he comes out, it's Naji Marshall who punishes the Knicks to increase the gap to +24 (46-22). Opposite, Jalen Brunson plays Jalen Brunson, but his lieutenants fail, and the Marshall-Washington duo continues their festival, well served by Kyrie Irving. On a final “floater” from their leader, the Mavericks reached the break with a 22-point lead (60-38).
Returning from the locker room, Towns wakes up, but Dallas responds with his collective. Danger comes from everywhere, and the 3-point awkwardness at the start of the match is only a distant memory. While Brunson had brought his team to -15, the Dinwiddie-Grimes duo planted two 3-pointers in a row to restore some air. At the end of the 3rd quarter, the Mavericks still lead by 19 points (90-71).
The 4th quarter is more unbridled with two coaches who decide not to whistle the end of the game. Derek Lively II takes the opportunity to put on a show, and Washington hits from afar (113-95). Punishment, or not, Tom Thibodeau leaves his stars on the floor, and the Bridges-Brunson duo limits the damage for a final gap of 15 points (129-114).
WHAT TO REMEMBER
A historic first. For the second meeting in a row, the Mavericks finished with four players at 20 points or more: Irving, Grimes, Marshall and Dinwiddie. This is a first in the history of the franchise, and in the absence of Luka Doncic, Dallas is banking on its team to achieve a 6th victory in seven matches.
Washington essential. With Luka Doncic absent, the Mavericks placed PJ Washington at the heart of their attack. The strong forward distributes the play, rushes in transition, and hits from afar. Better, he became a super defender, and OJ Anunoby and Mikal Bridges had difficulty overtaking him.
Awkward New York. The Knicks signed, without doubt, their worst half of the season with a 26% shooting! In the first half, only Mikal Bridges scored two 3-pointers, and all his teammates missed the target. Even open shots are missed. An evening to forget after the festival against the Nuggets.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
