Mavericks Dominated by Cavaliers, 134-122, Suffer Fourth Straight Loss

Evan Mobley's double-double led the way for the Cavs on Friday night

Jan 3, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) reacts in front of Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie (26) after shooting during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, holders of the league's best record at 29-4. This would be a hard enough game, but the Mavericks are without Luka Doncic, likely all month, and Kyrie Irving was ruled out before the game with an illness. So the job got infinitely harder.

Without their two superstars in the lineup, the Mavericks started Spencer Dinwiddie, Quentin Grimes, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Dereck Lively II. Cleveland rolled with Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.

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The Mavericks scored the first basket of the game before the Cavs went on a quick 7-0 run to take control. Despite a slow start from three, especially by Klay Thompson, Dallas was able to fight the lead down to one possession; then, after a few missed chances to tie or take the lead, Daniel Gafford finished with a nice hook shot to tie the game at 15.

P.J. Washington gave the Mavs a 19-17 lead with a nice Euro-step floater a few possessions later, and then Brandon Williams extended that lead with a nice finish. But back-to-back threes by the Cavs let them retake a 23-21 lead. That 6-0 run for Cleveland blossomed into a 15-0 run, with Georges Niang hitting a three in the closing seconds to go up 32-21.

That run continued into the second quarter, as the Cavs would be up 39-22 two minutes in. After Cleveland got the lead up to 43-25, Dallas was able to get the lead down to 12 a few times but couldn't break the ten-point barrier, much like the second half of the Houston game. But Evan Mobley was showing off his improved offensive prowess, and that helped build the Cavs' lead back up to 18 again.

Over the final four minutes of the quarter, Klay Thompson heated up and was able to claw the Mavs back within 11, hitting two tightly-contested threes, but the Cavaliers still took a 69-53 lead into halftime behind 20 points and seven rebounds from Evan Mobley. Thompson had 16 points, but no one else had more than eight for the Mavs.

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Cleveland started the second half on a 9-0 run as the Mavs missed their first eight shots of the period. Donovan Mitchell converted a four-point play to really describe the game all in one play. The Cavs' league-leading offense continued to dominate the short-handed Mavs, though, as a three-pointer by Darius Garland put them up by 27 midway through the third.

A pull-up three in transition by Quentin Grimes forced a timeout with a few minutes left in the quarter by Kenny Atkinson as he cut the lead to 98-79, and he had a strong quarter. No one else would join him in his flurry, but he scored a career-high 20 points in the third quarter to get the Mavs within 15, 100-85, entering the fourth quarter.

Grimes stayed hot entering the fourth, scoring four points in the first minute to make it a 13-point deficit, then a Jaden Hardy lob to Dereck Lively II with about nine minutes remaining brought it to 12. They'd get it to 12 once more a few minutes later, but that would be the closest the Mavericks would get until the benches cleared with about four minutes to go. Dallas' reserves were able to get the lead down to nine, but the Cavs still went on to win 134-122, as the Cavs moved to 30-4, and the Mavs fell to 20-15.

Quentin Grimes led Dallas with 26 points, 20 of them coming in the third quarter. Jaden Hardy (17 points), Klay Thompson (16), P.J. Washington (15), Daniel Gafford (12), and Brandon Williams (13) were also in double figures.

Cleveland's offense was just rolling all game. Evan Mobley dominated this game for the Cavs, finishing with 34 points and 10 rebounds. Caris LeVert (17), Darius Garland (16), Donovan Mitchell (15), Georges Niang (15), Jarrett Allen (11), and Dean Wade (10) were also all in double figures.

The Mavericks will play in Memphis against the Grizzlies on Monday.

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