Bulls Throttle Mavs as Luka Doncic Sits; Kemba Walker Makes Debut

The Chicago Bulls blew out the Dallas Mavericks after Luka Doncic was among three total key inactives.

The Dallas Mavericks faced off against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday in what marked the second night of a back-to-back. With Luka Doncic, Josh Green, and Maxi Kleber sidelined, the Mavs lost 144-115, dropping their record down to 13-13 on the season. 

It did not take long for the Bulls to take full control of the game after scoring at least 40 points in each quarter of the first half, establishing an 82-53 halftime advantage. The decision to start Dwight Powell and Christian Wood — a two big lineup — with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Spencer Dinwiddie on the perimeter proved incapable of providing much resistance. 

Spencer Dinwiddie took over as the lead initiator, with Doncic sidelined. He had a respectable performance after recording 27 points, four rebounds, and nine assists with highly efficient results. Christian Wood chipped in 21 points, nine rebounds, and two assists with both players dropping in three makes from beyond the arc.

Much of the Mavs' roster got a chance to play, with 11 total players receiving minutes despite having three rotation players inactive. The ability to generate offense wasn't a grave concern considering the defensive execution began at an atrocious level. 

Jaden Hardy and Kemba Walker each received playing time. Hardy finished with 15 points in 22 minutes while Walker added eight points in 20 minutes. The main scorer off the bench was JaVale McGee, who had 18 points and four rebounds in 16 minutes with a make from deep. 

The Mavs' failure to win on Friday night when they lost 106-105 against the Milwaukee Bucks gets further magnified after losing again without Doncic playing. Dallas is back to .500 after having lost both games played with Doncic this season in a loaded Western Conference landscape to navigate.

During Friday's loss to the Bucks, the Mavs shot an atrocious 10-24 (41.7 percent) on free throws in a one-point loss. They even came up empty on six consecutive attempst over the final 3:41 of regulation. Keep in mind, Tim Hardaway Jr. went 0-3 after getting fouled on a 3-point attempt, then Dorian Finney-Smith came up empty on a pair of attempts of his own. 

The Mavs get Sunday off before they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at the American Airlines Center on Monday. It will begin a three-game homestand with other matchups including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers.

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