Mavs' Poor Defense Outweighs Offensive Firepower in Loss vs. Heat: 3 Big Takeaways

The Dallas Mavericks fell short against the Miami Heat in their Saturday night matchup, further worsening their already poor outlook for a play-in spot.

MIAMI — Despite having major play-in qualification implications, the Dallas Mavericks' defense came out flat in their 129-122 loss to the Miami Heat on Saturday night. 

The Mavs had actually outscored the Heat in the second half, but such poor results early on proved too much to overcome. Luka Doncic set the tone with 42 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. It was a big night for Tim Hardaway Jr., who had 31 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. In addition, Kyrie Irving racked up 23 points and eight assists.

Here are three major takeaways from the Mavs' loss to the Heat.

Poor Early Defense Too Much to Overcome

The first quarter was especially problematic for the Mavs, allowing the Heat to score a staggering 44 points. After a 16-2 run, Miami created significant separation, being the latest display of Dallas' lack of urgency in an important situation with the season on the line. 

“First-quarter woes, for sure,” Hardaway said. “I don’t know what to tell you. You give anybody 40-plus points in the first quarter, you don’t have a chance in (heck) to win.”

After giving up 76 points in the first half, the Mavs put themselves in a position they simply couldn't overcome. Dallas allowed the Heat to strong overachieve, given they are the team that averages the fewest points per game (108.7) in the NBA this season by a whole 1.8 points.

“We didn’t end the first the right way and we kind of stalled out at 31 (points) but they kept going, so yes, our defense was non-existent,” Kidd said. “We couldn’t get stops. But I thought again in the second, we went on a run — offensively we shot 61 percent, so it wasn’t the offensive side of the ball (that was the problem). It was the defensive side, trying to get stops.”

Mavs' Broken Defense Outweighs Offense

The poor execution the Mavs had defensively overshadowed a genuinely impressive night of offensive production. Dallas received a combined 96 points from Doncic, Hardaway (31), and Irving (23), while shooting 61.0 percent from the floor, 41.2 percent from deep, and 87.5 percent on free throws. Teams don't lose with those results. 

Between not having a rim protector, a dynamic low-man to anchor the help rotations, or an on-ball defensive stopper, it's not surprising to see the Mavs being an underwhelming defensive unit. However, their lack of execution has sunken to head-scratching depths as the stakes have risen. 

The pick-and-roll with Cody Zeller, who was signed after spending no shortage of time as a free agent, felt unguardable. He finished with 20 points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes. That was in addition to Jimmy Butler's 35 points and 12 assists, often picking on smaller matchups and the Mavs' lack of a big defender to anchor the unit.

The Mavs continue to have breakdowns that lead to open shooters getting clean looks. Whether it's due to being unable to complete extra rotations, or simply by the opposition putting Doncic in the action, it's happening too much to overcome.

With the Mavs' outright lack of execution on defense outweighing such a robust night of scoring, it's clear: they are a team with a broken foundation. It'll take some reconstruction in plenty of different spots.  

Poor Clutch-Time Execution Prevents Comeback

The Mavs had a chance to make a serious push after cutting the deficit down to five early in the fourth quarter. However, they quickly gave up a Heat run that made it a double-figure deficit once again. Dallas' defense had begun breaking down, giving up open 3s and quality shots.

“You’ve got to play perfect,” Kidd said. “We just didn’t play perfect. We turned the ball over when we got stops, or we missed open shots. You’ve got to be able to deliver when you’re behind, and we just didn’t do that tonight.”

With the Mavs' lack of initial sense of urgency, there is the continued question regarding the team's desire to continue the season. Playing a complete game is essential, especially when the opposition still has meaningful reasons to achieve a victory as the playoffs loom. 

“Do you want to continue your season?” Kidd said. “As players, you control your energy and effort. The responsibility of going out there and playing hard for one another is at a high level right now, and unfortunately we’ve just been inconsistent with that.”

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