Spencer Dinwiddie ‘Switches Gears’ in Mavs’ Win vs. Suns: 3 Big Takeaways

Despite Luka Doncic's night ending after three minutes of action, the Dallas Mavericks achieved a road win over the Phoenix Suns.

The Dallas Mavericks (26-24) overcame losing Luka Doncic to a sprained left ankle early in their 99-95 win over the Phoenix Suns (25-25) on Thursday. 

With the Suns continuing to play without Devin Booker, both teams had to deal with not having their top option on offense. The Mavs proved more capable in doing so, with Spencer Dinwiddie scoring a season-high 36 points and four other players reaching the double-figure threshold. 

Here are three big takeaways from the Mavs' win over the Suns. 

3. Mavs Overcame Doncic's Injury

The Mavs are 0-5 on the season in games that Doncic doesn't play. Managing to overcome him being ruled out for the remainder of the night after just three minutes of action was a positive sign for the team's ability to adapt going forward. 

Dinwiddie overtook the "Luka role" by being the high-usage threat that commands the majority of the defense's attention as late-game moments arise. However, the biggest key for the Mavs was tightening up their defensive execution. 

“To lose LD there in the first three minutes, understanding it’s the next man up mentality,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “Everybody who played tonight – even the guys who didn’t play – were into the game. No one ever panicked and we found a way to win a game.

“I think it’s just the character of those guys in that locker room just understanding injuries are a part of this game. We never want anybody to get hurt. And then without Luka, just thinking who’s going to step up. Well, we got that answer tonight – it was Spencer. But it was the whole group participating. Defensively, to hold a team like Phoenix under 100 points is a big deal and those guys in that locker room should be proud.”

2. Dinwiddie's 'Shift' in Mindset

With Dinwiddie taking on the role of being the top option in the Mavs' offense, it required a shift in his mindset. He not only had to be more aggressive in scoring, but he had to balance getting his teammates involved. 

“It was just a shift in mindsets in terms of understanding the ball is going to come and now I’ve got to be aggressive in a more consistent fashion,” Dinwiddie said. “We rely on (Doncic) heavily. He’s one of the best offensive players in history.

“But I think this team — and this is before I got here (last February) – has been through a stretch without him before. And so we just kind of shifted gears. We knew what we had to do. We have to get stops. Obviously, my rant postgame (following the loss to the Wizards) was about getting stops and we just need that carryover consistently all the time.”

The 36 points Dinwiddie scored were instrumental in the Mavs' success, but so was his passing after drawing multiple defenders. Opposing teams often make them play out of a short-roll by doubling Doncic. With the superstar sidelined, it became Dinwiddie's responsibility, and he handled it well. 

“They probably stopped putting two people on Spencer and we just played it like we do when Luka is playing,” Finney-Smith said. “Throw the ball to the middle and let DP play make. I think I got two threes off DP doing his job flashing when they’re trapping.

“Spencer did a good job of scoring, passing and getting in the paint. He had a great game today. He was an All-Star too, so he got it in him. Great team win. I’m happy we got this win without LD on the court.”

The Mavs may need Dinwiddie to do more of the same in Saturday's matchup against the Utah Jazz. With Doncic considered day-to-day as he recovers from his ankle sprain, it remains to be seen how long he will be sidelined.

1. Avoided Late-Game Execution Scare

In their previous game, the Mavs came up short in late-game execution, resulting in a disappointing loss to the Wizards. Against Washington, Dallas had five seconds to work with while trailing by just one point. They ended up running the same play twice and turning it over on the second attempt. How they responded in another pivotal moment was important. 

The Mavs held a 96-93 lead with 47.6 seconds remaining after Chris Paul got to the rim for a layup. Dallas turned it over on the next possession. Paul got straight to the rim for another layup, pulling Phoenix within one-point with 19.7 seconds remaining in regulation. 

Reggie Bullock was sent to the free throw line facing the need to extend the Mavs' lead potentially as much as three. He made the first attempt, but missed the second. What ultimately proved to seal the win for Dallas was Dwight Powell pulling down the offensive rebound and drawing a foul in the process. Powell then had a perfect trip to the line. 

“We’ve been in that position with the close games and we’ve come up short,” Kidd said. “This was an opportunity, not just without Luka or C-Wood, but other guys are in here late to show that they can execute.

Kidd explained further: “It’s just the character. I keep saying this over and over, that group in that locker room believed that they could win tonight.”

There still needs to be improvement in the execution in late-game situations. Missing free throws has proven to be a consistent problem for Dallas as they are the least efficient clutch free throw shooting team in the NBA this season. Allowing Paul to get to the rim twice as easily as he did was an issue, too. 

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