Dallas Basketball

Doncic, Mavs’ bench lead Dallas past Nets, 123-111, to end two-game skid

Luka Doncic has another double-double, but the Mavs' bench scoring 62 points was just as important in the 12-point win

Matthew Postins

Doncic, Mavs’ bench lead Dallas past Nets, 123-111, to end two-game skid
Doncic, Mavs’ bench lead Dallas past Nets, 123-111, to end two-game skid /

One of the Dallas Mavericks’ biggest issues lately has been closing out games. On Thursday, with two starters out due to injury, the Mavs found a way to close out the Brooklyn Nets, 123-111, at the American Airlines Center.

The Mavs (22-12) were in need of a boost coming into the game. Dallas had lost six of its last 11 games, along with three of their last four at the American Airlines Center. The losses included falling to contenders in both conferences, including Miami, Boston, Toronto and the Los Angeles Lakers. The last loss, on New Year’s Eve, came against the resurgent Oklahoma City Thunder.

The win comes at a great time for Dallas, which just started a six-game homestand that Will continue on Saturday night when the Mavs host the Charlotte Hornets.

The Nets (16-17) got off to a hot start, but suffered from a Dallas hot streak from the floor in the second half, led by Luka Doncic’s 31 points and a bench that came through big-time for the undermanned Mavericks.

Among those bench contributors for the Mavs were Seth Curry, who scored 25 points in the first three quarters and didn’t miss a 3-pointer (5-for-5); Maxi Kleber, who played 31 minutes and scored 18 points, including three 3-pointers; and center Boban Marjanovich, who pitched in 10 points and 7 rebounds in an efficient 13 minutes on the floor.

The Dallas bench ultimately outscored the Nets, 62-52.

With Tim Hardaway Jr. out with a hamstring injury, and Kristaps Porzingis sitting with right knee soreness, Carlisle slid guard J.J. Barea and forward Justin Jackson into the starting lineup. For Jackson, it was his first start of the 2019-20 season.

Barea’s move into the starting lineup brought the Mavs some energy, as he scored 7 points in the first quarter and finished with 10 points. Jackson scored 8 points in 26 minutes.

The Mavs needed a big run in the fourth quarter to secure the win, as they outscored the Nets in the quarter, 30-18. Doncic and Dorian Finney-Smith punctuated that run with less than five minutes left in the game. Doncic drained a 3-pointer — part of a stretch that saw him make five field goals in a row — and Finney-Smith followed with his own 3-pointer a couple of possessions later to give Dallas a 114-104 lead with 4:24 left. From there, the Mavs were never threatened.

Doncic ended up with 31 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, despite sitting for a good portion of the third quarter and the early part of the fourth quarter with four fouls. Finney-Smith ended with eight points and nine rebounds.

Brooklyn’s lineup was incredibly balanced, with seven players in double figures, led by Spencer Dinwiddie’s 19 points and 5 assists. DeAndre Jordan, who played for the Mavericks last season, had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The injuries for the Mavs led them to call up G-League player Josh Reaves to make his NBA debut. Reaves is playing this season on a two-way contract and managed to play the final minute of the game to get his feet wet. The Mavs welcomed him, well, properly.

With all of those injury issues, head coach Rick Carlisle said earlier on Thursday that the Mavs would not be an “excuse” team, as our Mike Fisher wrote.

Plus, don’t forget your favorite second-year point guard is leading the Western Conference in All-Star Game voting.

Published
Matthew Postins
MATTHEW POSTINS

Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist writes for CowboyMaven. He also writes for Inside the Rangers, CowboyMaven,DallasBasketball.com, Longhorn Country, All Aggies, Inside The Texans, Washington Football, covers the Big 12 for HeartlandCollegeSports.com and is the Editor of the College Football America Yearbook.

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