A pyrrhic victory if Luka is not able to get back to 100 percent before the playoffs
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 130-120. The most important development of the game was Luka Doncic going to the locker room with a calf strain in the third quarter. The average recovery time for a calf strain is one to three weeks so there is still optimism that Luka should be available for the beginning of the playoffs. The remaining Mavericks held on for a win against the Spurs.
Here are the stats to know.
52: Number of wins the Mavericks finish the season with
This is the 11th best record in franchise history and the best of the Luka era so far. There was a lot of angst early in the season as Luka came in out of shape and the Mavericks tried desperately to involve Kristaps Porzingis. But that angst proved to be unneeded as the Mavericks rode a very good defense and a reinvigorated Luka to a fantastic end of the season.
16: Number of points scored by Dorian Finney-Smith in the third quarter
Finney-Smith goes into the playoffs on a high note after a dominating third quarter versus the Spurs. Finney-Smith is generally a good barometer of how well the Mavericks are playing, as they are incredibly tough to beat when he plays well. With the Mavericks playing the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, this is a very good sign as they have often played Rudy Gobert on Finney-Smith and dared him to shoot.
16: Number of points scored by Theo Pinson
The best teammate in basketball, Pinson has spent much of the year rooting his team on from the bench. The Mavericks have had noticeably more energy on the bench since signing Pinson and it was nice to see him show out in the season finale. Pinson finished the game a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, 4-of-4 from the three-point line and 2-of-2 from the free throw line.
18: Number of points scored by Jalen Brunson
Brunson added six rebounds and five assists to go with his 18 points. He is one of the most important players on the Mavericks. The upcoming playoffs are likely more important to him personally than any other player on the Mavericks. Brunson has become a very good NBA player but the perception of him could be shaped by his playoff success.
If he has a good playoff run, he can sell himself as a game changing guard who still has potential for more and can hope for close to $100 million in total contract value. If he struggles against a playoff defense again, there could be fear that he is more of an 82 game player than a 16 game player.
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