The Mavericks took care of business
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Detroit Pistons 131-113. The Mavericks kept it close early but blew the game wide open in the third quarter. This win puts their magic number to secure homecourt advantage in the first round to one. It also keeps the pressure on the Golden State Warriors to have to win their games to secure the third seed and avoid the Phoenix Suns until the Western Conference Finals.
Here are the stats to know.
82.4: Mavericks shooting percentage in the third quarter
The Mavericks shot 14 of 17 from the floor as they shot above 80 percent from the field for a quarter for the first time since 2015. They turned the ball over a little too much and gave up too many points but this quarter showed how lethal this offense can be.
9: Number of Mavericks who scored at least 9 points
With 6 players in double figures and three more with nine points, this was a good night for the Mavericks depth. The Pistons are a bad basketball team but they have been scrappy lately and even held a lead after the first quarter so it was nice to see the bench contribute.
15-7: Run the Pistons ended the first quarter on once Josh Green entered the game
One of the very few negatives from this game was the Mavericks continuing to get torched when they play Green and Luka together to close out first quarters. This marks nine of the last 11 games that Luka has played where the reserves and Luka unit have been outscored. The Mavericks simply have to figure out a way to improve these end of first quarter minutes.
12: Number of points Josh Green scored
Do not let the previous point fool you. This was one of Green’s best games of his young career. He was 5/6 from the floor and made two of his three threes. The Mavericks even showed some of the lineups he can bolster. He was very good in no center lineups in the second half.
14: Number of assists for Luka Doncic
Luka actually struggled some with his shot as he was just 2/11 on threes and 8/21 from the field. He threw in 6 turnovers to make it feel like he might be a mortal. But he had so many breathtaking passes tonight that it felt like an all star game at times due to the sheer audacity of some of his passes.
Overall, this was a good win for the Mavericks and gives Luka the first round in what is sure to be a classic rivalry with Cade Cunningham. More importantly it keeps the Mavericks on track to have homecourt in the first round and maybe even the third seed. It also provided a nice birthday present for Spencer Dinwiddie as he can now celebrate with a victory.
Here’s our latest episode of Mavs Moneyball After Dark. If you’re unable to see the embed below, click here to be taken to the podcast directly. Or go to your favorite podcast app and search Mavs Moneyball Podcast.