3 things from the Mavericks ragged 125-112 win against the Trail Blazers Mavs Moneyball

Although it took longer than it should have for these Mavericks to prevail, a win is still a win.

In an odd game that saw the Mavericks hold a sizable lead and battle back and forth before ultimately shutting the door on a formidable Trail Blazers team in the fourth quarter, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 125-112 on Friday night in Portland.

Luka Doncic scored 32 points, 14 of which came in the first quarter, to lead all scorers. With 30 points, Anfernee Simons led Portland.

During an attempt to grab an offensive rebound, Dwight Powell felt right down Kyrie Irving’s lower legs, causing him to leave the game in a frightening moment. Irving sustained a right foot ailment that prevented him from playing again, according to the Mavericks.

Following their rout of the Utah Jazz by 50 points on Wednesday, it appeared like the Mavericks would easily defeat the Trail Blazers once more. Dallas took an early 28-10 lead in the opening quarter and maintained a double-digit lead for the most of the first half.

Irving’s injury might have made the Blazers stay a little bit longer than they ought to have. Portland’s whole offense, led by Simons and Shaedon Sharpe, scored 54 points in total. For the majority of the second half and towards the end of the second quarter, that pair kept chipping away at the Mavericks lead. With more than nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Simons went on a mini-run that trimmed the Mavericks’ lead to 99-98.

After that, the Mavericks gathered and closed the door. After that, Simons hardly scored at all, Doncic came alive after being virtually invisible in the second and third quarters, and Dante Exum kept up his superb all-around play. With a final total of 23 points, six rebounds, and seven assists, Exum had one of the best performances of his relatively short NBA career while starting in place of the injured Grant Williams.

The Blazers had 18 offensive rebounds and Dallas committed an uncharacteristically high 15 turnovers, so it wasn’t a nice game for the Mavericks. However, Portland’s meager offense dried up just in time, and the Mavericks dared any Blazer who wasn’t Simons or Sharpe to defeat them.

Maverickd almost happened to the Mavericks.

Since most teams in the NBA these days get up so many threes that a game can be reduced to a “make-or-miss,” three point shot variation may be the primary factor in many results. With so many shooters on the roster and the hope that their three-point shooting can cover up the other flaws in the lineup, the Mavericks have prospered from this tactic.

Dallas nearly had a dose of its own medicine tonight as the Blazers outshot the Mavericks 18–12 from beyond the arc. Over the past year or so, the Mavericks have lost when they have attempted less three-pointers than their opponent. Rather, despite the presence of Doncic and Irving, the Mavericks—a team that rarely scores in the paint—scored an astounding 62 points in the paint as opposed to the Blazers’ 30.

Considering that the Blazers are among the league’s worst three-point shooting teams, this is even more strange. Dallas profited from Portland center DeAndre Ayton’s injured absence. The Mavericks pounded the Blazers all night long because they just had no rim game.

Exum is arguing for a more prominent position.

Due to the numerous Mavericks injuries, Exum is starting at the moment. Josh Green and Williams missed tonight’s game, and Tim Hardaway Jr., Kyrie Irving, and both of them missed games earlier in the week. Exum is starting out of necessity, but if he continues in this vein, he could have secured a spot in the starting five permanently.

Exum didn’t score against the Jazz, but he played strong defense and moved the ball well, dishing up seven assists while committing no mistakes. On Friday night, Exum participated in another connected game, but this time there was a score bonus! The season high of 23 points was not far off Exum’s all-time high of 28 points. Considering everything else that Exum was contributing, his two three-pointers felt like a cheat.

Exum seems natural in the starting lineup even if these last two games are against lottery clubs. For a considerable amount of time, the Mavericks have surrounded Doncic with primarily spot-up, standstill shooters who rely on Doncic’s skill to score. Given Doncic’s ability to create three-point shots, those spot-up players are undoubtedly crucial, but it has always been apparent that the club needs a little more explosiveness on the perimeter. Not necessary another playmaker or All-Star, but just another player with the ability to attack closeouts, drive and kick, and keep the ball bouncing about, preferably someone who isn’t a small guard.

All of that describes Exum, and his ability to communicate with the other role players through the stars is evident. He picks up the pace nicely without getting careless. If necessary, he can run a pick and roll, but he actually makes better use of the space that Doncic and Irving provide than spot-up shooters can.

While it’s unclear if Exum will remain on the team until everyone heals (and Irving’s injury may not be temporary), Exum may be pressuring the coaching staff to continue playing him a lot of minutes.

Dallas’ defense eventually made the necessary adjustments.

I was thinking to myself, “Why are the Mavericks allowing one of the two Blazers players who can score, beat you?” as Simons was destroying the Mavericks to begin the fourth. The only players on the court for Portland tonight who could get a shot themselves or set up one for someone else were Simons and Sharpe. However, the Mavericks appeared satisfied with playing standard defensive coverage to begin the fourth quarter.

That was before Simons’ basket early in the fourth quarter reduced the deficit to one point. The Mavericks then upped their aggression level by using face-guarding off the ball, double teams, and traps. When the Mavericks enabled offensive studs like Toumani Camara (6-of-20 shooting), Duop Reath (4-of-9), Matisse Thybulle (3-of-7), and Jabari Walker (3-of-10) to take the shots and create plays with the ball in their hands, neither Simons nor Sharpe accomplished anything in the closing minutes of the game. After that, the Mavericks defeated the Trail Blazers rally and left Portland with a victory.

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