Coming off of a big 110-93 win against the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks traveled to Oklahoma City for a matchup against the Thunder. OKC had a rest advantage, as Dallas was on the second night of a back to back. Both teams were dealing with injuries: OKC missing their entire center rotation and Alex Caruso, while Dallas was without Luka Doncic for the first time this year. The Mavericks played from ahead for most of this high paced affair, with Dallas holding the lead after each of the first three quarters. In the end, it was just enough to come out on top with a massive 121-119 win. Lets grade what we saw.
PJ Washington: A+
27 points (7/13 FG) 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Our resident Thunder whisperer had himself yet another fantastic game against OKC, rekindling some of the magic he had in May’s 2nd round playoff series. He took full advantage of this small OKC lineup. He was excellent on all levels of offense, hitting outside shots which opened up his drives for kicks and finishes. PJ was dominant on the post, which just adds yet another level to what he does. You can tell what he adds on the defensive end as well, doing well to stay in front of a very fast OKC team. No notes, A+.
Kyrie Irving: A
23 points (9/18 FG), 6 assists, 1 rebound
Kyrie was passive early on, as PJ Washington had it going, but in the second half Irving was able to deliver the goods for Dallas with some excellent shotmaking down the stretch. For all that Dallas was lacking with no Doncic in this one, Irving delivered with the ballhandling and playmaking that Dallas desperately needed. Given his struggles with this team in the playoffs, his 23 points were massive.
Dereck Lively & Daniel Gafford: A-
Combined 17 points (7/14 FG), 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks
I thought both bigs played really well against this small lineup that OKC is forced to go with. Daniel Gafford contributed his 7th straight double digit scoring effort, which is a career best. His double-double off the bench was impactful, just like it was against the Spurs. Lively didn’t quit put up the statistical output that Gafford did, but his ability to be a hub in the post for assists and offensive creation was equally valuable. The big man tandem might be back!
Quentin Grimes: B
10 points (2/5 FG), 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Grimes didn’t shoot the ball particularly well here, but he’s just the type of player who needs to play for his impact to be felt. He hit two big 3-pointers off of offensive rebounds, which are some of the most back breaking shots in the game. His drives were good, too, producing four free throw attempts. Overall, this game wasn’t anything special, but he was a useful cog in an important team victory.
Klay Thompson: D
5 points (1/11 FG), 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
Klay found himself struggling from the field once again, connecting on his first jumper of the game but missing his next 10, including some excellent looks throughout the remainder of the game. However, with a guy who has a history as robust as his, I want Klay shooting all the open looks that he can possibly get. He’s historically at his worst early in the year, so hopefully he works his way into form as we go.
Naji Marshall: B+
13 points (4/6 FG), 4 rebounds, 3 assists
I continue to be thoroughly impressed with Naji’s playmaking abilities. His shot hasn’t been falling to start the year, but his off the dribble game has been so strong to make up for it. The knife was also quite good defensively tonight. He gets dinged for some late game dribbling which got very sketchy! However, once the shots start going, he’s going to be a real problem for teams. Even at this current state, Marshall has been everything we could have hoped for.
Jaden Hardy: A
13 points (6/9 FG), 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal
This was the best game that Jaden Hardy has played this year, and he saved it for a great time with Dallas being short handed. His 13 points were efficient, shooting 66% from the floor on 9 attempts. His drives were strong, where he was able to finish three layups and force the hand of the defense. His 24 minutes were impactful.
Spencer Dinwiddie: B
10 points (3/7 FG), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
I have been critical of Dinwiddie to start the year, but this was one of his better performances of the season. His 3-point makes were critical, including one that forced a timeout by OKC. I still was dumbfounded by some of the aimless drives he had, but if he can contain himself there, he might sneak his way back into the rotation.
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