We don’t know how the Mavericks will handle the incoming snowstorm this week, but we know one thing.
They haven’t forgotten how to make it rain.
It had been a while, but the Mavericks sharpened up their three-point shooting eyes on Tuesday night, pouring in an impressive 18-of-38 tries from beyond the arc as they snapped their five-game losing streak with a 118-97 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center.
It was the first time in nine games that they had shot better than 40 percent from three-point land. And the 18 triples were their most since they made 21 on Dec. 15 at Golden State.
It started an important four-game home stand on a positive note.
“We shot the ball straight tonight,” coach Jason Kidd said. “A lot of people touched the ball and we didn’t settle. So I thought the offense was really, really good.
“But the defense was even better being able to limit those guys to one tough shot. It’s not easy to do. That’s a really good team playing well right now.”
The Mavericks did a lot of things well, like rebound (44-33 advantage) and giving up only five offensive rebounds to the Lakers. The Mavericks led in second-chance points 15-7.
But it was the shooting that everybody will remember. Quentin Grimes made 6-of-11 three-pointers and led the Mavericks with 23 points while P.J. Washington had 22 points and made all three of his tries from long range.
The Mavericks have been trying to hold themselves together with duct tape as they’ve been without Luka Dončić (left calf strain) for seven consecutive games. They were missing Kyrie Irving for the third consecutive game with a back strain. Daniel Gafford was out with a sprained ankle suffered Monday night in Memphis.
It was not a good time to see LeBron James and the Lakers – or any other team, really.
But on this night, the Mavericks looked like they had found something that works.
“Luka’s going to be out for a little while, Kai’s going to be out for a little while, so just holding it down as a team (is the goal),” Grimes said. “Having two superstars out it definitely gives me more opportunity to be more aggressive with my shot and just making plays. It’s just more opportunities for everybody.”
The Mavericks were up by 16 points late in the third quarter and still owned a 100-90 lead with under seven minutes left in the fourth.
They had hit half of their 28 three-pointers to that point in going up 89-73. And while the basket usually shrinks a bit during crunch time, the Mavericks blended a nice mix of scoring in the paint with their long-ball prowess.
James was keeping the Lakers close as he closed in on a triple-double, but when Washington drained a corner three with 5:35 to go, the Mavericks were up 106-94.
They held on from there to stop their skid and push their record to 21-16. The Lakers fell to 20-16 and went oh-for-Texas after losing in Houston on Sunday on this two-game trip.
“Obviously, it doesn’t feel good losing five games, but to win tonight felt good,” Washington said. “Obviously we need to build on it. We played together, moved the ball well and created for each other. Obviously, our offense was flowing so the defensive end was a lot easier.”
So how did the offense get rolling?
“We were downhill, we put guys in the pick and roll that we wanted to put in the pick and roll,” Washington said. “And we got good shots. Everybody played together, we got in the paint and good things happened.”
It started late in the first half when Klay Thompson nailed a trifecta of triples and when Spencer Dinwiddie split the Lakers’ defense for an uncontested slam just before the halftime buzzer, the Mavericks were up 55-50 going into the third quarter.
The Mavericks had 29 assists, eight of them by Spencer Dinwiddie, who is settling in as the point guard in the absence of Luka and Kyrie.
“Obviously, Klay’s a great player,” Washington said. “When he gets going, it makes it a lot easier for us. A lot of us played well. Everybody stepped up to the table. Credit Spencer. I thought he played a great game at the point. We’re going to need that from him.”
The Mavericks continually put the Lakers in the pick and roll and forced Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht to follow the shooters. The Lakers, quite simply, couldn’t stop that play.
“If it’s not broke we can’t fix it,” Washington said. “We just got to keep doing the same thing when it’s working and when it’s not, go to something different.”
The Mavericks went up 65-53 early in the third, but the Lakers were getting more engaged as the game went along. Former Maverick Dorian Finney-Smith was having an impact at both ends, but it was the Mavericks’ three-point shooting that was keeping them in a dominant position.
When Jaden Hardy hit a pair of long balls in a row, the Mavericks’ lead was back to double figures at 77-66. The Lakers scored, but then Hardy hit another triple and Grimes matched it for an 83-68 lead, the Mavs’ biggest of the night.
X: @ESefko
