The Mavericks scored 1.167 points per possession in the first half. The league-wide average always hovers somewhere around 1.03 PPP, so that means the Dallas offense was absolutely sizzling in the first two frames, en route to 56 points. It’s the second straight game the Mavs have scored at least that many points in the first act. The big catalyst today was free throw attempts — Dallas took 17 free throws as a team in the first two quarters, which is as many or more as they’d taken in their previous four games. When you can get that many attempts from the charity stripe, the points are going to come efficiently.
Dirk Nowitzki enjoyed his third straight game with at least three 3-pointers. That’s tied for the second-longest streak of his NBA career, with his longest, four games, coming in November 2001. Even at age 38, Nowitzki is doing things he hasn’t done in some time. He also moved into ninth place all-time in minutes played, at 47,620.
Dirk is feeling it! 🔥#MFFL pic.twitter.com/bISNKbS8bv
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 15, 2017
Dirk has now had two pretty efficient scoring nights in a row, counting back to the Mavs’ win in Mexico City on Thursday night. Obviously the better Nowitzki plays, the better the Mavs’ chances are of winning.
.@WessyWes23 for the vicious dunk! This play in the 3Q is tonight's #MavsMOment of the game! #MFFL @PlainsCapital pic.twitter.com/5LwcoVnXw4
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 15, 2017
Matthews might not dunk often, but he’s so much more explosive this season than he was last season, now more than a year removed from recovering from a ruptured Achilles. Maybe the dunks will start coming more often for him.
The Mavs (13-27) play the Chicago Bulls (20-21) on Tuesday at the United Center at 7 p.m. Central.
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