Final: Mavs 104, Cavaliers 97
Box Score | Highlights
Behind the Box Score
The Mavs offense was humming in the first half, both in terms of efficiency and in shot creation. More than 40 percent of their jump shots were what the team considers “open,” which basically means an uncontested shot in rhythm. Such a high volume of easier looks naturally led to shots falling; Dallas scored 1.2 points per possession in the first half, tallying 55 points in the process.
Dallas is now 14-6 this season when leading after three quarters, and 8-0 when leading by double-digits after the third. Give the Mavs some credit: Their record might not be what they hoped it’d be at this time of the season, but the club can still close games at a high level.
LeBron James hadn’t lost a regular-season game against the Mavericks since the 2010-11 season before this one.
The Mavs are now 1-4 this season when Dirk Nowitzki scores in single-digits. This team pulled off a heck of a win on a night when Nowitzki wasn’t the offensive anchor. That says a lot about the rest of the roster.
Notebook
As back-to-back wins go, this pair has to rank toward the top of the NBA in the last three seasons. Dallas beat the Spurs and Cavs in about 30 hours. Only eight teams beat both teams last season, and the Mavs are just the seventh to be able to make that claim this season. The fact that they did it in a two-day stretch is extremely impressive. Maybe this team is turning a corner, or maybe basketball is just weird that way. Regardless, this has been a fun run for Dallas basketball.
Yogi Season is upon us. It’s only been two games, but it’s been tough to complain about the 10-day signee’s performance so far as a Maverick. He put up nine points, seven assists, and three steals last night in San Antonio, and he followed up that outing with 19 points, five boards, three assists, and four steals against the Cavs. He’s got a long way to go to prove himself on this team — let alone in this league — but Ferrell has made a hugely positive first impression in Dallas to this point.
Harrison Barnes looked like a true go-to player tonight, outscoring LeBron James. Barnes recorded his second double-double as a Maverick and finished with a cool 24 points and 11 rebounds. Cleveland couldn’t find a defender who could consistently bother Barnes into misses; the 24-year-old was able to drive to the rim with relative ease, as Dirk Nowitzki’s presence so far from the rim pulled Cavs centers out of the paint all night long. Barnes is a very good finisher around the rim, and when his mid-range shots are falling, he truly is one of the most difficult wings to guard in the NBA, because he can punish mismatches both large and small. It’s amazing how far he’s come in such a short time.
With Andrew Bogut out tonight due to an ailing hamstring, Dwight Powell received the bulk of the backup center minutes. It’s been a back-and-forth situation off the bench for some time now between him, Bogut, and Salah Mejri, with Rick Carlisle mostly adjusting the depth chart based on matchups. Powell took advantage of his time tonight, scoring 14 points and adding eight rebounds. He was able to exploit the athleticism advantage he had against Channing Frye. Tristan Thompson battled foul trouble for most of the night, which left Cleveland severely shorthanded at center, and on the second night of a back-to-back, too. That played into the Mavs’ hands in a big way tonight, although Dallas, too, played last night.
What’s Next
The Mavs (18-30) play the Philadelphia 76ers (17-29) on Wednesday at American Airlines Center at 7:30 p.m. Central.
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