The Mavericks are giving us signs that their mojo is returning.
While two blowout wins might be too soon to say that their problems are behind them, the Mavericks have found a nice groove in the last two games, including Monday’s 130-111 smashing of the Phoenix Suns at American Airlines Center.
And a pair of energized players appear to be steering them back to more confident place in the NBA.
Josh Green ignited the Mavericks with a strong first half, then it was Tim Hardaway Jr. who took over. Green is making strong statements that he’s going to have a bigger role for the rest of the season. And Hardaway is making shots and giving the Mavericks’ offense a lot of punch to support Luka Dončić.
After the Mavericks tore out to a 26-point halftime lead, they never really had to sweat. Their advantage never dipped below 16 points and Dončić didn’t play in the fourth quarter for the second game in a row after getting a breather in Saturday’s 121-100 win at New York.
That should bode well for Tuesday night, when the Mavericks have a tough second leg of back-to-back games at Denver.
But while Luka had 33 points, eight assists and six rebounds, it was Green’s 16 points, five assists and four rebounds that had everybody buzzing postgame as the Mavericks looked nothing like the team that had lost five of six games before these last two wins.
“The truth is the kid is really good,” coach Jason Kidd said of Green. “And if he continues to keep working, he’s going to make a lot of money. Josh is going to get paid a lot of money. I’m telling you here today. If he continues to work and help with the team, the kid has all the talents to be a superstar. He just has to play.”
Green had 14 of his points before halftime, when he made all five of his shots. He also had a no-look, Luka-esque assist to Hardaway for a corner three in the waning seconds of the half.
Kidd was a proponent of Jalen Brunson getting paid and his work last season earned him a $104-million contract from New York.
Kidd said with a laugh that “hopefully he doesn’t leave” when talking about Green’s future.
“He’s playing great,” Kidd said. “Just hard working. We’ll see how good he can be. The more minutes he gets, the better he’s gotten. I know everybody’s into starting. But you can only start five. In this game, you get paid by playing at the end. That’s the truth.”
Green said he appreciated the nod from Kidd. And he realizes he’s come a long way from getting benched in the Phoenix playoff series last season and only playing 12 minutes in the season opener at the Suns back in October.
“I think it’s opportunity,” Green said. “Confidence comes with opportunity. I’ve been preparing for today since predraft. Moments like this are really cool, but I know I’m going to want to continue to build from this.”
For the Mavericks it was a terrific follow-up to their blowout of the Knicks. They improved to 12-11 by beating the Suns, who came in with the best record in the Western Conference but fell to 16-8.
Maybe the Odell Beckham Jr. effect had something to do with it. The NFL free agent who is believed to be a target of the Cowboys was sitting in the front row near the Suns’ bench. On a couple of occasions, chants of “OBJ, OBJ” broke out.
The Mavericks did their part to show how much fun it is in Dallas.
Maybe Beckham’s presence helped Hardaway, who has been on a tear since getting into the starting lineup five games back.
“I guess it’s just me taking advantage of the opportunity,” said Hardaway, who had 17 points. “I don’t know how long this will go for. But I’m going to enjoy the moment. I was getting the same type of looks. Now I’m just starting to knock them down.”
While the Suns were missing point guard Chris Paul, out with a heel injury, they had won seven of eight without their leader coming into this game.
The Mavericks made sure it was never really in doubt after the early going. And when it was over, they looked like a team that was starting to gain steam.
“I think it’s starting . . . we’re making shots,” Kidd said. “We’re getting the same shots we got early this season. Luka’s creating a lot of those. When you almost shoot 50 (percent) from three and you’re getting over 40 (attempts), that puts you in a good seat. But defensively, these guys are connected and we’re finishing plays the majority of the time by getting the rebound.”
As Hardaway said: “It’s still early in the season, but I think we’re finding it. We’re closer than we were before. We’re trying to move in the right direction.”
The win broke a string of 10 consecutive regular-season losses to the Suns. The Mavericks do have the second-round playoff win against Phoenix last season to their credit, which they wouldn’t trade for any regular-season success.
Twitter: @ESefko
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