Normally, this space is where we entertain you with our takeaways from the previous night’s game.
And we’ll do that here. But we’ll also add a couple of bonus takes on 2021. Mostly, it will be about good riddance. But on the bright side, at least it wasn’t as bad as 2020.
So the Mavericks finished 2021 with a 112-96 victory at Sacramento. They will ring in 2022 at Oklahoma City on Sunday.
In the calendar year, they were 58-45, which most franchises would take. But the Mavericks don’t believe they are most franchises. They are looking for much better in the new year.
And so, here’s our second-chance points about the game – and the year.
FOR STARTERS: All four of the Mavericks’ starters scored in double figures against the Kings on New Year’s eve. The four of them that played 30 minutes or more all had a plus/minus of plus-17 or more, topped by Kristaps Porzingis’ plus-24. They outscored the Sacramento starters 88-64. Considering the Mavericks were missing at least two of their traditional starters, it was a take-charge performance by those guys, particularly in the third quarter.
SPEAKING OF WHICH: That third quarter was nothing short of awesome. The Mavericks had a 24-2 explosion that lifted them from a tie game into a 91-69 lead. That was essentially the end of the game. The Kings have talent, but they are lacking in a lot of areas and it showed during that quarter. The Mavericks took advantage and were able to take a knee during the fourth quarter.
BEING RESOLUTE: By and large, the Mavericks aren’t big on New Year’s resolutions. But Jason Kidd used one word to sum up his hopes/aspirations for 2022: health. More than half of the Mavericks’ roster as of mid-December has gone through (or is going through) COVID-19 protocols. The good news is that this should mean that the Mavericks won’t get sabotaged by the virus later in the season. Kidd has said that everybody’s going to go through it. And he’s probably right. Better now than later. The Mavericks have lingered around .500 for the past month. If they can set themselves up for a nice run somewhere when their health improves, they can still make a run at a top six playoff seed and avoid the dreaded play-in tournament.
WAITING FOR THE CAVALRY: The Mavericks have played 10 consecutive games without Luka Dončić. The first five were because of left ankle soreness. The last five were for his stay in health and safety protocols. On Sunday, it will be 11 days since he entered the system. So if he is cleared by the NBA, he could return to action, although the Mavericks have waited an extra game with Reggie Bullock and Josh Green when they returned from protocols before putting them on the active list. It’s going to be interesting to see what kind of conditioning and what kind of mental aggression Dončić has when he makes his return. He’s as competitive as they come, so you know it was agony for him to sit out for five games when he was cleared to return from his ankle issue.
BEST/WORST OF 2021: Two of the extremes of last year came within days of each other. The Mavericks went 3-1 on the road in their playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers. They went 0-3 at home in that series. Any way you add it up, it was a 4-3 series win for the Clippers. Other highlights: Luka made one of the most improbable shots imaginable when he rose up on the left sideline while covered by a pair of Boston Celtics and launched a 3-pointer at the buzzer. It splashed into the net for a 107-104 victory. When he landed from the shot, he was on the mavs.com lettering on the sideline. A fan gave him a celebratory shove to his chest and Luka romped down the court as his teammates mobbed him.
NON-LUKA HIGHLIGHTS: The Mavericks were trailing 124-122 with under 20 seconds to go against Washington on May 1 last season when Dorian Finney-Smith drilled a 3-pointer with 9 seconds to play. When Bradley Beal missed for the Wizards, the Mavericks escaped with a thrilling win. Finney-Smith’s shot came on Dončić’s 20th assist of the game . . . They won five games in a row from March 29 to April 5. Four of the wins came on the road. And the average margin of victory was a shade under 14 points.
Twitter: @ESefko
Share and comment