5 TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 111-91 WIN OVER TIMBERWOLVES
PORZINGIS TIME: Kristaps Porzingis has been on a nice roll not only lately, but for most of this season. In his last 11 games, Porzingis has four 30-point, 10-rebound performances, eight 20-point, 10-rebound efforts, and is averaging 27.3 ppg, 10.9 rpg and two blocks per game. That includes scoring 38 points, grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking five shots in 37 minutes against Minnesota. Dirk Nowitzki and Porzingis are the only Mavs to record a 35-point, 10-rebound, five-block stat line in team history. And since he was 6-of-14 from 3-point territory against Minnesota, Porzingis became the first player in NBA history with a final stat line that includes at least 35 points, at least 0 rebounds, at least five shots and at least five 3-pointers.
CURRY TIME: Seth Curry’s last two games have been spectacular, and the kind of stuff that could help the Mavs make a long run in the playoffs. Curry tossed in a career-high 37 points against the Miami Heat on Friday, hitting 13-of-15 shots. He also made 8-of-9 baskets from beyond the 3-point arc. Then on Sunday against Minnesota, Curry scored 27 points, was 11-of-17 from the floor and 3-of-7 from behind the 3-point stripe. That means he’s 24-of-32 from the field (75 percent), 11-of-16 from 3-point territory (68.8 percent) and is averaging 32 ppg over the past two games. In 10 contests since missing two games because of left knee tightness, Curry is averaging 19.7 ppg and shooting 57.1 percent from the floor (72-of-126) and 56.1 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (37-of-66).
HARDAWAY TIME: Sometimes gone unnoticed is the solid job Tim Hardaway Jr. does on a nightly basis. The Mavs’ No. 3 scorer on the season behind Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, Hardaway poured in 19 points against the Timberwolves, and dragged down six rebounds while finishing the game with a whopping plus/minus of plus 37. Hardaway also popped in a pair of 3-pointers and now has a career-high 163 made 3-pointers, surpassing his previous career high of 162 buckets from downtown he last season when he split time between the New York Knicks and Mavs following a Jan. 31 blockbuster trade. In addition, Hardaway is shooting a career-high 40.5 percent from 3-point land this season.
DEFENSIVE LOCKDOWN: The Mavs put on a defensive clinic Sunday afternoon against Minnesota. The 91 points the Timberwolves scored marks just the 11th time all season that the Mavs have held an opponent under 100 points. It also is the first time in 16 games – since a 107-97 win at Oklahoma City on Jan. 27 – that Dallas has held an opponent under 100. In addition, this ties for the second-fewest points the Mavs have allowed in a game this season (84 vs. New Orleans on Dec. 7). The Mavs had the Timberwolves in such disarray that they shot only 36.4 percent from the field and 31 percent from behind the 3-point stripe (13-of-42).
ROAD WARRIORS DOING THEIR THING: It continues to be a mystery as to why the Mavs play so well on the road, but struggle at American Airlines Center. With the 20-point win at Minnesota, the Mavs are now 21-10 on the road this season. That’s the third-best road record in the NBA behind Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee (25-5) and the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakes (25-6). Those three teams, in fact, are the only ones with at least 20 road wins this season. What’s more, the Mavs have been so dialed in and focused on the road that 13 of their 21 road victories have been by 10 or more points. By contrast, during their 16-14 record at home, only eight of their victories at AAC have been by 10 or more points.
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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