What the Mavericks are learning about themselves as they get healthy and the picture starts to look better than second-grade finger painting is that Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving can be an awesome force together.
When things are right with them, the Mavericks are darn tough to beat.
Their 70-point night on Thursday in the 123-113 win over Phoenix was more proof that the break-in period for this dynamic backcourt is complete. What we have now is a well-oiled machine – again, when everything is right.
“It answers the question that they work (together),” coach Jason Kidd said of the way Dončić and Irving are playing during the seven-game winning streak. “Those two co-exist quite well. Our health, our energy, everything’s in a positive way right now.”
It’s true. When Luka drops 41 and misses a triple-double by a rebound and Irving has 17 in the first half on his way to 29 points, the Mavericks do indeed look the part of contenders.
Dončić, his leadership skills growing by the game, credits his teammates for being the best they can be, particularly newcomers P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.
The Mavericks were able to go with a bigger lineup against the Suns for an extended stretch in the third quarter, with Gafford at center and Maxi Kleber at power forward. The results were strong.
“At some point, it was P.J. at the three, and me and Kai (in the backcourt) and Maxi and Gaff,” Dončić said. “That’s a big lineup. I like that. But even at five, Maxi can guard one through five.”
Then, in the fourth quarter, Kleber manned the center spot, mostly with Dončić, Irving and Washington.
“P.J. was good,” Dončić said. “Not just this game. But the last four, he’s been amazing on defense. We’re still figuring it out but I think it’s going in a great direction. I think our defense has improved a lot. If we play good defense, I think we’re good on offense.”
As Washington said about what he sees as the critical element moving forward, based on his brief time here: “Our defense has to be there every night. You can’t win games without defense, obviously. We’re playing our butts off on that end and it’s been great for us.
“The offense is going to be there. I don’t think there’s any teams that can guard us.”
Especially not when Dončić and Irving are clicking.
Here’s our other takeaways from the Mavs’ win over the Suns:
More about that defense: The Suns shot 57 percent in the first quarter. From then on, the Mavericks limited the visitors to 45 percent shooting, which these days qualifies as a shut-down defense. They also forced nine second-half turnovers. Kidd credited Washington for the difference. “P.J.’s playing great defensively,” he said. “He’s taking the challenge of Durant. He switches onto Book (Devin Booker). He got his hands on the ball a lot. You can see the energy.” Said Washington: “We have two really good shot-blockers in Gaff and D-Live. So they make it easy for us on the perimeter to switch and be aggressive and try to force the ball into them. Obviously, we have a lot of guys who can switch.” That will be a focus of the Mavericks’ defensive tweaks after acquiring Washington and Gafford last month.
Time is on his side: Dončić averaged 37.5 minutes per game before the All-Star break. But in the final 10 games before the intermission, he averaged 39.5 minutes. On Thursday, Kidd broke out a subtle change in the substitution pattern, making sure to get the superstar point guard out late in the first and third quarters. “We’re going to try,” Kidd said. “I know Luka didn’t want to come out in the third. But the tempo was high and the effort on the defensive end (was good). Kai was going and we let Kai go and I wanted to get Kai out with two minutes and let Luka close the quarter and let Kai start the fourth. Just looking at different things. Luka wants to play 48, but he can still get his numbers (in fewer minutes). But I thought the minutes were great for everybody. We’re going to go through this for the next two weeks of understanding the rotation and minutes so we can have a pattern here.” Luka played 38 minutes, Kyrie 36.
Rare air: Washington played his whole career (four seasons, plus the first 48 games this season) at Charlotte. He’s not used to winning a whole lot as the Hornets had just one season above .500 while he was there (43-39 in 2021-22). “I think this is the longest win streak I’ve had in my career,” Washington said of the Mavericks’ seven-game run, in which he has played the last four games since the trade. “I’m just happy to be here.” The Hornets had two five-game win streaks in the 2021-22 season.
The nose knows: Luka got smacked in the face with the basketball late in Thursday’s game as part of an inadvertent hand to the face by Phoenix’s Grayson Allen. Afterward, he said: “It’s OK. It’s already broken, so it’s OK.” Like about half of the Mavericks, he’s been playing with a broken nose for the past two weeks. Luka also reported that his right ankle, which has been problematic for much of the season, is feeling “great.” He also said the All-Star break, despite his obligations in Indianapolis, helped relax him. “Oh, I feel great, honestly,” he said. “That little vacation, I feel great. Trust me. Two days in Cabo it was great.”
X: @ESefko
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