The Mavericks came home on Thursday after living out of a suitcase for the last 10 days. They were met with some challenges inside the comfy confines of American Airlines Center.
First, Luka Dončić picked up two fouls before the first quarter was half done. Then they had to survive a hot-shooting start by the Atlanta Hawks.
It turned out to be exactly what the doctor – or at least coach Jason Kidd – ordered.
The Mavericks persevered through a game when things did not go according to the blueprint and found a way to survive for a 109-95 victory to strengthen their grip on the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
Dončić, who had 73 points on Jan. 26 against these Hawks in Atlanta, would come to the Mavericks’ rescue again in the second and third quarters. But it took a hard-nosed defensive effort and strong showings from the supporting crew to hold the fort down while Luka was out.
And, oh yeah, Kyrie Irving wasn’t bad, either.
“That’s why it’s called the Mavericks. It’s a team,” Kidd said. “Luka gets in foul trouble. This is a great scenario. It could happen in a big game, it could happen in the playoffs. Someone else has to step up. Bringing Kai back early, he takes the reins and Exum and those guys fall into place and help us get back in the game.
“This is a team. As role players, to pick up their stars like they did tonight, that’s big.”
Irving would end up with 26 points and Dončić had all 25 of his points in the second and third quarters. He would add on 12 rebounds and eight assists.
But it was the contributions of P.J. Washington (19 points) and Derrick Jones Jr. (14 points) that helped spring the Mavericks.
And it pushed them to 46-30, putting them a game up on New Orleans and Phoenix in the standings as they prepare for a tough match against the surging Golden State Warriors on Friday at AAC.
The Warriors crushed the Rockets in Houston on Thursday 133-110.
That’s the same Warriors team that snapped the Mavericks’ seven-game winning streak on Tuesday at San Francisco.
But it’s clear now that the Mavericks are resilient. And playing like a well-oiled machine. And their timing couldn’t be better with just six games to go before the postseason.
“Playing your best basketball at this time of year, it gives you a chance to win a championship,” Kidd said. “And that’s what we’re playing for.
“Now, going through different scenarios in January or December, that’s what a season is for, to find out who you are. That’s what we’ve done. We understand who we are. Again, holding a team under 100 points is big. It shows our defense is at a high level.”
The Mavericks forced 21 turnovers on top of having seven blocked shots. Every member of the starting lineup had at least one rejection.
It was a stark difference from the game in January when the Mavericks needed 146 points to win by three in overtime at Atlanta. That’s when Luka had tied for the fourth-highest scoring night in NBA history with 73 points.
In the rematch, it was Irving who steadied the Mavericks with a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter to up their lead to 96-86.
“One of the toughest games to win is coming off a long road trip,” Irving said. “We definitely answered that call. I’m proud of the guys. We really battled tonight.”
And they overcame some unique circumstances with Luka being unavailable for the last half of the opening quarter.
“When it’s needed, I think we all kind of have to galvanize around each other and just be ready for any scenario,” Irving said. “We’re going to have to rely on each other, especially on the defensive end.
“We didn’t start the way we wanted to. But once we got it going collectively, then we’re hard to stop.”
The victory ensured that the Mavericks will be playing beyond Game No. 82 this season. They have clinched no worse than the 10th seed in the West, although they have much bigger fish to fry than that.
And their defense continues to excel. This was the ninth consecutive game when the Mavericks have kept an opponent to 107 points or fewer. Three of those foes couldn’t reach 100.
“It’s huge when we’re not scoring,” Kidd said. “It was a beautiful fourth (quarter) with 14 (points for Atlanta) to 16 (for the Mavs). If we’re not making shots, we got to play the defensive end, and that’s rebounding the ball, but also being able to get steals. If we can get steals and get out and run and get some easy ones, that takes some pressure off our shooting.”
And Washington, along with Jones and Daniel Gafford, has been leading the defensive charge.
“We’re forcing a lot of turnovers, getting deflections, slowing the offense down, keeping players in front of us, sliding our feet and always being there to help each other,” Jones said. “It’s amazing. The chemistry we have, the bond we’re building together. I love that we’re all having fun. That’s the main thing. We’re all enjoying each other’s success.”
The Hawks, who are fighting to improve their spot in the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference, played well for much of the game and the Mavericks never were completely comfortable, even with a lead throughout the second half.
Atlanta figured to have trouble with staying power. The Hawks had played Wednesday night in Atlanta, defeating Detroit. They also were without All-Star guard Trae Young, who is out after finger surgery.
But the Mavericks had some injury issues of their own. They were playing without center Dereck Lively II and guard Josh Green, both of whom are dealing with ankle injuries.
X: @ESefko
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