The Mavericks have been eradicated from the NBA Cup Tuesday evening after the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated them 118-104. This snapped Dallas’ seven-game win streak. Naji Marshall and Klay Thompson each had 19 factors to guide Dallas and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carved the Mavericks up for 39 factors on the Oklahoma City facet.
Kyrie Irving obtained issues began rapidly for Dallas within the first quarter as he hit a 3, drove to the ring for a left-handed layup, after which dished the ball to the nook for a Klay Thompson three. Oklahoma City rapidly countered this sizzling Maverick begin with 13 consecutive factors, forcing Dallas to speak it over. Not solely did the Mavericks present a solution of their very own, however they did so in a powerful vogue, rattling off 11 factors to the Thunder’s two over the next minute and a half. The ultimate 5 minutes mixed sloppy play (seven Dallas turnovers), poor selections, and lackadaisical closeouts, resulting in a 32-24 lead for Oklahoma City after one quarter.
The second quarter continued the Mavericks’ carelessness early earlier than Spencer Dinwiddie and Irving steadied the ship. The deficit for Dallas remained between three and 6 for almost all of the second quarter because the groups went forwards and backwards buying and selling contested bounce pictures. If you didn’t take a look at the rating, you’d have thought Dallas was down 15 factors. Despite all of the errors, the Mavericks solely discovered themselves down three on the half, 57-54.
Although the numbers have been encouraging for Dallas to show it round within the second half, the Thunder stomped on the Mavericks neck out of halftime and rapidly grew an 11-point lead earlier than Jason Kidd did the unattainable and known as a timeout. The onslaught continued into the second half of the third quarter because the Thunder continued to out-hustle, out-smart, and out-shoot Dallas to a 16-point lead with simply over 4 minutes remaining within the interval. The ultimate 4 minutes noticed Dallas minimize the result in 12, just for Oklahoma City to finish the quarter with a few baskets and a 3 by Isaiah Joe that put them up 90-73.
The Thunder opened up a 20-point lead rapidly to start out the ultimate body, however Dallas delivered their hardest punch of the sport to reply. Just a few Gafford layups and a few Irving threes pulled the Mavericks proper again within the sport, as they pulled inside 10 with 8:55 to play. As a lot enjoyable because the Mavericks have been for stretches within the fourth quarter, they may by no means absolutely shut the hole and Oklahoma City held on for a 118-104 victory.
Here are three ideas from a disappointing Mavericks loss:
Naji Marshall is again
Marshall was one of many solely brilliant spots of the evening and stored Dallas within the sport at occasions. It was his first motion since Nov. 30 however it didn’t appear like he skipped a beat. Marshall was 7-for-11 from the ground together with 2-of-4 from three and had a steal so as to add to the combo. It was nice to see him again in a Mavericks uniform with the identical influence he had earlier than he obtained sick.
Box out, shut out, deal with the ball
Dallas turned the ball over 19 occasions, leading to 36 (!) factors off turnovers for Oklahoma City. That is almost a degree per minute that Dallas surrendered attributable to a mishap. Not solely that, however each turnover felt like an egregious overextension by the Mavericks’ passers on failed house runs. The Mavericks are, traditionally, a low-turnover group when Luka Doncic performs, so these self-imposed handicaps caught out like a sore thumb. This was a sport misplaced on the margins, and whereas Dallas was giving the ball away carelessly they have been additionally not doing issues that gamers of any ability stage study in kindergarten. Closing out on shooters and boxing out are two primary pillars of protection and the Mavericks constantly didn’t do both. Whether this sport had precise significance or the NBA Cup manufactured it, the sport felt worthy of excessive effort. The Mavericks didn’t agree.
Luka Doncic should set the tone
When your famous person comes out and turns the ball over thrice within the first quarter, two of which have been full-court passes that got here up 5 ft brief, that tells the remainder of the group that they are often sloppy too. The carelessness and lack of aggression Luka Doncic displayed early, together with the poor shot choice, (he was 1-for-7 within the first half) reverberated all through the group and the Mavericks couldn’t flip the hassle round till it was too late. This was a nationally televised sport in opposition to a group with playoff historical past, it will have been good if Doncic had come out with a way of urgency. He didn’t, and the Mavericks misplaced the sport earlier than it even obtained going.
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