DALLAS, TEXAS — In a low scoring game the Mavericks were able to pull out a 87-78 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The game wasn’t pretty, but despite the lack of glamour and high scoring, the Mavericks got the job done.
The Mavericks had a decent start to the first quarter managing to convert on most of their shots from inside the paint. The disparaging stat was how poorly they shot the ball from beyond the arc. The Mavericks only converted on one of their 8 first quarter three point attempts which has been a category they have thrived in throughout the month of February and in their win against the Magic on Saturday.
The bright spot to the Mavericks offensive attack was Jalen Brunson who knocked down all three of his shot attempts from the field in the first quarter. Brunson, being the point man he is, not only scored the basketball efficiently but also set up his teammates for easy buckets. The problem is once Brunson was taken out of the game the Mavericks began to sputter on the offensive end of the floor which led to the Thunder going on a 8-0 run keeping the game tight.
In the second quarter, the Mavericks offense began to gain their traction again but didn’t separate. Dallas missed all of their three point shot attempts and their struggles from behind the arc in the first quarter bled into the second. What kept the Mavericks head above water was how well they played on defense. Dallas scored 12 points off of turnovers throughout the first half compared to OKC who only scored 4 points off turnovers.
The Mavericks finished the first half shooting 39% from the field which is a sight that has been a rarity for the past month. It wasn’t the Mavericks best shooting performance in the first half, but finished with a 49-42 lead which isn’t bad considering not having Luka in the lineup. Josh Richardson and Jalen Brunson combined to score 21 points in the first half converting on 53% of their shots in the first half.
In the third quarter on the offensive end of the floor the Mavericks made a complete 180 from the previous three quarters of play in the third quarter and had a much better performance from perimeter. The Mavericks converted on 4 of their 9 attempts from beyond the arc after knocking down 1 in the entire first half. Dallas finished the third quarter shooting 48% from the field. Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr had a lot to do with the Mavericks success on offense combining for 11 points and converted on 56% of their shots as a collective and helped the Mavericks develop a 14 point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Both the Mavericks and the Thunder respectively had terrible shooting performances in the fourth quarter. Neither team shot over 30% for the fourth quarter but the Mavericks managed to hang on to secure a win without their marquee player in the lineup.
The all-star break happening right before the Mavericks begin the second half of their schedule which includes 10 back to backs is not a bad thing. Breaks are needed. A small portion of momentum was gained tonight and it could be enough to be a launching pad to help during the tough stretch that is ahead of them.
