The Mavericks are fine. Very good, actually. If we look at the results and the moment of the team, they are in one of the best moments since Luka Doncic landed in the franchise, back in 2018, after winning the Euroleague and his subsequent MVP with Real Madrid. The weariness of two consecutive eliminations in the first round, both against the Clippers and a very tough last one (they were 0-2 and 2-3 up, but they could not sentence) caused the summer to be tumultuous and full of changes: Rick Carlisle left Like Haralabos Voulgaris, the controversial executive who had maximum influence over Mark Cuban. Jason Kidd and his reputation for good treatment with the players (of his few virtues, so far, on the bench) They landed in Texas. And, after a difficult start, the Mavs begin to see the light and are now one of the best teams in the Western Conference and the NBA.
Doncic, who has missed 14 games this year (10 consecutively) has begun to find physical regularity and is not in need of great boasting (at least not like the last two years) for his team to add victories. And there are already eight in the last nine games, six of them, the first, consecutive. A spectacular figure for a team with certain shortcomings but that is the best of the second round of franchises that occupy the playoff positions. They are fifth, with a good 24-19, a victory advantage over the Nuggets, sixth, and three already over the Lakers. This last difference is the most important, of course. The goal (one of them) is the same as many others, but they will only be able to get a few. Specifically, six teams per conference: avoid play-in.
Against the Magic, Dallas had a placid match: they were ahead absolutely all night and in the first quarter they already led by 9 points (32-23). The Texans didn’t even have to play particularly well to tip the scales of their side.or against one of the worst teams in the competition and shot just 41% from the field. Of course, they caused 15 losses in their rivals and 7 of 26 in triples, figures that prevented the Magic from getting into the game. The advantage reached 23 points and there were four local players who exceeded ten points without a rival response. Moritz Wagner and Robin Lopez (8-for-9 shooting from the field) scored 16 points apiece, the only ones who were fine in the attack of those from Florida, but with two clearly insufficient performances against a rival that is far above them, in terms of record and quality.
Luka Doncic (the only player on both teams who spent more than 30 minutes on court) did not have the game of his life, but he was the top scorer for his team and the game with 23 points (1 of 6 in triples), in addition to contributing 9 rebounds and 3 assists, thus lowering the triple-double that he had averaged since he returned from his 10-game absence. Kristaps Porzingis had 19 points, the same as Jalen Brunson, while Tim Hardaway had 17 off the bench. A comfortable win for the Mavericks, who came into the game full of pride after beating the Grizzlies and now have four straight home games: Thunder, Raptors, Suns and Memphis. A new opportunity to continue adding and two rivals, the last two, of height. The Mavericks add and continue. The only thing that remains to be known is if the story will end in the first round again. there’s the issue.
