Mavericks own the paint to put away Portland
The Dallas Mavericks handled their business against the Portland Trail Blazers Monday with a 132-108 home win that was essentially settled soon after halftime. Luka Doncic led Dallas with 27 points, while Deni Avdija paced the Blazers with 19. Daniel Gafford dominated inside with 23 points, and Kyrie Irving chipped in with a very efficient 20 and some feisty defense.
The first quarter was marked by foul trouble for the Mavericks, as P.J. Washington and Maxi Kleber both collected two, and an inability for the Mavericks to gain much separation, never extending the lead beyond six points. Scoot Henderson hit a 3 pointer at the buzzer to give Portland its only lead of the game at 31-28. Dallas responded with a 7-0 run to kick off the second quarter, narrowing the differentials on rebounds and fouls to take control, and took a 62-53 lead into halftime. A 40-point explosion in the third quarter opened things up for the Mavericks, who built on their lead with aggressive defense, transition baskets, and a commanding inside performance from center Daniel Gafford to finish the frame up 102-76. With the lead secured, coach Jason Kidd was able to empty the bench in the fourth quarter as both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving departed for good with 9:00 remaining.
Standing on business
Unlike these teams’ first matchup, a 137-131 road win Dec. 1 for an injury-depleted Mavericks squad that required late-game heroics from Doncic, this game featured very little suspense once Dallas took control after the first quarter. The Mavericks’ season-long strategy of walling off the paint on the defensive side was particularly effective against the Blazers, who were unable to capitalize on the scheme and only connected on 8-of-29 3-point attempts. Dallas reserves Dwight Powell, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Kessler Edwards, and Jazian Gortman all tallied nine minutes or more to seal the win, giving the Mavericks, who have been spent much of the last month plagued by injuries and illness, a sorely needed opportunity to rest their rotation players.
Luka Doncic’s return
Luka Doncic returned from a two-game break with a heel injury to score 27 points, overcoming a slow start in which he made just one of his first six shots from the field to finish 10-of-19. Doncic also returned from injury in Dallas’ first game against Portland, but was able to share the scoring load more this time around. Also notable in this game was the fact that he was able to pour in his points despite his three-point shot not falling; he made only one of his seven tried from deep, but was a perfect 7-of-7 in the paint.
Feeding the fire
The Blazers sent the house to stop Gafford but Portland big men Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, and a panoply of help defenders were unable to keep him from scoring a season-high 23 points on perfect 7-of-7 shooting from the field and frequently getting to the line, where he connected on 9-of-14. Perhaps most impressively, several of Gafford’s makes came on possessions where he received the ball far from the basket and had to put it on the floor to get to his mark.
Gafford’s performance allowed Dereck Lively II to rest, seeing just 17 minutes of floor time, which is helpful in a season where Lively has often been banged up. Dallas, which leads the league in shooting percentage in the paint, next faces Minnesota at home in a matinee Christmas Day matchup.