Assigning grades for the Mavericks in their 129-128 overtime loss to the Kings
The Dallas Mavericks played host to the Sacrament Kings on Monday night, losing 129-128 in overtime. The Mavs came in riding high after a big win Saturday and were looking to put a streak together before the All-Star break, but the mystery surrounding Anthony Davis’ injury status loomed large. Compounding things further, Daniel Gafford sprained his knee in the first half and was helped off the court. There really aren’t enough adjectives left to describe the utter absurdity of bad injury luck the Mavs have endured this season. As they’ve had to do virtually all season long, Dallas will have to weather the storm for a bit longer in hopes their player will finally get back and stay healthy soon.
Let’s get to the grades!
Kyrie Irving: A
30 Points / 9 Rebounds / 7 Assists / 3 Steals / 0 Blocks (44 Minutes)
Kyrie had some sticky fingers tonight to accent his overall great defensive effort. One of his steals came with under 30 seconds in regulation and was followed by a made bucket on the other end to give the Mavs the lead. He did what you would expect as the go-to guy, but played a ton of minutes and you could see some fatigue setting in as the game went on.
Dante Exum: C
5 Points / 2 Rebounds / 6 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (19 Minutes)
Exum had little impact on the game and as a result he didn’t get much time as the evening went on. His 0-for-4 shooting on free throws was the lowlight of a mundane night.
Kessler Edwards: D
6 Points / 1 Rebound / 1 Assist / 2 Steals / 2 Blocks (26 Minutes)
Edwards put together a decent game, but with as much time as he got, he just didn’t impact the stat line quite enough. He was 3-for-5 from the floor and made a great screen to get Klay Thompson open for a late three in overtime, but getting the playing time he’s going to get with the endlessly injured and calamitously depleted roster, he’s got to give a bit more. His complete flub (as in not even making an attempt) boxing out on a Kings’ missed free throw buried his grade tonight.
Klay Thompson: A-
19 Points / 2 Rebounds / 1 Assist / 0 Steals / 1 Block (26 Minutes)
Thompson put together about as good a night as you’d expect, hitting 7-for-15 from the floor and 5-for-10 from three, including a late overtime heave that put the Mavs up by one with seconds left. He even had a block and committed no turnovers, doing all of his damage in somewhat limited minutes.
Spencer Dinwiddie: B
20 Points / 2 Rebounds / 5 Assists / 2 Steals / 0 Blocks (34 Minutes)
Dinwiddie was blocked by the Invisible Man in the third quarter after driving, rising, shooting yet somehow watching the ball sail the opposite direction into the crowd. I mention this for a bit of levity, but the positive side of the play is that it speaks to how much he drives. I still maintain he doesn’t quite get all the calls he should, but nice he’s not just hoisting from outside. Speaking of, his shot has been much better lately and tonight was no different as he hit 50% of his 16 shots. At times he had to do too much and while it’s hard to knock him for that, it’s also hard to forget a layup that didn’t reach the rim and an offensive foul on the final shot of the game (though in what world it was an offensive foul, I don’t know).
Max Christie: A
15 Points / 4 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 2 Steals / 1 Block (35 Minutes)
I have officially adopted Max Christie as my “hope” player on the Mavs. That’s no slight to any other player, but I’m endlessly impressed with his professionalism, poise and overall play. The Luka Doncic trade will likely live in eternal infamy, but Christie is insistent on playing well and I’m excited to see him grow.
The birthday boy played well again in this one. Despite missing his first four three-point attempts, he drilled two consecutive threes toward the end of the third quarter to fuel a Mavs’ run. In the fourth, he had a turnover but sprinted back to emphatically block a layup into the first row. He also had a big three-ball in overtime to give the Mavs the lead for a few brief moments.
Naji Marshall: B+
9 Points / 6 Rebounds / 5 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (27 Minutes)
Naji brought what he usually brings and for a while was doing it on limited minutes. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but they were very balanced and he once again was the guy to stymie a Kings’s run in the fourth with a big late-clock jumper. I’m giving him a slightly higher grade than his slash line shows, because he made some big buckets when the Mavs needed someone else besides Kyrie to step up.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper: B+
16 Points / 4 Rebounds / 1 Assist / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (34 Minutes)
Prosper quietly had a very nice game. It’s sometimes difficult to set a baseline for him, but 6-for-10 from the floor for 16 points is a good night. A few more rebounds would have been great (and would have helped the team tremendously).
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