Data you can use
The Dallas Mavericks played just nine players, including a pair of two-way players, against the Miami Heat on Thursday night in the final home game of the pre-All-Star break period and won a thrilling contest, 118-113.
This win ruled. A neutral observer would ask how a team that isn’t playing anyone taller than 6’8” more than 20 minutes a game has won two games in a row, but a Dallas fan would tell you that they won playing with grit and intensity. Players stepped up when it mattered and Dallas got the kind of bounces a team on the edge needs in order to win.
6 and counting: Consecutive 15 point games to start a career with the Dallas Mavericks from Max Christie
Early in the broadcast, we saw the following graphic:
— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) February 14, 2025
That’s a fun group! Kyrie Irving, of course, should be no shock, followed by Monta Ellis, and Jamal Mashburn. Christie’s been the best addition that Dallas could’ve hoped for since the trade between the Mavericks and Lakers, and it’s fun to see his expanded minutes result in production.
32 and 15: Lead changes and ties
We’re all watching this sport to be entertained and if there’s one thing we can certainly say about the new-look Mavericks, it’s that they fight like hell and play really enjoyable basketball. The Heat are a never-say-die team as well, so what could’ve been a sad performance between two teams looking ahead to vacation became a barnburner which I greatly enjoyed watching.
25: Miami Heat second chance points
It’s a bit hard to square this one with a Dallas victory. The Mavs had just 12 second chance points and were doubled up by the Heat in this category. Every other statistical category was pretty close to a draw: made free throws (Heat+4), made threes (Mavs+9), assists, steals, blocks, points off turnovers, just about everything was close. Yet the Mavericks won this game anyway. Point is, sometimes it’s better to just win and not worry about the data.
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