The Mavericks got back in the win column
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Utah Jazz 110-102. The Mavericks came out to a very sluggish start, with Luka Doncic specifically struggling to score. The game stayed a close, low-scoring game throughout until the Mavericks finally made a few threes late to put the game away.
Here are the stats to know.
12: Blocks by the Mavericks
The Mavericks made the finals last season, primarily due to their defense. The cornerstone of that defense was an intimidating collection of rim protection that simply walled off the rim. Tonight, the Mavericks did much of the same as they blocked 12 total shots.
The centers, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, each collected three blocks a piece while PJ Washington had two. Spencer Dinwiddie, Luka Doncic, Quintin Grimes and Kyrie Irving each chipped in one.
3: Made threes by Spencer Dinwiddie
Dinwiddie’s shooting splits with the Mavericks and everywhere else are absurd. For his career, Dinwiddie is now 183-of-449 (40.8 percent) as a Mavericks. For the rest of his career, he is 678-of-2129 (31.8 percent). Dinwiddie was 3-of-4 on threes tonight as he provided a much needed spark off the bench.
12, 11: Points, rebounds for PJ Washington
Washington chipped in his first double-double of the season as he played a really good all-around game despite shooting 0-of-4 from three. Washington will have to make shots at some point but as David Trink mentioned during the playback.tv broadcast, Washington’s game is so much more than shooting.
He did a fantastic job limiting Lauri Markkanen and playing team defense in addition to the points and rebounds. This game was a reminder that he was a very large part of the Mavericks newfound defensive identity late last season, not just the centers.
Overall, this was an ugly game, but the Mavericks got a win and that is all that matters.
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