Dirk Keeping Mavericks Elite for Now, and Other Wednesday NBA Takeaways
The Dallas Mavericks own the NBA's most potent offense by a sizable margin, but their season has been defined by an odd mixture of blowout wins, close calls and a few disappointing losses.
Take Wednesday night's 109-102 home victory over the New York Knicks (4-12)—who were playing without Carmelo Anthony (back)—for example.
While Dallas (11-5) was able to snap a two-game losing streak with the overtime win, the triumph didn't come without some tense moments. After J.R. Smith drained a game-tying desperation jumper with less than a second to go, the Mavericks had to rely on Dirk Nowitzki to carry the load during the extra session in order to escape embarrassment.
In the win, Nowitzki scored a season-high 30 points on 11-of-24 shooting (1-of-8 from three), which helped mask a largely putrid performance from his sidekicks not named Tyson Chandler. Outside of Chandler and Nowitzki, Dallas starters shot 24.3 percent (9-of-37) from the field as the Mavericks shot just 40 percent as a team and 12.9 percent (4-of-31) from three.
Chandler certainly deserves praise, though, after totaling 17 points and 25 rebounds against his former team. The 25 boards (10 offensive) were the most any Mavericks player had tallied in nearly a decade, according to NBA TV:
But for now, Nowitzki's the prime-time player keeping Dallas in the Western Conference's elite conversation. Just as he did last season, Dirk is shooting the ball at an unprecedented clip for a player his age (36) and is now posting shooting splits of 51.1/39.4/86.4 following Wednesday's win.
Here's what that otherworldly production looks like, according to NBA.com:
And while the Mavericks offense clearly possesses explosive potential in spades, offerings have been particularly underwhelming of late.
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters that his team displayed some fortitude by defeating the Anthony-less Knicks, according to Mavs Outsider's Bryan Gutierrez, but the close call also amplified sloppy play that has cropped up over the last week:
Before squeaking by the Knicks, Dallas proved incapable of defeating the Houston Rockets, who were without the services of Dwight Howard, as well as the Indiana Pacers, who scored a season-high 111 points, sans Roy Hibbert on Monday night.
With several new pieces, the hiccups are understandable. And the fact that Carlisle's offense is producing points at such a torrid clip while adjusting to life with Chandler Parsons on the wing speaks volumes about his group's upside.
However, in a stacked Western Conference, the Mavericks can't afford to simply toy with the concept of sporadic greatness. Despite sitting six games over .500, Dallas is still situated behind the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs in the standings. That should be motivation enough to turn things around in a hurry.
The Mavericks won't need to wait long to send a message, though. On Friday, Dallas will travel north of the border and square off against the Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Raptors (13-2) in a matchup between the league's two most efficient offenses.
Clear your schedules, because there will be plenty of fireworks.
Around the Association
Cavs Exact Revenge, Sink Wizards
Following a 91-78 loss to the Washington Wizards last Friday, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated John Wall and Co., 113-87, thanks to 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight dimes from LeBron James.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Wednesday marked the second time this season that James racked up at least 20 points and 10 boards:
For some context, James had just four games of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds all of last season, per Basketball-Reference.com.
As a team, the Cavaliers shot 51.4 percent from the field, while holding Wall and Bradley Beal (10 points, 4-of-10 shooting) in check. Kyrie Irving dropped 18 points (7-of-15 shooting, 3-of-5 from three) as Wall mustered just six points, seven dimes and five turnovers in 33 minutes.
Cleveland has now won back-to-back games after dropping four straight and is back to .500 at 7-7.
Curry Shines, Western Conference Favorites Hold Serve
One day removed from shredding the Miami Heat to the tune of 40 points, Stephen Curry propelled the Golden State Warriors to a 111-96 win over the Orlando Magic behind 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting (6-of-8 from three) and eight assists in just three quarters before sitting out the final frame.
Curry's night was defined by a miraculous first half, one that saw him score 25 points on 8-of-10 shooting (5-of-5 from three), per ESPN Stats & Info:
Curry also flashed some absurd off-the-dribble chops from beyond the arc, including this pull-up three:
Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Detroit Pistons, 104-98, as Jamal Crawford exploded for 25 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers downed the Charlotte Hornets, 105-97, despite netting nine points on 3-of-18 shooting from LaMarcus Aldridge.
The Houston Rockets received a scare from Sacramento but held on to snap the Kings' three-game winning streak, 102-89, behind 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds from James Harden. In fact, both Harden and DeMarcus Cousins (29 points, 17 rebounds, six assists) led their respective teams in points, rebounds and assists.
After a slow start, the Memphis Grizzlies capped off a busy night by taking care of the Los Angeles Lakers, 99-93, thanks to a 34-point outburst in the third quarter. However, the Lakers remained competitive throughout by limiting Kobe Bryant's minutes in the first half before letting him loose over the final 24 minutes. In 35 minutes, Bryant scored 22 points on 5-of-15 shooting (10-of-10 from the free-throw line).
Marc Gasol led Memphis to its seventh win in eight games by totaling 19 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals.
As has been the case all season long, the West continued rolling over inferior opponents, tallying a record of 5-1 against the Eastern Conference on Wednesday.
Sixers Fall to Nets, Tie Record
Despite briefly leading by two in the fourth quarter, the Philadelphia 76ers fell to 0-15 with a 99-91 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Sixers tied the record for the worst start in franchise history:
Tony Wroten and K.J. McDaniels scored 18 points apiece, but the Sixers' historically futile offense shot just 40 percent from the field against a defense that entered the night ranked 18th in efficiency, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
As one would expect, the Atlantic Division showdown wasn't aesthetically pleasing, as the teams combined to turn the ball over 44 times in 48 minutes.
Brook Lopez paced the Nets with 19 points, while Deron Williams added 17 points and 10 assists.
But Sixers fans didn't leave empty-handed, as McDaniels threw down another gravity-defying slam in transition:
Toronto Captures Sixth Straight Win
The Raptors scored a season-high 126 points en route to defeating the Atlanta Hawks by 11 to secure a sixth straight win.
Dwane Casey's club has started the season in historic fashion, according to TSN's Josh Lewenberg:
Lou Williams scorched the net once again by dropping 22 points (6-of-11 shooting, 4-of-6 from three) and has now scored at least 20 points in three of his last four games. Last season, Williams scored more than 20 points just five times.
All told, three Raptors players finished with at least 20 points in the win, including DeMar DeRozan (team-high 27 points) and Greivis Vasquez, who scored 21 points in just 17 minutes off the bench.
Top Picks Duel in Minnesota
The Milwaukee Bucks improved to 9-7 with a 103-86 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves as the top two picks in the 2014 NBA draft squared off at Target Center.
In the loss, Andrew Wiggins totaled 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks, including this emphatic swat of Jabari Parker:
But Parker held his own, compiling 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting, while pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out three assists.
According to the Pioneer Press' Andy Greder, the clash of up-and-coming squads featured a record number of underage ballers:
Messina Makes Coaching Debut in Popovich's Absence
San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina made his NBA head coaching debut in the defending champions' 106-100 win over the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night as Gregg Popovich tended to a medical matter, according to the San Antonio Express-News' Mike Monroe:
According to the Express-News' Jeff McDonald, Messina didn't set out to do his best Popovich impression:
Manu Ginobili's season-high 28 points thrust the Spurs to their fifth straight win, while Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard notched 21 points apiece as San Antonio shot 55.4 percent from the field against one of the league's stingier defenses.
As ESPN Stats & Info noted, Leonard's statistics are commensurate with his ascent up the league's superstar ranks:
