Dallas Mavericks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Behind 20 points from Monta Ellis and 15 from Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-90 Sunday afternoon at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
Dallas (25-10) has now won five straight overall and 14 in a row on the road against Eastern Conference opponents dating back to last season.
With LeBron James sidelined yet again due to left knee and lower back soreness, the Cavaliers were unable to stymie a Dallas offense that shot 56.4 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from three.
Kevin Love led the way for Cleveland with a season-high 30 points to go along with 10 rebounds, but the Cavaliers offense shot a paltry 40.7 percent from the field and was outscored 36-24 from beyond the arc.
Kyrie Irving played just 25 minutes due to tightness in his back and will not travel with the team for Monday's contest against the Philadelphia 76ers in order to receive treatment, according to the Northeast Ohio Media Group's Chris Haynes.
Cleveland (19-15) has now lost four of its last five games.
| Dirk Nowitzki | A- |
| Rajon Rondo | B |
| Chandler Parsons | B |
| Monta Ellis | A- |
| Tyson Chandler | A- |
| Rest of Team | B+ |
| Kevin Love | A |
| Kyrie Irving | D |
| Tristan Thompson | C- |
| Dion Waiters | F |
| Matthew Dellavedova | C+ |
| Rest of Team | C- |
Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki: A-
In a duel between two of the league's highest-scoring offenses and most forgiving defenses, Dirk Nowitzki put his unparalleled mid-range arsenal to work. Whether he was stepping back or knocking down spot-up looks, Nowitzki was in one of his prototypical zones from the jump.
Over the course of 25 minutes, the German marksman dropped 15 points (7-of-12 shooting) to go with five rebounds and three assists. He also blocked two shots, just the third time he's done so this season.
And as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Dwain Price noted, Nowitzki is close to vaulting another legend on the league's all-time scoring list:
Rajon Rondo: B
It was generally a day of deferral for Rajon Rondo, who looked to facilitate first and score second.
But even if he wasn't driving to the cup with an eye on getting buckets, Rondo distributed beautifully via primary and secondary assists that freed up Dallas' myriad shooters for open perimeter and interior looks.
While racking up a game-high eight assists, Rondo added four points, two steals and four rebounds in a complete and tidy performance.
More importantly, though, Rondo appears to already have developed some nice chemistry with the recipients of his signature passes, as Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick pointed out:
"I'd say Rondo is figuring it out with Mavs. Points at Chandler to go to rim. No reaction from Love. Easy lob, dunk.
— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) January 4, 2015"
Chandler Parsons: B
Chandler Parsons got off to a shaky start from beyond the arc, but the second half brought out the best in Dallas' pricey offseason acquisition.
In the end, the Mavericks were plus-12 with Parsons on the floor, as he finished with 14 points (5-of-11 shooting, 2-of-7 from three), four rebounds, three assists and a steal.
"Mavericks had a 139.7 offensive efficiency with Parsons on the floor today.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) January 4, 2015"
And while he wasn't the center of attention, Parsons did well to thrive as a key offensive cog on a day when Dallas embraced a collective approach that saw six players finish with at least 10 points.
Monta Ellis: A-
With Cleveland's defense suffering from James' absence, there wasn't much resistance preventing Dallas from penetrating or pulling up for open threes via precise perimeter ball movement.
One of two Mavericks players to score in double figures before halftime, Ellis thrived when he got out in transition or broke defenders down off the dribble.
On a prosperous day for Dallas, Ellis helped boost the Mavericks offense behind 20 points (8-of-15 shooting), a pair of dimes and a steal.
Tyson Chandler: A-
This was a fairly perimeter-oriented game considering both teams don't possess the personnel receptive to conventional post play, so Tyson Chandler wasn't exactly a dominant offensive force.
However, he was still a meaningful contributor. Finishing lobs, grabbing boards and altering shots at the rim, Chandler went on to compile 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one block while finishing a team-best plus-14.
Rest of Team: B+
Give it up for J.J. Barea, who provided a major spark off the bench when Dallas chose to go with ultra-small lineups that saw the Puerto Rican floor general line up next to Rondo in the backcourt.
A tremendous second quarter saw Barea finish the first half with seven points and three dimes before recording final tallies of 14 points and four assists in 21 minutes off the bench.
Dallas' depleted bench didn't provide many other noteworthy performances, but Devin Harris (eight points, two assists) and Richard Jefferson (11 points, three assists) represented Rick Carlisle's most productive rotational contributors.
But as CBS Sports' Matt Moore pointed out, that sort of disparity in production between starters and reserves isn't exactly surprising after Dallas mortgaged depth in the name of acquiring Rondo:
"Can’t really criticize the Mavs’ bench, since they compromised it to get Rondo, but man. Man.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) January 4, 2015"
Lastly, forward Greg Smith was forced from the game with a right side muscle strain and did not return after 10 minutes of scoreless ball.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Kevin Love: A
The first player into double figures with 10 first-quarter points, Kevin Love assumed the Cavaliers' primary scoring role with aplomb.
With Dallas starved for big bodies to throw at Love in waves, the league's premier stretch 4 thrived in face-up, spot-up and post-up situations against Jefferson and Nowitzki, among others.
One of the few offensive bright spots for Cleveland on a day when little else was clicking, Love led the Cavaliers with a season-high 30 points (18 of which came in the first half) and 10 rebounds while shooting 11-of-21 from the field (3-of-7 from three).
Kyrie Irving: D
When he was on the floor, Kyrie Irving dazzled with his yo-yo-like handle and brilliant penetrating capabilities.
There were also a few nifty dimes, like this behind-the-back beauty to Tristan Thompson:
Unfortunately, it was dishes like that that represented the height of the Irving experience Sunday afternoon after he battled lower back tightness and failed to return.
Skolnick and Haynes had more info on Irving's status from Cavs coach David Blatt:
Open shots weren't hard to come by, either. Irving just wasn't able to establish much of a rhythm, as he shot 2-of-9 from the field en route to scoring six points and totaling three assists, with Rondo working as his primary defender.
Tristan Thompson: C-
Overshadowed by the proficiency of Dallas' frontcourt tandem, Tristan Thompson couldn't provide a major spark as a scorer or rim protector.
While he did approach a double-double by accruing eight points and 11 rebounds, Thompson shot just 2-of-6 from the free-throw line while blocking a single shot in 39 underwhelming minutes.
Dion Waiters: F
On one end of the spectrum, there was Love. On the other, there was Waiters.
An abhorrent first-half showing saw the volume-scoring sixth man fail to register a point on 0-of-7 shooting, including a second-quarter air ball that drew boos from the Cleveland faithful.
As Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz noted, Waiters has been at his best this year when attacking below the free-throw line:
Following a putrid 13 minutes that spanned the first and second quarters, Waiters didn't return to action until late in the third quarter when Dallas led by nearly 20. His final totals of eight points (4-of-14 shooting), four assists and two rebounds were pretty misleading.
Matthew Dellavedova: C+
One of the few Cavaliers players who made good on his open looks from deep (2-of-3), Matthew Dellavedova was one of just three Cleveland players to finish in double figures.
Although David Blatt's club was a team-worst minus-16 with the Aussie on the floor, his decisive ball movement (team-high seven assists) and ancillary scoring capabilities were appreciated on a day when consistency eluded one of the Eastern Conference's streakiest clubs.
Rest of Team: C-
The Cavaliers scored 11 bench points in the first half. All 11 were dropped by Shawn Marion, who thrived against his former team with bragging rights on the line. Awkward release and all, Marion went on to finish with 13 points (6-of-11 shooting) and four boards.
Mike Miller earned another start on the wing but was awfully quiet on offense (three points) while struggling to keep up with Dallas' dearth of speedy perimeter weapons on defense.
Coming Up Next
The Cavaliers will cap off the second night of a back-to-back against the Sixers on Monday, while the Mavericks are set to do battle against the Brooklyn Nets at 7:30 p.m. ET Monday night.
