Mavericks Defeat Hawks as Trae Young Leaves Game with Ankle Injury

With no Luka Doncic or Kristaps Porzingis available, the Dallas Mavericks dug deep into their bench to pull off a 123-100 victory against the Atlanta Hawks to snap a two-game losing streak.

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle held Porzingis out Saturday for injury management after playing him 36 minutes in Friday's loss to the Houston Rockets. That forced the Mavs (30-19) to face their first game all season without Doncic (ankle) or Porzingis available. The timing couldn't have been better to test out Dallas' depth, as Atlanta (13-37) entered Saturday in last place in the Eastern Conference.

That's not to say guarding Atlanta wasn't a challenge.

"These guys score the s--t out of the ball," Carlisle said of the Hawks before tipoff. "They ooze points when they walk out on the floor."

Atlanta had won three of its last five games before Saturday thanks to Trae Young (29.4 points per game), who has scored at least 39 points three times in his last six contests. Young was originally selected fifth overall by the Mavs in 2018 but was sent to Atlanta in a draft-night trade for Doncic—who is expected to miss at least another four games with an ankle injury.

Doncic would go on to win Rookie of the Year in 2019. Both were recently named All-Stars for 2020.

Notable Performers

• Jalen Brunson, G, Mavericks: 27 points, eight assists, four rebounds
• Dorian Finney-Smith, SF, Mavericks: 22 points, seven rebounds, four assists
• John Collins, PF, Hawks: 26 points, 11 rebounds
• Kevin Huerter, SG, Hawks: 20 points, three assists

Dallas' Depth Powers Offense

It only took the Mavericks six minutes and one timeout to figure out how to play without Doncic or Porzingis.

Atlanta opened up a 12-3 lead to start the game as the Mavs struggled to get shots to fall and keep the ball from sticking. By the 6:07 mark, the game was tied at 17. By the end of the first quarter, the rout was on with Dallas up 10.

The Mavericks didn't trail again all night, surging ahead by 29 at one point. That they were able to do so without two of their top players is a testament to the depth in Dallas and the coaching by Carlisle to get them to perform. On Saturday, none of that could have happened without Jalen Brunson leading the way.

The second-year guard out of Villanova poured in a season-high 27 points while the Mavericks connected on 51.3 percent of their three-pointers. The combination doomed a Hawks team that struggled to keep pace. Three different players tallied at least four threes on the night with Seth Curry's 5-of-7 shooting behind the arc pacing the team.

Being able to spread the floor helped draw away from the fact that Porzingis and Doncic were unavailable to clean up around the rim. The Mavericks bench was plus-54 on the night, and that was without Boban Marjanovic or J.J. Barea even seeing the floor.

Whether that type of shooting is sustainable for Dallas remains to be seen. As the Mavs look to navigate the next few games without their MVP candidate, they'll certainly take what they can get.

Young, Reddish Injured in Loss

For a night that offered the Hawks a chance to serve up a loss to a beat-up roster, Atlanta left Dallas with more to worry about than its opponent.

Young exited early in the third quarter with a right ankle sprain and would not be able to return to the game. He finished with just 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting to go with six rebounds and one assist in just 26 minutes. He was the second starter to leave the game with an injury for the Hawks on Saturday.

Guard Cam Reddish suffered a face contusion and was immediately placed in concussion protocol as the team announced he would not be able to return, either.

Reddish played just seven minutes without recording a bucket before the injury.

With the two young stars out of the game, the Hawks were able to give plenty of time to former Maverick Vince Carter in what was his last game at American Airlines Center. Carter finished with 10 points and five rebounds in 24 minutes.

Dallas was quick to honor its former star with a tribute video early on. It marked one of the only feel-good moments on the night for Atlanta, which heads home in need of some rest and recovery time.

What's Next?

The Hawks return home to face another contender with the Boston Celtics visiting Monday. It's been a rough stretch for Atlanta lately, as the team hasn't had a homestand last longer than two games since mid-January. That trend continues with two home games separated by two consecutive road games over the next eight days.

Dallas will continue to try weathering the absence of Doncic when it visits the Indiana Pacers on Monday. Already a tough opponent this season, the Mavs will have the added task of keeping Victor Oladipo in check as the guard returns to form after missing the first 47 games this season.