Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic turned in a masterful performance in Dallas’ 121-114 Game 1 loss to the Suns on Monday. Doncic scored 45 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and notched eight assists. However, Phoenix’s significant edge in athleticism could remain an issue going forward in the series for Dallas, opines Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
Young, lengthy, springy players like Deandre Ayton, Cameron Johnson, Mikal Bridges and Devin Booker have already exposed the vulnerability of the Mavericks. Goodwill also cites the Mavs’ size disadvantage as the reason the team was out-rebounded 51-36 by Phoenix.
There’s more out of Dallas:
- Beyond Doncic’s big night, the team’s other two main ball-handling guards failed to rise to the occasion in Game 1, writes Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie scored a combined 21 points on 9-of-24 shooting from the floor. Townsend points out that Brunson averaged 27.8 PPG during the Mavericks’ 4-2 first-round victory against the Jazz, while Dinwiddie averaged 15.3 PPG in that series. Of course, as Townsend notes, both players received significantly more opportunities in part because the team played those first three contests with Doncic sidelined.
- Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is hoping that more Dallas players will be able to contribute to a more well-rounded scoring approach, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “[Doncic] got whatever he wanted, when you look at the shots in the paint, behind the arc, midrange, and then also I thought he got his teammates some great looks that we normally had made,” Kidd said. “We’ve just got to get someone to join the party.”
- The Mavericks are in the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2011, when they won the NBA title. The team clearly is trending in the right direction, though Tim Cato of The Athletic still has some questions about the club’s core roster surrounding Doncic. Cato notes that the team offloaded center Kristaps Porzingis to the Wizards for future roster-building flexibility, not to improve the team’s current postseason chances — the latter outcome occurred anyway. Cato wonders about the efficacy of Brunson and Dinwiddie against the Suns’ swarming perimeter defense. Cato also expressed curiosity about how the team would defend the midrange-centric offense of the Suns, after clamping down against the Jazz in the first round.
Mavericks literally have boban. There should be no size disadvantage for them. Just tell Boban’s big self to stand under the basket and put his arms up. Nobody beats boban
Boban cleans the glass and controls the rings, despite the callousness of insurance agents.
niiiiiiiiiiiice.
Mavs traded draft pick to Wizards for bad contract Dinwiddie and Bertans
Why?
How many draft picks did Wizards acquire from Lakers for Westbrook trade?
Westbrook is all time great
Ummm Dinwiddie is not a free agent
Luka is unstoppable & destroyed PHO defense, but… sadly no one else turn up to play for DAL!
At the end of the day Luka Vs PHO is gonna be a tough one, if at least someone turns up for a lil bit, DAL has a very good chance!
News flash El Don, that was done on purpose, that was clearly the phoenix suns game plan. Let luka eat, but shut down everyone else. Besides Klieber it worked. Mavs need a new game plan, Luka can’t outscore phoenix by himself. Suns have won 10 straight against Dallas, they know how to beat them.
Lol well said. The Clippers also followed the same strategy. They let Doncic stat pad but shut down the rest of the team.