The Dallas Mavericks played host to former head coach Rick Carlisle and the Indiana Pacers, grabbing a 107-105 win in a relatively ugly affair. Unexpected players stepped up in a big way to eek out the win,
but the injury list grew when Anthony Davis checked out midway through the first quarter.
Let’s get to the grades!
COOPER FLAGG: A-
15 PTS / 10 REB / 4 AST / 0 STL / 1 BLK – 35 MIN
Coming into the grading, not many “A” rankings were on my mind. The game was relatively ugly and something of a futility match. That said, a double-double in his fifth ever NBA game, on 6-for-11 shooting and a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line gets you there in this one. Despite a negative plus/minus, Flagg had a very solid game with only two turnovers and two fouls.
MAX CHRISTIE: C
10 PTS / 2 REB / 4 AST / 0 STL / 1 BLK – 33 MIN
Christie put on a generally uneventful show, missing more shots than he made to the tune of 43% shooting, a percentage brought low by his 1-for-4 from beyond the arc.
KLAY THOMPSON: D
5 PTS / 1 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 22 MIN
At the expense of possibly jinxing it and finding a new low in the future, this is about as bad a game as you can get out of Thompson. 2-for-10 from the floor and 1-for-6 from three just can’t happen when your primary objective is to shoot. It’s getting to be like a kicker in the NFL who makes 50% of his field goals. We all know the narrative that Thompson finds his form a month or two into the season, but the Mavs are going to struggle enduring nights like this if that’s the case.
P.J. WASHINGTON: C
9 PTS / 11 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 2 BLK – 28 MIN
Washington put up decent numbers in a near double-double, adding a couple of nice blocks on the defensive end, but his shooting was nearly horrendous at every level. 2-for-8 from the floor (0-for-2 on threes) and 5-for-8 on free throws. It was nice he earned trips to the line, but even one more in the made column would have been helpful in such a close game.
ANTHONY DAVIS: N/A
4 PTS / 4 REB / 0 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 7 MIN
Davis was trending toward a monster game, though two turnovers in just under seven minutes is far too many. The unfortunate story here though, is that Davis made it through only four game this season before enduring another injury, this time a mysterious lower leg… something (the in-game details given from the team were murky at best).
D’ANGELO RUSSELL: C
14 PTS / 2 REB / 5 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 20 MIN
The overall shooting was better than the prior game, but that is largely because it couldn’t have been much worse. Even still, from beyond the arc, Russell was but 1-for-5. That poor shooting along with an almost inexplicable for turnovers drove his grade down, just not quite to the basement.
NAJI MARSHALL: D
3 PTS / 2 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 22 MIN
You’re probably noticing a theme that there just isn’t much to say about a number of these performances. Like Thompson, Marshall barely contributed anything, though he at least brought intangibles on defense. Three points, all by way of free throws, and only two rebounds is well below what Marshall can bring, even on ho-hum night. This was something worse than that.
DWIGHT POWELL: A+
18 PTS / 6 REB / 0 AST / 1 STL / 2 BLK – 29 MIN
Powell might not be in consideration for an A+ again this season, so he’s getting while he can. It’s not just a frivolous gift thought. Powell’s performance was a huge part in the Mavs actually winning, and while the grade may seem intentionally provocative, I can’t imagine anyone would have this performance on their bingo card, especially for a guy who certainly came into the game thinking he’d get spot minutes at best. Instead, he had to take over for Davis, who himself was playing center for the injured Dereck Lively. Kudos to Powerll for 4-for-6 shooting and a ridiculous 10-for-12 on free throws. He racked up too many fouls (four), but brought it in ways none of us would have really banked on.
BRANDON WILLIAMS: A-
20 PTS / 7 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 1 BLK – 22 MIN
Williams was easily the best player on the Mavs from a stat-stuffing standpoint, and all 20 of his points (to lead the team off the bench) were massive in a two-point game. His low assist total and an astonishingly awful three attempt late in the fourth quarter (it was surprising it didn’t go straight through the backboard) ding the grade a bit, but scoring nearly a point a minute for a dysfunctional offense that lost its best player in the first six minutes is something noteworthy, especially coming off a difficult few days on the personal side of things.
This game was pure ugly. If you missed it, enjoy the grades and our other game coverage, and be happy you were otherwise occupied. The inability or lack of urgency in covering the three point line has been a massive annoyance for years now. Holding a 12-point lead with just minutes to go, and then allowing the Pacers to can three-pointer after three-pointer was frustrating to say the least. Indiana missing the game winning three when no one secured the rebound on a missed free throw was a gift. Still, a win is a win, and the Mavs need as many as they can get, especially against a team that is as inured as Indiana (who has yet to get a W).
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