Dallas Mavericks 83, Portland Trailblazers 77: Abridged

Posted by Rob Mahoney on April 10, 2010 under Recaps | View Comments

Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images.

Box Score — Play-By-Play — Shot Chart — GameFlow

“No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.”
-Oscar Wilde

• This was a hideous game. The Mavs and Blazers are both top 10 teams in offensive efficiency, and yet last night neither team could score at a rate higher than 95.4 points per 100 possessions. Dallas shot .338 from the field compared to Portland’s .364 and won. Erick Dampier and Eddie Najera were the only Mavs to at least 50% from the field, and both went 1-for-2. It was physical, it was intense, and the officiating was pretty horrible. Neither team was given the whistles they deserved, and the Rose Garden was within inches of completely imploding. But you know what? The Mavs looked like the veteran team they are, and they kept playing. Dirk Nowitzki is brutally persistent in his complaints to the officials on some nights, but yesterday it was the Blazers that couldn’t stop yapping to the officiating crew (Brandon Roy, Andre Miller, and Nate McMillan were given techs for precisely this reason). While Dallas was ineffective on offense, Portland looked rattled. Not a bad thing to see from this team as they’re closing in on the playoffs.
• The Blazers were ice cold for long stretches of this game, but the Mavs didn’t make anything easy for the Portland offense. In terms of the Mavs’ ability to rotate, contest shots, and protect the rim, this was one of the Mavs’ more impressive efforts. I would never expect to say something like that after a game that Shawn Marion missed due to injury, but the Mavs’ defense on Brandon Roy (13 points, 4-14 FG, eight rebounds, six assists) was pretty impressive; Caron Butler (18 points, 6-16 FG, seven rebounds) offered a physical, aggressive counter, and the Mavs’ double teams didn’t leave the weak side exposed as they did in these two teams’ previous meetings. Brendan Haywood also did a pretty good job playing man defense on LaMarcus Aldridge (27 points, 9-20 FG, five rebounds, three blocks), even if LMA still had a very productive scoring night by hitting tough shots and running the floor.
• Jason Kidd had an interesting night. By most measures, this game was an abject failure for Kidd; many of his passes were errant (four turnovers to just six assists), he didn’t provide much scoring at all (just two points), and the offense he’s paid to run was woefully inefficient. There is one number on his stat line that should pop out, though: 12 rebounds. Team rebounding was so important in this game, and Kidd played a huge role in gathering the plethora of misses on both ends. The Mavs didn’t dominate the rebounding column, but they still deserve some credit for their effort on the glass. It may not seem like much, but Kidd pulling down a rebound in traffic, Caron Butler fighting for a second opportunity on the offensive boards, and J.J. Barea sprinting in to secure a defensive rebound — these are plays that matter. In a high-intensity contest, each of those plays does wonders in terms of establishing, retaining, or denying momentum, which matters even more when baskets are tough to come by.
• What can I even say about Dirk Nowitzki at this point in the season that I haven’t already said a million times before? He was terrific, and though he missed plenty of good looks (he was a horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad 11-of-24 from the field), he more than made up for those misses with his frequent trips to the free throw line. 40 points on 24 shots is pretty insane no matter how you slice it, but that mark is even more impressive thanks to how badly the rest of the offense performed by comparison. Nowitzki had nearly half of the Mavs’ total points. Think about that.
• Another start for DeShawn Stevenson, but he again he didn’t play all that much. He only collected two rebounds and score no points in nearly 17 minutes, but his greatest value was in defending Brandon Roy early in the game. He was hardly spectacular, but he held down the fort until Butler was switched onto Roy later.
• Marcus Camby grabbed 18 rebounds. I remember some Mavs fans fussing a bit when John Hollinger gave the Blazers’ acquisition of Camby and the Mavs’ acquisition of Butler/Haywood the same “trade grade,” but is there any question that Camby has made a phenomenal difference since arriving in Portland?
• If it hasn’t been made abundantly clear in recent weeks, Eddie Najera has clear value to this team. With 1:07 seconds to go in the first quarter, Najera played the irritant, and stood in Juwan Howard’s path as Howard started to run back down the court after a Maverick basket. Juwan extended his arm, Najera hit the ground, offensive foul. Hardly the most honorable move, but getting under opponents’ skin is something that Eddie does extraordinarily well. His stat line will show up empty aside from his three points, but even that three-pointer was a go-ahead bucket that sank the Blazers just as they looked to be figuring things out.
• Jason Terry (12 points, two assists) did not shoot very well from the floor (3-of-9, 1-of-3 from three-point range), but to his credit he got to the line eight times. Some of those attempts were off of technical fouls, but that doesn’t change the fact that JET was more aggressive in going to the hoop when his shot clearly wasn’t going to be kind to him.
• Rudy Fernandez () didn’t score in great volume, but his three three-pointers were much like Najera’s: they were far more impactful than a few ticks on the scoreboard. Fernandez has had a very weird season, with his shooting stroke, his ambiguous role on the team, and injury mucking up what could have been a very successful year. It’s good to see at least his health and his shooting going his way, even if there’s lingering uncertainty between Rudy and the team over his place with the Blazers.
• J.J. Barea (zero points 0-5 FG, two rebounds, one assist) played nearly 11 minutes, but the Mavs didn’t give Jason Kidd enough of a break for any of the Mavs’ point guards to take a significant turn at running the show. Rodrigue Beaubois: DNP-CD.
• Brendan Haywood’s performance was much better than the six points and four rebounds he ended up with. He boxed out well even if he wasn’t the man to collect the rebound, he challenged shots inside and altered layups due to his rotation, and he got to the foul line a few times by putting pressure on the Blazers’ bigs. This one won’t go on his resume or in his highlight reel, but it was still a fairly effective night for Brendan.

Portland Trailblazers 101, Dallas Mavericks 89

Posted by Rob Mahoney on March 26, 2010 under Recaps | View Comments

Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images.

Box Score — Play-By-Play — Shot Chart — GameFlow

“I didn’t fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong.”
-Benjamin Franklin

Road teams face an uphill battle. The Mavs perform better away from home than most teams in the league, but that doesn’t necessarily make each individual contest any easier. They face the same struggles, from the travel to the unfamiliar accommodations, to the fans and the officials. Home court matters in the NBA, which makes it all the more important for a team to bring their A game along for a road trip.

This wasn’t quite the Mavs’ A game. Probably a C+ game. The first half was plagued by flawed defensive strategy, and the finale by poor execution. The Mavs’ strength is supposedly their ability to execute in spite of their opposition, but they looked absolutely flustered under the pressure of the Blazers’ defense. The free throw differential was substantial, Dirk Nowitzki (15 points on 5-of-13 shooting, seven rebounds) had an off night, the Blazers looked to be in complete control, and the Mavs were in complete offensive disarray.

Yet with four minutes left, the Mavs found themselves trailing by just eight. Thanks to some hot shooting from the perimeter, the zone defense, and a fellow named Caron Butler (25 points, 11-19 FG, nine rebounds, two steals), Dallas was poised to make a serious run at this game with ample time to pull out a win.

They didn’t. They folded. The defense surrendered open looks to Brandon Roy (16 points, 5-7 FG, seven assists, four rebounds) and Andre Miller (19 points, 10 assists, three steals). Any hopes that the Mavs could somehow walk away with a win when they had no business doing so was shattered on the Rose Garden floor. This game might as well be the Mavs’ “Almost Got ‘Em“; they had a chance to play the bad guys before an incredibly vocal crowd, but right when Portland looked its most vulnerable, an unexpected turn put the Mavs on their backs. The problem with biding time before making a big run on the road is that it’s essentially a one shot proposition. Once the Mavs took their shot — which fell quite a bit short, given the Blazers’ ability to best them on both ends — even the illusion of drama was wiped from the game entirely.

I think we’ve officially reached the point where the Mavs have developed a Blazer complex. The natural instinct when this team sees Brandon Roy is to overcompensate, mostly in fear of what opposing guards have been able to do to the Mavs in the past. That’s why Dallas was doubling Roy off of every screen, hurling another big defender at him to take him out of the game. It worked for Houston in last year’s playoffs (or at least the idea behind it did, evne if the Rockets didn’t execute in exactly the same way), and to an extent it makes sense. But Roy was able to exploit the pressure with smart, crisp passing, a big reason why the Mavs allowed Portland, a good offensive team but a slow offensive team, to put up 32 points in the first quarter.

Not to say that LaMarcus Aldridge (20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists) didn’t play a part in that as well. Aldridge had 10 points in the first quarter on 5-of-8 shooting, coming off of turnaround jumpers, forays deep into the paint, and smart cuts. LaMarcus did more than just to play to his strengths in the first twelve minutes; he was utterly dominant.

But no one benefited more from the additional attention paid to Roy than Marcus Camby (17 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks), who helped to diversify the Blazers’ early offense with seven first quarter points. Camby is somewhat limited as an offensive threat. He has no back-to-the-basket game to speak of, and his points come almost exclusively off of offensive rebounds, assisted looks at the rim off of cuts, and mid-range jumpers. So shockingly, when the Mavs were throwing two defenders at Roy, who is one of the better playmaking 2 guards in the league, the ball wound up in the hands of an open man. That open man was often Camby, who was able to get his money’s worth early.

The Mavs were putting up points of their own, but there were early signs that the offense would struggle. Passing and play execution were major concerns in the first quarter, and it’s a slight wonder that the Mavs were able to put up 27 points in spite of those warning signs. Their struggles didn’t fully actualize until the second half, when Portland’s ability to throw a number of long, interchangeable defenders at the Mavs’ scorers was nothing short of smothering. There are certain Mavs games where every offensive possession makes you hold your breath, not because of some team-wide brilliance or a stunning individual performance, but because that single exhaled breath could push over a team resting on the edge. So many broken plays and lazy passes, and though the Blazers’ defense didn’t translate into a high number of turnovers (the Mavs finished with 11 for the game, 1.4 shy of their season average), it clearly limited the Mavs’ ability to execute.

Is it possible that after all those years of facing long, active defenders, the swarming long-armed flurry that broke the Mavs down in the 2007 playoffs is still giving Dallas problems? For this regular season game, it certainly seems so. One would only hope that a seven-game series would tell a different story.

The Mavs’ defense improved significantly in the second half, when they began to lean heavily on the zone. The catch-22 inherent to unconventional defensive schemes was painfully apparent: at some point, an opposing team’s continued exposure to a defense will enable them to beat it. Good teams will be able to solve and counter the zone in the playoffs, which is why stabilizing the Mavs’ rotations in man-to-man sets is so important. The zone can be a great addition to a team’s defensive arsenal, and it was just that for the Mavs last night. But once Aldridge starts working the high post, shooters space the floor, the offense overloads one particular side, or backdoor cutters start exposing the defense, it’s game over.

The Mavs needed to stop Andre Miller’s penetration because frankly, Kidd was a sieve. They needed a force in the paint to always defend the rim, because Aldridge and Camby were pulling the Mavs’ bigs out to the perimeter. You’ll hear no questions from me about why Carlisle opted to go zone because frankly, the results speak for themselves. The problem is that the man defense was so poor and has been so poor that Rick didn’t have much of a choice. With just ten games left before the playoffs begin, this should worry you.

This loss isn’t the end of the world for the Mavs, but it certainly hurts. Dallas hasn’t had a meaningful win since the first of the month (or perhaps longer, if you don’t respect the Bobcats), which is a product of soft scheduling and some disappointing play against stronger opponents. That needs to change, and the Mavs will have three tough opportunities (Denver, Orlando, and OKC, all at home) to get quality wins over the next eight days. These games matter, folks, and the Mavs are running out of time and excuses.

Closing thoughts:

• A weird game for Brendan Haywood (eight points, eight rebounds, four blocks, three turnovers). A times, he looked completely capable of dominating the Blazer bigs. No one on Portland’s roster is a strong on-ball post defender, and Haywood has the size and skill to take advantage of that. He showed that much with a nice baseline hook and a nifty up and under dunk. But he also was a complete liability in holding the ball, as he was stripped on numerous occasions by blind side help defenders.
• On an individual level, Jason Kidd (11 points, seven rebounds, seven assists) didn’t have a terrible game. But considering that the the flow of the offense is his primary responsibility, this game was a complete failure for Kidd. The blame obviously doesn’t rest solely on his shoulders, but if Kidd’s value comes in the intangibles and having a steadying influence on the offense, this was one his poorest performances of the season.
• 9-of-22 shooting from beyond the arc? Yes please, I’ll have another. Just nine free throw attempts? Please, sir, I’d like some more.
• Is there any basketball team on the planet that couldn’t use a Nicolas Batum? Anyone know where the Mavs might be able to buy one?
• The Mavs are not going to win many games where Dirk and JET combine for 9-of-27 shooting, and the only reason Dallas was even competitive offensively was due to spot production across the board, Caron Butler, and Shawn Marion (15 points, 7-12 FG, four rebounds).

Dallas Mavericks 93, Los Angeles Clippers 84

Posted by Rob Mahoney on November 1, 2009 under Recaps | View Comments

Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images.

Box Score — Play-By-Play — Shot Chart — GameFlow

“Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time.”
-Arnold H. Glasgow

The Mavs’ second straight win was an exercise in call and response. The Clippers actually managed impressive stretches in every quarter, powered primarily by the brilliance of Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, and, oddly enough, Sebastian Telfair. But each Clipper run was countered by a timely and even more impressive Maverick run. Dallas played with the poise and composure of a playoff team, and unlike the 2008-’09 Mavs, this group didn’t allow a little adversity to transform into the business end of a blowout.

Take a walk with me:

• The Clippers were down 5-8 at the 8:51 mark of the first quarter, and the Mavs looked to be establishing a little bit of offensive momentum. But as the Clips’ defensive intensity increased, the Mavs’ offense came to a steady crawl behind a slew of missed jumpers. Chris Kaman responded with a few jumpers of his own (though of the made variety), and Gordon and Davis each contributed a bucket apiece during an 11-2 Clipper run. Rick Carlisle immediately called a timeout. Though the effects of that timeout weren’t immediately apparent, the Mavs responded to Carlisle’s strategery by rattling off eight straight points through a Marion nine-footer, a Damp layup, and four free throws. L.A. clearly had the Big Mo on their side, but a well-timed Carlisle timeout keyed a great defensive run (the results of the Clips’ offensive possessions: shot clock violation, missed layup, offensive foul, missed jumper, missed shot, missed jumper, turnover) and a more assertive offense.
• The Clippers were down 32-38 at the 6:20 mark of the second quarter, and the Mavs looked to be establishing a little bit of offensive momentum. DeAndre Jordan tagged in Marcus Camby who gave L.A. some life with six points and an assist during a 12-2 Clipper run. That was enough to give the Clips a 44-40 advantage, which is beyond close and starting to get uncomfortable. But just in time, the Mavs’ somewhat stagnant offense came alive with some excellent ball movement, and a late 9-2 Mavs run kept things from getting out of control. Over that stretch, the Mavs made four field goals: three were assisted, two were layups, one was a Shawn Marion slam. Easy buckets are a beautiful thing.
• The Clippers were up 59-57 at the 7:41 mark of the third quarter, and they were still rolling from a late second quarter surge that brought the game within striking distance. Then, not unlike the win a night ago, the Mavs absolutely took over the third quarter. Every Maverick on the floor (Kidd, Terry, Marion, Dirk, Damp) scored in a complete team effort, and the result was a beautiful 17-3 run that would eventually decide the game. The Mavs were not very good offensively in the fourth, but they were able to edge out a victory based on the successes of this run.
• The Clippers were down 71-80 at the 10:47 mark of the fourth quarter, and the Mavs appeared to have the game in tow. Sebastian Telfair had other plans, as he was responsible for nine points in a critical 11-2 Clipper run that brought the game to an even 82-all. Both offenses lacked rhythm and coordination, but the Mavs were able to score some easy points with buckets around the rim, and then relied on the heavy lifters to supply a dagger or two. The result was a sloppy but effective 11-3 closeout, locking up the game for good and throwing away the key.

Nowitzki (24 points on 9-19 FG, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and an uncharacteristic 5 turnovers) looked to be much more comfortable shooting the ball, even if his overall line was a different shade of Dirk. It’s surely worth noting, though, that the Clippers’ bigs are far less equipped to defend Dirk than that of the Lakers or even the Wizards. But it’s about the baby steps, and Dirk showed a bit more of his usual shooting touch to accompany his forays into the paint and trips to the free throw line.

Shawn Marion and Erick Dampier were the Mavs’ finishers, and they performed excellently. Some lobs and interior feeds still reeked of a feeling out process, but Dallas showed a sudden willingness to toss lobs in the direction of Erick Dampier off of the pick and roll. The Kidd-Dampier combo could be a fun new weapon in the half-court game, as Damp made the Clippers pay for not respecting his rolls to the basket. Shawn Marion finished well on the move in all kinds of situations, even if L.A.’s bigs were ready to combat him at the rim. The result wasn’t always a dunk or even a make, but I already admire Marion’s aggressive movement off the ball and refusal to surrender opportunities to shot blockers. Shawn’s shot was packed a few times as a result, but his activity around the basket on both ends helped him total 16 points and 11 rebounds to go with a steal and two blocks.

Kidd, JET, and Barea did an excellent job of finding the right guys at the right times, and they were the only reason why the offense was in gear for key stretches. Kidd finished with 10 assists, JET with 6, and Barea with 4, which isn’t too shabby for a three guard rotation.

Still, the bizarre offense could give some a reason for worry. The Mavs managed just 13 points in a messy fourth quarter, and if their opponent had been anyone other than the equally messy Clippers, that could have been a problem. The Mavs came out with a win thanks to their ability to respond when it counted, but it’d be nice to nurse a cozy lead rather than jump into a slug fest.

Of course the defense played a huge role in making the Clippers falter, a fact which shouldn’t go unrecognized. The Mavs played good D inside and out, and though their performance wasn’t flawless, it was impressive nonetheless.

Closing thoughts:

• Even though you wouldn’t know if it from the box score, Baron Davis (9 points on 4-10 FG, 6 assists, 4 turnovers) can still wreck havoc against the Mavs’ defense.
• The Clippers roared back into the game at the end of the second quarter, but their four point lead was quickly erased in the closing seconds when Sebastian Telfair fouled Jason Terry while shooting a 3-pointer. Telfair objected, and was rewarded for what I’m sure was a perfectly cordial objection with a technical foul. Four made free throws later, both teams walked into the locker room with a tie.
• Drew Gooden missed the game with a strained rib muscle on his right side. Kris Humphries played effectively in his absence, even if Kaman managed to bully him inside for points.
• JET was twice called for an offensive foul for pushing off with his off-hand while driving in for a layup.
• J.J. Barea seems to be a much improved jumpshooter, which is a beautiful thing for a guy who already had touch and range.

GOLD STAR OF THE NIGHT: The Gold Star of the Night, in a bit of a curveball, goes to Erick Dampier. Damp (12 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 0 turnovers) protected the rim, rebounded well, and turned himself into a bonafide offensive contributor with his ability to find dimples in the Clips’ defensive coverage and abuse the pick and roll.