Mavs Game Observations: Game 29 vs Trail Blazers

Luka returns, Mavericks roll, big Christmas clash next

Photo by Sam Hodde / Getty Images

The Mavericks keep rolling, securing their 13th win in their last 16 games with a dominant 132-108 blowout of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Signs continue to suggest that this Mavericks team is genuinely good (I wrote about their point differential projecting a 58-win season). Convincingly beating bad teams is another signal, showing the consistency expected of great teams. Another key trait is how this team frequently wins through depth and a balanced attack, rather than relying solely on their superstars to dominate.

The game was decided early, leaving little intrigue to dissect, so instead, I’ll highlight a couple of fun clips and examples that showcase the Mavericks' impressive depth and talent.

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Today’s notes:

1. Too much fire power

2. Stepping on the pedal after the break

3. Depth showcase number 1: Grimes' pull-up and off-the-bounce game (🎞️VIDEO)

4. Depth showcase number 2: Gafford’s one-dribble drives (🎞️VIDEO)

5. Depth showcase number 3: P.J.’s pick-and-rolls in early offense (🎞VIDEO)

Bonus point: Luka’s rehearsal for Christmas Day

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1-Too much fire power

There’s no need for overthinking this one—the Mavericks simply have too much firepower for most teams to handle. In their prior matchup in Portland, the Mavericks were without three starters—Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Dereck Lively II—plus a key reserve in Naji Marshall. Despite the Blazers shooting 58 percent from three, the Mavericks, led by Luka Dončić's 36 points and 13 assists, still managed to score 137 points and secure a hard-fought victory.

Last night, with the Mavericks nearly at full strength, they scored at an even higher rate, and it didn’t require any special heroics from their superstars. It was a balanced attack and another testament to their depth and overall talent, with five players scoring in double digits and three —Dončić (27), Gafford (23), and Irving (20)—surpassing the 20-point threshold.

The trend of the Mavericks casually strolling to these high-level offensive outputs in so many different ways has been nothing short of impressive.

2-Stepping on the pedal after the break

The balanced attack was on full display in the first half, with the Mavericks already having five players in double digits, scoring 62 points and building a 9-point lead, despite not even playing at full throttle.

Coming out of the locker room after halftime, the Mavericks elevated their intensity and played with much more force. Kyrie Irving set the tone again by applying strong on-ball pressure, and the Mavericks exploited the Trail Blazers' two major weaknesses highlighted in the preview: turnovers and poor transition defense.

The Mavericks forced 9 of Portland's 18 turnovers in the third quarter alone, creating opportunities to run and generate plenty of easy looks. Once again, Portland’s high turnover rate was an issue against Dallas, with both matchups against the Trail Blazers ranking in the top five for opponent turnover percentage in Mavericks' games this season. The Mavericks capitalized, winning the points-off-turnovers battle decisively, 29 to 15.

The Mavericks led by 26 points after three quarters, ending the game early.

3-Depth showcase number 1: Grimes pull-up and off the bounce game

This wasn’t a standout game for Quentin Grimes by any means—he scored just 5 points in 17 minutes. Grimes has had plenty of better performances this season, hitting double digits 11 times, including a season-high 28 points in the first game against Portland.

But Grimes once again showed why he (and Thompson) are such perfect fits in this Mavericks offense. Both can operate as secondary ball-handlers in select moments, adding a dimension that most of the Mavericks' previous guard and wing options lacked.

Here are three examples from Grimes last night: hitting a mid-range pull-up out of isolation; nailing another mid-range pull-up off a quick dribble handoff action against drop coverage; and punishing gap defense by attacking a closeout, driving to the rim, and setting up Daniel Gafford for an and-one.

4-Depth showcase number 2: Gafford’s one-dribble drives