Mavs Game Observations: Game 32 @ Trail Blazers

Undermanned and outpaced, Mavericks drop a rollercoaster game

Photo by Soobum Im / Getty Images

In their third attempt this season, the Portland Trail Blazers finally got the better of the Dallas Mavericks, edging them out 126-122 in yet another wild, high-scoring affair.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, down two starters—Luka Dončić and Dereck Lively II—due to injuries, and dealing with the suspensions of P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall after the altercation in Phoenix, this game looked like a scheduled loss. But it also brought back memories of the loss in the first game against the Clippers, when a similarly undermanned Mavericks team failed to put up any resistance on defense against a very limited offensive opponent.

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Today’s notes:

1. A waste of Kyrie’s magic in a winnable game

2. Disappointing lack of defensive resistance

3. Shootout Russian roulette (🎞️VIDEO)

4. Searching for offensive rhythm

5. Gafford, Hardy, Kleber, and other notes

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1-A waste of Kyrie’s magic in a winnable game

In most circumstances, this would be an easily forgettable game—a typical NBA night where you simply move on to the next one. But Kyrie Irving’s brilliance ensured it was anything but.

Irving delivered another masterpiece, scoring 46 points on 16-of-26 shooting, showcasing the kind of shot making wizardry that leaves you in awe. The game was filled with Irving’s scoring explosions, like an 11-point burst in just two and a half minutes to close the second quarter. Later, he took over in trademark fashion, pouring in 20 points in the fourth quarter while missing only one shot.

It’s a shame that an otherwise lackluster Mavericks performance spoiled what should have been another iconic Irving game for the books.

2-Disappointing lack of defensive resistance

Yesterday, I wrote about how the Mavericks delivered one of their better defensive performances and how their ability to adapt to different styles makes this team special. It seemed that with Dončić out for an extended time, the team would lean into a defensive mindset to compensate for the absence of their best scorer. This is why surrendering 126 points to a bottom-three offensive team is even more disappointing.

The Mavericks started the game terribly, offering no resistance and allowing the young, athletic Trail Blazers to jump ahead early and build confidence. Dallas quickly found themselves in an 18-point hole in the first quarter, forcing them to play catch-up for most of the night.

Jason Kidd switched to a zone defense at the end of the first quarter and stuck with it for large portions of the game. However, it seemed more like an attempt to hide the team’s defensive shortcomings and turn the game into an up-and-down, fast-paced shootout. Without Lively, Washington, Dončić and Marshall, the team was missing not only their top defenders but also crucial size. This led to guard-heavy lineups—Irving played 39 minutes, Dinwiddie 35, Thompson 34, Grimes 28, along with minutes for Jaden Hardy and Jazian Gortman. This game featured the highest number of minutes played by guards and smaller lineups this season.

However, these guard-heavy rotations failed to provide the on-ball pressure or aggression needed to make up for the lack of size.

3-Shootout Russian roulette (🎞️VIDEO)

The Mavericks have fully embraced a fast-paced style this season, transforming into one of the quickest teams in the league. Thirty games in, it’s clear they’re committed to running and playing an up-tempo game, especially when they’re undermanned. However, this approach comes with its risks. High-paced shootouts mean that sometimes you’ll win when the shots are falling, but you’re just as likely to lose when opponents outshoot you—particularly when there’s no solid defensive backbone to rely on. They barely escaped with a win in a similar shootout during their last game in Portland, but last night, that strategy backfired.