Mavs Game Observations: Game 37 vs Lakers [Quick Notes]

A quality win to end the losing streak and gain confidence

Photo by Sam Hodde / Getty Images

Back-to-back days spending my morning watching Mavs games here in Egypt. Yesterday, things looked bleak for me and the Mavericks. Today, clearer skies, some afternoon wind, my first ever wing hydrofoil session, and most importantly, finally a win for the Mavericks—great day all around. The Mavs secured a much-needed, quality win to halt their five-game losing streak, beating the the Los Angeles Lakers 118-97.

As I’m away this week, without all my game analysis tools, I’m doing game notes and observations in short bullet-list form.

• Finally, a defensive stand. Those who read my game recaps know that despite offensive struggles, it’s the lack of defense that’s truly frustrated me in the games without Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. Last night, it seemed the Mavericks learned their lesson from Memphis, taking a page out of the Grizzlies’ book by playing with proper force and energy. The Mavericks dominated the rebounding battle by a huge margin and, despite five frustrating first-quarter turnovers, even came out ahead in the turnover battle (they had lower overall turnover rate).

• More flexible defensive game plan. Without Daniel Gafford, Jason Kidd turned to Maxi Kleber as the backup center. Due to Dereck Lively II’s foul trouble, the Mavericks leaned on extended minutes of Kleber and P.J. Washington in the frontcourt, enabling a more aggressive, scrambling defensive style. Dallas doubled Anthony Davis from the outset, successfully limiting the Lakers’ big man to a relatively quiet 21 points. The Kleber-Washington pairing, along with Naji Marshall as the third wing, showed flashes of the Mavericks' not so small, small-ball —a strategy seen last season and something I highlighted this offseason as a key part of the Mavericks’ defensive arsenal.

• Balanced scoring and a three-point variance game. After the loss in Memphis, I wrote that without Dončić and Irving, the Mavericks would need several role players to step up on the same night to get a win. Last night was a perfect example, as Grimes (23 points, 6-of-11 from three), Washington (22 points, 3-of-3 from three), Dinwiddie (19 points), Hardy (15 points 3-of-6 from three) and Thompson (13 points, 3-of-6 from three) all delivered strong scoring and shooting performances. The Mavericks shot an impressive 47% from beyond the arc, while the Lakers managed only 31%. Without their stars, three-point variance becomes even more critical—almost a necessity for a win—and last night, the Mavericks nailed it.

• Guard play and Spencer Dinwiddie’s ISO game. A stark contrast to the loss in Memphis, where most guards underperformed. While the offensive plan remained relatively simple, it introduced more pace, more movement and cutting. The Mavericks ran two well-designed set actions to create layups for Thompson and Hardy. Another key adjustment was targeting Austin Reaves—and to a lesser extent, Dalton Knecht—with pick actions to force switches, then isolating them. Spencer Dinwiddie stepped up with his best Luka Dončić impersonation, recording a season-high 15 isolation plays (previous high was 10 against Atlanta), with the Mavericks scoring 19 points on those possessions—nearly half against Reaves. While Dinwiddie’s deliberate and often too slow setup for one-on-one attacks might not be the most aesthetically pleasing, he was on top of his game last night.