Mavs Game Observations: Game 38 vs Trail Blazers [Quick Notes]

Young guns step up, Mavericks win another important one

Photo by Ron Jenkins / Getty Images

On Tuesday, I questioned my choices—tweeting about how machohistic it is to spend my vacation watching the Mavericks lose their fifth game in a row, despite trying to take a week off from basketball.

But games like last night make it all worth it. The Mavericks beat the Portland Trail Blazers 117-111 in a fun, hard-fought game. They showed character, making multiple runs—including a rare late 16-0 rally to close the game—battling from behind the entire night, and ultimately taking over in the clutch.

But the most exciting part? Watching two young players, Dereck Lively II and Jaden Hardy, being the key figures in this win, showing the growth and promise we’re so eager to see.

NOTE: I’m away this week and without all my game analysis tools, so I’m keeping my game notes and observations in short bullet-list form. I’ll be back on Sunday, and regular game coverage will resume then.

• Dereck Lively II's sophomore leap game we were all waiting for. Lively set high expectations with his impressive rookie season, which has led to some chatter among fans about his sophomore progress. Some have called it stagnation, others even a slump. Earlier this season, I wrote about how Lively was making subtle, discrete progress that didn’t always show up on the stat sheet but indicated he was doing just fine. Last night, however, the soon-to-be 21-year-old delivered a game that was anything but subtle. Lively was the best player on the floor, posting 21 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks. His 7 offensive rebounds were a major reason Dallas finally won the rebounding battle against Portland. He also made several clutch defensive plays, holding his ground when switched onto Blazers guards attempting to score on him in critical moments. The Blazers went small, looking to isolate Lively in space, but managed only five points on seven isolation possessions against him in the fourth quarter—including a contested step-back three by Shaedon Sharpe. Playing 35 minutes, Lively once again reinforced what the data has shown all season—the Mavericks are significantly better with him on the floor.

• Jaden Hardy peaking just when needed most. I’ve often been critical and skeptical of Hardy’s role and his ability to be a key rotation contributor. Earlier this season, he lost his spot to Spencer Dinwiddie due to inconsistent and erratic play. But now, Hardy is making the most of his second chance. Last night, he scored a season-high 25 points, marking his fifth consecutive game in double digits and fourth straight with 15 or more. Hardy is providing the much-needed microwave spark off the bench for a Mavericks offense that has struggled to find its rhythm. Both Hardy and Quentin Grimes inject much-needed energy with their aggressive drive games off the bench. Their contributions were key early in the game, helping the Mavericks stay afloat and avoid completely falling apart after a brutal 1-of-13 shooting start. And with Klay Thompson struggling, Hardy might currently be the Mavericks' best catch-and-shoot three-point shooter.

• Another win on hustle. Before the game, I tweeted that I wanted to see the Mavericks repeat the winning formula from the Lakers game by delivering another strong defensive performance and preventing the Trail Blazers from dominating the offensive glass, as they had in the prior three matchups this season. The defense wasn’t quite at that level early on as the Mavericks’ recurring point-of-attack pressure issues were evident once again. Dallas struggled to contain the Blazers’ guards (Anfernee Simons, Sharpe and Scoot Henderson all scored more than 20) and fouled excessively—Henderson alone had 12 free-throw attempts. Compounding the problem, they failed to generate turnovers against a turnover-prone Portland team, a combination that spells trouble for any defense. Still, the Mavericks tightened things up down the stretch. Grimes had a couple of strong possessions pressuring the ball against Anfernee Simons, and Jason Kidd showed trust in Dereck Lively II to get key stops against the Blazers’ guards in crunch time.