A lot happened in the NBA this week. The league and the NBPA agreed to an All-Star Game in Atlanta, and a few stars, including LeBron James, were less than enthusiastic ...
Stephen Curry on Luka Doncic: 'Who Knows How High the Ceiling Is for Him?'
Feb 7, 2021
Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic (77) works against Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, right, in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
After Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic had their own individual duel in the Dallas Mavericks' 134-132 win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night, the two-time NBA MVP had high praise for the 21-year-old.
"He's always under control," Curry told reporters. "He's tough to defend ... he's just very polished and he's shown that since his rookie year and he's gotten better and who knows how high the ceiling is for him. But he's playing at a very elite level right now."
Curry and Doncic were exchanging buckets all night.
Curry finished with 57 points on 19-of-31 shooting, including 11-of-19 from three. Doncic matched his career high with 42 points and shot 12-of-23 from the field. He also dished out 11 assists and grabbed seven rebounds to help Dallas get just its second win in the past nine games.
This season has been a struggle for the Mavs thus far. Their 10-14 record is the second-worst mark in the Western Conference, ahead of only the Minnesota Timberwolves (6-17).
Doncic is doing his best to keep Dallas afloat, and he's taken his game to another level since Jan. 22, averaging 30.2 points and 9.4 assists in the past 10 games. He is shooting 36.5 percent from behind the arc during that span after making 27.8 percent of those attempts in his first 13 games.
In just three seasons, Doncic has taken the NBA by storm. He already holds Mavericks franchise records for triple-doubles (31) and scoring average (25.2 points per game). The Slovenian star also has two 40-point triple-doubles in his career.
Luka Doncic, Mavericks Outlast Warriors Despite Stephen Curry's 57 Points
Feb 6, 2021
Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic (77) works against Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, right, in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry scored 57 points, but Luka Doncic's 42-point, 11-assist night helped propel the Dallas Mavericks to a 134-132 home win over the Dubs at American Airlines Center on Saturday.
Curry hit 11 three-pointers and made 19 of 31 field goals overall. He had 30 points and seven three-pointers at halftime. Doncic went 12-of-23 from the field, making seven three-pointers along the way.
Curry's three-point play with 28.6 seconds remaining made the score 131-130 in Dallas' favor, but Doncic found Maxi Kleber for a corner three in return.
Warriors guard Damion Lee's tip-in cut the Mavs' lead to two with seven-tenths of a second remaining, but the Mavs ran out the clock after inbounding the ball.
Six Mavericks players scored in double digits, with Kristaps Porzingis posting an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double. Draymond Green stuffed the stat sheet with 15 assists, six rebounds, six steals and four blocks.
The 10-14 Mavericks had lost seven of their last eight leading into Saturday, including a 147-116 rout by the Dubs on Thursday. The Warriors fell to 12-11 after splitting the two-game set against Dallas.
Midway through the third quarter, Curry casually pulled up from the Mavericks' home-court logo, closer to the half-court line than the top of the three-point arc. He drilled a three, giving himself 41 points with 7:34 remaining in the quarter.
It's not uncommon to see players like him, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard and Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young do that, but it still defies logic that a shot from there isn't a bad one for a select few in the league.
Curry continued to defy logic all game, knocking down threes from everywhere and dominating offensively, scoring at will and keeping the Warriors in the game on a night when Doncic and the Mavs kept their foot on the gas for four quarters.
The ex-Davidson star converted a four-point play in the first quarter:
Kleber's three ended up being the final blow, but Curry's phenomenal night proved to be one of the highlights of the NBA season thus far.
Doncic Delivers in Big Win for Mavs
Saturday in Dallas was a night to celebrate great offensive basketball featuring two of the game's best stars. It was not one to praise excellent defense, which was not present much.
Granted, that's hard to do when you're tasked with guarding a player with unlimited range in Curry and a nightly triple-double machine in Doncic, who had no issues with Golden State all night.
He set the tone early by changing his pace en route to the rim:
The ex-Real Madrid star didn't always need to score to push the Mavs offense, as he drew in the Warriors defense and found a cutting Dwight Powell for two:
It was an encouraging night in a long season for the 10-14 Mavs, who have suffered numerous injuries and haven't found their stride one-third of the way into the season.
But on some nights, Doncic is simply unstoppable, to the point where he wills his team to a win. Saturday was one such example, and now Dallas will hope to keep the momentum going.
Steph Curry, Kelly Oubre Jr. Shine as Warriors Cruise Past Luka Doncic, Mavs
Feb 4, 2021
Golden State Warriors' Kelly Oubre Jr. advances the ball during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
After being the source of constant criticism over the first quarter of the 2020-21 season, Kelly Oubre Jr. may be turning a corner.
Oubre scored a season-high 40 points and Stephen Curry added 28, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 147-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.
Dallas has lost seven of its last eight games and appears to be in a tailspin. Luka Doncic led the way with 27 points, but the Mavs defense was a sieve against the small-ball Warriors, who were playing without nearly their entire big-man rotation.
Oubre thrived in the wide-open space, forcing his way to the basket with confidence while also knocking down seven threes. After an abysmal start to the season that had some questioning the Warriors' decision to add Oubre this offseason, he seems to finally be fitting into his role.
Draymond Green also set season highs with 11 points and 15 assists.
Notable Stats
Warriors
G Stephen Curry: 28 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds
G Kelly Oubre: 40 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal
F Draymond Green: 11 points, 15 assists, 6 rebounds
It's hard to judge any team too harshly in light of the NBA's issues dealing with COVID-19, but the Mavs look badand it's a problem. Dallas owes its unprotected first-round pick to the New York Knicks as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade, and he hasn't looked like a star all season while working his way back from injury.
Porzingis hit five threes as part of a 25-point effort Thursday, a promising sign given his dreadful shooting since returning to the lineup. However, he continues to be a net minus defensively—something the Mavericks can't afford if they're going to continue playing him primarily at center.
The Mavs paid a unicorn price for Porzingis, and he's been a regular horse that your parentstaped a plastic horn toin order to trick you. Dallas needs more.
Porzingis' issues exacerbate the Mavs' deficiencies on the defensive end. Dallas entered the night 19th in defensive efficiency,a numberthat will worsen once the league updates its database.
If the Mavs were the same historically brilliant offensive team they were a year ago, they could survive being a below-average defensive team. They aren't. Dallas was actually 18th in offensive efficiency coming into the night. That number should improve as the season progresses, but the Mavs are one of the NBA's biggest disappointments.
Warriors Might Want to Stick to This Uptempo Thing
The Warriors already play at the second-fastest pace in the NBA. They may want to try playing even faster.
While we've established that Dallas isn't the defensive barometer most teams judge themselves against, this looked like Peak Warriors basketball. The ball was whirring around the floor, Draymond Green had his best offensive game of the season and there was a certain level of fearless swagger permeating from the shots.
Golden State made an obvious commitment to bigs this offseason when it took James Wiseman with the second pick. Wiseman is going to play significant minutes, whether it's the best move for the team right nowor not.
That said, Steve Kerr might want to look at finding ways to play more lineups without a traditional big and let things open up. The benefit to the offense was obvious Thursday.
This is a weird NBA season. The turnaround between campaigns was shorter than usual. Players are essentially quarantined on road trips. They're required to wear masks on the bench...
Luka Doncic's Dominance Leads Mavericks Past Trae Young, Hawks
Feb 3, 2021
Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis scores against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
The Dallas Mavericks earned a 122-116 road win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday at State Farm Arena.
The 9-13 Mavs broke a six-game losing streak thanks in part to point guard Luka Doncic's 27 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds. Kristaps Porzingis added 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The 10-11 Hawks lost their second straight game despite a 35-point, 12-rebound effort from big man John Collins. Trae Young and Kevin Huerter each scored 21 points, and they also combined for 19 assists.
Dallas led by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter, but Atlanta cut the deficit to three on two occasions in the final minute after a few Young buckets.
However, Dallas made enough free throws down the stretch to hold off the Hawks and seal the much-needed victory.
Notable Performances
Mavericks PG Luka Doncic: 27 points, 14 assists, 8 rebounds
Hawks SG Kevin Huerter: 21 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds
Doncic's Near Triple-Double Ends Dallas' Losing Streak
It's been an unusually ugly season for the Mavs, who find themselves four games under .500 after making the playoffs last year. Injuries to numerous members of the rotation haven't helped, but the team's recent six-game skid was still surprising considering one of the league's best players in Doncic is running the show.
On Wednesday, Doncic's brilliance was too much for Atlanta to handle, and that finally stopped the losing streak.
He turned defense into offense early, stealing the ball and finding Josh Richardson for an easy two:
Doncic set up a poster dunk for Porzingis when he got a steal, streaked down the court, sliced through the lane and found a cutting KP, who finished the slam on Hawks center Clint Capela:
Doncic and the Mavs' efforts enabled them to go up 111-96 in the fourth. Young, Collins and the Hawks didn't make the rest of the game easy for Dallas, but the cushion the Mavs built before the home stretch enabled them to leave Atlanta with the win.
Close But No Cigar for Collins-Young-Huerter Trio
The Hawks had no answers for the Mavericks' offense, leading to their demise Wednesday.
However, John Collins did all he could in the loss, leading all players in scoring and rebounding.
His excellent rapport with Young continued to take shape, as he finished lobs from the point guard with two-handed slams:
Meanwhile, Huerter notched a double-double, finishing with 21 points and 10 assists. The silky smooth guard stopped some early bleeding after a 13-4 Mavs run to start the game with this mid-range shot en route to 13 points and four assists in the first two quarters:
Kev was on fire in the first half! He leads the team with 13 points and 4 assists. 🔥
The Hawks ultimately fell short, but the future is bright in Atlanta thanks in large part to this trio.
What's Next?
Both teams will play at home on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Mavericks will host the Golden State Warriors for a two-game set at American Airlines Center. The second matchup will take place Saturday at 8:30.
The Hawks will play the Utah Jazz.
Luka Doncic Rookie Card Sells for $799.5K, Graded Gem Mint 10, 1 of 3 Available
Feb 2, 2021
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) shakes hands with Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) as he walks off the court after the Mavericks loss in an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
The gem mint Panini Gold Prizm card, which was given a perfect 10/10 grade and is considered one of only three available, began bidding at $75,000 and quickly soared. There were 23 bids overall for the card, of which only 10 were made overall.
The sale represents yet another in a string of huge auctions surrounding the booming card industry. Goldin also sold an Anthony Davis card for over $1 million earlier this month, to go along with a Stephen Curry signed rookie that nearly went for that price.
The trading card industry has become one of the hottest on the collector circuit, with bidders paying exorbitant sums for rare rookies.
A Mike Trout card sold last August for nearly $4 million is the current record holder for the highest price for a card.
Luka Doncic on Mavs' 4-Game Losing Streak: It Looks Like We Don't Care
Jan 30, 2021
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) advances the ball up court against the Houston Rockets during an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic described the team's recent form as "terrible" following a 120-101 loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday night that stretched the Mavs' losing streak to four games.
"I would say right now it's looking like we don't care, honestly, if we win games or not," Doncic told reporters. "We just [need] more energy, more effort, dive for every ball, box out, everything. There's a lot of things we could improve, and I know we will. I know we will, and that's all that matters."
The 21-year-old MVP candidate put together another strong performance with 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds in 32 minutes. No other member of the Mavericks scored more than 13 points, they shot 27.3 percent on threes (9-of-33), and they were outrebounded 56-40.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EouXkMlJpqk
It dropped the Mavs' record to 8-11, the third-worst mark in the highly competitive Western Conference.
"I never felt like this," Doncic said. "We've got to do something, because this is not looking good. We've got to step up and just talk to each other and play way better than this. It's mostly effort."
Dallas' play is lagging at both ends of the floor, as the team ranks 18th in offensive efficiency and 20th in defensive efficiency, per ESPN. It led the NBA in offensive efficiency during the 2019-20 season.
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, who's been forced to juggle the rotation recently because of absences related to the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols, isn't ready to press the panic button.
"It's just a tough stretch and we've got to play through it," Carlisle said. "Right now, it's about sticking together and fighting our way through this thing."
Dallas will attempt to halt its skid Saturday night when it returns to action for the first of two straight home games against the Phoenix Suns.
The Mavericks play five times in the next eight days and don't have two straight days off until mid-February, so there isn't much practice time for Carlisle and his staff to work through the issues.
Jazz Roll Past Luka Doncic, Mavericks 120-101 to Capture 11th Straight Win
Jan 30, 2021
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) blocks the shot from Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
The Utah Jazz won their 11th straight game to move to an NBA-best 15-4 after defeating the Dallas Mavericks 120-101 on Friday at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.
Utah jumped out to a 37-12 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. Dallas did cut Utah's edge to 13 points in the second but was unable to get any closer.
Jazz wing Bojan Bogdanovic led all scorers with 32 points. He hit 7-of-11 three-pointers. Six Jazz players scored in double figures. For Dallas, Luka Doncic led the way with 25 points.
Utah also out-rebounded Dallas 56-40, with Jazz center Rudy Gobert snagging a game-high 12.
The Jazz were without All-Star and leading scorer Donovan Mitchell, who missed his second straight game with aconcussion.
The 8-11 Mavericks dropped their fourth straight contest.
Notable Performances
Mavericks PG Luka Doncic: 25 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds
Jazz C Rudy Gobert:17 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks
Jazz PG Mike Conley:22 points, 9 assists, 3 steals
Utah Continues Crushing the Association
The Utah Jazz are stone-cold killers right now, winning 10 of their last 11 games by double digits.
Their lone win under 10 points during that span was a 109-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets, last year's Western Conference finalists. They can be forgiven for not hitting the 10-point barrier on the road against an NBA MVP candidate in Nikola Jokic and the sharpshooter Jamal Murray.
Utah has simply dominated teams, perhaps never more so than in the second half of its game against the plucky New York Knicks.
New York looked like it would break the Jazz, who went ice cold in the first half and found themselves down 59-46 at halftime.
That apparently didn't matter to Utah, which proceeded to take the lead early in the fourth quarter before rolling to a 14-point win on a night in which Mitchell scored nine points on 3-of-15 shooting. Utah outscored New York 62-35 after halftime.
Since Mitchell, who's averaging 23.4 points per game, is out with a concussion, one could assume that Utah's offense would suffer without its top playmaker, but somehow, that hasn't happened.
The Jazz proceeded to crush Dallas in a two-game series by a combined 31 points after taking down the Mavericks 116-104 on Wednesday. Granted, the Mavs are struggling, but Utah led by double digits for the entire second, third and fourth quarters of each game.
What's going right? This team gets scorching hot from three. It entered Friday's game making 39.7 percent of its shots from downtown. Utah has the best sixth man in the league in Jordan Clarkson and a trio of starters (Bogdanovic, Gobert and Conley) unequivocally playing the best (or close to it) ball of their careers.
Royce O'Neale and Joe Ingles may not light up the scoreboard, but they rebound, play tough defense and fit well into an offense that ranked fifth in offensive rating going into Friday, perBasketball Reference.
The team is a well-oiled machine that has no glaring weakness, and head coach Quin Snyder is the early top candidate for Coach of the Year.
Championships, of course, aren't won 19 games into a season. And the Jazz will have a tough postseason lying ahead, with games against LeBron James and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers potentially looming.
But this team is for real. Whether it is good enough to make the NBA Finals remains to be seen, but it isn't about to wilt down the stretch or stumble early in the playoffs. In other words, expect at least one epic battle against a team from L.A. (the Lakers or Clippers) in the spring.
Dallas Loses Seventh Game Out of Nine, But Sky Isn't Falling (Yet)
Not much has gone right for the Mavericks this year.
Granted, it's been a strange season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused an adjusted schedule, protocol changes and players routinely needing to sit out for either positive tests or contact tracing.
Numerous rotation players have missed significant time to injuries on top of that, with Kristaps Porzingis, Josh Richardson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber all missing at least eight of the Mavs' 19 games thus far. Dallas hasn't been able to get into any sort of rhythm or consistent flow.
Ultimately, the sky isn't falling, especially with the season still featuring 53 more regular-season games. The Mavs have time to get healthy and recapture the success that made them a playoff team last year.
There is one issue, however, they need to address.
The defense has been porous at times, entering Friday ranked 20th indefensive rating, per Basketball Reference. That number won't be getting any better after the Jazz dropped 120 points, 37 of which came in the first quarter.
Dallas has allowed at least 112 in each of its last nine games. It did that just three times (in regulation) during its first 10 contests. Of course, the injuries haven't helped, but Dallas' offense simply hasn't been good enough (15th in offensive rating entering Friday) to make up for the defensive deficiencies.
Unfortunately, the Mavericks' schedule isn't going to let up, with their next five games against teams with winning records (albeit barely in the 9-8 Phoenix Suns, 10-9 Atlanta Hawks and 10-9 Golden State Warriors).
Dallas has only played six home games versus 13 on the road. The Mavs are just 2-4 at home, but maybe returning to Texas can help turn the season around. They'll have to clamp down on defense to do so, but the daily triple-double threat in Doncic gives them hope.
What's Next?
The Jazz will visit the Nuggets on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Ball Arena. The Mavs will return home to host the Suns on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET in American Airlines Center.
Now over a month into the season, we're still seeing plenty of upsets and parity as the short layoff and the league's health and safety protocols produce bizarre results on a nightly basis...
