The Dallas Mavericks also know how to win despite the fact that their great star, Luka Doncic, is not inspired in front of the rival hoop. The Slovenian, who missed 21 shots, had never missed so many shots in his NBA career. Even so, his team beat the Wembanyama Spurs 107-113, who was also not successful.
The Mavericks, who had just beaten the Nuggets with a basket at Irving’s buzzer, suffered to beat the red lantern of the Western Conference, especially due to their offensive inconsistency. “We didn’t throw well,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd acknowledged after the crash. His team finished the game with 48% shooting from the field and 33% from the perimeter.
These worrying data on attack have a lot to do with Luka Doncic. The Slovenian was below 25% in shooting, with 6 of 27. The 21 missed shots against the Spurs is the worst mark for the former Real Madrid player since he began his NBA adventure. However, Doncic was once again key in the game, with 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds, achieving his eighth triple-double in the last ten games.
However, Dallas’ victory was built on defense, as Kidd later acknowledged: “We relied on defense to win the game. San Antonio puts a lot of pressure on your defense and the guys did a good job stopping Wembanyama. “. The Frenchman was not inspired either, as he only scored 12 points, with a disappointing 23% shooting from the field.
The Mavericks, with this victory, have six wins in the last seven games. This improvement is also due to the great form of Irving, who kept Dallas afloat in Doncic’s worst moments. The Australian-born point guard was the game’s top scorer, with 28 points.
The good dynamics that the Mavericks are experiencing places them tied with the Kings in sixth place. The battle to avoid the play-in and enter directly into the playoffs may be decided next week, as the Texans and Californians meet twice in a row in Sacramento.