The Dallas Mavericks ended 2023 with a solid win against the Golden State Warriors who, while not at their normal levels, have been solid at home as of late.
That, combined with a solid performance on Christmas night against the troubled Phoenix Suns, gives hope that the Mavericks can build some momentum into the new year, and maybe even get a little healthier. While the team didn’t climb the power rankings this week, they managed to stay strong as they continue to beat bad teams and put up a decent fight against top contenders.Ranking: 9Last week: 9The Mavs have the worst record (5-9) in games played among the nine West teams currently above .500 after losing three big games last week. But they discovered their offense over the long weekend and kept the Suns from falling back into the over-.500 group thanks in part to Luka Doncic’s special Christmas performance. Three points to rememberDoncic’s streak of 11 consecutive games with at least 30 points ended Wednesday against the Clippers (when he scored 28 points). Two nights later, he missed a game in Houston and the Mavs suffered their first three-game losing streak of the season after scoring just 103.3 points per 100 possessions over the three games.But they were able to play against the Spurs on Saturday when Doncic had a triple-double with 39 points. And he saved another special performance for the holidays, recording the fourth 50-point game in history on Christmas as the Mavs kept the Suns on the road to nowhere. His ability to make plays (and get fouled) when he’s in the paint remains the most important part of his game, but Doncic was also 8 of 16 from 3-point range Monday and continued to make his best shooting at 3 points in his career season (38.7%). Dereck Lively II returned from a four-game absence over Christmas, recording his second 20-and-10 game of his rookie season. It was Dante Exum’s seventh game as a starter and the Mavs have now outscored their opponents by more than 30 points per 100 possessions in 124 total minutes with Doncic, Exum and Lively on the court together.Their Christmas Day win in Phoenix was the middle game of the Mavs’ only five-game series in seven days, which concludes Thursday with a visit to Minnesota. They shot just 7-of-32 (22%) from 3-point range in an 18-point loss (at home) to the Wolves less than two weeks ago. Ranking: 12Last week: 12Luka Dončić missed Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, resulting in one of the most predictable (if relatively competitive) losses of the season.But before that absence, Luka had been emphatically joining the MVP conversation (if not already in it) in recent weeks. Lukas has only scored fewer than 30 points once since November 22. During that 15-game stretch, he scored 36.7 points, 10.3 assists, 8.8 rebounds, 3.9 three-pointers and 1.6 steals. Rank: 9Last week: 9Kyrie Irving has stepped up his on-court training as he nears his return from a bruised right heel that has sidelined him since Dec. 8. But even after his return, coach Jason Kidd plans to keep defenseman Dante Exum in the starting lineup. He pushed Grant Williams to the bench to prioritize playmaking and defense over the ball. The lineup composed of Luka Doncic, Irving, Exum, Derrick Jones Jr. and Dereck Lively II is plus 35 in 22 minutes. The four-man group, excluding Irving, is plus-76 in 71 minutes. The trio of Doncic, Exum and Lively is plus-86 in 180 minutes. Lively, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Mavs’ win over the Suns on Christmas Day after missing the previous four games with a sprained ankle, was a driving force behind Dallas’ success. The Mavs are 17-7 when Lively plays and 1-5 when he doesn’t play. – MacMahonRanking: 13 (Level 3: Playoff Teams)Last week: 12One thing I like: It doesn’t even make sense how good Luka Dončić is. You can cut any segment of the season and his numbers are ridiculous. His last 14 games have included 37.6 points, 11.4 assists and 9.2 rebounds on 62.5% true shooting.Something I don’t know: Kyrie Irving has missed nine straight games, and any dreams of seeing him play nearly an entire season are all but gone.I have a question: Can the Mavs reach a deal to get a big man who can rebound and defend while Dereck Lively II gains experience?
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