The Dallas Mavericks outlasted the Chicago Bulls 120-119 on Saturday night. Klay Thompson lit up the United Center and led Dallas with 20 points. Matas Buzelis showed some of the promise that got him drafted 11th overall as he carried Chicago with 28 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.
The Mavericks came out stagnant, with Anthony Davis taking a long two and Klay Thompson barely hitting the rim on a floater in two of their first four possessions. Chicago took advantage and controlled the pace early, jumping out to a 12-5 lead. Dallas took a timeout, allowed Anthony Davis to rest, and quickly climbed back into the game with an 8-4 burst, led by Spencer Dinwiddie. After a few minutes of back-and-forth, Brandon Williams reached deep in his bag to spearhead an 11-1 run before Chicago leveled things out to end the quarter. Dallas trailed 34-30 after one.
After finishing the first quarter strong, Chicago hit the gas early in the second frame to open a 10-point lead just over two minutes in. This became 12 just over halfway through the quarter before the Mavericks finally answered with an 11-0 run that featured three pretty left-wing threes from Klay Thompson. Chicago took a timeout, but the Mavericks kept pushing until they took the lead back after scoring 15 in a row. Unlike the first quarter, the Mavericks were able to hold on and take a 58-55 advantage into the half.
Chicago took the game back with two quick buckets in the third, but Dallas put a Chicago run on hold by reclaiming their own six-point lead via a Thompson three and two Mavericks layups. Offense was aplenty for both teams while Anthony Davis found his shot in the midsection of the third quarter, and the theme of see-saw runs continued as Dallas gave up their lead just as quickly as they obtained it. Naji Marshall and Brandon Williams steadied the ship as the period concluded and Dallas carried an 89-87 edge into the fourth quarter.
Quickly in the fourth, the Mavericks had an excellent high-low sequence where Anthony Davis hit Kai Jones on a superb bounce pass for a dunk. As is the case often, this “layup” gave Dallas the confidence they needed to defend and build a nine-point lead in the first three-and-a-half minutes. But, once again, the Bulls climbed back into the game and cut the deficit to three before Klay Thompson and Spencer Dinwiddie hit back-to-back threes to restore the nine-point advantage. The Mavericks never squandered this lead (although they tried their hardest) and beat Chicago 120-119 for their 37th win of the season.
Dallas got solid games from P.J. Washington (19 points), Naji Marshall (14 points), and Spencer Dinwiddie (14 points, 11 assists), while Chicago got 22 points from Nikola Vucevic and 25 points and 11 rebounds from Coby White.
Anthony Davis is not healthy
Davis now has three games under his belt since returning from injury and it is clear that he is not himself. His first shot, a (roughly) 20-footer, set the tone for his night. He avoided chest-to-chest contact at every corner: rebounding, driving, and trying to finish on the interior. This led to another poor shooting night and some concerning falls that had me holding my breath. It is honorable that he is playing, but the offense picked up when he went out of the game. Other than being an elite weak-side shot-blocker, I am not sure what Davis provides this team in his current form.
Defend and run
The Mavericks turned Chicago over 19 times and scored 27 points off those turnovers. Eight blocks and nine steals allowed Dallas to get out and control the pace of the game, which made it much easier to respond to the runs Chicago went on. The Mavericks pride themselves on defending and although the Bulls’ point total was high, the Mavericks got a lot of key stops and stops that led directly to scores.
Brandon Williams and Kai Jones: NBA players
Williams finished the game with 12 points and three assists. Jones grabbed seven rebounds, had four steals and two blocks, and contributed 15 points as well. The sample size for both of these guys is now large enough that I can confidently say they are bonafide role players. Jones has incredible instincts and athleticism and Williams has a feel for the game that not many guys have. Dallas would be unwise to not bring them back on NBA deals next year. Both pass the eye test, both have produced in games, and both would not cost the Mavericks an arm and a leg.
