The Dallas Mavericks finally won one, taking down the Detroit Pistons at home Friday night, 123-117. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 31 to lead Dallas. Cade Cunningham scored 35 in defeat for the Pistons. Depending on the outcome of the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers game, Dallas may be back in the 10th spot in the West.
Dallas fans were treated to a fun offensive opening to the game, putting the Pistons in their heels early. PJ Washington and Kai Jones led the action early. Cunningham kept Detroit close with a variety of makes. The Mavericks managed to grow the lead to nine on a Spencer Dinwiddie three around the five-minute mark. Detroit went on a quick 9-2 run over the ensuing 80-plus seconds to force a Jason Kidd timeout. The Mavericks responded with a flurry of makes, keeping the Pistons at bay. After one quarter, Dallas led 35-27.
One would think a team playing as well as Detroit would figure it out by the second quarter. One would be wrong. Dallas kept the pressure on, score pretty easily for most of the period. Detroit managed to close the lead to four over the period, but every time they’d make a basket to give them some momentum, the Mavericks would answer. Dallas managed to lead by as many as 10 in the quarter, before a closing some attacking Dwight Powell in the paint. The Mavericks led 60-54 at the half.
Detroit looked like a team that wanted to win the game… for a few minutes at least. After closing the lead down to three points on two occasions, the Pistons came apart at the seams. Multiple boneheaded plays, technical fouls, and incessant whining resulted in Detroit handing back a lead which regrew all the way to nine points half way into the third. The Mavericks held off the ugly Pistons offense the remainder of the quarter and took a 91-83 lead into the final frame.
The Mavericks looked to close the deal in the fourth; baskets from Washington, Dinwiddie, and Klay Thompson quickly forced a Detroit timeout with the Mavericks up double digits. The Pistons finally looked like a competent basketball team and answered with six of their own, resulting in a Dallas timeout. The Mavericks scored following the timeout but Washington in particular seemed to short-circuit in the following minutes, committing turnovers on three straight possessions at one point. A Malik Beasley three cut the Dallas lead to three, only for the Pistons to lose their minds the next possession, fouling then giving up an offensive rebound. Missed free throws in the quarter would haunt Detroit as Dallas drained the clock and scored just enough to hold on. Dallas won the free throw contest and walked away with a good win, 123-117.
Dallas lost the turnover battle big, but it didn’t matter
This game had a preposterous number of turnovers, 34 between the two teams, but Dallas managed to hold off a sloppy-looking Pistons team. The Mavericks surrendered just 17 points off those 20 turnovers and if you saw the game live, it was like watching a JV basketball team in the Pistons some plays.
PJ Washington led the Mavericks in scoring, but posting a whopping NINE turnovers and zero assists is pretty rough. He’s the best Dallas player available these days, so his ball control has to be a point of emphasis.
Spencer Dinwiddie was unstoppable
Dinwiddie missed just three field goals and two free throws. That’s impressive as between field goal attempts and free throw attempts, he had 25 total attempts. The Pistons insistence on leaving Beasely on an island against Dinwiddie was dumb and the veteran guard exploited matchups all night.
The game is about winning
There’s going to be growing chorus of fans who want Dallas to lose to secure better odds. That’s not going to happen, at least not on purpose. The players play hard, the coaches do their thing, and it is what it is. Honestly, the Mavericks should have beaten both the Sixers AND the Pacers, so they were due a game like this where they looked like the far better group.
