The Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons entered Friday’s game on diverging paths.
Dallas, once a championship contender, is in an underwhelming position outside of the Play-In picture, while the Pistons are one of the NBA’s surprise teams and have reversed their fortunes as the worst team in the league just a season ago.
The Mavericks desperately sought to avoid tying a season-high fifth straight loss and succeeded in doing so by capturing a 123-117 win over the Pistons.
In what was a physical and chippy night of basketball, the undersized Mavericks managed to rely on their starters to find success.
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Spencer Dinwiddie scored a season-high 31 points with seven assists against the Pistons – the franchise that selected him in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft. It was apparent Dinwiddie was in for a big scoring night when he scored his first 10 points in the first quarter. The crafty veteran
P.J. Washington finished with 27 points and broke a special scoring milestone in the first quarter after knocking down his first of four 3-pointers. That triple – one of five on the night – allowed him to eclipse 5,000 career points.
Related:Mavericks’ P.J. Washington has strong feelings on fans’ ‘Fire Nico’ chant
Washington became the fifth player in NBA history to record at least 5,000 points, 2,000 rebounds, 850 assists, 500 3-pointers, 350 steals and 350 blocks within their first 400 career games. He joined Kevin Durant, Vince Carter, Paul Pierce and Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki as the only players to achieve the feat.
Washington becomes the fifth player in NBA history to record at least 5,000 points, 2,000 rebounds, 850 assists, 500 3FGM, 350 steals and 350 blocks within their first 400 career games:Dirk NowitzkiVince CarterKevin DurantPaul Pierce
P.J. Washington Jr.
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) March 22, 2025
Naji Marshall recorded a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds with five assists. Klay Thompson returned to the lineup after missing the loss in Indiana with a sickness. He finished with 20 points and five rebounds. Kai Jones had 10 points and seven rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
The Pistons entered the game with 39 wins after finishing with a franchise-worst record 14 wins last season. Their newfound success is rooted in Arlington native Cade Cunningham, who totaled 35 points, seven rebounds and six assists in his first game playing at American Airlines Center since the Pistons selected him No. 1 overall in the 2021 draft.
Cunningham, who became a first-time All-Star this season, had 40 points to lead the Pistons to a blowout win over Dallas on Jan. 31. He trimmed the lead to four with 3.5 minutes left after scoring a layup while drawing a foul on Kai Jones. He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to keep his team competitive until the final seconds, but the Mavericks took advantage of their trips to the free throw line when Detroit fouled.
The Mavericks led by three with 23.8 seconds left when Brandon Williams made a layup as he was fouled to put the game out of reach.
Four technical fouls were issued during Friday’s game. Cunningham received one, along with Tobias Harris. Washington and Jaden Hardy also received technical fouls for arguing with officials.
Friday’s game marked the return of Tim Hardaway Jr, who played his first game in American Airlines Center since he was traded to the Pistons in the offseason for former Mavericks guard Quentin Grimes. He was honored by the franchise he spent over five seasons for with a special tribute video, which encapsulated his best moments in a Mavericks jersey, during the first timeout of the first quarter. Hardaway embraced the moment and stepped on the court to acknowledge his former fanbase with a wave.
However, Hardaway’s return was abruptly cut short midway through the second quarter when he stepped on Washington’s foot and suffered a right ankle sprain. He went down in front of the Mavericks bench and both teams surrounded him as he clutched his right leg. Hardaway was eventually helped to his feet and escorted to the locker room. He finished scoreless.
The Mavericks knew the feeling of seeing a teammate go down all too well. Their trio of big men – Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford were on the bench in street clothes. The Mavericks sent them to the Texas Legends, their G League affiliate, on Friday. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd described their time with the Legends as a positive experience, but he did not provide a timetable for their possible in-season return.
A lot has changed since the last time these teams met in late January. Luka Doncic was still a member of the Mavericks and Kyrie Irving was still healthy. Dallas was three games over .500. This time around, the Mavericks entered four games under .500 and in danger of missing the playoffs.
After a devastating loss to Indiana on Monday, the Mavericks needed to get back into the win column as Phoenix overtook 10th place in the Western Conference standings. Now, they’ll try to sustain their momentum on a four-game East Coast trip that begins Monday in Brooklyn.
X/Twitter: @MikeACurtis2
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