DALLAS — Editor's note: The Dallas Mavericks take on the Boston Celtics at 6:30 p.m. tonight on WFAA! Now sure how to watch? Here's a breakdown on how to tune in -- and guarantee you get the clearest signal possible of the broadcast.
The back-to-back games this week showed the two faces of Dallas Mavericks basketball, starting with the side that was seemingly in the rearview mirror.
Dallas lost in Cleveland 121-119 on Tuesday via a mid-court desperation heave as the clock ran out. Their two stars had almost single-handedly willed the Mavs to victory with 75 of the team’s 119 points, but no other player could add more than 11 points on the night. While they suffered the loss on an improbable shot at the end, the defeat still showed the vulnerability of the roster when only Doncic and Irving can create offense.
A day after the buzzer-beater misery, Dallas salvaged the end of their month with a 180 in a complete team effort 136-125 win against the Toronto Raptors. Dallas again counted on their stars, with Doncic’s night ending in typical fashion with his eleventh triple-double of the season, finishing with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists on the night of his 25th rotation around the sun, becoming the only player in league history to accomplish a triple-double on their birthday.
Just another day at the basketball factory for the young legend, but Doncic didn’t have to shoulder the effort on his own, which has become the key for Dallas. Four other Mavericks reached double digits on the night.
After being robbed of a game-winner in Cleveland by the Max Strus three-point barrage, P.J Washington had his best game as a Maverick to date, shooting 50% from the field including 5-of-10 from deep, finishing with 23 points. Kyrie Irving continued his spectacular play as well, adding 29 on 11-of-20 shooting, with 21 of his points coming in the second half.
Tim Hardaway Jr.’s streakiness came around for 16 points, and the Daniel Gafford-Dereck Lively II center combination provided 22 points. When the Raptors threatened late in the 4th, Gafford, Lively, and the Mavs’ rim protection answered. With the shortest month of the year concluding, the Mavs finished February with an 8-3 record, matching their best monthly totals of the season in fewer games.
Dallas started the month with a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 3rd before going on a seven-game win streak with the All-Star break sandwiched in between.
Back-to-back losses to Indianapolis and Cleveland followed this week, concluding the streak. While demoralizing, the Cavaliers are currently entrenched as the East’s 2nd seed with a record (38-20) that would place them 1st in four of the six divisions.
Still, seeing the winning streak snapped and then losing on a miracle shot after failing to close out a big lead was a tough way for a nine-game stretch against the top Eastern Conference teams to get underway.
The Strus miracle was the type of loss that a mentally inferior team may let linger, but Dallas showcased a return to their recent rise in play with authority in Toronto, giving renewed hope that the complete team wins will be more frequent. Dallas now heads into March, the last full month of the regular season, looking to secure a playoff spot in a loaded conference.
Perhaps the toughest test of the season comes quickly after a day of rest, with a date in Boston on Friday night with the East Coast gauntlet in full swing. The Celtics have won a league-best 46 games with a deep lineup fronted by MVP candidate Jayson Tatum, All-Star Jaylen Brown, and former Maverick Kristaps Porzingis.
Boston doesn’t just win, they win big.
The Celtics lead the league in margin of victory, offensive rating, and in three point attempts. Porzingis has had a career resurgence thanks to being a third option, and Jrue Holiday, while older, can dedicate himself to his defensive acumen and let the scoring come to him.
Every season, there’s seemingly one big bad at the top of the tower, and this year’s version resides at the TD Garden, where the Celtics have lost just three times this season.
With the return of Dante Exum in Toronto, Dallas thankfully has their roster at its healthiest point that it’s been all season. Adding Exum to the current defensive rotation has Dallas in a strong place for the last leg of their sprint, and they will need every bit of that rotation to take Boston’s punches. On the offensive side, Irving will be returning to Boston playing his best basketball as a Mav, averaging nearly 28 points in February.
Dallas has 23 games left in the season, 15 games to play in March, and one left on the road for this trip before returning home to host the 76ers to close the weekend.
The Mavericks don’t face another Western Conference opponent until March 13 when they host Steph Curry and Golden State, so Dallas will need to continue making a dent against the Eastern Conference to move up in their own playoff picture.
Do you think the Mavericks will come out unscathed against the East? Share your thoughts with Irvin on Twitter @Twittirv.
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