Mavericks vs. Nets Recap: Dallas out-classes Brooklyn in 113-105 win

The Dallas Mavericks (15-25) defeated the Brooklyn Nets (11-25) on Monday night by a score of 113-105. In a contest between two floundering teams, the shorthanded Mavericks were able to grind it out and prevail. Cooper Flagg led the way for Dallas with 27 points, while Michael Porter Jr. paced Brooklyn with a game-high 28 of his own.

As Jason Kidd has been fond of doing lately, Dallas started a wonky zero-PG lineup. Tonight, that group featured the sparingly used Jaden Hardy and Dwight Powell. Kidd was rewarded for his gambit, as Hardy came out ready to play, hitting three early 3-pointers to help the Mavericks build an early lead. As the first quarter played out, Flagg started to find his offense, Klay Thompson checked in and hit some threes, and Moussa Cisse made things happen underneath. A strong period ended with the Mavericks sporting a 32-23 early advantage.

The two teams went back-and-forth for most of the second quarter, with Dallas maintaining a near-10-point lead for most of the frame. Flagg hit a flurry of tough buckets after checking back in, while Porter Jr. did his best to keep Brooklyn connected. Toward the end of the quarter, Flagg completely took the game over on both ends. His brilliance would have given Dallas a more commanding lead, but a Terance Mann buzzer-beating 3-ball helped Brooklyn to trim the deficit to 56-45 at the half.

The Mavericks’ offense went cold early in the third, and hot shooting from Porter Jr. allowed Brooklyn to creep back into the game. Flagg briefly left the game after turning his left ankle, and it looked as though things might get dicey for Dallas. But Flagg returned after missing just a few minutes of game action — Dallas then steadied itself and took an 84-77 lead into the final period.

Brooklyn continued to claw back in the fourth quarter, as Dallas couldn’t quite put the Nets away for most of the period. But eventually, a brilliant closing act from Naji Marshal (12 points in the period) and a 3-point dagger from Flagg helped the Mavericks slam the door. Dallas ended up with a 113-105 victory to kick off the four-game homestand. Here are three observations from this one.

It’s no secret to anyone who watched that the Mavericks didn’t have a lot of juice in Chicago on Saturday night. The entire team seemed lifeless and dejected, and it’s hard to blame them. The announcement of Anthony Davis’ hand injury, coupled with a series of tough recent losses, clearly was weighing on the players. For maybe the first time this season, they got out-competed by their opponent in a major way. This was obvious in the performance of Cooper Flagg, who had what was likely his worst game as a pro.

The Nets are a dumpster fire, a tanking team full of unproven young players and a “star” who is best suited as a sharpshooting No.3 option. With Cam Thomas and solid rookie Egor Demin out, the talent-deprived Nets faced an uphill battle on the second night of a road back-to-back. Still, it was nice to see the Mavericks take their opponent seriously, come out and play hard. The game may have been closer than it should have been (Dallas is addicted to clutch games), but with how shorthanded the Mavericks are, you’ll certainly take the win and run.

The supporting trio of Naji Marshall, Klay Thompson, and Dwight Powell all played brilliant games on Monday. Against a young and inexperienced Brooklyn squad, this group was able to get their collective games off. Marshall’s 22 points and nine assists were crucial, as he provided Dallas with a desperately needed playmaker when the defense zeroed in on Flagg. Thompson added 18 points and hit six 3-pointers, a huge factor in Dallas winning the battle from deep by 18 points. Both Marshall and Thompson are likely trade candidates ahead of next month’s deadline, and tonight was a good showcase for how they can help contending teams.

Dwight Powell, the last man standing after injuries decimated Dallas’ vaunted big man rotation, outclassed the young Nets tonight. He grabbed 10 boards (a massive number for him), dished out three assists, and consistently made plays to help the Mavericks win. Unlike Marshall and Thompson, Powell isn’t a threat to go anywhere. But Maverick fans should continue to appreciate the little things he does for this team. Tonight was the perfect example of that.

Cooper Flagg, handling the double

After Flagg poured in 19 points in the first half, Brooklyn elected to aggressively double him near halfcourt nearly every time he touched the ball. Flagg still managed to score eight points in the second half, but the constant doubles made things much easier for his teammates. While Flagg finished with a modest five assists, he consistently found the roller in the middle of the floor and racked up hockey assists. This is what helped Marshall score so many points and get Klay Thompson loose from three. Flagg also finished with ZERO turnovers, an impressive feat considering how hard Brooklyn was trapping him. This is a special, special basketball player.