It would be fair to assume that rust would be a contributing factor for two teams coming off five-day layoffs.
That wasn’t the case in Friday’s meeting between the Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets, a clash of two balanced scoring efforts.
After trading baskets for the majority of the game, Mavericks found themselves in their 19th clutch game of the season — a mark that leads the NBA. And Backup point guard Brandon Williams was at the center of every key play of the Mavericks’ 119-111 win over the lowly Nets.
Williams gave the Mavericks a three-point lead with 2:50 left, countering a 3-pointer by Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. that previously tied the game. On the next possession, Williams found Anthony Davis for an easy layup. Williams used his playmaking to slip a pass inside the paint to P.J. Washington, who made two crucial free throws to give the Mavericks breathing room.
Mavericks
Related
With the victory, their fifth in the past six games, the Mavericks improved to 10-16.
Friday’s game was a tale of two halves for the Mavericks’ versatile duo of Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg. The rookie forward scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half, while Davis shook off a slow start and scored 20 of his team-high 24 points in the second half.
“Cooper was really good there in the first half,” Kidd said. “He was attacking. He got us going offensively. AD had four pts [in the 1st half], but I thought he picked it up there in the second half. When one guy is going, you tend to lean on him and I thought we leaned on AD there in the second half.”
Flagg finished with 22 points, five rebounds and eight assists. He showed he was the most intriguing two-way prospect in his draft class late in the first quarter when he made impressive plays on both ends of the floor. Flagg came over from the weak side to emphatically block a shot by Day’Ron Sharpe, sparking a fast break. The 18-year-old finished the play on the other end and used his left hand to score a layup, completing yet another versatile sequence.
It wasn’t apparent from watching him, but Flagg admitted he fought through fatigue early in the game coming off the long layoff.
“I actually felt tired, to be honest,” Flagg said. “I thought I was stiff and tired, but I worked my way into it…Just playing as hard as I can. That’s something I pride myself on every day.”
Washington, who had 13 points and four rebounds, was part of the most entertaining sequence of the game. Max Christie blocked ignited a transition opportunity in the second quarter and blocked a shot, leading to an alley-oop connection between Klay Thompson and Washington. The seventh year forward then stole an inbound pass and returned the favor by passing to Thompson on the wing for a 3-pointer, completing a five-point sequence in a matter of seconds.
The Mavericks looked fully rested, especially since they had five days since Saturday’s win over the Houston Rockets. Naji Marshall finished with 17 points and four assists, while Thompson added 12 points off the bench.
Davis had 14 rebounds with three steals and three blocks, to go along with his second straight game of at least 24 points.
“I’m not a one-trick pony,” Davis said. “I can play both ends of the floor. When teams are trying to switch and front and deny me the ball, I can make an effort and impact the game on the defensive end.”
Brooklyn was led by Porter Jr., who finished with 34 points and four rebounds. Rookie forward Danny Wolf scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench.
Daniel Gafford missed his third consecutive game because of right ankle injury management. Despite the long layoff, the Mavericks are being cautious with their big man so he doesn’t aggravate the ankle sprain for a fourth time since his original injury occurred on the first day of training camp.
D’Angelo Russell also missed Friday’s game against his former team because of an illness. He was downgraded to questionable shortly after the team’s morning shootaround, which he was not present for, and ruled out before the game began.
The Mavericks entered Friday’s matchup against the Nets in 10th place in the Western Conference, which would give them the final spot of the Play-In tournament if the season ended today.
Friday marked the first of two games added to the Mavericks’ schedule because they did not qualify for the Knockout Round of the NBA Cup. They will hit the road for a one-game trip to face the struggling Utah Jazz on Monday night.
X/Twitter: @MikeACurtis2
See where Mavs’ Cooper Flagg landed on list of NBA’s best players under age of 25Mavericks react to Dereck Lively II’s foot surgery: ‘He’s gonna take it like a champ’
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.