The Dallas Mavericks had five full days to reset, recover, and prepare for Friday night. When the game finally arrived, it quickly became clear the break had not dulled the urgency of a team that has spent much of the season living in narrow margins.
Dallas played its 19th clutch game of the season — the most in the NBA — and once again needed precision in the final minutes. This time, Brandon Williams authored the key sequence, and Anthony Davis controlled the closing stretch on both ends as the Mavericks pulled away from the Brooklyn Nets for a 119-111 win at American Airlines Center.
The win was Dallas’ fifth in its last six games, moving the Mavericks to 10-16 and keeping them in sole possession of 10th place in the Western Conference.
A Fast Start That Looked Like No Layoff At All
For two teams coming off extended rest, the early pace suggested otherwise. Brooklyn opened with confident shot-making and interior pressure. Michael Porter Jr. set the tone quickly, scoring on a dunk and then knocking down a 24-foot three to help the Nets establish an early lead.
Dallas countered through the frontcourt. P.J. Washington scored at the rim off an assist from Davis, and the Mavericks repeatedly looked to create early offense without needing to play from a standstill.
The first quarter became an exchange of runs. Brooklyn found rhythm from deep, with Egor Demin and Terance Mann each hitting threes after early movement created clean looks. Dallas answered through Cooper Flagg’s activity and a steady stream of chances generated by ball movement and rebounding.
Even as the opening minutes unfolded, Flagg’s two-way imprint surfaced. Late in the first quarter, he rotated from the weak side to block Day’Ron Sharpe’s driving layup, then immediately finished a transition sequence on the other end. The play reflected a central theme of Dallas’ night: turning stops into chances and using tempo to avoid stagnation.
The Nets carried a 33-32 lead after one quarter, a reflection of how evenly matched the flow had been despite Brooklyn’s season-best night from three-point range.
Bench Units, Ball Movement, And A Second-Quarter Push
Dallas began the second quarter by leaning into its depth. Max Christie and Klay Thompson provided spacing, Dwight Powell anchored the interior, and the Mavericks continued to move the ball decisively.
That approach shaped the entire game. Dallas finished with 33 assists and recorded its eighth game this season with at least 30 assists. The ball movement not only created open shots, it also kept the Mavericks from over-relying on any single action while they waited for Davis to find his scoring rhythm.
By halftime, Dallas had built a 65-61 lead. The advantage came without a dominant scoring burst from Davis, who was still working through a slow start, and without a need for high-volume isolation.
Davis later acknowledged the broader challenge of returning after an unusual midseason break — particularly against an opponent that had been playing better recently.
“Six days off and coming back is tough, especially against a team that has been playing well,” Davis said. “They’ve been playing really well. I think they had won three of their last four. Michael Porter Jr. had been kind of the head of the snake for them, and he played a good game tonight as well.”
Davis said the Mavericks’ attention remained collective rather than matchup-specific.
“We were trying to make it tough for him,” Davis said. “As a collective, I think we did a good job on both ends of the floor.”
Cooper Flagg Sets The Early Offensive Tone
While Davis was steady as a passer and defender in the first half, Flagg provided Dallas’ early offensive spark. He scored 18 of his 22 points before halftime, consistently attacking the basket, absorbing contact, and making reads when Brooklyn sent extra attention.
Jason Kidd pointed directly to Flagg’s aggression as the reason Dallas was able to settle into its offense early.
“Cooper was really good there in the first half,” Kidd said. “He was attacking. He got us going offensively.”
Flagg’s first-half production mattered not only for the points, but for how it shaped the floor. Brooklyn had to account for his downhill pressure, which created space for Dallas’ shooters and opened passing windows.
Davis detailed what stood out most about Flagg’s approach.
“He was very aggressive, attacking the basket,” Davis said. “Him getting downhill makes him very tough to guard. Obviously, every night teams are going to try to put their best wing defender on him and be physical with him, but he does a good job of getting to his spots and making the right reads.”
Davis also explained how Flagg’s early success changed the geometry of the game for the rest of the lineup.
“He definitely led the charge,” Davis said. “Once he started drawing so much attention by getting to the basket early and getting it going early, he was able to open up the floor for everyone else to be aggressive.”
Flagg, however, described a different internal reality. Despite the production, he said the long layoff left him feeling heavy early.
“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.”
Brooklyn’s Shooting Keeps It Tight Into The Fourth
The Nets’ perimeter shot-making was the defining reason the game remained tense late. Brooklyn hit 17 of 39 threes — a season-best 43.6% — and Porter Jr. was the centerpiece, going 6-for-10 from deep on his way to 34 points.
Even as Dallas controlled the paint — outscoring Brooklyn 66-44 inside — the Nets’ shot profile kept them within reach. They repeatedly answered Mavericks stretches with threes from Porter Jr. and Tyrese Martin, and they found timely contributions from rookie forward Danny Wolf, who scored 17 points off the bench.
Late in the third quarter, Brooklyn seized a 92-90 lead entering the fourth, forcing Dallas into another closing-time problem-solving exercise.
“That’s Just My Time”: Anthony Davis Takes Over When The Game Tightens
The final period became a showcase of Davis’ ability to impact a game beyond shot-making. He scored, rebounded, protected the rim, and controlled possessions that could have swung the outcome.
When asked if he sensed early in the fourth quarter that it was time to impose himself, Davis framed it as a familiar closing mindset.
“That’s just my time to make plays for myself and for my team,” Davis said. “That’s what we were doing. That’s what I was trying to do. Whether we missed shots or made shots, I was just trying to make the right play.”
Davis said the defensive priorities sharpened as the game reached winning time.
“Defensively, it was about talking and making sure we gave up no threes, especially to Michael Porter, being solid, and rebounding the basketball,” Davis said. “The last four minutes of the game are usually when I try to get the ball and make a positive impact.”
Dallas’ defensive communication — and the trust that followed — was a point Davis returned to when discussing where the team has grown during its recent stretch of wins.
“I think we’re talking more defensively,” Davis said. “Offensively, that’s where we’ve grown the most. Our transition defense has gotten way better, and we’re not giving up transition points.”
He described the group’s offensive identity as increasingly unselfish.
“We’re moving the basketball and playing free, playing for each other,” Davis said. “No one cares who scores. We’re trying to make the right play.”
Brandon Williams’ Closing Sequence Turns The Game
Even with Davis controlling the fourth-quarter interior, the decisive shift came from Williams. With the score tied at 110 and just under three minutes remaining, Dallas finally created separation.
Following a Flagg offensive rebound, Williams knocked down a three-pointer to put Dallas ahead 113-110. On the next trip, he found Davis for a short finish to make it a two-possession game. Soon after, he delivered a pass into the paint that led to Washington free throws — part of a late stretch where Dallas executed with clarity and composure.
Kidd emphasized Williams’ influence on the final minutes, both in terms of pace and decision-making.
“I thought B Will did a great job for us there in the fourth quarter, down the stretch, getting stops and then I thought the pace to keep running,” Kidd said. “And then I thought B Will’s ability to attack, get in the paint and make plays. I thought it was a great pass to AD.”
Defense As The Bridge When The Offense Was Slow
Davis’ stat line reflected his full-game imprint: 24 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. But his own description of the night placed equal value on what he did before his scoring took over.
“I’m not a one-trick pony, so I can play both ends of the floor,” Davis said. “When teams are trying to switch in front and deny me the ball, I can still make an effort and impact the game on the defensive end. That’s why I tried to do that in the first half.”
He said the offensive rhythm arrived once he stayed patient.
“In the second half, I was just finding my rhythm, being patient throughout the game, and finding my spots,” Davis said. “That’s it.”
Max Christie’s Two-Way Impact And A Confidence Shift
Max Christie provided one of Dallas’ most important secondary performances: 15 points, four made threes, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. He also drew a difficult defensive assignment on Porter Jr. during key stretches, something Davis said mattered even when the Nets star was scoring.
“We put him on Michael Porter even when he was hot, and he really cut the water off,” Davis said.
Davis noted Christie’s emotional edge showed up in a rare moment.
“He actually said something after that block, which I liked, because Max doesn’t talk a lot,” Davis said. “It got me a little hype.”
Davis tied Christie’s recent play to an internal shift he has seen since the trade that brought Christie to Dallas.
“His confidence,” Davis said, when asked about the biggest growth. “He’s always been able to make shots, get to the basket, and defend, but being in and out of the lineup early in his career affected his confidence.”
Davis added that the move itself initially weighed on Christie.
“The trade was a shock for him and weighed on him,” Davis said. “Now he has that confidence, and he’s playing like it.”
Naji Marshall’s Professionalism And Interior Finishing
Naji Marshall finished with 17 points and four assists, continuing a strong stretch and providing key playmaking in the half-court. Davis highlighted both Marshall’s touch near the rim and his steadiness in fluctuating roles.
“He has great touch,” Davis said. “He can finish with either hand, and he likes that little floater around the rim.”
Davis said the team consistently encourages Marshall to keep pressuring the paint.
“We’re always on him about getting downhill, getting to that floater, or getting all the way to the basket and finishing,” Davis said. “He’s either going to make it or get fouled, so we encourage him to continue to do that.”
When asked about Marshall’s versatility — starting, coming off the bench, then starting again — Davis framed it as a professionalism Dallas values.
“He’s a professional,” Davis said. “Most guys get bothered if they’re starting, then coming off the bench, then starting again, or if their minutes or shots are limited. He just does whatever the team and coaching staff need him to do.”
Davis also pointed to how Marshall responds to coaching in the moment.
“If you get on him, he doesn’t hang his head or get upset,” Davis said. “There were times tonight when I got on him about going under Michael Porter, and he came back and said, ‘That’s my bad, I’ll be better.’”
Navigating Frontcourt Injuries And Continuing To “Stack Wins”
Dallas’ interior dominance came despite a depleted center rotation. Dereck Lively II is out for the season following foot surgery, and Daniel Gafford missed his third straight game due to right ankle injury management. Davis played extensive minutes as the primary center, a necessity given the roster.
Asked about the conversations since Lively’s season-ending injury, Davis kept the message direct.
“My job is to play basketball,” Davis said. “Injuries are part of the game. It sucks to lose a guy who’s a big part of our team on both ends of the floor. We want him to get healthy and come back even better and stronger.”
He said the responsibility now is simply to adjust.
“Our job is to continue to play and figure it out until we get healthy,” Davis said. “We just go from there, play basketball, and try to keep stacking wins.”
Kyrie Irving’s Presence Even While Injured
Davis also described how Kyrie Irving has remained involved despite being sidelined. Irving has taken on a vocal role in practices and during games, offering feedback and support.
“We’re really close,” Davis said. “Playing only one game together since we’ve been here is tough, but having him around as a coach has been huge.”
Davis detailed Irving’s day-to-day impact, from direct communication to how he affects preparation.
“He texts me about things he sees, talks to me on the bench, helps Ryan at the point guard position, and challenges us defensively in practice,” Davis said.
He added that Irving’s competitiveness sometimes spills into practice settings.
“He sometimes messes up practice by playing Kyrie instead of the scout player, but that actually helps us think and prepare,” Davis said. “We all love having him around and can’t wait to have him back on the floor with us.”
The Closing Standard For A Team Learning How To Win Tight Games
Friday’s result fit the Mavericks’ season pattern: a close game, a decisive defensive stretch, and a late offensive sequence executed cleanly. Dallas outscored Brooklyn 29-19 in the fourth quarter and held the Nets to 28.6% shooting in the period, even as Brooklyn posted a season-best night from three.
Davis said Dallas’ growth is increasingly tied to communication, composure, and collective buy-in — even when shots do not fall.
“We encourage guys even when they miss shots,” Davis said. “PJ missed two free throws, then came back and made the next two. That encouragement applies to everyone.”
Then he reduced the objective to the simplest possible point.
“Winning trumps everything,” Davis said. “As long as we continue to do that, we can keep building something here.”
Dallas next plays at the Utah Jazz on Monday night.
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