:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51429827/usa-today-9619403.0.jpg)
On Wednesday night at the AAC we saw the Mavericks lose to the Rockets 106-91.
The Mavs came into this game with a losing record of 2-5 in the preseason and looked to bounce back after a messy loss against the Suns last Friday. Although we didn’t see the desired result, there were still some real positives.
Here’s a few things from tonight’s game.
Justin Anderson is going to make us all so happy this season.
The game looked like it was going to be a disaster early on until he checked in to the game in the first quarter. Anderson was pivotal to a getting the Mavs back on track with help from the bench unit of Powell, Curry and Mejri. They went on a 14-0 run in a really fun 7 minutes.
J.A finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 17 minutes. Although he didn’t fill up the box score, his confidence was high and it really showed. There is so much fun to be had with Anderson in the lineup.
The starting unit doesn’t look quite right yet.
There is still one more preseason game to go, but you’d probably hope by now that it’s starting to click together. On the offensive end, the Mavs were working really hard but just couldn’t get good looks at the basket. There wasn’t great flow, and when the good shots were there, they just weren’t going down. There were flashes in the 2nd half where we saw what could be, but the starting unit is going to have to be more consistent at the start of games.
Wes Matthews looks great again.
There was a definite spring in his step in this game, he looked quicker than we’ve seen him and moved so well around the court. It was encouraging to see him not just rely on his ability to hit the 3, but he put the ball on the floor as well and took it to the basket on numerous occasions. Wes had 15 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 4 steals.
On a team with few playmakers, Wes’ ability to attack the rim will become very crucial. With a healthy offseason and no minute restrictions during preseason, Wes is showing us what he can do when in his groove.
The last preseason game is in Denver on Friday night before the season opener in Indiana next Wednesday. Real basketball couldn’t come any sooner.