Stats rundown: 5 stats from the Mavericks win over the Raptors

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Toronto Raptors 103-95 for their first victory of the season. The game wasn’t always pretty, but there are no style points. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Luka Doncic led the way on offense, while Kristaps Porzingis played very well defensively. Here are the stats to know.

5: Number of steals and blocks for Porzingis

Porzingis had four blocks and one steal as he continues to use his renewed mobility to be a force on the defensive end. This has not been a pretty start for Porzingis or the team offensively, but there is enough talent that the offense should get figured out. Porzingis regaining his defensive abilities was the most important point of the offseason and he did that today.

27/9/12: Number of points, rebounds and assists for Luka

Luka missed his first triple double of the season by one rebound, but he stuffed the stat sheet anyway. He was freed from the grasp of Deandre Hunter and enjoyed it. Luka was only 2-for-10 from three-point range, but he was 9-for-14 on twos as he was able to get to the rim at will and hit midrange shots.

9: Number of turnovers for the Mavericks

The Mavericks turned the ball over 15 times against the Hawks but cut that to nine tonight. Luka had five of those turnovers and the rest of the team only had four. It helps to get as many shots as possible if the team is going to shoot so poorly.

7: Number of threes for Hardaway Jr.

Hardaway got off to a bit of a slow start but heated up in the second half. This team just feels different when Hardaway Jr. is making shots. He also threw in a nice dunk as he continues to look to attack.

17: Number of minutes Reggie Bullock played

Bullock was the only major addition this team made this offseason. He was away from the team at the end of the preseason, but he has still played only 32 minutes total in his first two games. The team must integrate him into the lineup in a much better way going forward. More minutes with Doncic to allow him to get good catch-and-shoot looks could be a way to get him going.

This game certainly will not be used as an instructional video for how to play offensive basketball going forward, but it was the first win of the 2021-22 season for the Mavericks.

Here’s our lastest episode of Mavs Moneyball After Dark. If you’re unable to see the embed below, click here to be taken to the podcast directly. Or go to your favorite podcast app and search Mavs Moneyball Podcast.