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The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Sacramento Kings 114-113. The Mavericks overcame a ton of adversity including missing Luka Doncic. Spencer Dinwiddie and De’aaron Fox put on an absolute show as they combined for 80 points. The Kings led for the vast majority of the game, but the Mavericks did just enough to finish with a dramatic victory.
Here are the stats to know.
36: Points scored by Spencer Dinwiddie
Dinwiddie was extremely efficient, shooting 11 of 22 from the field and 12 of 13 from the free throw line. He also chipped in 7 assists. Dinwiddie has been stunningly good since the Mavericks acquired him, but he was clearly the primary focus of the Kings defense and he still produced.
He is just so dynamic getting to the rim. The Mavericks have not had a player who can get to the rim the way he does during the Luka era. He is huge for a point guard not named Luka but also explosive in a way that Luka is not. He combines that size and athleticism with craft which puts a ton of pressure on the defense and leads to copious free throw attempts.
17: Points scored by Dorian Finney-Smith
Finney-Smith had a quietly excellent game as he was very active and shot 5 of 11 on threes. He made the game winner with 3.3 seconds left and proceeded to tell the Kings exactly how big a mistake leaving him open was.
Finney-Smith is the heart and soul of this team. His competitiveness was a big part of the Mavericks coming back from yet another huge deficit. But fight is not enough. Finney-Smith combined skill with that grit in making the final three as he has truly evolved as a player.
12: Points and rebounds for Josh Green
Green had his first career double double. He made two corner threes and provided a ton of energy to keep the Mavericks in the game when everything was going wrong. There will always been some lament that the Mavericks did not take other players who were available but Green continues to show flashes of a useful player.
13: Number of games the Mavericks have won after trailing by double figures
The Mavericks lead the league in wins after trailing by double figures. Fully one third of their wins are come from behind wins at this point. There was a lot of talk that the Mavericks hired Jason Kidd purely for vibes and to make the players happy. He has been a good coach in an Xs and Os sense, but the players clearly love to play for him and they do not quit.
Here’s our latest 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.
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