Mavs Moneyball - Gameday: Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City ThunderRick Carlisle approved.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50869/mmb-fav.png2017-03-05T22:03:09-06:00http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/rss/stream/145830852017-03-05T22:03:09-06:002017-03-05T22:03:09-06:004 things as the Mavericks handle the Thunder, 104-89
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<img alt="NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5Dc3flWOSV8QG_CqfivhrEEr9UM=/0x504:2839x2397/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53550311/usa_today_9921161.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Dallas surprises Oklahoma City on national television, behind the heroics of Seth Curry and everyone’s favorite German.</p> <p id="S75Vbp">I’m not gonna lie, I thought this game would be a blowout. You know. National TV, facing <span>Russell Westbrook</span>, etc. etc. Well.....I wasn’t wrong?</p>
<p id="RLzghH">Despite a rough start to the first quarter, the <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a> slowly built a lead that got to a comfortable 20+ points, allowing them to coast through much of the second half. <span>Seth Curry</span> had 22 points on 10/16 (62.5 percent!) shooting, and Dirk was Dirking all over the place with 18 points on 8/17 shooting (47.1 percent!) and 12 rebounds.</p>
<p id="nfI7aK">So, yeah. I want this team to make the playoffs now and I’m not ashamed to admit it.</p>
<h4 id="3Y2XGH">Seth Curry is the best Curry</h4>
<p id="HjlmTB">Okay, maybe calling Seth better than Steph is a step too far, but DAMN if he hasn’t looked absolutely on fire the past several games. This was his third straight game with 20+ points, and he’s looked smooth as all get out. His teammates are finding him in the right spots, and having <span>Quinn Cook</span> in on a 10-day means he doesn’t have to worry as much about being the lead ball handler, which he’s still learning to be better at.</p>
<p id="btlBY1">Mark Cuban has <a href="http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-mavericks/mavericks/2017/03/05/mark-cuban-wants-seth-curry-maverick-forever">said recently that he wants Seth to be a Maverick forever</a>, and with the way the young guard has stepped up recently, I’m finding it hard to argue. (Okay, okay, we should probably see if this sustains over a season or so. But. Exciting!)</p>
<h4 id="ZQGKbx">Dirk’s shooting coach has been in town</h4>
<p id="I4IRgL">Dirk’s famous shooting coach typically pays his star pupil a post-All-Star Break visit, and Holger Geschwindner couldn’t have arrived at a better time. </p>
<p id="0HWnUA">Dirk’s had a rough few games recently, but this was one of those throwback Dirk nights where you just KNEW every Dirk shot was going in. It was good to see the Big German swishing shots once again. I, for one, just appreciate like crazy every single game Dirk is out there looking even decent. </p>
<p id="WanVMe">Never leave us, Dirk. Or Holger, for that matter. </p>
<h4 id="NtJzEF">
<span>Steven Adams</span> is a beast</h4>
<p id="1V7Of3">Despite leading for most of the game, the Mavs really had trouble early with Steven Adams. Adams is a great player in his own right, but the Mavericks really don’t have anyone who matches up well with him. <span>Nerlens Noel</span> has been great, obviously, but he still doesn’t quite have the size to match up with Adams, and when Noel was off the court, Dallas had someone helping on Adams at almost every step. </p>
<p id="pQ4O9k">Fortunately, because of the fourth bullet, that didn’t matter much tonight. Still, it’s a problem for this Mavs team when they play opponents who have Adams-type players the rest of the way out.</p>
<h4 id="2qkVXQ">
<span>Wesley Matthews</span> is finding ways to contribute</h4>
<p id="PK8pJa">Though his shot hasn’t been falling quite as smoothly as he would probably like lately, Wes Matthews was an absolute beast tonight on defense in his return from injury. Tasked with the almost impossible task of neutralizing Russell Westbrook all evening, he did....just fine! In fact, Matthews and the rest of Dallas held Westbrook scoreless in the second quarter entirely. </p>
<p id="y6Wm2F">Russ “Triple Double” Westbrook’s* final stat line: 29 points on 8/24 shooting, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. I’ll take that. </p>
<p id="zl0mOp">* I really really like watching you play, Russ! Against any team but mine. Please don’t hate me.</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/3/5/14824834/dallas-mavericks-oklahoma-city-thunder-game-recap-104-89Rebecca Lawson2017-03-05T18:30:02-06:002017-03-05T18:30:02-06:00GAME THREAD: Mavericks vs. Thunder
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<img alt="NBA: Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JIgWTizwz-vMpaQjhecDvxiqlz4=/8x0:4256x2832/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53546575/usa_today_9840872.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Russ & Co. come to town to face the Mavs’ revamped lineup.</p> <p id="Uj3UfD"><strong>WHO:</strong> <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a> vs. <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a></p>
<p id="yVCGcQ"><strong>WHAT:</strong> <span>Wesley Matthews</span> returns!</p>
<p id="qaLTJe"><strong>WHERE:</strong> American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX</p>
<p id="bU5gF2"><strong>WHEN:</strong> 7:30 p.m. CT</p>
<p id="lBCzDk"><strong>HOW: </strong>ESPN or FSSW</p>
<p id="NKGuOJ"><strong>THE STORY:</strong> In case you haven’t heard, <span>Russell Westbrook</span> is a very good player who has been basically destroying worlds lately. But the Mavs have new guy <span>Nerlens Noel</span>, who is already hitting career numbers. The good guys also get Ironman Wesley Matthews back tonight, and have been more competitive lately, so never say never? National TV, y’all, get hype! Go Mavs!</p>
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https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/3/5/14822224/game-thread-dallas-mavericks-vs-oklahoma-city-thunderRebecca Lawson2017-03-05T00:00:01-06:002017-03-05T00:00:01-06:003 things to watch as the Mavs host the Thunder
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<img alt="NBA: Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nVXaYAwgQY9Pgvcr4smVLtDip8c=/8x0:4256x2832/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53541321/usa_today_9840823.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Mavericks face yet another playoff test, and the league’s most dominant Point Guard, when they welcome in the Thunder to AAC.</p> <p id="tRJOwr">The Mavs have a tall test this evening against one of the league’s hottest teams. Anything could happen....right?</p>
<h4 id="kmZBJr"><span>Russell Westbrook</span></h4>
<p id="QV713L">That’s it. Russell Westbrook is reason enough to watch anything.</p>
<p id="9YAGEl">I would watch Russell Westbrook knit a sweater because he would do so with more aggression and tenacity than anyone who has ever knit a sweater previously, my own grandmother excepted, and be aiming for some sort of sweater knitting award that he could hold into the face of all of his enemies.</p>
<p id="UsuKI7">Westbrook is probably going to win the NBA’s MVP Award this season because it’s March and he is <em>still</em> averaging a triple-double on the season, which is just a tiny bit more impressive than averaging 10 assists (!) by itself or averaging 31 points (!) by itself or a Point Guard averaging 10 rebounds.</p>
<h4 id="xTbodF">Another tall test for Dirk</h4>
<p id="zuacDp"><span>Dirk Nowitzki</span> has been not great lately. He’s averaging 9.6 points per game the last three times he’s gotten on the court, which would be more terrifying if that didn’t come against <span>Hassan Whiteside</span>, <span>Dwight Howard</span>, and <span>Marc Gasol</span> / <span>Zach Randolph</span>.</p>
<p id="g4e8Oq">The bad news is that things aren’t getting better for Dirk in terms of competition just yet, because <span>Steven Adams</span> and <span>Taj Gibson</span> are probably in the category of "ideal matchup for anyone rooting against Dirk" by themselves, and now they’re on the same team.</p>
<p id="IbkP8z">30,000 (or, Dirty-Thousand?) is going to come, but it’s going to come slowly.</p>
<h4 id="OotcI5">Will Wes Play?</h4>
<p id="ne3XJq">Wes Matthews has missed a few games with....I don’t know. Some injury. What am I, a doctor?</p>
<p id="RNQ0AL">He’s crucial in this one, because he’s would likely be the first guy called upon to try and slow down the half-man, half-train named Russell Westbrook. Unfortunately, Wes is still questionable.</p>
<p id="bxqP8G">Both Seth Curry and <span>Yogi Ferrell</span> will likely struggle with Westbrook’s size, so this could be yet another big opportunity for <span>Dorian Finney-Smith</span> to cement himself as a star on defense.</p>
<h4 id="i5hkCl">How to watch</h4>
<p id="ajbTX0">Tonight’s game tips off at 7:30pm Central on ESPN, Fox Sports Oklahoma, and Fox Sports Southwest.</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/game-coverage/2017/3/5/14816766/dallas-mavericks-oklahoma-city-thunder-preview-game-time-channelJohn Gennaro