Mavs Moneyball - GAME DAY: Dallas Mavericks vs. OKC ThunderRick Carlisle approved.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50869/mmb-fav.png2017-03-27T22:13:46-05:00http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/rss/stream/148363352017-03-27T22:13:46-05:002017-03-27T22:13:46-05:003 things from the Mavericks 92-91 crushing loss to the Thunder
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<img alt="NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2lHFr8yU4qJc7_a_f4WMfOnQInk=/0x0:2877x1918/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53929771/usa_today_9975954.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It’s hard to tell whether the Mavs choked this game away or Russell Westbrook grabbed it by the throat.</p> <p id="ptnKLx">The <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a> played a basketball game and lost 92-91 to the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a>. It was a very, very bad loss. <span>Russell Westbrook</span> is very good.</p>
<p id="MsGfhj">Noel got the Mavs out to a great start in the first half, flying around the court and scoring in different ways around the rim. His 10 first-half points were crucial as the Mavs didn’t have much going on during the first half offensively.</p>
<p id="eStpqt">Defensively, Noel anchored a fiesty Mavs effort. Dallas forced Oklahoma City into bad passes and careless turnovers, holding the Thunder to just 10 points in the second quarter as the Mavs led 50-35 at halftime.</p>
<p id="K7zTSj">The third quarter? The start of it? Let’s never speak of it again. One of the worst three minute displays of Mavericks basketball in a long time, with the Thunder opening the frame with an 11-0 run and the Mavs committing like, a thousand turnovers.</p>
<p id="IBiO7n">Luckily Dallas recovered thanks to <span>Devin Harris</span>, <span>J.J. Barea</span> and <span>Salah Mejri</span> giving the Mavs a boost off the bench. Barea hit a three, Mejri had some good defense and Harris had a few nifty finishes. OKC got the score to 56-55 but Dallas ended the quarter up 12, which was pretty remarkable considering how the half started.</p>
<p id="wu3Mah">The fourth quarter belonged to <span>Yogi Ferrell</span> and a bunch of tense buttholes as the Thunder kept bludgeoning the Mavs at the rim, trying to will themselves back into the game. Ferrell hit three 3-pointers to score 11 points in the fourth quarter, but the Thunder whittled the lead down to 91-88 with 1:26 left in the game after a Westbrook and-1.</p>
<p id="y3Zibj">The Mavs offense was basically non-existent in the clutch. Ferrell hit a three to put the Mavs up 91-78 with a little under four minutes left and from there it was a bunch of missed jumpers and drives to the basket coming up empty.</p>
<p id="ellFZs">Westbrook basically wouldn’t stop Westbrook-ing. He was the Thunder offense down the stretch and he drained the game-winner with a little over seven seconds left. Barnes missed a long three at the buzzer and the Thunder erased a 13-point lead in the final 3:31. Woof. What a bad game.</p>
<h4 id="WaTuzv">This was not a good game to put on <span>Harrison Barnes</span>’ “I’m a number one option” resume</h4>
<p id="ld6Jrx">It has not been a great for Barnes in the clutch. He was awful offensively down the stretch against the <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a> last week, redeeming himself on defense after putzing away the Mavs late lead with missed shots and turnovers and Barnes help do the Mavs in again coming up empty in his late isolation sets while the Thunder roared back.</p>
<p id="yBz3kh">Barnes shot 4-of-14 from the field with a lot of those misses coming in the second half and the fourth quarter. It was a tough go for Barnes, who has been pretty brilliant all year manufacturing points for the Mavs when they’ve needed it the most. So he’s earned some rope here, but there’s no denying how brutal is was to watch Barnes clank turnaround jumpers and get two free throw attempts. There has to be a future where Barnes is getting free throws in that situation instead of contested jumpers. There just has to be.</p>
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<span>Nerlens Noel</span> was everywhere</h4>
<p id="qS1M6J">Noel finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, four steals and one assist. He was a minus-15 on the night because box score plus/minus is a weird and flawed stat. Dallas desperately needed his energy against a big and nasty OKC front line.</p>
<p id="y5Ocgu">I love his offensive versatility in that he is so good at scoring around the bucket without relying on just lob jams and open dunks. He missed a couple good looks in the second half, but overall he was stupendous.</p>
<h4 id="pJLgm8">Mark Cuban needs to shut the hell up</h4>
<p id="maNHKm">OK Mark, we get it. You can stop talking trash about Russell Westbrook not being a superstar, because I’m pinning every loss to OKC from now till I’m dead on you running your mouth to fire up a superstar who really doesn’t need to get fired up more than he already is.</p>
<p id="5zWVSX">Westbrook scored 12 of the Thunder’s final 14 points, hit the game-winner and had another triple-double with 37 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Westbrook is now averaging 37 points against the Mavs this year, so, seriously Mark shut your mouth. Westbrook is gonna trash this Mavs team till the end of time and then Westbrook Jr. is going to keep trashing them and Mark Cuban on his deathbed is still going to say nobody in the Westbrook family is a superstar and I’m going to launch myself into the sun.</p>
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https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/3/27/15083344/3-things-from-the-mavericks-92-91-crushing-loss-to-the-thunderJosh Bowe2017-03-27T19:06:36-05:002017-03-27T19:06:36-05:00GAME THREAD: Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
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<img alt="Oklahoma City Thunder v Dallas Mavericks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RaTf5lZjMmITPI3CHPaTqaKiovE=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53926275/614158686.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Who will get the triple double tonight, Russell Westbrook or Nerlens Noel?</p> <p id="tJXMck"><strong>WHO: </strong><a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/"><strong>Dallas Mavericks</strong></a> vs. <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a></p>
<p id="Kp5bAz"><strong>WHAT:</strong> Superstar Russell Westbrook is in town for some basketballing </p>
<p id="sXSFNs"><strong>WHERE:</strong> American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX</p>
<p id="seoxtR"><strong>WHEN: </strong>7:30 p.m. CT</p>
<p id="KTIEtv"><strong>HOW: </strong>FSSW or NBA League Pass</p>
<p id="63NMlU"><strong>THE STORY:</strong> These teams have mirrored records (31-41 vs 41-31). One is fighting for playoff positioning, the other is just trying to have some fun while they wait for the NBA Lottery. No antagonistic comments from Cuban tonight, but expect Russ to keep coming tonight as usual. Can the Mavs spoil the Thunder’s night?</p>
<div id="yytbNZ"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a0ul-BghOAs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/3/27/15081216/game-thread-dallas-mavericks-vs-oklahoma-city-thunderBailey Grey2017-03-27T08:58:49-05:002017-03-27T08:58:49-05:003 things to watch as the Mavs host the Thunder
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<img alt="NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6EYCcwGLudh_fbv92NKC0fLrF_o=/0x0:3828x2552/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53912753/usa_today_9925628.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The last time these two teams will meet this season.</p> <p id="XDzHoW">The <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a> (31-41) will take on the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> (41-31) in Dallas at the American Airlines Center tonight. The Mavs will be looking to bounce back after their loss to the <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Raptors</a> on Saturday night where they fell 94-86.</p>
<p id="v5idd5">The last time these two teams met, the Mavericks won convincingly 104-89 and were led by <span>Seth Curry</span> (22 points) and <span>Dirk Nowitzki</span> (18 points and 13 rebounds).</p>
<p id="ZhQlmu">According to <a href="http://www.espn.com.au/nba/story/_/page/BPI-Playoff-Odds/espn-nba-basketball-power-index-playoff-odds">ESPN’s BPI playoff odds</a>, where they estimate the likelihood of each team making the playoffs, the Mavs have a current chance of 0.2 percent of getting there. What does this mean for the Mavericks? Well, they will be doing whatever they can to disrupt the other teams looking to get good playoff placement.</p>
<p id="ZwJUmE">Here are three things to watch as the Mavericks take on the Thunder.</p>
<h4 id="I4We5g">Desperation Thunder</h4>
<p id="StOhFb">The Thunder are sitting in sixth position with the <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Memphis Grizzlies</a> hot on their tail only a game and a half behind, so they will be throwing everything at the Mavs tonight to try and protect their lead for that sixth seed.</p>
<p id="2RGH5c">If the current standings are any indication of what the playoff picture will look like, we will have a Thunder versus <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a> round one. That means Westbrook versus Harden, for potentially seven games. We all know at least one of them is going to have a massive chip on their shoulder after being snubbed for MVP. Now that is a round one matchup to get excited about!</p>
<h4 id="LUfrrv">Beware of the Brodie</h4>
<p id="swFij5">I’ve said before how much of a fanboy of Russell Westbrook I am, and I always enjoy watching him go up against the Mavs (even if it can be at their expense). Westbrook’s MVP caliber season is like nothing I’ve seen before; he’s on a mission to destroy every team that is in front of him.</p>
<p id="NCFX8a">In the last eight games, Russ has notched a triple double in all but two of them and is scoring like a mad man, so the Mavericks will most definitely have their work cut out for them.</p>
<p id="xaZctW">For the Mavericks to win this game they will have to do whatever possible to limit Westbrook’s efficiency and keep him from controlling too much of what happens. As the Dan Patrick saying goes, "You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him".</p>
<h4 id="GL9B4O">More minutes for <span>Nerlens Noel</span>
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<p id="pdPtub">In the last two games, <span>Rick Carlisle</span> has opted to go with a starting lineup which features Nerlens Noel at center along with Seth Curry, <span>Wesley Matthews</span>, <span>Harrison Barnes</span> and Dirk Nowitzki. This lineup is what most fans probably predicted would happen once Nerlens got here, but with the success of Dirk playing at center, it took a little while for Rick to make the change.</p>
<p id="8UWkcL">When the Thunder last visited the Mavericks, Noel put up 13 points and four rebounds in 16 foul-riddled minutes. Considering what short time Nerlens had, these numbers are a nice contribution to what was a solid Mavs win.</p>
<p id="XIAm82">If Noel can keep out of foul trouble and stick around for about 30 minutes, we can hope for a solid double-double to combat the Thunder’s front court of <span>Steven Adams</span> and <span>Taj Gibson</span>.</p>
<h4 id="BBmKBK">How to watch</h4>
<p id="EnBy4O">You can catch the game on Fox Sports Southwest (or NBA League Pass outside of the Dallas area) starting at 7:30pm Central. Follow along with us to catch all of our game coverage!</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/3/27/15070632/dallas-mavericks-okc-thunder-game-time-how-to-watchDan Const