The Dallas Mavericks dug themselves into an early hole in Game 1 of their second-round NBA playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. They never led in the game, trailing by 13 at halftime and by as many as 21, ultimately losing 121-114.
Superstar Luka Doncic did all that he could to get his team over the top. He scored 45 points on an efficient 15-of-30 from the field, knocking down four 3-pointers and going 11-of-14 from the foul line. He also pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds and handed out a team-high eight assists.
If the Mavericks want to compete in this series against the Suns, they are going to need other people to step up around Doncic. It was something that head coach Jason Kidd touched on after the game.
“He got whatever he wanted, when you look at the shots in the paint, behind the arc, midrange, and then also I thought he got his teammates some great looks that we normally had made,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “I thought he played great.
“We’ve just got to get someone to join the party.”
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The question will arise, do the Mavericks have enough to help Luka Doncic? Based on their first-round series against the Utah Jazz, the answer is likely yes. Jalen Brunson’s foul trouble early in the game certainly set the team back as he has emerged as their second go-to option offensively.
Brunson finished the game with 13 points, playing only 31 minutes as foul trouble plagued him in the first half. The Mavericks did knock down 41 percent of their 3-point attempts in the game, offense doesn’t seem to be their issue.
Four different Dallas Mavericks scored in double-figures, as Maxi Kleber poured in 19 off the bench, knocking down five 3-pointers. Dorian Finney-Smith matched Brunson’s 13.
However, that style of offense is likely unsustainable. As Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams pointed out, the production Doncic provided was excellent. But, when taking a deeper dive into the statistics, the Suns realize they made Dallas work to score, Doncic just got his as any great player will.
“Anytime a guy has 45, you look at that number and you don’t like it, but I look at their assist numbers,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “They only had 16. So, [Maxi] Kleber hit some 3s, but for the most part, nobody else got going the way that they’re capable of.”
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For the Mavericks to have any chance in this series, they have to get the ball movement going. Luka Doncic being the sole initiator on offense isn’t going to put enough pressure on the Phoenix Suns’ defense to lead to victories.
They will have to come up with something because knocking down 41 percent of their 3-point attempts likely isn’t sustainable, so they will have to create offense elsewhere.
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Ultimately, the offense doesn’t seem to be the Dallas Mavericks’ issue. What they have to do is get back to performing at a high level defensively. If Dallas is going to score 114 points in a game and lose, they could be sent home relatively quickly by Phoenix.
