The Mavericks didn’t have any zip from the get-go yesterday. Playing on the second night of a back-to-back set against the rested Kings, they started slow and found themselves down by 20 at the break. They didn’t even get a taste of the lead at any point in the first half; the best they could do was forge two ties early on. And when they began the fourth quarter, they were still 14 points behind. Still, they plodded on, tightening the screws on defense and slowly clawing back on the strength of inspired play from veteran J.J Barea, plus the usual dose of late-game production from Most Valuable Player candidate Luka Doncic.
Considering the deficit the Mavericks needed to overcome, having the ball with a chance to go for a tie or the lead with potentially the last play of the game was nothing short of remarkable. Needless to say, the overflow crowd of 19,566 at the American Airline Center knew the outcome would be decided by Doncic. Coming off a timeout with 13.4 seconds left, a well-designed isolation set had Doncic receiving the inbounds pass and taking command of the open court. The stepback three was an option, but, at home, he knew well enough to drive to the paint and aim for an extension.
There was just one problem, however. Doncic missed. Against seemingly token opposition from overmatched Cory Joseph, he drove the lane, spun to his left, and pulled up from six feet. Unfortunately, his one-handed flick proved off the mark; perhaps it was short because of a hit on his shooting elbow. Beyond the no-call, however, those from the outside looking in couldn’t help but wonder why he began his assault on the basket prematurely. Even if he made the shot, there would have been more than enough time for the Kings to design a game-winning play after securing the rebound off their last timeout.
In any case, there can be no doubting the Mavericks’ claim to be counted among the league elite. And there can also be no doubting the biggest reason for their turnaround. Despite being just 20 and fresh off a Rookie of the Year campaign, Doncic is already showing superstar chops usually manifested only with the benefit of extensive experience. Yesterday was an uncharacteristic hiccup on his part, but, in the grand scheme of things, nothing to delve on. Even the best of the best have stumbled over the course of a long season.
For the Mavericks to truly thrive, though, they will need to win the games they should. As head coach Rick Carlisle noted in the aftermath, they didn’t do themselves any favors by timidly greeting the opening tip. “Gotta play the whole game,” he said. “A disappointing loss.” Indeed. The Kings, eight and 13 entering the set-to, should have been fodder. As things turned out, THEY were the fodder. Moving forward, they aim to learn and do better. And because they have Doncic leading them, the safe bet is that they will.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
