The Dallas Mavericks are in the middle of their five-game road trip with a Sunday matinee against the Cleveland Cavaliers, also known as the best team in the NBA. The Mavericks lost in blowout fashion to the Cavaliers 144-101 at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Dallas fell to 26-24 and lost two straight games, while Cleveland improved to 40-9 and won four straight games.
Jaden Hardy led the Mavericks with 21 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Dante Exum followed up with 14 points, two rebounds, and three assists. Kylor Kelley added 12 points, 11 rebounds, and one assist. Naji Marshall had 12 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Quentin Grimes scored 11 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Olivier-Maxence Prosper recorded 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Dallas Mavericks-Cleveland Cavaliers Recap
The Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers game was action-packed. The Mavericks ruled out Kyrie Irving with right shoulder soreness, PJ Washington with right knee soreness, Daniel Gafford with left ankle soreness, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle stress fracture, and Dwight Powell with a right hip strain. The Cavaliers ruled out Isaac Okoro with a right shoulder AC joint sprain and Dean Wade with a right knee bone bruise.
The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Dante Exum, Spencer Dinwiddie, Klay Thompson, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Kylor Kelley. The Mavericks were heading into a supermax five-year, $345 million contract for Luka Doncic this summer. Still, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison abruptly changed the team’s direction with one of the most shocking trades in NBA history. Harrison said that he believes that “defense wins championships.”
Both teams jumped out to a fast start to open the first-quarter scoring, but the Cavaliers grabbed the lead and never looked back. The Cavaliers’ ball movement was excellent, and so was Evan Mobley’s spin move. The Cavaliers took a commanding 50-19 lead to end the first. The Cavaliers’ offensive dominance continued in the second quarter. The Cavaliers brought a 91-46 lead to the locker room at halftime.
The third-quarter scoring slowed down, as both teams scored 18 points apiece by the 3:32 mark. The Mavericks’ defense was lackluster, while the Cavaliers’ offense remained dominant, thanks to Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. The Cavaliers led 119-75 through three quarters. The fourth quarter was slow yet stayed in favor of the Cavaliers. Caris LeVert’s rim shot was a highlight-reel moment. The Cavaliers won 144-101 in regulation.
Mavericks-Cavaliers Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers game featured multiple highlights, such as the Mavericks’ current minority owner and former majority Owner Mark Cuban’s disapproval of Doncic and Irving’s omissions from the NBA All-Star Game. Cuban said that the TV ratings were going to be crazy and the NBA was going to NBA. He added that it was insane that Doncic and Irving weren’t going to the NBA All-Star Game.
The concerns reappeared in a late Saturday trade of Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported this was a three-team deal involving the Utah Jazz. The Mavericks traded Doncic due to his constant conditioning issues and a looming commitment of another supermax contract, sources told ESPN.
LeVert has been attracting attention from teams around the NBA. LeVert, a 30-year-old shooting guard, could be valued by virtually any team looking to trade defensive wings for LeVert’s services. However, Cleveland likely wouldn’t trade one of its key pieces without getting a valuable player in return.
Final Thoughts
Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons defeated the Dallas Mavericks 117-102 and spoiled Exum’s return at Little Caesars Arena on Friday. The Mavericks ran into Cunningham, 23, an All-Star point guard and Arlington, Texas, native. Cunningham’s 40-point performance stole the show. The services of Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris solidified Cunningham’s performance.
The Mavericks’ rough January left the team wobbly but with a big upside ahead. The Mavericks reportedly said goodbye and good riddance after playing 16 games and going 6-10 after the New Year. The Mavericks are 26-23 and have played 27 games without lineup consistency. Mavericks fans can see this season as the team did a respectable job of holding down the fort, or the team’s injuries are leading to a lack of traction.
Mavs.com reported the fallout from the selection of NBA All-Star reserves was still felt on Friday. Irving wasn’t included in the Western Conference team by the coaches. Meanwhile, Cunningham will make his first appearance in an NBA All-Star Game. Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd had a tough time digesting the news. Kidd said he was a little shocked. However, Irving took the news in stride and wasn’t disappointed.
The Mavericks will continue their road trip against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. The 76ers paid tribute to the victims of the small plane crash in Northwest Philadelphia on Saturday and the plane crash in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Before Friday’s game, Philadelphia’s big screen read, “In memory of those lost to the tragedy in Washington, DC. and Philadelphia.”
