The Dallas Mavericks concluded their four-game road trip against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. With eight games left in the 2024-25 NBA season, Dallas controls their Play-In Tournament destiny. The Mavericks defeated the Bulls 120-119 at the United Center. Dallas improved to 37-38 and achieved a two-game winning streak, while Chicago fell to 33-41 and watched its four-game winning streak end.
Klay Thompson led the Mavericks with 20 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist. PJ Washington Jr. followed up with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. Anthony Davis added 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Kai Jones had 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists. Naji Marshall recorded 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. Brandon Williams tallied 12 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists.
Dallas Mavericks-Chicago Bulls Recap
The Dallas Mavericks ruled out Daniel Gafford with a right knee sprain, Dante Exum with a left hand fracture, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle stress fracture, Kyrie Irving with a torn ACL in his left knee and Olivier-Maxence Prosper with a right wrist sprain. The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Spencer Dinwiddie, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington Jr., Anthony Davis, and Kai Jones.
The Chicago Bulls ruled out Ayo Dosunmu with left shoulder instability, EJ Liddell with a torn ACL in his right knee, Lonzo Ball with a right wrist sprain, and Tre Jones with a left foot sprain. The Bulls’ starting lineup featured Josh Giddey, Coby White, Kevin Huerter, Matas Buzelis, and Nikola Vucevic. The Bulls sported their City Edition jerseys for the final time this season.
The first quarter saw a slow start, but the Mavericks and Bulls picked up the pace. Washington Jr. scored two quick buckets, while Buzelis flew to the rim for the dunk. The Bulls led 34-30 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was a back-and-forth affair. White shined with his offensive production, while Davis recorded his 1,800th career block. The Mavericks took a 58-55 lead into halftime.
The third quarter saw the Bulls’ early 4-0 run before the Mavericks responded. Thompson buried his 200th three-pointer this season, while White drove to the basket. The Mavericks settled for an 89-87 lead after three quarters. The fourth quarter saw the Mavericks’ 4-0 run until the Bulls responded. The Mavericks held on for a 120-119 win.
Mavericks-Bulls Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls game featured multiple highlights, such as the Mavericks’ new CEO Rick Welts recently saying the Mavericks need a new arena by the 2031-2032 NBA season. Welts told FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth the team is pursuing “every single possible option” to keep the Mavericks in Dallas. Welts also said the Luka Doncic trade showed him the emotional connection between the team and the fans.
For the Mavericks, they drafted a March Madness darling Maryland Center Derik Queen, in the latest mock draft. The Mavericks are en route to an NBA Draft lottery pick. The mock draft had the Mavericks with the No. 13 pick, selecting Queen. Mavericks fans need good news in any capacity. Queen would be an interesting prospect as a potential four alongside a rim-protecting stretch five.
And, for the Bulls, the Bulls’ risk of keeping Coby White, a point guard on the rise, may not be worth the gamble. White has been channeling his inner Kevin Durant lately. White has been averaging 29.3 points in his last 13 games and has become one of the best plug-and-play guards in the NBA, thanks to his proficiency in playing with — and without — the ball in his hands.
Final Thoughts
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Orlando Magic 101-92 at the Kia Center on Thursday. Jaden Hardy scored 22 points (7-12 from the field, 5-6 from the three-point line, and 3-4 from the free throw line) off the bench in Thursday’s win against the Magic. Hardy’s 5-of-6 shooting from behind the arc set a new career-high for three-point field goals made in a half with 5.
Aside from Hardy, Davis scored 15 points and collected 7 rebounds in 29 minutes for the Mavericks. Brandon Williams added 14 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals. Thompson and Max Christie had 12 points apiece. With the win, Dallas moved into 10th place in the Western Conference with a 36-38 record as of Thursday, while Orlando fell to 35-39.
Kai Jones has been an impactful player for the Mavericks. Jones’ stellar play as a center came just days after signing a two-way contract with the Mavericks on March 2. Jones has averaged 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds, becoming one of the bright spots of the Mavericks’ injury-riddled season. Jones was the former 19th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft.
Jaden Hardy was in a terrific zone against the Magic. Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd reiterated his stance about Hardy, a third-year guard, following Thursday’s 101-92 win. Hardy’s intuitive ability to be a bucker-getter has contributed to his success in general. Kidd told Mavs.com, “Hardy can play … Hardy is a guy that can score the ball, he can play-make.”
Davis’ return gave the Mavericks a big boost, winning both games with Davis. Davis recently explained to Andscape’s Marc Spears what pushed him to cut his recovery short. Davis told Spears, “We were playing with six, seven, eight guys who were coming in after playing a game 40, 42 minutes drained, tired, having to play back-to-backs, having to come in and still [weight] lift and get their shots [up] … That was a motivator for me.”
The Dallas Mavericks will return to the American Airlines Center to open a two-game homestand starting with the Brooklyn Nets on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Central. The Nets recently returned to the national spotlight, thanks to Ben Simmons’ recent interview with the New York Post. Simmons told the Post how he’s putting the Nets’ calamity behind him and finally achieving peace.
