The Dallas Mavericks broke their ten-game losing streak Sunday night, with a 134-130 win over the Indiana Pacers.
Let’s get to the grades!
Naji Marshall: B+
17 PTS / 2 REB / 2 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 26 MIN
Marshall was back to his old ways, hitting 7-for-10 from the floor in a highly efficient outing despite limited minutes. Two turnovers wasn’t terrible, but relative to only two assists, it stands out. Also, Marshall’s rebounding totals of late have been on the lower end, though playing out of the point guard spot in this one probably didn’t help that cause.
Max Christie: B
16 PTS / 2 REB / 4 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 31 MIN
Christie joined Marshall with some hot shooting of his own (6-for-11; 2-for-4 from deep). His assist total helped his grade, but three turnovers and three fouls did not. Nice solid game overall.
P.J. Washington: A-
23 PTS / 9 REB / 2 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK – 37 MIN
Washington must have had whatever Marshall had for breakfast, because he too looked like his best self after a sting of “meh” games. Hitting 8-for-14 from the floor was good enough to make him the second highest scorer for the Mavs. He took care of the ball and played solid defense.
Khris Middleton: A+
25 PTS / 7 REB / 7 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 33 MIN
Aside from foul personal fouls, Middleton was across-the-board fantastic. He shot a ridiculous 11-for-15, including 3-for-5 from downtown, for a season-high in points. He led the team in scoring and led the team in assists (tied with Brandon Williams). He also took a clutch charge late in the fourth quarter, and if you’ve been reading long enough you know how positively that single act impacts a grade. Somewhat more seriously though, it was at a pivotal moment in the fourth quarter. Middleton really played a complete game and it’s doubtful Dallas wins without his performance.
Daniel Gafford: B-
8 PTS / 6 REB / 2 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 22 MIN
Gafford was solid, but one can’t help but wonder if he couldn’t provide similar production off the bench at this point. As the starting center, you would think he could be racking up double-doubles, or at least close. Had it not been for 3-for-7 shooting, he easily could have been in double-figure scoring at least. He had the best plus/minus of all the starters with a plus-10, to help boost his grade.
Brandon Williams: B+
15 PTS / 1 REB / 7 AST / 2 STL / 1 BLK – 22 MIN
Williams has been doing work lately. He is staying within himself and putting together solid games again and again. His two turnovers can be forgiven next to his team-leading seven assists (tied with Middleton). He led the team in plus-minus with a plus-15.
Marvin Bagley: A+
12 PTS / 11 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 26 MIN
It’s safe to say I am firmly on the Bagley bandwagon. I debated this grade a bit, however landed with top marks similar to his last outing, as he all but replicated that performance. It’s still a small sample size, but Bagley has obviously outplayed Gafford over the last few games, making the center position a thing of interest.
Final thoughts
This was a fun game and a much needed win. Without Cooper Flagg, Middleton took on the starring role, with plenty of help from Washington, Marshall and Bagley. Dallas inexplicably has one of (if not the) best three point defenses based on percentage allowed, yet to the naked eye they consistently appear to be either disinterested or incapable of stopping the long ball. Indiana hit nine more threes than Dallas, yet Dallas persisted and found a way.
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