Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist I December 28, 2023
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Luka Dončić put on another show Wednesday with 39 points (20 in the first quarter alone), but it wasn’t enough as Dallas Mavericks fell at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 113-110.
The Cavs were shorthanded without Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, while the Mavs remained sans Kyrie Irving.
Having lively on the floor for a final possession when you need a three is really curious, considering that allows Cleaveland to freely double with no consequence and that’s exactly what happened.
Five Dončić points on a jumper and a late three cut the Cavs’ lead to 113-110, and Dallas found itself with a chance at the tie after Georges Niang missed two free throws. But Max Strus blocked Seth Curry’s game-tying three-point attempt to seal the win.
However, the Mavs went ice cold in the second half, scoring just 41 points. Meanwhile, the Cavs went on a 15-0 fourth quarter run to turn a 105-96 deficit into a 111-105 lead. Dallas missed 10 shots and committed two turnovers during a five-minute stretch.
The Mavs were also up by as many 20 points in the second quarter before settling for 15-point leads at the half and as much as a 10-point advantage in the fourth.
On paper, Dallas held the edge with Cleveland down three starters, and that’s how it initially played out with Dončić outscoring the Cavs by himself (21-20) through nearly the first 10 minutes.
Despite Dončić’s best efforts, the Mavs have been a bit lethargic of late, going 3-5 in their past eight games to move to 18-13 (sixth overall in the Western Conference).
Mavericks always let luka down ngl
