The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Detroit Pistons 127-117. It was another typical lackluster start for the Mavericks as the Pistons took a quick lead, led by Jerami Grant’s 15 points in the first quarter and 64 percent shots. Luka Doncic’s 11 points in the first quarter kept the Mavericks within reach, but the Pistons led 36-33 after one point.
However, Dallas held on in the second quarter, throwing out a zone that oppressed the Pistons to some degree. Their accuracy dropped on just 43 percent of their attempts, compared to 58 percent of the Mavericks. Led by Jalen Brunson’s strong quarter, the Mavericks finally found a rhythm to take a 67-58 lead in the half.
Dallas deployed the zone to start the second half, but Detroit broke some holes in the defensive armor and cut the lead to four points halfway through the third. The Mavericks took the blow to extend the lead by one and keep a 100-90 lead on the way to fourth.
The Mavericks looked like they’d put the Pistons away early in the fourth, but Detroit lingered, forcing the Mavericks to play and running their horses all the way up to the last buzzer. The Pistons threatened the lead and narrowed it down to single digits a few times, but the Mavericks held back Doncic’s 30 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists.
Here are some more observations from the game:
Jalen Brunson came forward
When Rick Carlisle left the door open for a line-up change, it would have been a rational thought that Brunson had been put in the starting line-up. His score first style suits Doncic, and the Mavericks desperately need a scoring shock with the starters.
While that thought didn’t materialize, Brunson still left his mark on the game before the first half ended. On the way to the break, Brunson had 18 points (8-of-9 shooting) and scored nine consecutive runs to give the Mavericks a cushion in the second quarter after a slow start. He cooled down in the second half, but not before the damage was done. Dallas looked embarrassingly bad before Brunson stabilized the ship. He finished the game with 20 points on 8-of-12 shots and delivered the game-closing game with about a minute to go. With the Pistons forcing the ball out of Doncic’s hands, Brunson was able to attack and find the open man for one and one dunk. It was indicative of Brunson’s all night.
Jerami Grant’s mistake sank the Pistons
Jerami Grant took advantage of Dwight Powell in the starting line-up and burst out of the gates with 15 points for the first quarter. Dallas had no answer and the Pistons controlled the first 12 minutes while Grant got his way. In the second quarter, he picked up his third mistake and sat for the majority, so Dallas took advantage of it. After trying eight shots in the first quarter, Grant failed to get a shot in both the second and third quarters.
The Pistons collapsed with Grant off the floor and luckily the Mavericks did what they had to do. By the time Grant regained his rhythm, the hill was too high to climb. We won’t think about the alternate universe where Grant doesn’t pick up on his third mistake in the second.
Kristaps Porzingis was stunned
His statistics aren’t terrible. He finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. He shot 6-of-13 and made two of his five triples. But he felt invisible and went wrong when he picked up his fifth offense by connecting with Josh Jackson during a jump shot. His highlight came when he jumped the passing lane, stole the ball, and slapped it home during the break. Too often he felt like a bystander, and his defensive presence was noticeably lacking. The Pistons didn’t encounter much fringe resistance, which is partly why the Mavericks played so much zone. Dallas needs Porzingis to perform at the defensive end to be a threat, so hopefully he’ll get back in shape soon.
Dallas returns to action against the Lakers on Thursday-evening with a chance to gain ground in the standings.