The Dallas Mavericks were without Luka Doncic(toe) Saturday night as they hosted the Sacramento Kings.
Without Doncic, the Mavericks needed others to step up, and they did.
Spencer Dinwiddie contributed a season-high 36 points and seven assists; Jalen Brunson had 23 points and six assists, and Dorian Finney-Smith chipped in with 17 points, including the game-winning three as Dallas defeated Sacramento 114-113 at American Airlines Center.
The Mavericks(38-25) have won four straight, and have gone 23-7 in their last 30 games, improving to a season-high 13 games over .500.
Dallas won without Doncic, which pleases their head coach Jason Kidd, who likes to see his team win without their best player.
“We missed Luka [Dončić] tonight,” Kidd said post-game. “I think that’s also a good thing, a positive. We want Luka playing, but I thought it just took us some time to get used to not having Luka on the floor for those first two quarters. I thought the guys got their legs and kind of got the rhythm without Luka out there. It helps us. It makes us a better team but hopefully, Luka’s back for Monday.”
Back to Dinwiddie, his 36 points are the most he’s had since 2019, and in the last five games, he’s averaging 22.2 points (.571 FG, .458 3FG) and 6.0 assists over his previous five games.
Kidd is happy with the play of Dinwiddie and how well he’s fitting in.
“I think he’s done great,” Kidd said on Dinwiddie. “I think the communication with his teammates and the coaching staff, what we’re asking him to do. At halftime, we just talked about we had some great looks; they were just short. We just had to get them higher on the board. I think he’s been very receptive to coaching and to his teammates, and they trust him. That’s one of the hardest things when you get someone new; how fast will the trust take place. I think you can see the trust is at a very high level when he’s on the floor.”
There seemed to be some issues with chemistry and roles in Washington, but according to Dinwiddie, that’s not an issue in Dallas.
“My job on offense is to get in the paint and make plays,” Dinwiddie said. “I’ll shoot the three when I have the switch and when I’m open, but I’m not just casting 30-footers like I’m Steph Curry. I do what I do, and I don’t do what I’m not supposed to do. That goes 1 through 15. Everybody here follows that type of mentality because we understand that to not just win basketball games in the regular season, but in the playoffs, you need that.”
Dinwiddie, who was acquired before the trade deadline along with Davis Bertans for Kristaps Porzingis, also talked about his exit from Washington, and he was hurt by the belief that he was a problem in D.C.
“So to get kind of kicked out the door was a wild feeling,” he said. “I hadn’t really experienced that before. But I still have nothing ill to say other than, yes, it hurt my feelings. But just like anything else, you become cautiously optimistic about your new situation. So far, it’s a great fit. I love what they ask me to do here, which is get in the paint, and I’m going to continue to do that and continue to try to be of service.”
At this point, Dallas is 6-1 with Dinwiddie, so the move is working for him and the Mavericks.
Watch below as Dinwiddie talks win over Kings, time in D.C.:
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