The Dallas Mavericks(1-1) were relentless in their victory over the Memphis Grizzlies(2-1) on Saturday night. Dallas led from start to finish and led by as many as 42 points in this one. Ultimately, the Mavericks would defeat the Grizzlies 137-96 in their home opener at American Airlines Center.
Dallas led 39-17 after the first quarter; from there, they cruised the rest of the way. After the win, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd discussed the team’s fast start.
“I thought Luka [Doncic] and those guys set the tone in the first quarter by the paint touches,” he said. “We got good looks, make or miss. Defensively, we talked about rebounding the ball, and I thought those guys set the tone there, too.”
Doncic added about the fast start: “I think it’s important to start good. I think a couple games last year, especially in the playoffs in the first two games against the Suns, our start was not good. That’s why I want to improve that this year.”
For the second straight game, Doncic and Christian Wood were the top two leading scorers for the Mavericks. Doncic scored 21 of his game-high 32 points in the first quarter, seven rebounds, and 10 assists. Wood added 25 points and a game-high 12 rebounds off the bench.
After two games, these two love playing with each other.
“I mean, it’s been great,” Doncic said. “He’s an amazing player; he listens to us, he accepts his role. He’s just doing amazing stuff out there. It’s only been two games, but he’s going to be very good for us.”
“Fun, I mean, he does some things,” Wood said about playing with Doncic. “Last year playing against him … it’s incredible. I don’t even know what to talk about. The things he does on the offensive end, the passes he makes, how he gets everybody set up, it’s amazing.”
The two connected on a spectacular alley-o0p. Watch below:
LUKA DONCIC X CHRISTIAN WOOD pic.twitter.com/cyWzLwPdBt
— Isaac Harris (@IsaacLHarris) October 23, 2022
