The Dallas Mavericks (21-15)concluded a two-game set against the Portland Trailblazers( 9-25) on Friday night, but this time without their best player, Luka Doncic(ankle), but even with no Doncic, the Mavs had no issues against the Blazers.
Dallas led by as many as 39 points and defeated the Blazers 139-103 to sweep the two-game set against Portland at American Airlines Center.
On Wednesday, with Doncic, the Mavs routed the Blazers 126-97.
With a 29-point margin of victory over Portland on Wednesday and the 36-point margin, the Mavericks have recorded its largest margin of victory over a two-game span against the same opponent in franchise history. The 65-point margin of victory over the span of two games is tied for the sixth-largest margin of victory over a two-game span in franchise history.
Kyrie Irving scored 12 of his game-high 24 points in the first quarter, had nine rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks, and Mavs coach Jason Kidd was happy with how Irving started things off for Dallas.
“Good win,” Kidd said. “A lot of bodies out. Next man mentality. I thought [Jaden] Hardy was great. [Kyrie Irving] got us off to a really good start there, kind of like what happened the last game. I thought [Kyrie] picked up right where he left off. But I thought as a group, everybody played hard. Josh [Green], those starters, [Derrick] Jones [Jr.] didn’t have to play 30-plus minutes today. But again, everyone who participated played at a high level and got us a team win.”
Doncic’s replacement, Jaden Hardy, filled in nicely as he had 19 points and career-highs of nine rebounds and nine assists.
“I feel like when I was out there, just slowing the game down and trying to make the right read when I’m out there,” Hardy said. “I feel like I can create and get in the paint easily, so just reading the defense and finding my teammates.”
Dallas won two games they were supposed to win, and they can continue to climb the standings if they can take advantage of their seven-game homestand, which continues on Sunday night against the number one seed in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Notes:
Irving’s nine rebounds tied for a season-high in rebounds. With nine rebounds in Utah (1/1/23), nine against Portland (1/3/24), and nine tonight, Kyrie has recorded three consecutive games with nine or more rebounds for the first time in his career.
Josh Green notched 14 points (7-8 FG), five rebounds, five assists and one steal. Green’s 14-5-5 marks the second 10-5-5 game of his career (23-5-7 vs. MEM, 3/13/23). His 14 points is his third-highest scoring outing this season (18 at GSW, 12/30/23; 15 at LAL, 11/22/23).
A.J. Lawson scored 14 points (4-8 FG, 1-4 3FG, 5-6 FT), five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Dallas had six players in double figures.
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