The NBA announced Thursday that the Dallas Mavericks will begin the 2023-24 schedule on the road against No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in a nationally televised game(ESPN) on Wednesday, October 25.
National Television:
Dallas is currently scheduled to play 28 nationally televised games, including nine on ESPN, nine on NBA TV, eight on TNT, and two on ABC.
Home-Opener:
After opening the season against division-rival San Antonio on the road, the Mavericks will return to American Airlines Center to face Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in their home opener on Friday, October 27, at 7:30 p.m. CT. It will mark Dorian Finney-Smith’s first game against his former club.
Christmas Day:
The Mavs will travel to Phoenix to battle the Suns on Christmas Day.
Road Trips:
The Mavericks will play three four-game road trips in 2023-24 (November 12 to 18; February 25 to March 1; March 25 to 31).
NBA In-Season Tournament:
The inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament will begin on Friday, November 3, and culminate with the championship on Saturday, December 9. Dallas will open group play on the road against Nikola Jokić and the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Friday, November 3, at 9 p.m. CT on ESPN. During group play, the Mavericks will also face the L.A. Clippers at home (November 10), New Orleans on the road (November 14), and Houston at home (November 28). Eight teams (four per conference) will advance to the knockout rounds following group play. The games across both stages of the In-Season Tournament will count toward the regular-season standings except for the championship.
December & January are full:
The Mavericks are scheduled to play a season-high 16 games in December and January. Dallas has a season-long seven-game homestand from January 3 to 15, which will mark just the second time in the last 10 seasons that the club will play a homestand of seven-or-more games (8 games, February 4 to 23, 2021).
Back-to-Backs:
Dallas is slated to play 13 back-to-backs. Of those back-to-backs, five begin and end on the road, four are road-to-home, three are home-to-road, and one requires no travel (begins and ends at home).
Marquee Matchups at Home:
The Suns’ trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal will make two trips to American Airlines Center this season (January 24 and February 22).
The Warriors’ quartet of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Chris Paul will also visit Dallas twice in 2023-24 (March 13 and April 2). Jokić and the Nuggets will make their lone trip to Dallas on March 17.
Notable matchups against Eastern Conference teams in Dallas include meetings with Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks (January 11), Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics (January 22), Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks (February 3) and Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers (March 3).
On Thursday, USA basketball announced the 2023 USA Men’s National Team, which will compete at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup Aug. 25-Sept. 10 in Manila.
The 12-man roster includes, Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Josh Hart (Knicks), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks) and Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers).
“On behalf of USA Basketball, I’m thrilled to introduce the 2023 USA Men’s National Team, which features some of basketball’s brightest talent,” USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director Grant Hill in a press release. “We are excited for the challenges ahead and look forward to the opportunity to compete at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup. I am confident that working together, and under the leadership of our outstanding coaching staff, this team will proudly represent the United States this summer in Manila.”
Before arriving in Manila, the USA Men’s National Team will hold training camp August 3-6 in Las Vegas before playing a series of exhibition games as part of the USA Basketball Showcase, which tips off August 7 vs. Puerto Rico at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. The USA will also face Slovenia on August 12 and Spain on August 13 in Malaga, Spain, and Greece and Germany on August 18 and 20, respectively, in Abu Dhabi.
As part of Group C, the U.S. opens the 2023 FIBA World Cup against New Zealand on August 26, followed by Greece on August 28 and Jordan on August 30.
After losing Game 3 to the Knicks on Friday, the Cavs were down 2-1 in their first-round series, so Game 4 was a must-win for Cleveland.
However, Jalen Brunson had 29 points, six rebounds, and six assists, and R.J. Barrett added 26 points as the Knicks defeated the Cavs 102-93 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
With the loss, the Cavs are now down 3-1. Game 4 is Wednesday night in Cleveland.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Knicks.
The Great:
Second Half Garland: Darius Garland scored 21 of his team-high 23 points and seven of his game-high 10 assists in the second half, including 11 points and five assists in the third. After appearing rattled in Game 3, Garland settled in at MSG, and it appeared the Cavs would tie the series at 2, but it didn’t happen.
Third Quarter: Garland and the Cavs woke up in the third. After trailing 54-45 at the break, Cleveland started the third quarter on an 18-7 run to take their first lead of the game at 63-61. Cleveland shot 52% from the field in the third, and they trailed 73-71 at the end of three.
Not So Great:
Rebounding: The Cavs were killed on the glass again. They were outrebounded 47-33 by New York. Mitchell Robinson and former Cav Isaiah Hartenstein had a combined 11 offensive rebounds. The Knicks outscored the Cavs 21-12 in second-chance points.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley got outworked by Robinson and Hartenstein.
Donovan Mitchell was off on Sunday, and he was 5/18 from the field and had only 11 points to go along with six turnovers. Cleveland needed Mitchell to be Mitchell, and he wasn’t.
First Half: The Cavs got off to a slow start; the Knicks led by as many as 15 points in the first half. Cleveland was sloppy, as they had nine of their 13 turnovers in the first half, which led to 11 points for the Knicks. New York did not shoot it well in that first half(41%), but they had 11 of their 17 offensive rebounds in the first half.
Fourth Quarter: Cleveland fought back in the game in the third but fell apart in the fourth. The game was tied at 75 with just under 10 minutes to go, and the Knicks went on a 5-0 run to push the lead to 80-75. The Cavs would cut the lead to three, but they could not control Barrett(10 points in the fourth), Brunson(8), and Josh Hart(8). The Knicks led by as many as 11 points in the fourth.
Cleveland shot 42% from the field in the final stanza and was outscored 29-22 by the Knicks in the fourth quarter.
Bottom Line:
The Cavs’ response on Sunday was disappointing. Garland brought in the second half, but Mitchell could have been better. Allen, Mobley, and everybody else got manhandled on the boards, and the Knicks continued to outwork and outhustle the Cavs.
The Knicks’ second-leading scorer, Julius Randle, was awful in Games 3 & 4, but it did not matter because the Cavs could not make shots and did not play good basketball.
Cleveland averaged 86 points in the two games in New York, which included a league-low 79 points on Friday.
In NBA history, teams with a 3-1 series lead have won 95% of the time, so history is working against Cleveland. However, you have to take it one game at a time. If the Cavs can win Game 5 in Cleveland and steal Game 6 at MSG, they would have Game 7 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, so they still have a shot, but a lot is working against them.
End of the day, they have to play better.
Best of the Rest:
Cleveland had six players in double figures on Sunday. Allen and Caris LeVert had 14 points apiece. Mobley had 12, and Cedi Osman had 10 points off the bench.
For the Knicks, Robinson had 12 points and 11 rebounds; Josh Hart added 19 points and seven rebounds.
The Cleveland Cavaliers went on the road to battle the Knicks in Game 3 of their first-round series on Friday night.
Cleveland routed the Knicks in Game 2 107-90 to tie the series at 1. In Game 3, the MSG crowd fueled the Knicks, and they beat up and routed the Cavs 99-79 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks led by as many as 27 points in this one.
The Knicks lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday at MSG.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Lime of the Cavs’ loss to the Knicks.
The Great:
The game is over, and that is the only great thing. Evan Mobley had a double-double(10 points and 10 rebounds), and Donovan Mitchell led the way for the Cavs with 22 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, but it didn’t matter.
Not So Great:
Shooting: The Cavs shot 39% from the field and 21% from deep(7/33). They could not make shots; it’s that simple.
Darius Garland was okay in Game 1(17 points and one assist) and was excellent in Game 2(32 points and seven assists), and unfortunately, he was bad in Game 3. Garland was 4/21 from the field, including 1/7 from downtown, to finish with 10 points. He was off on Friday, and playing in his first road playoff game at MSG got the best of him.
First Half: New York was not that great in the first half, but the Cavs were even worse. Cleveland shot 31% in the first half and 2/19 from three-point range. In addition, they had 12 turnovers. Cleveland scored 17 points in the first and only 15 in the second quarter. They were sloppy, they could not make shots, and it showed. The Cavs trailed 45-32 at the break.
Turnovers: Cleveland had 21 turnovers, which led to 28 points for the Knicks. Mitchell was the biggest culprit, with six turnovers. Just sloppy.
Let Brunson loose: In Game 1, Jalen Brunson had 27 points; in Game 2, the Cavs made adjustments, and Brunson had 20 points on 5/17 shooting, but in Game 3, the Knicks made adjustments, and Brunson got loose again as he had 21 points and six assists. He’s the straw that stirs the drink for the Knicks.
Bottom Line:
The Cavs could not handle the hostile environment in Game 3. That was a great environment at MSG. The celebrities were out, the ex-Knicks were out, and the fans were jacked up!
In Game 1, the Cavs played their first playoff game in a long time, and it showed. In Game 2, they settled in and played well. In Game 3, the Cavs played their first road playoff game in a long time, and it showed. Let’s see if they can settle down in Game 4. If they don’t, their season will end in the first round of the playoffs.
Expect a big bounce-back performance from Cleveland in Game 4.
Best of the Rest:
For the Knicks, R.J. Barrett had 19 points and eight rebounds; Josh Hart had 13 points, and Immanuel Quickley had 11 points off the bench.
For the Cavs, Caris LeVert had 17 points.
Cavs became the first team to score less than 80 points in a game this season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers began the postseason at home against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their first-round series matchup on Saturday. The Cavs are in the postseason for the first time since 2018.
This game was close throughout. After the Cavs took a 93-92 lead with just over two minutes to go in the fourth, New York got some big shot-making from Josh Hart, who made a big three with the shot clock winding down to give the Knicks a 95-93 lead, and Jalen Brunson made a huge step-back jumper and driving layup, and the Knicks would take Game 1 101-97.
New York leads the series 1-0. Game 2 is Tuesday night in Cleveland.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Knicks.
The Great:
Donovan Mitchell was outstanding in his Cavs playoff debut. Mitchell scored 38 points(the most by a Cavs player in their playoff debut with the team), five rebounds, eight assists, and three steals. He scored 14 points in the fourth and brought Cleveland all the way back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, but it wasn’t enough.
Cavs 16-5 run in the Fourth: With 6:34 in the fourth, the Cavs trailed 87-77. Over the next four-plus minutes, Cleveland went on a 16-5 run. Mitchell scored 10 points during that run, and the Cavs took a 93-92, but again, it wasn’t enough.
Cedi Osman finished with only nine points; he had five of those nine points in the fourth and played some solid defense on Brunson; he played most of the fourth quarter for Cleveland, and Osman almost sparked the Cavs to a win.
Not So Great:
Rebounding: The Knicks pounded the Cavs on the glass; they outrebounded the Cavs 51-38 and had 23 second-chance points. They allowed a huge Randle offensive rebound with 06.9 seconds to go, which led to two free throws from Quentin Grimes that put the game away. The Knicks had seven offensive rebounds in the final stanza.
Three-Point Shooting: The Cavs were not that great from downtown, making 10/31 threes(32%).
Bench: The Knicks’ bench outscored Cleveland’s bench 37-14. Caris Levert was 1/7 from the field and finished with just three points.
Bottom Line:
The Knicks jumped on the Cavs early, played with more purpose, and closed the game the right way. Everyone knew this could be a long series, so for New York to win Game 1 is unsurprising. Credit to the Knicks; they pushed the Cavs around in this one and got big plays from Brunson, Randle, and Hart.
Sidenote: Brunson is a lot better than people think. Look at the impact he had on the Knicks this season and the impact he had on the Mavericks in his absence.
In Game 2, Cleveland has to get more from its bench and be better on the glass. In addition, they have to get more from Darius Garland(17 points, one assist, five turnovers) and Evan Mobley(4/13 FG, eight points, and 11 rebounds).
Best of the Rest:
Brunson led the Knicks with 27 points(21 in the second half); Randle had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Hart added 17 points and 10 boards off the bench.
For the Cavs, Jarrett Allen had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
The Cleveland Cavaliers(51-31) are in the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and for the first time without LeBron James since 1998, which is not a surprise after the acquisition of Donovan Mitchell.
Now, they battle the New York Knicks(47-35) in the first round of the playoffs. Game 1 is Saturday in Cleveland.
In the regular season, New York won the season series 3-1, including a win in Cleveland, but that gets thrown out the window. It’s the playoffs.
Cleveland has all the things needed to win this series. They are the number-rated defensive team in basketball and have a go-to elite scorer in Mitchell(28.3 ppg). Don’t forget Darius Garland, a big-time scorer, and distributor(21.6 points & 7.8 assists per contest). In addition, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are ranked two and three in defensive rating. Plus, they have homecourt advantage, which should help as they have the sixth-best home record(31-10) in the NBA.
While they have been subpar on the road(20-21) this season, Cleveland has two things that do travel, an elite scorer and defense.
For the Knicks, you can’t discount Jalen Brunson(24.0 ppg), who was remarkable in the playoffs for Dallas last season and was big-time this season for the Knicks. However, the uncertainty with Julius Randle’s(25.1 ppg & 10.0 rpg) ankle could be an issue, but he is expected to be ready for Game 1. In addition, New York has been outstanding on the road this season(24-17), including big wins in Memphis, Philly, Denver, and Boston(2x).
Both teams are near the bottom in bench points(Cavs ranked 28, Knicks ranked 26).
We can talk about Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, and Allen for the Cavs and Randle and Brunson for the Knicks, but there will be some unsung heroes in this series. For the Cavs, Caris LeVert(12.1 ppg) could be that guy and has picked up his play late in the season, while for the Knicks, Immanuel Quickley(14.5 ppg) could be the man for New York.
Prediction:
The 4-5 matchup is usually exciting and this will be no different. Plus, Mitchell almost being traded to New York is an interesting subplot.
The Cavs are the slightly better team, and have homecourt advantage, so expect that to be enough for Cleveland to win in 7, but it will be challenging.
The Cavs(15-9) were on the road on Sunday as they battled the Knicks(11-13) at Madison Square Garden. Cleveland has struggled on the road this season, and in the end, the road struggles would continue as Cleveland, who never led in this one, fell to the Knicks 92-81.
With the win, the Knicks would snap their five-game losing streak at home.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Knicks.
Great:
Absolutely nothing! Cleveland was bad, but maybe Evan Mobley can get some recognition for recording another double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks.
Not So Great:
Turnovers: Cleveland had 19 turnovers. Six of those 19 turnovers came in the fourth. They were downright sloppy!!
First and fourth Quarter: Cleveland was terrible at the beginning and end of the game; they scored only 16 points and shot only 26% in the first quarter. Fortunately, the Knicks were not much better, so Cleveland trailed only by seven after one. In the fourth, the Cavs had six turnovers and scored only 18 points on 29% shooting.
Shooting: The Cavs could not make shots. They were way off. They finished the game shooting 35% from the field, including 23% from deep. The Cavs finished with a season-low 81 points.
Bottom Line:
This was a bad performance for the Cavs, maybe their worst performance of the season. They could not make shots, they could not control the ball, and they just good not make enough plays. The game was there for them to win because the Knicks were not much better. Look, young teams have to learn how to win consistently on the road, and Cleveland is 5-8 on the road; the Cavs are still learning. The bottom line, they have to be better.
What’s Next:
Cleveland returns home to begin a three-game homestand starting with the Lakers on Tuesday night.
Best of the Rest:
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 23 points; Julius Randle had 18 points and nine rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 23 points, but he shot 8/22 from the field; Darius Garland added 17 points but, like Mitchell, struggled from the field(5/19 FG).
The officials were very involved in this one as both teams combined for a NBA season-high 13 traveling violations.
Jarrett Allen missed his fifth straight game with a lower back injury.
In the first two games of their Western Conference second-round series against the Phoenix Suns, the Dallas Mavericks were all about Luka Doncic and no one else.
Coming into Game 3, Doncic was averaging 40 points per contest in this series, but Dallas needed others to come to the party.
Doncic got his in Game 3 with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists, but Jalen Brunson recorded a game-high 28 points; Reggie Bullock added 15 points, Dorian Finney-Smith chipped in with 14 points, and Maxi Kleber collected 14 points off the bench as the Mavs defeated the Suns 103-94 at American Airlines Center.
With the win, Dallas snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Suns. The Mavericks still trail in the series 2-1, with an opportunity to even the series on Sunday.
“I thought it was a great team win,” Kidd said. “(Jalen Brunson), Spencer [Dinwiddie], Maxi [Kleber], Luka [Dončić], Reggie [Bullock], (Dorian Finney-Smith) – everyone joined the party, they helped out on both ends. And then Luka was great defensively; he participated, too. It puts us in a different position when that happens.”
Doncic had 24 points in the first half in Game 2 but scored only 11 in the second half, and Dallas allowed Phoenix to score 40 points in the fourth on 84% shooting from the field. In Game 3, Doncic felt he needed to be better on both ends of the court.
“I wouldn’t say motivation, but I knew I had to do better,” Doncic said. “I knew I could do better; I think that I have made a big jump on defense this year, and the second half was more by me, and I knew I had to get back to my team and play better defense.”
Dallas held Phoenix to 45% shooting from the field, marking the first game of the postseason (of nine outings) that Phoenix has been held to less than 50% from the field. In addition, the Mavs forced 17 turnovers, which led to 22 points.
On his 37th birthday, they forced seven Chris Paul turnovers.
“Happy birthday (Chris Paul),” Kidd said. “I think when you look at it, we were active. Our hands were active; we got deflections that led to steals. We came out aggressive. There was carryover from Game 2 in those first three quarters, and we played 48 minutes tonight. It’s a great win, but now this game is over. It’s a quick turnaround here for Sunday.”
Paul felt the turnovers were the difference in the game.
“If I don’t turn the ball over like that, I feel like it’s a different game, so give them a lot of credit,” Paul said.” They came out and did what they were supposed to do. We’ll be back on Sunday.”
Suns head coach Monty Williams did not like how the team’s offense flowed in Game 3.
“I’m sure there was a bit more pressure on the ball or hands in lanes to get the flex and that kind of thing,” he said. “I didn’t feel like we had a rhythm tonight on offense, to be straight with you all. You saw flashes, but we just didn’t have the same kind of offensive connection that we had in Phoenix. Some of that is to be expected when you are playing against a team, and you are up two games, you know they are going to come out and hit you in the mouth. I thought we could have settled down a little bit more on offense, especially when we have the ball jumping around the gym the way we did from a turnover perspective.”
This was a great effort from the Mavs on both ends, especially on defense. Playing big-time defense and getting big efforts from Doncic and others is why Dallas was successful this season. They have to use that same formula to win Game 4 and this series.
Notes:
-All five of the starters for Phoenix scored in double figures. Jae Crowder led the way with 19 points (5-8 3FG), seven rebounds, and five assists.
At the end of the season, Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson will be an unrestricted free agent, and Monday’s performance in Game 2 of the Mavs’ first-round series against the Utah Jazz could have earned him a few extra dollars.
Brunson had a career-high 41 points (6-10 3FG), eight rebounds, five assists, and zero turnovers as the Mavs defeated the Jazz 119-104 at American Airlines Center to tie the series at one.
This was Dallas first home win in the playoffs since 2015.
Game 3 is Thursday night in Utah.
Brunson became the first player in team history with 40 points and 0 turnovers in a playoff game, and he joined Luka Doncic and Rolando Blackman as the only Mavericks to record 40-8-5 in a postseason game.
Mavs head coach Jason Kidd believes Brunson has done enough to get paid this summer.
“I don’t know if he needs an agent, but I’ll put my name in the hat,” Kidd said. “It’s not just what he did tonight. It’s not what he’s going to do going forward. He’s already done the work this season. He’s showing that he deserves to be paid. He does his job at a very high level, and he’s a winner. Hopefully, he can pay me for what I just said.”
With Doncic missing his second straight game with a left calf injury, Brunson carried the load and then some.
“I was just playing how the defense was kind of giving me,” Brunson said. “Just seeing how they were defending certain things—just stepping in confidentially into certain shots. I think I started 5-for-5, maybe. Yeah, the 5-for-5 start is great, but I had the same mentality when I was 0-for-5 last game or something like that. The mentality stays the same. You can’t fluctuate whenever he’s in or out. You need guys to make plays. He has a lot on his shoulders. We need guys to get into the paint and make plays to take the extra pressure off of him.”
For now, Brunson and Maxi Kleber, who scored 25 points, including a career-high eight threes, saved the Mavs’ season.
This series would have probably been over if Dallas had gone down 0-2 heading to Utah for Games 3 and 4.
For now, Dallas celebrates the win and continues to hope they can get Doncic back at some point in this series.
The Dallas Mavericks and their fans are hoping for the best when it comes to the status of All-Star guard Luka Doncic, who left Sunday’s 130-120 win over the Spurs with a left calf injury late in the third quarter and did not return.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Doncic, who had 26 points, eight rebounds and nine assists against the Spurs, will get an MRI on his calf this afternoon.
Dallas did have a shot at the third seed if the Warriors lost to the Pelicans. However, that did not happen as Golden State defeated the Pelicans in New Orleans, so the Mavericks will now be the fourth seed in the West and battle the fifth-seeded Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs.
Game 1 is Saturday afternoon in Dallas.
Jalen Brunson, who had 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists Sunday night, believes Doncic will find a way to be on the court Saturday in Dallas for Game 1.
‘”For some reason, I feel like he will be ready to go,” Brunson said after the game. “Knowing the competitor he is, I’m sure he will be ready. It’s unfortunate, but with a competitor like that, you can’t keep him down for long. We’re happy that, obviously, we won the game and things like that, but we will leave this for tomorrow and go from there…
“He’s probably a little upset that he is hurt. But, I went up to him, shook his hand, and asked if he is good. He looked at me and said, “Yeah.” Everybody just kind of looked at each other, nodded, and I had to go to a meeting. Like I said, I feel like he will be ready. We are talking playoff basketball now; no one is going to sit. If you can play, you can play. He’s a competitor, and he will be ready.”
Many may criticize Mavs head coach Jason Kidd for having Doncic in the game with the Mavs up 16 points in the third, but according to the Hall of Famer, injuries happen.
“I thought the guys did a good job there at the end of the third quarter to extend that lead,” Kidd said. “With that being said, injuries are part of a game; absences are part of the game; we’ll see how [Luka Doncic] feels. The nice thing is that we have won homecourt, so we don’t have to travel, and we got a week until we play.”
Look, you can criticize Kidd for having Doncic out there, and it might be justified, but to Kidd’s point, injuries happen, and again, Dallas was trying to get the third seed.
At this point, Dallas will have to wait and see if their best player will be available against the Jazz.
Listen below Brunson talks Doncic and win over San Antonio:
