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:
The Mavericks were without Luka Doncic(right ankle soreness) when they hosted the Houston Rockets Wednesday night.
Without Doncic, they got a combined 54 points from their starting backcourt of Jalen Brunson(28 points) and Spencer Dinwiddie(26 points) as Dallas routed the Rockets 110-91.
The Mavericks continued their home dominance, as they swept the two-game homestand and improved to 17-4 in their last 21 games at American Airlines Center.
Dinwiddie, who is averaging 20.1 points (.503 FG, .420 3FG), 3.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in the last 13 games, scored 19 points in the first half, and Brunson, who has been over 20-plus points in 18 games this season, had all 16 of his second-half points in the third quarter. Dinwiddie was 5/8 from the floor in that first half but shot only five more times the rest of the way because Brunson got rolling.
“I think JB [Jalen Brunson] turned it up and got rolling,” Dinwiddie said about the second half. “I think I was just reading the game from that standpoint. And obviously, it was working. We started taking the lead and going up. So, there was no need to insert yourself forcefully. If we were going down, then I probably would have.”
Brunson added: “I just wanted to be aggressive. I wanted to get in the paint and play with a little more pace. I was able to attack gaps and take angles to get to the rim. I was able to get fouled, and that is it.”
Dinwiddie and Brunson looked comfortable together on the floor, and according to Brunson, it’s been a lot of fun.
“I think me and Spencer have been comfortable since he has gotten here,” Brunson said. “There hasn’t really been any friction or anything. It has been fun. It kind of just flows ever since he was inserted into the lineup. It is relieving when you have someone else who can create the way he can create for himself and others. It is a credit to him for being a great teammate. For coming in here and just wanting to win.”
Dallas has won a lot since Dinwiddie came over from the Wizards, as the Mavericks are 12-3 since the trade. They play defense(first in opponents points allowed), which is good, and they have a dynamic star in Doncic.
The Mavericks(45-28) and Jazz(45-28) are tied for the fourth spot in the West. With nine games left, Dallas would love to finish strong and get homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
It’s never easy to win in the NBA, but there are some games that you just can’t lose. On Wednesday night, the Dallas Mavericks hosted the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder.
OKC snapped a seven-game losing streak when they defeated the Blazers Monday night, and Dallas was coming off a tough road loss against the Magic Sunday night, so the thought was Dallas(29-23) would come back strong against the Thunder(16-34).
However, Lu Dort scored 30 points; Tre Mason added a career-high 29 points as the Thunder defeated the Mavs 120-114 in OT at American Airlines Center.
At one point, Dort scored 14 straight for OKC in OT, and he scored 14 of the team’s 17 points in the extra session.
Luka Doncic led the Mavs with a game-high 40 points, five rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals. Reggie Bullock came off the bench for a season-high-tying 23 points to go with a season-high-tying eight rebounds, and Jalen Brunson contributed 20 points, five rebounds, four assists.
Dallas had an opportunity to win this game in regulation, but they could not hold the lead down the stretch. With the Mavericks leading 103-101, OKC’s Kenrich Williams made a layup over Doncic to tie things up at 103. Doncic had an opportunity to get the win, but he missed a three at the buzzer.
After the game, Doncic took full responsibility for the loss. First, on defense.
“I mean, this game is on me, you know,” he said. “The last two possessions shouldn’t happen. By far, my worst defensive game this year for sure, and it’s just on me.”
Doncic also was not happy with his final shot at the end of regulation.
“It was a tight game,” he said. “I expected the double [team], and I saw it wasn’t there. I decided to do a step-back, but it was a bad decision.”
Despite the bad losses, Brunson says the locker room is still positive.
“We’re still positive,” he said. “We know what we’re capable of, and we just got to reset focus. Every team has NBA players. You have to treat every team with respect no matter what their record is. Props to them tonight.”
You have to win all the winnable games you can in the NBA. In the last four games, all against teams below .500, Dallas went 2-2, and the two losses came against teams with a combined 28-75 record. Plus, OKC did not have their best player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, so that’s unacceptable.
The Mavericks continue their six-game homestand against the 76ers Friday night.
On Thursday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Dallas Mavericks had seven players in health and safety protocols, including Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr, Maxi Kleber, and four others. In addition, Dallas was without Kristaps Porzingis(toe).
Dallas had five players who they recently signed to 10-day contracts(Brandon Knight, Marquese Chriss, Theo Pinson, George King, Carlik Jones) play Thursday night, and while the Bucks also had some health and safety protocol issues(Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dante DiVincenzo, and Bobby Portis), Milwaukee(21-13) still had Khris Middleton(26 points), Jrue Holiday(24 points), and DeMarcus Cousins(22 points).
Ultimately, the Bucks defeated the Mavs 102-95 at American Airlines Center.
Dallas has now lost three of four. The Mavericks(15-16) had six players in double figures, including all five starters. Jalen Brunson led the way with 19 points.
The Mavericks trailed 95-90 with just over five minutes to go, and they would score only five points the rest of the way. However, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was happy with the team’s effort.
“The guys played hard,” Kidd said. “We were in position, a great position tonight against the world champs. We missed some opportunities. Had good looks, got stops, just couldn’t score the ball there [in] the last five minutes.”
The players on the 10-day contracts for the Mavericks have an opportunity to catch on with the team or elsewhere, and according to Kidd, those players have a limited amount of time to impress.
“For the guys, this is their second game, Theo [Pinson] and those guys, [Marquese] Chriss; they did everything they could. And for the new guys, [Brandon] Knight, George [King], they’ve just got to get their feet settled,” Kidd said. “Unfortunately, they’re on the clock; it’s only 10 days. I don’t know what the rules are, but if you bring them back another 10 days, we’ll see who makes that.”
Chriss, who had 13 points and five rebounds off the bench, added: “I think the biggest thing was just sitting at home watching everybody else play and missing it and feeling like I could contribute and be somewhere and be myself. I’m just thankful to be here and taking it one day at a time.”
The Mavericks travel to Utah to battle the Jazz on Christmas Day. They will continue to be a depleted team due to health and safety protocols, which will give the newly signed players more opportunities to make an impression.
Dallas is in a tough spot, but they have to figure it out.
The Dallas Mavericks finished off their two-game set in Phoenix against the Suns(12-3) on Friday night. The Mavericks, who were again without Luka Doncic(ankle/knee sprains), took an 84-79 lead into the fourth but would be outscored 33-20 in the final quarter and fall to Phoenix 112-104.
Dallas(9-6) fell to the Suns 105-98 on Wednesday night.
Here is the Great, Not so Great, and the Bottom Line of Phoenix’s loss to Dallas.
The Great for the Mavericks:
-Kristaps Porzingis continues to play well for Dallas. He led the way with a game-high 23 points, and he grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. Porzingis shot the ball well as he was 8/13 from the field, including 3/6 from downtown. This was Porzingis’ fifth consecutive game of 20 points or more.
Jalen Brunson in the first three quarters: In his second consecutive start for Dallas, Brunson had a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. For the first three quarters, Brunson was 6/13 from the floor with 15 points and eight assists, and Dallas took an 84-79 lead into the fourth.
Not so Great for the Mavericks:
Fourth Quarter: Dallas went cold in the fourth. They shot 6/21 from the field and had five of their 10 turnovers in the quarter. Phoenix went on a 17-3 run to start to the fourth, and the Suns shot 65% from the floor, including 5/7 from three-point range. Ultimately, the Mavericks were outscored 33-20.
Fourth Quarter Jalen Brunson: The fourth-year guard struggled in the fourth. He was 1/6 from the floor and scored only two points, but it was not just on him; the team struggled in the final period. Brunson finished the game shooting 7/19.
Defense: Dallas allowed the Suns to shoot 52% from the floor, including 48% from downtown on Friday night. In addition, they allowed Phoenix to score 112 points.
Bottom Line:
The Phoenix Suns are red-hot as they have won 11 straight; they are probably playing the best basketball in the NBA right now. In both games against the Suns, the Mavericks took leads into the fourth, and both times, the Suns outlasted them. Maybe if Doncic was healthy, Dallas could have split the two-game set in Phoenix. Hopefully, they can get Doncic back against the Clippers.
“They’re a good team,” Porzingis said postgame about the Suns. They were in the Finals last year. That says a lot. I feel like we’re not too far off. If we had Luka(Doncic), it would also probably be a different look.”
What’s Next:
Dallas continues their four-game road trip on Sunday in Los Angeles as they begin a two-game set against the Clippers.
Best of the Rest:
-The Suns had six players in double figures. Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges(7/7 FG) had 19 points apiece. Chris Paul added 18 points, 14 assists, and five rebounds; Deandre Ayton had 8 points and a game-high 17 rebounds, and JaVale McGee had 14 points and six rebounds off the bench.
-For the Mavs, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 18 points, and Dorian Finney-Smith chipped in with 12.
On Friday, Dallas announced that Dirk Nowitzki’s number 41 would be retired on January 5th against the Warriors.
The Dallas Mavericks(9-4) have now won two straight and five of their last six after defeating the Denver Nuggets(9-5) 111-101 at American Airlines Center on Monday.
The last time these two teams faced off was a few weeks ago in Denver, where the Nuggets routed Dallas 106-75.
Dallas got revenge on Monday night! After trailing most of the second half, Dallas went on a 19-5 run to start the fourth to take control of the game.
Here is the Great, Not so Great, and the Bottom Line of Dallas’ win over Denver.
The Great for the Dallas Mavericks:
-Kristaps Porzingis has been great after missing five games with a back injury. On Monday, he finished with 29 points (5-8 3FG), 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block. In the last five games, Porzingis is averaging 23.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
“KP was great again on both sides of the ball,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said postgame. “We asked him to not just score for us, but we also asked him to play defense on the MVP (Nikola Jokić) tonight — and he did his best. When you look at KP at the 5, we don’t want to have him out there for 40 minutes at the 5. I think for the journey of this season, that’s just too many minutes at the 5. For us to get him at the 5, tonight was good, and we’ll continue to get him at the 5.”
The Mavericks improved to 13-5 all-time when Porzingis goes for 25-plus points and 10-plus boards.
-Luka Doncic finished with 23 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds. Doncic has now recorded at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in each of his last six games. It is now the longest streak of 20-5-5 across the NBA this season. Tonight was his seventh double-double of the season and his fourth game with 10-plus assists.
Doncic did leave late in the game with a lower leg injury, and according to the team, will be out Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns with left knee and left ankle sprains.
-Tim Hardaway Jr. had 19 points for Dallas tonight, which included 13 points down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Hardaway Jr. added a season-high seven rebounds and a season-high-tying four assists for the Mavs. The Mavericks are now 6-2 when Hardaway Jr. goes for 15-plus points.
-Jalen Brunson had 17 points and six assists off the bench for the Mavericks. This is Brunson’s seventh consecutive game, scoring in double figures, and he is averaging 18.9 points per game on 57.5% shooting from the field in that stretch. The Mavericks bench outscored Denver 27-16 tonight. Dallas improved to 6-0 when the bench unit outscores the opponent’s bench unit.
Fourth Quarter: Dallas outscored the Nuggets 32-16 in the fourth quarter, led by Hardaway Jr.’s 13 points. The Mavericks were sizzling in the fourth as they shot 59% from the floor. In addition, they held the Nuggets to 32% from the field, including 1/8 from downtown. Dallas went small in the fourth as Dorian Finney-Smith got some run at center, and it worked.
The Not so Great for the Mavericks:
Second Quarter: Dallas was outscored 26-14 by Denver. They shot 22.7% from the field in the quarter, and ultimately, the Nuggets took a nine-point lead into halftime.
Bottom Line:
You have to be happy about the play of Porzingis. If he continues to play at this level, the Mavericks are going to give teams fits.
“It is all about confidence for KP,” Hardaway Jr. said. “Just knowing him personally, on and off the floor, he needs to stay active. When he is active in the pick-and-roll situations, picking-and-popping, taking the ball off-dribble off his rebounds, posting up and doing the little things like blocking shots and talking on defense, when he is engaged like that, we can be a dangerous team.”
However, Dallas is hoping Doncic’s injuries are not severe, which according to reports, it’s not.
“Luka walked off on his own power,” Kidd said. “I think he got rolled up on his lower left leg.”
The Mavericks have struggled with teams above .500 this season(1-3). Monday’s win over Denver was their first win against a team above .500.
What’s Next:
Dallas begins a four-game road trip with a two-game set in Phoenix against the red-hot Suns, who have won nine straight.
Best of the Rest:
-Nikola Jokić led Denver with a season-high 35 points, 16 rebounds, and six assists tonight; Monte Morris (17), Aaron Gordon (14), and Austin Rivers (12) all started and scored in double figures for Denver.
Listen below as Kidd and Porzingis talk win over Denver:
The Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis came to play against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.
The two scored 32 points apiece, while Doncic, who had a triple-double, added 15 assists and 12 rebounds as Dallas defeated the Spurs on the road 123-109.
Dallas(8-4), who led by as many as 27 points on Friday night, has now played and beaten the Spurs(4-8) three times this season.
Here is the Great, Not so Great, and the Bottom Line of the Mavs’ win against San Antonio:
The Great for the Dallas Mavericks:
-Luka Doncic messed around and got his first triple-double of the season. Doncic is now sixth in NBA history in 30-point triple-doubles as he was 11/23 from the floor, including six threes. According to Mavs PR, Doncic has joined Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to record six-plus career games of 30-plus points, 12-plus rebounds, and 15-plus assists.
-Kristaps Porzingis had his best game of the season as he scored 32 points on 12/22 shooting from the field, including three threes, grabbed seven rebounds, and three blocks. It was Porzingis’ 28th career 30-point game (14th with the Mavs). This is Porzingis'(22 points and 12 rebounds) second straight strong game as he had a double-double against the Bulls.
-Dorian Finney-Smith was solid on Friday night. He had 15 points, including three threes, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block. This was Smith’s first-career game of 15-plus, five-plus rebounds, three-plus assists.
Third Quarter: Dallas outscored San Antonio 34-20 in the quarter. The Mavericks, who led 68-57 at halftime, had their largest lead of 27 in third. They shot 52% from the field. Both Finney-Smith and Jalen Brunson scored eight points in the quarter.
Not so Great for the Mavericks:
-Not much to add here. Actually, nothing to add.
Bottom Line:
This season, Dallas has the lowly Spurs’ number. However, a win is a win, and you beat the teams that are on your schedule. It will get more challenging for the Mavericks as the next five games will be against the Nuggets(home), @Suns(2x), and @Clippers(2x).
“He(Luka Doncic) takes so much pressure off everybody else,” Porzingis said postgame. “Makes everybody else better and get more open looks.”
What’s Next:
The Mavericks return home on Monday to battle the Denver Nuggets.
Best of the Rest:
-The Spurs had seven players in double figures led by Devin Vassell’s 20 points off the bench.
-Jalen Brunson is a weapon off the Mavs’ bench. He had 17 points and three assists.
Listen below as Mavs head coach Jason Kidd talks Doncic, Porzingis, and win against Spurs:
