CHICAGO — The Dallas Mavericks gained a favorable position in the three-team race for the final two spots of the play-in tournament Saturday night following a 120-119 win over the Chicago Bulls.
The Mavericks swapped positions with the Sacramento Kings and claimed ownership of ninth in the Western Conference after capturing their fourth win in the last five games. The win concluded a four-game East Coast road trip that the Mavericks finished with a 3-1 record.
“We’re just focused on one game at a time,” said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. “As you know, this group is close. We’re fighting for each other. We’re executing the gameplan. To end the road trip with a W and go 3-1 is big at this time of the year, no matter what the record is.”
Here are a few observations from Dallas’ win over the Bulls:
Davis’ homecoming
Anthony Davis has played in his hometown of Chicago several times throughout the last 13 seasons, but Saturday was his first homecoming as a member of the Mavericks. Davis played 30 minutes, his most since returning from a left adductor strain. He also had his most field goals during that time with 23 attempts, but he was only able to convert on seven. Despite his shooting struggles, he finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists. The Mavericks are now 4-0 with Davis in the lineup, which bodes well for the final seven games of the regular season.
Welcome back, PJ
After missing the last two games with a left ankle sprain, P.J. Washington made his return from a left ankle sprain. He immediately took advantage of his matchup with Bulls guard Josh Giddey by posting up and using his size to score a layup for the game’s opening points. Washington indicated Giddey was “too small” by placing his hand low toward the court. He tallied 19 points and seven rebounds in 32 minutes, which were the second-most to Spencer Dinwiddie’s 36 minutes. The Mavericks’ starting small forward didn’t appear limited by his ankle and admitted that he “felt good” once the game was over.
Thompson’s heat check
The Mavericks were in danger of falling into a deep hole in the first half until Klay Thompson caught fire and scored 12 of his team-high 20 points in the second quarter. He drilled three 3-pointers in that period and gave the Mavericks, who once trailed by as many as 12, life again. Thompson said the 15-0 run was a result of the Mavericks’ defense, which led to favorable opportunities on the offensive end. After the game, Thompson was happy with the win but even more grateful the Mavericks didn’t have to play with eight or nine players.
“It’s just great to see 11 or 12 guys on the roster right now,” Thompson said. That was so nice. ... I know once we get whole, we’ll have a chance to put a great end to this regular season."
Another versatile game for Dinwiddie
Spencer Dinwiddie flirted with a triple-double on Saturday by finishing with 14 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists. The veteran guard made timely plays, especially in the fourth quarter as he accounted for 11 points and three assists in the final 12 minutes of the game. The Mavericks led by three with less than a minute in the game when Dinwiddie drove to the basket for his signature scoop layup to increase the lead to five, which led to a timeout being called by Bulls coach Billy Donovan. Dinwiddie’s production over the past 10 games has been impressive as he’s averaged 17.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists.
Farewell, Williams
Saturday marked the 50th and final game of eligibility for two-way guard Brandon Williams. He made the most of his farewell with a handful of impressive finishes throughout the game. Before the game, Kidd compared Williams’ speed to that of a former teammate, Devin Harris.
“Speed. Can’t guard it,” Kidd said. “We talk about Devin Harris’ speed – you can’t guard it. I know you can’t teach it, but you can’t guard it and he uses his speed as a weapon to be able to get to the rim, as we saw in the last game. But, as we’ve seen with him all season, his ability to go coast-to-coast is something that doesn’t happen a lot in this league.“
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