Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

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Mavericks cruise past Rockets, win 95-85

November 16, 2024 | by NBA News

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Dallas remains perfect to start the season despite a poor display of three-point shooting, knocking down just 4 of 26 attempts. Fortunately, the brilliance of John Wall aided them to victory, with Wall racking up 23 points, 13 assists and 4 blocks while Paul George also played a key part, contributing with 19 points.

Meanwhile for the Rockets, James Harden continued to struggle mightily against the Dallas match-ups, scoring just 11 points on 5/16 attempts. With already two straight losses to start the season, Houston's playoff hopes are now in jeopardy as it is already looking like another lottery-bound season for them.

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[trekfan]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

Dallas is looking ready to run roughshod over the league in, what looks like, the final season of their "Big Three" era.

Definitely surprised to see Harden scoring only 11 points for Houston -- seems like their season is already over and big changes will be on the way once it is (looking at you, Cassell).

[jeremym480]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

Just catching up on everything. Pretty crazy seeing you miss the playoffs with all of those big names last season. Equally as crazy was Miami making the ECF's after starting the season 30th in the Power Rankings, then they get no respect again this season starting 26th.

The West looks really tough with lots of up-and-coming teams, another title for the Mavs will be hard to come by. Good luck.

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The West looks really tough with lots of up-and-coming teams, another title for the Mavs will be hard to come by.

Yep, definitely not going to be an easy task. The biggest blow in the offseason was DeMarcus Cousins' rating getting a dramatic dip. He went from an 86 to 81. Thankfully Wall and George didn't fall down off too much - they're both still hovering around the mid-80's.

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Mavericks take charge early,
cruise past Trail Blazers

December 28, 2024 | by NBA News

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Dallas continues to roll, extending their winning streak to 3-0 after defeating Portland, 108-97.

John Wall and Paul George led early, giving the Mavericks an 8 point cushion at the half. Wall finished with 22 points and 12 assists while George had 26 points and 6 assists.

Prior to the game, DeMarcus Cousins battled through a hamstring injury which he sustained during training. Through the pain, he contributed with 18 points and 10 rebounds. His backup, Steven Adams, also fared well, racking up 12 rebounds and 3 blocks, which has even prompted coach Rick Carlisle to consider resting Cousins given his age and the team's record so far. "I think we may consider giving DeMarcus a night off at some point. I mean you don't want to play with fire with these type of injuries and risk it all. We're looking at the bigger picture and I think Steven did a terrific job tonight taking on a bigger workload so we'll see."

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Lakers' big second half run sparks them to a 103-91 victory

January 11, 2025 | by NBA News

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The Mavericks have suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of a dominating second half from the Lakers, where they outscored Dallas, 57-38. It also marked the first time this season that the Mavs have conceded more than 100 points.

Despite missing All-Star, D'Angelo Russell, to an injury, it did not deter Los Angeles as Brandon Ingram took charge, scoring 22 points with 3 steals. Alejandro Ruiz also had a terrific outing with 18 points and 10 assists.

As for the Mavericks, even a big game from John Wall couldn't save them with everyone else struggling to find their shot as the team collectively shot 44% from the field and just 23% from downtown.

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Thunder pull away in the second half to defeat Mavericks, 113-95

January 17, 2025 | by NBA News

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It seems Dallas' 3-0 start to the season is now just a distant memory after losing their consecutive game, falling to Oklahoma City thanks to a 19-point swing in the second half.

Matthew Holland was sensational early on, scoring 19 of his 27 points in the first half. Despite cooling down in the second half, he continued to play a major part, racking up 12 assists, 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Moses Williams also caught fire in the fourth, scoring 8 points to finish with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals.

The Thunder took advantage of the Mavericks' careless passes, forcing them to commit 14 turnovers whilst converting 19 fast break points.

The win now moves the Thunder to a 4-2 record whilst the Mavs fall to 3-2.

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[trekfan]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

Paul George seems to be having some issues in these losses. 5-15 is not going to cut it; he's got to be more consistent. Dallas at 3-2 feels like they're already out of the playoffs if they drop another 2-3 games. Dallas might be inching towards that panic button ...

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Paul George seems to be having some issues in these losses. 5-15 is not going to cut it; he's got to be more consistent. Dallas at 3-2 feels like they're already out of the playoffs if they drop another 2-3 games. Dallas might be inching towards that panic button ...

Starting to feel like déjà vu again from last year's collapse.

What's worse is that we have no first-round picks this year as a result of the PG13 trade.

By the way, you called it previously. Sam Cassell was fired by the Rockets after a poor 1-4 start to the season. He has been replaced by the assistant coach in the interim.

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Mavericks come from behind to defeat the Pelicans, 115-112

January 28, 2025 | by NBA News

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Trailing by as much as 17 points, the Mavericks made a stunning comeback thanks to a 34-23 redemption in the second quarter.

Coming off the bench, Malik Jackson dominated early with 24 points and 10 rebounds at the half. However, he simply couldn't stay out of foul trouble, fouling out early in the fourth quarter and finishing with 30 points and 14 rebounds. One could argue that they might have won the game if he was still on the court.

Nonetheless, John Wall came up big for Dallas in the clutch, scoring the game-winning layup with just 8 seconds remaining. He finished with 27 points, 8 assists and 3 steals as the Mavericks remain in playoff contention with a now 4-2 record.

After the game, Wall cited pure determination as the factor in the comeback win. "Man, we simply just wanted it. We're tired of losing, and there's no way we're going out again like we did last year. As the leader of this team, it's my duty to set the tone and put us in the best position possible to win ball games."

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Dallas grinds past Sacramento, maintains winning momentum

February 10, 2025 | by NBA News

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With both teams struggling to find their shots early on (both shooting under 40% in the first half), it was the Mavericks that started to pull away late in the third quarter.

The Kings simply couldn't contain DeMarcus Cousins, who had a field day in the paint, scoring 28 points (11/14 shooting) as well as grabbing 11 boards. He was also accompanied by Wenyen Gabriel, scoring 16 points and 9 rebounds.

Filling in the game for Ricky Rubio, who was out tonight with a sore knee, was Derrick Rose, who also helped with a season-high, 7 points and 5 assists.

After the game, Mavs coach praised Rose for his efforts tonight. "Well you know Derrick is a competitor. He's very professional and is always ready whenever called upon." Additionally, Carlisle also spoke of the emergence of Gabriel and his performance with his new team. "We've always been fond of Wenyen so when we had the opportunity to sign him this season, I was absolutely thrilled. He's often been overlooked in his career, and thankfully, we were lucky to have him on board just at the right time." Gabriel's play as of late have started to garner attention around the league with many experts considering him as a strong candidate for Most Improved Player.

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George breaks out of scoring funk, helps Mavericks avenge against Timberwolves

February 17, 2025 | by NBA News

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After last season's heartbreaking loss, the Mavs came into this game with a chip on their shoulders. It was a tightly contested first quarter with Karl-Anthony Towns dominating early. He finished the game with 25 points and 17 rebounds.

However, it wasn't until the second quarter where Dallas began to pull away, cushioning themselves to a 12 point lead at the half. By the third quarter, Paul George began heating up, knocking down two consecutive three-pointers to extend the Mavs lead to 15. But he did not stop there, finishing the game with a season-high, 31 points (5/11 from deep), while DeMarcus Cousins anchored the post with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks as well as outstanding job in the second half to limit Towns. George and Cousins' dominance was simply too much to overcome for Minnesota as they fell 93-106.

After the game, George spoke to reporters after finally breaking out of his slump. "Man I'm just glad we got the win. I've been missing a lot of wide open shots but my teammates have kept on encouraging me to take the same shots. Full credit goes to them for trusting and having faith in me." Coming in this game, George was averaging just 12.8 points in his past 4 games but Dallas fans will hope that tonight's performance was no anomaly.

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2025 NBA All-Stars Announced

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Matthew Holland and Raymar Benjamin will headline the NBA All Star Game, hosted in San Francisco on February 23, 2025. Both players were the highest vote-getters for their respective conference as per the fans, players, and media panel.

Leading his Thunder team to the number one seed so far, Holland continues to make a case as the best point guard in the league with averages of 25.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 9.3 APG and 3.2 SPG.

Joining Holland in the back-court will be 36 year old, Stephen Curry, who continues to excel at the highest level despite his age. He is currently averaging 27.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 9.0 APG and 2.6 SPG. However, the Warriors are still on the outside looking in with a 4-4 record thus far.

The West starting forwards named were Kevin Durant, Axel Romero, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Like Curry, there is also no slowing down Durant, with averages of 22.5 PPG and 5.7 RPG. Meanwhile, Romero is putting up career highs across the board with 21.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG and 2.0 BPG whilst Towns continues to dominate, dropping 21.9 PPG, 14.3 RPG and 2.8 BPG.

Rounding out the West reserves will be John Wall, Dejounte Miller, Brandon Ingram, Anthony Davis, Frank Ntilikina, Markelle Fultz, and first-timer, Marquese Chriss.

As for the East, Raymar Benjamin has taken his game to another level this season, stuffing the stat sheets with averages of 22.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.3 SPG and 1.9 BPG. His performance has also kept his Hawks team afloat with a 5-3 record (#5 in the East). Joining him in the front-court will be Ben Simmons and Lawrence Howard. Simmons has helped carried the 76ers to the number one spot in the East so far with averages of 23.0 PPG, 10.4 RPG and 7.1 APG. Likewise, Howard has bounced back after his sub-par season last year, with careers highs of 17.0 PPG, 12.4 RPG and 2.8 BPG. He has also led the Hornets to the second seed with a 6-2 record.

For the East back-court, Kyrie Irving and Tyshawn Atkins were named the starters. Irving has single-handedly carried the Cavs for playoff contention, currently sitting at a 4-4 record, with averages of 27.4 PPG and 7.4 APG. Meanwhile, Atkins looks to be a superstar on the rise, averaging 23.8 PPG and 8.2 APG, whilst helping the Pistons to a 6-2 record (currently third place in the East).

Rounding out the East reserves will be Dennis Smith Jr., Russell Warner, Josh Jackson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jonathan Isaac, and first-timers, Solomon N'diaye, and Kris Dunn.

Stars

Starters: Romeo Langford (BKN), Charlie Slay (ORL), Carlos Ramos (CHI), Kostas Antetokounmpo (DEN), Zion Williamson (TOR)
Reserves: Kevin Rivers (NYK), Bradley Toney (BKN), Lonnie Hendrix (HOU), Zay Cheaney (MEM), Malik Jamison (MIL)

Elites

Starters: Louis Clancy (IND), Darius Garland (NYK), Marvin Bagley III (SAS), Moses Brown (SAC), Lamond McMillan (BKN)
Reserves: Braxton Johnson (UTA), Cameron Reddish (CHI), J'Covan Kennedy (CLE), Shareef O'Neal (MIL), Marco Gomez (MIN)

Participants
Dejounte Miller (LAC)
Denzel Valentine (BKN)
Erik Wright (ATL)
Bradley Beal (UTA)
Mario Hezonja (IND)
Grayson Allen (MEM)



Participants
Ja'Kel Smart (TOR)
Bronx Johnson (DAL)
Zion Williamson (TOR)
Scooter Outlaw (CHA)

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2025 NBA All-Star Weekend Recap

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The West All-Stars have defeated the East All-Stars, 94-92, in a more tightly contested game. Home favorite, Kevin Durant, was voted the All-Star MVP after his efficient scoring, dropping 18 points on 7/12 shooting (2/3 from deep).

Lawrence Howard was the leading scorer for the East All-Stars as he posted 20 points and 9 rebounds. But it seems poor shooting from beyond the arc was the East's downfall, knocking just 3/11 attempts.

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The Rising Stars Challenge saw the Elites defeat the Stars, 120-99. Spurs big man, Marvin Bagley III took the MVP honors, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks. For the Stars, Bradley Toney was their leading scorer with 18 points.

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Winner: Dejounte Miller (LAC)

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Winner: Ja'Kel Smart (TOR)

[trekfan]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

Good to see PG13 break out of his funk -- you got to hope his slump is done. He needs to start revving up for the playoffs, assuming Dallas gets in. They're really going to need him to perform if the Big 3 is going to have a shot at postseason glory this season.