There have been plenty of reasons for the Mavericks to be a little distracted the last few days. It goes without saying, but it could be very easy for Dallas, who has played their last two games without leading scorer Luka Doncic, to just play out the string and not fret if they lose out. That wasn’t the case for Rick Carlisle’s bunch on Sunday in Oklahoma City or on Monday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. The short-handed Mavs rallied and put together a collective effort to top the playoff-bound 76ers 122-102.
Dallas used a balanced scoring attack to take down the Sixers on a night where the Eastern Conference contenders looked like anything but that even without two of their starters in Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler. Six Mavs scored in double digits, led by 24 from Justin Jackson, and Dallas held Philly to just 39% shooting from the field.
While Jackson’s strong scoring night led Dallas, a strong performance from a fan-favorite stole the show.
“The Mej” makes an appearance
It’s always fun whenever Mavs big man Salah Mejri is able to contribute in a big way during a win. The 32-year-old Tunisian set new season-highs in points, rebounds and minutes played with his 16 points and 14 rebounds in 24 minutes played on Monday night. Coach Rick Carlisle joked after the game about how dominant the big man could be.
"The only person who can stop Mejri is Carlisle." -RC
— Dylan Duell (@DylanDuell) April 2, 2019
It was a moment of levity from the stern coach who clearly appreciates the work that Mejri has put in this season despite his limited minutes and even getting cut after the team traded Harrison Barnes in February. His head coach also went on to praise him for the work he has put in from beyond the arc.
“I talked to him about working on three point shooting, and he took it heart. Now he’s making ’em. This is what professionals do. His minutes are earned.”
Dirk Nowitzki also voiced his praise for Salah’s impact on the team both on and off the court.
“He’s a guy that no matter how much he plays, a minute or ten, he always plays hard and competes to the best of his ability,” Nowitzki said after the game. “In the locker room, he’s hilarious. Everybody loves him and we have fun with him. He deserves his chance and he’s making the best out of it.”
Mavs C Salah Mejri speaks to the media following the Mavs 122-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers! Mejri recorded his first double-double on the season with 16pts and 14reb! pic.twitter.com/dcLmsMikkN
— Dallas Sports Fanatic (@Dallas_Fanatic) April 2, 2019
Balanced attack leads the way
Despite his improved play as of late, if you just go off of your hunches, a night where Justin Jackson is your leading scorer might not be a great one. The North Carolina alum cored a team-high 24 points in 30 minutes on an efficient 7/11 shooting line.
Justin Jackson speaks to the media following the Mavs 122-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers! Jackson finished with 24 points! pic.twitter.com/Fg95uleGnE
— Dallas Sports Fanatic (@Dallas_Fanatic) April 2, 2019
Other Mavs to score in double-digits included Dwight Powell with 14, Jalen Brunson with 13, Maxi Kleber with 12 and Trey Burke with 16. Burke had another solid game after notching 25 points during Dallas’ win in Oklahoma City on Sunday. Burke’s minutes have been sporadic at times since he arrived in Dallas, but Rick Carlisle appreciates the work he puts in.
“He keeps himself ready. He works with Sham (player development coach God Shammgod) all the time. He’s a guy that’s ready to go. I just like his aggression. The way he balances the shot and the drive, it just keeps defenses off balance.”
Mavs front office stays away from Porzingis comments
With the uncertainty surrounding Mavs forward Kristaps Porzingis’ unfolding legal situation, there were some uncomfortable topics to broach before tonight’s game. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was quick to shut down any conversation. “Basically, I don’t have any comment. From a basketball standpoint, we’re business as usual.”
Porzingis was on the Mavericks bench during the game Monday, but was not seen in the locker room before or after the game. Despite not being able to play this season, he has popped into the locker room before games on a relatively routine basis and been friendly with members of the media.
When asked about any potential distraction the situation could have on his team, Carlisle confidently shot that down before the game tonight.
“Zero. Did we look distracted yesterday?”
Mavericks owner made himself available to the media courtside before the game and was quiet about the subject in his own Cuban-esque way.
“Nothing,” Cuban says when asked what can he say about the Porzingis investigation. He even later spelled out “N-O-T-H-I-N-G.”
“I will say this: some people need to do their homework and use some common sense because a little bit of common sense is so enlightening.”
— Michael Mulford (@TheMulf) April 1, 2019
The Mavericks will continue a three-game homestand on Wednesday night when the Minnesota Timberwolves come to down. Luka Doncic’s status will be something to monitor before then. The Mavericks will not have a traditional practice on Tuesday, so there likely won’t be any news on Doncic until Wednesday morning when they are scheduled to have a shootaround at the American Airlines Center.
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