Player Ratings: Recapping Mavericks Vs. Suns

Fresh off a disappointing loss on Christmas Day, the Dallas Mavericks struck out against Phoenix Suns for the third time in as many months. Of course, the task would be made even more difficult with the absence of Luka Doncic, who was injured over Christmas and is expected to miss several games. Joining Luka on the bench was Derek Lively IIwho also suffered an injury at Christmas. Despite the challenges, the Mavericks rallied for a 98-89 victory in Phoenix on Friday night.

Without Lively, Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell saw more time to bolster the big man’s rotation, seeing a combined 17 minutes of action in the first half alone. In the third, the rotation became much thinner than it already was, with Naji Marshall and PJ Washington both ejected in an altercation with Jusef Nurkic, who was also ejected. It’s great, and frankly necessary, to see guys like Marshall and Washington step up to defend teammates and bring an overall toughness to the team, but given the circumstances, it would have been best if they stopped getting booted (and Marshall likely to be suspended next game as the lone hitter). The Suns went on a 6-0 run to cut the Mavs lead to 10 immediately after the ejections, and despite a quick Mavericks response, ultimately trimmed the lead to 8 entering the fourth as the Mavs shot a terrible percentage through the third.

Despite it all, the Mavs would not be denied in this one. They came out strong to start the fourth and maintained their lead to eventually put this one away. This was as gutsy a win as you could hope for under the circumstances and the Mavericks looked very good. The team found itself in an unfriendly environment, missing key starters, losing two more starters to a scrimmage, but stayed the course with stellar defense (holding the Suns to their second-lowest scoring total of the season) and timely buckets to get a huge win against difficult circumstances.

For those who may doubt Coach Jason Kidd, he should be given credit for the culture of this team. Guys who have seen limited minutes for weeks saw meaningful time in this one, and to a man they were fully prepared to make an impact. Let’s get to the characters!

Kyrie Irving: C

20 points / 4 rebounds / 5 assists / 1 steal / 0 blocks / 5 turnovers (40 minutes)

If not for shooting 50% on 10 three-point attempts, this would probably be one of Kyrie’s lesser performances during the season. The scoring was decent/solid for him, but it came with a lot of ineffectiveness despite a lot of floor time. Admittedly, the turnover total wasn’t visible to me while watching the game, but assuming the box score doesn’t lie, that total and his four fouls left a lot to be desired in this one. Still, he’s Kyrie, and just being on the floor draws defensive attention and opens things up for his teammates who capitalized on the opportunities in this one.

Klay Thompson: B+

11 points / 6 rebounds / 5 assists / 1 steal / 1 block / 1 turnover (32 minutes)

I can already see the comment section questioning this grade, but hear me out. Thompson faded a bit in the second half, not because of poor play, but rather sitting on the bench. However, he came out firing in the fourth to open the quarter with a much-needed three followed by a deep two soon after. That’s the kind of threat he is, and those two shots were massive in staving off a Suns run that ended the third quarter. He also had a season-high in assists, six boards (many of which were of the strong, “I fought for this”) variety and a team-leading plus-17.

PJ Washington: N/A

7 points / 3 rebounds / 2 assists / 0 steals / 0 blocks / 4 turnovers (20 minutes)

Washington looked to have a big impact in this game before his night was cut short by a ejection. He was 2-for-5 (2-for-4 from three) and played good defense. One particularly standout defensive effort was when he rotated to cover Jusef Nurkic, absorbed a pair of shots to the chest, then spun around him for a layup and turnover. He also made a nice offensive fumble while being screened to force another turnover. While it doesn’t steal stat sheets, it’s the type of intangible effort he brings every night. Oddly, he had four turnovers and three fouls in what turned out to be limited minutes.

Daniel Gafford: A-

16 points / 5 rebounds / 1 assist / 1 steal / 2 blocks / 1 turnover (29 minutes)

I’m giving Gafford a slightly higher grade in this one in part because of his overall development and how it was on display tonight. He has clearly developed a better passing game and low post ball handling. While not single-handedly, he also took Jusef Nurkic (who had two good games against the Mavs already this season) out of this one. Two late dunks in the fourth quarter, but essentially an exclamation point on the game, and both were well deserved by cleverly getting themselves in the right spot in both situations to make really big timely plays to seal the win.

Naji Marshall: N/A

4 points / 3 rebounds / 2 assists / 0 steals / 0 blocks / 1 turnover (19 minutes)

Naji was coming off a nice night, going 2-for-3 from the floor while going about his usual business, but he didn’t have an extended stay in this one due to being ejected after an altercation with Jusef Nurkic. If he was gradable in this one, he would get a bump for stepping up and defending his teammate, providing the toughness he was expected to bring when he joined the Mavs.

Spencer Dinwiddie: B+

15 points / 3 rebounds / 3 assists / 1 steal / 1 block / 1 turnover (23 minutes)

In a horrendous third quarter for the team overall, Dinwiddie made two huge buckets — a three and a drive through uncalled contact — to keep the once-18-point lead from getting any lower than it already had. It wasn’t his best shooting night, especially from three (1-for-5), but he still managed to make the most of his minutes by generally doing smart things, limiting turnovers and hustle on defense. I personally think he’s been the victim of a somewhat unfair whistle – he’s just not getting as many calls as the actual contact he’s receiving would dictate in my opinion – but he’s playing on and demonstrating an important leadership quality that shouldn’t overlooked.

Quentin Grimes: B

8 points / 5 rebounds / 1 assist / 0 steals / 0 blocks / 2 turnovers (29 minutes)

I wanted to throw a “+” on Grimes’ grade mainly because of intangibles, but the stand-alone “B” itself might actually be a bit generous given the mundane box score and poor shooting (3-for-9 ). Watching the game, the intangibles included a solid chase defense and a fearless moxie that hit a huge three in the fourth quarter to answer a Suns’ three on the previous possession. Overall, not his best night, but kudos for consistently showing that he’s a solid rebounding guard who isn’t afraid of a big shot or doing some dirty work.

Maxi Glue: A+

15 points / 7 rebounds / 1 assist / 1 steal / 0 blocks / 0 turnovers (26 minutes)

Maxi tied his season high in points (7) before the first half ended. Granted, this may be more of an indictment of his season so far, but regardless, it’s a great sign to see. A really crazy three during the Christmas Day game (a line drive that bounced weirdly on the rim before falling) may be what shook off his troubling funk, but whatever it did, it couldn’t have come on a better time. The first half was basically his best game of the season, with five rebounds, 3-for-4 shooting (1-for-1 on threes) and zero fouls to go with his seven points. Overall, this game was (by far) his best game of the season. He shot 5-for-7 including 1-for-2 on threes and 4-for-4 on free throws. I considered his character for a while but finally got him top marks. I honestly don’t know if the Mavs win this one without him hitting a couple or two in time and coming up with two absolutely huge defensive stops late in the fourth quarter.

Dwight Powell: B

0 points / 4 rebounds / 3 assists / 0 steals / 1 block / 0 turnovers (15 minutes)

Powell’s fourth quarter dive out of bounds to save a possession was vintage. While he didn’t fill the box, I can’t help but give him bonus points for his endless professionalism – not that we judge that per se, but he epitomizes the “next man up” mantra that the Mavs preach, and he filled with a far too thin roster to do competent work with great hustle and intelligent play.

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