Lyou Cleveland Cavaliers from Ricky Rubio were imposed in Dallas on Mavericks from Luka Doncic by 96-114 and they made it clear that despite a new triple-double of the Slovenian star, the Texan team lacks depth.
Doncic finished the game with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 1 steal of the ball in addition to four losses, at a great distance from the rest of his teammates. Dorian Finney-Smith was the one who came closest to the European base, with 14 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists and 2 steals ball.
Latvian power forward Kristaps Porzingis, who had to withdraw from the game at the end of the third quarter after sustaining an injury to his right ankle, settled for 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 blocks.
Meanwhile, in the Cavs the pivot shone one more night Jarret Allen, with a double-double of 28 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block. The Finnish forward of the Cavs, Lauri Markkanen, also had a good night in the Cavaliers, with 24 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.
For his part, the Spanish base Ricky Rubio, who again started the game from the bench, scored 7 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal. The El Masnou player scored three of the 11 field goals he attempted including one from one from beyond the arc. A triple that allows you to reach the 600 shots of three made in his NBA career.
Doncic triples
The Mavs started the game dominating Cleveland thanks to Doncic’s efficiency from beyond the three-point line.
Doncic’s two triples along with the contributions of Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr. y Finney-Smith, allowed the Mavs to reach up to 5 points ahead, 19-14, with 5.11 minutes to go by the end of the first quarter.
In the last 3.25 minutes of the first quarter, the Mavs could only score 2 points against the Cavaliers’ 9, which left the score at 23-30 at the end of the opening 12 minutes.
The Mavericks were never ahead in the game again and the Cavaliers step by step increased their lead as they Doncic, who in the first quarter scored 3 of the 4 triples he tried, got tired of pulling the team.
At the break, the Cavaliers’ lead was 11 points, 41-52.
No reaction from the Mavericks
At the restart, the situation worsened for the Mavericks. Doncic was the only one capable of scoring regularly and only the power forward’s entry into the court. Maxi Kleber gave Dallas a little more attack.
The German improved the Mavericks’ inside game and scored 10 points in the third quarter, 2 more than Doncic. While Finney-Smith, Porzingis and Moses Brown each contributed only 2 points to the total.
The Mavericks defensive weakness Allen took advantage of it again, who continued to punish Dallas from under the rim. The center scored 13 points in the third quarter, just 1 less than the Dallas starting five in that period.
Ricky Rubio tries to score a layup
When the third quarter ended, the scoreboard was 65-87, and the Cavs had sentenced the game.
The last 12 minutes were a walk for Cleveland. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Mavs made their last effort to turn the game around but at 4 minutes, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd threw in the towel and sat Doncic, whose face on the bench was a poem. .
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