On Tuesday night, the Dallas Mavericks lost to the Indiana Pacers 137-120. Both teams’ offences controlled the game, with Indiana leading 74-70 at halftime. In fact, Luka Doncic scored 28 points before halftime on his own.
Dallas’ defensive troubles dominated postgame discussions, as Doncic was questioned about the Mavs’ defensive issues following Tuesday’s loss.
“Since the beginning of the game,” Doncic said when asked when the defensive issues started. So, how can Dallas improve their defence amidst recent struggles?
“I don’t know honestly, but we know we gotta fix it.”
He subsequently noted that on defence, Dallas “needs to do something better.”
Luka’s straightforward message speaks loudly. Dallas has more than enough offensive talent and potential to be successful down the stretch, but it won’t matter if they can’t generate enough stops.
On Tuesday, the Mavs performed admirably on the attacking end of the court. Doncic led the team with 39 points, 11 assists, and ten rebounds. Kyrie Irving contributed 23 points and seven rebounds, while PJ Washington Jr. scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Daniel Gafford also brought a lot of energy, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
In the end, Dallas shot 48.4% from the field. However, they struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on only 33.3% of their long shots. That was certainly not their primary concern throughout the game.
Dallas’ defence has improved since the trade deadline. They showed glimpses of being a competent defensive club throughout their seven-game winning streak. However, the Mavericks are currently 1-5 in their last six games, and defence has been a major reason for their troubles.
The Pacers, who have a strong offensive attack, shot 53.8 percent from the field and 46.2% from deep. Throughout the night, they connected from beyond the arc and found the bottom of the net near the basket. Dallas didn’t appear to have much of an answer.
Tyrese Haliburton constantly found his teammates throughout the game. He knew battling Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the Mavs would be difficult, but Haliburton did whatever it necessary to lead his squad to victory. Haliburton ended the game with 19 points and 11 assists.
Myles Turner appeared unbeatable at moments in the post as well. He eventually finished with 20 points, leading Indiana.
Luka was thrilled with Indiana’s “pace” Tuesday.
“Their pace, I think,” Doncic said of what makes the Pacers difficult to defend. “They have one of the fastest paces in the league; they just get out there and run. I don’t believe they run many plays; they simply go at it.”
Doncic is doing everything he can to support his teammates. He remains undeniably in the MVP debate.
Right now, however, Dallas must improve its defence. Otherwise, developing consistency will be a huge task. When asked about the value of good defence, Luka made an unusual revelation.
“I mean, it was much easier to play basketball. It was easy to win. It was simply easier, and we were having a lot of fun. We have enjoyment when we get stopped. So it’s also easy on offence.”
If the message wasn’t evident enough, Luka emphasized it when asked what he intends to do differently on Wednesday to prepare for Thursday’s game against the Miami Heat.
“We gotta play better defence.”
Luka Doncic and the Mavericks will attempt to fulfill that aim against the Heat on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. EST in Dallas.
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