The offensive surge is thanks to a deep lineup that has added multiple players with shot-creating ability.
DALLAS — Watch the Dallas Mavericks vs. Toronto Raptors on KFAA on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. Not sure how to watch? Here’s a breakdown on how to tune in – and guarantee you get the clearest signal possible of the broadcast.
As the NBA calendar becomes ensconced in the holiday season, and the contenders start to separate themselves while the NBA Cup ramps up, the Dallas Mavericks are putting the league on notice. Their deep playoff run that landed them in the previous NBA Finals was no fluke, but the start of something greater.
With a six-game winning streak entering the weekend, Dallas has soared to third in the Western Conference standings. The quality of basketball has increased across the board on the back of a top five offensive rating and top ten defensive rating.
The offensive surge is thanks to a deep lineup that has added multiple players with shot-creating ability, after years of suffering with a Luka Doncic or nothing playbook. The ability to not only survive, but go 5-1 with Doncic out with an injury spell should foreshadow a tough road for opposing teams looking to make it out of the West in the summer.
The current win streak started in Atlanta in the last week of November, on the second night of a back-to-back no less. Tallies against New York, Utah, Portland, and Memphis followed before a complete dismantling of the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.
After something of a slow start to their campaign as they integrated newcomers, Dallas is on a 10-1 run overall as they had strewn together four wins prior to their overtime loss at Miami just before Thanksgiving. The win at home against the Grizzlies featured a 15-point fourth quarter comeback and also allowed the Mavs to advance to the NBA Cup Quarterfinals as the lone Western Conference wild card.
The previously shortened rotation has been reinforced during the win streak, with Luka’s return the highlight. Doncic dropped 36 and 37 in his first two games back, then went out and got himself a triple-double in the rout of Washington. Now back with their dual threat backcourt, the on-demand offense of players like P.J. Washington, Quentin Grimes, and Naji Marshall has made Dallas even more lethal.
Marshall is likely out for Saturday night’s matchup against Toronto as he continues dealing with a persistent upper respiratory infection. His absence stings a bit for Dallas, as the free agent signee had been on a tear, becoming a frequent 20-point scorer with Doncic on the mend.
In Marshall’s stead, Klay Thompson is likely to get a bigger slice of looks in his absence with Grimes also pitching in. Thompson already shoots the second most threes per game for Dallas behind Luka. Grimes, meanwhile, upped his game with Doncic out with three consecutive 20-point contests.
The Dallas offense from deep has been rediscovered during their streak, but Doncic and Kyrie Irving will still command the Raptors’ best defenders. Toronto is 12th in the East coming in, relying on the tandem of 23-year old Scottie Barnes and 24-year old RJ Barrett to lead the offense.
Toronto is fully in a youth movement as their top six rotation players are all under 30. This is not their year which makes them a team that this Mavs edition should be able to take care of easily as they look toward bigger goals.
Those goals begin when a rested Dallas heads back to Oklahoma City for an NBA Cup Quarterfinals eliminator on Tuesday as the budding I-35 rivalry gets a new chapter. OKC is not only No. 1 in the West with a 17-5 record, but they’re the top seed in the NBA Cup Western Conference bracket.
After beating OKC in the Western Conference Semifinals back in May, the Mavericks again got the upperhand with a 121-119 win without Doncic at Paycom Center earlier in November. With Dallas back to full strength, and with something to play for, the Mavericks will enter Oklahoma as the conference’s hottest team against the West’s top contender.
The winner of Tuesday’s game will go on to face the winner of the other semi-final contest between Golden State and Houston for the right to face off to be the Western Conference’s representative in the NBA Cup championship game.
Do you think the Mavericks can advance in the NBA Cup? Share your thoughts with Irvin on Bluesky @irvin.bsky.social.