Dallas Mavericks Exploit Undermanned Brooklyn Nets

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Win Streak Snapped at Eight Games

Miss Opportunity to Overcome Sixers

SATURDAY

Mavericks   115

Nets              98

FINAL

Flatbush Support Staff Fails to Extend Win Streak

Sean Marks said this team isn't fully formed yet.  That means something is potentially brewing before the trade deadline.  Well, he had better do something about the interior.  Because once again, Brooklyn's deficiencies in the paint were on full display.  Coach Nash decided to limit DeAndre Jordan to just 13 minutes off the bench.  The toll on the Nets was high; Dallas outscored the Nets 50-36 in the paint, and with 19 turnovers committed by Flatbush, the Mavs also outpaced Brooklyn on the face-break by a 15-4 margin.  Brooklyn and Dallas had the same number of attempts from the field and converted the same number of three-pointers.  The Nets were even a plus-three from the free-throw line.  

At one point, the Mavs led by 14 points, but the Nets closed the gap and went into the half trailing by four.  James Harden led all players with 15 first-haf attempts from the field and six attempts from the line converting for 25 points.  In 15 minutes, Joe Harris is just 2/4 from the floor for six points.  He started the game with no shots taken in his first nine minutes on the floor, then struck for consecutive three-pointers.  After Harden, each of the other four Nets starters (Brown, Harris, Green, Cabarrot) contributed six first-half points apiece.  Landry Shamet was second on the Nets with nine points in 15 minutes off the bench.  DeAndre Jordan only saw nine minutes, with no shot attempts, two rebounds, and two assists.

A reason Flatbush generated just 98 points is mainly that Joe Harris failed to take a single shot in the first quarter and only managed 3/8 from behind the arc for nine points in 27 minutes.  Frankly, this is unacceptable and what I've been saying all along.  When Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, or James Harden, or any combination of the three is missing from the floor, it's incumbent upon Joe Harris to do more.  This was that kind of night.  To his credit, Joe has been holding his ground much better this season.  However, this night, he was tied for fourth on the team with eight shots when this was the very type of game when the Nets much needed more.

Another reason Flatbush failed to break one hundred points was Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot shooting a mere 2/12 from the field in 24 minutes.  Nic Claxton was also strangely stuck to the bench, going 1/3 in just 13 minutes.  The Nets got 30 points on 11/29 (28%) from a seven-man bench.  Landry Shamet played a bench-high 27 minutes but only accounted for nine points.  In fact, no one scored double-digits off the bench.

James Harden was 9/21 from the floor and 7/8 from the line for a game-high 29 points and six assists.  However, one sequence essentially describes the night.  With 3:50 left in the game, James Harden dishes to Joe Harris, who does not connect.  Dallas scores on the following possession.  Harden then brings the ball upcourt and drives the lane but is stopped cold by three defenders who cause a turnover. 

Despite the Philadelphia Sixers losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Nets gain no ground.  They remain one-half game out of the Eastern Conference lead.