Mavericks’ Winning Streak Continues with Anthony Davis Back in the Lineup
To paraphrase a former Mavericks general manager who, if fans had their wish, shall go nameless, perhaps we’re starting to see the vision.
Not Nico Harrison’s vision, exactly, but a rendition of what the Mavericks could become with a healthy and productive Anthony Davis.
Add a surging Cooper Flagg and undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard thriving as a starter and the result is a season-best three-game winning streak, the latest triumph being Wednesday’s 118-108 victory over Miami in American Airlines Center.
The Impact of Anthony Davis’ Return
In his third game back since missing 14 games with a left calf strain, Davis contributed 17 points and 17 rebounds as the Mavericks (8-15) overcame an early eight-point deficit, with Flagg (22 points) committing three fouls in the opening 4:15.
“A lot different,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said of facing Dallas with Davis, unlike nine days earlier when these teams met in Miami. “He’s a Hall of Fame player.
“Look, that’s basically what’s happened with their team. They haven’t been able to fully realize what it could look like with all their guys healthy and in the right spots. Anthony Davis was one of the most important — if not the most important piece — to that puzzle.”
Ryan Nembhard’s Surprising Performance
A 5-11 puzzle piece no one envisioned becoming this important is Nembhard, playing on a two-way contract.
Coming off his spectacular 28-point, 10-assist, zero-turnover performance in Dallas’ Monday night victory at Denver, Nembhard had 15 points, one turnover and 13 assists against a Miami team (14-8) that entered the night third in the East.
“He’s probably upset about that turnover,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said.
Of course the assist total was a career high. The kid has only played in 10 NBA games.
Cooper Flagg’s Performance and Chemistry with Nembhard
Kidd can’t help but notice the closeness between fellow rookies Flagg and Nembhard, both of whom are Montverde Academy (Fla.) products.
“The chemistry that they have for one another, I think sometimes rookies, when you have two or three, they all cheer for each other,” Kidd said. “They all want the other one to be successful.
“And I think we talk about Cooper’s ability to score, but I think something that’s not talked about is just he’s cheering for his teammates, and that he cheers for Ryan. He wants Ryan to be successful. And you can see that and hear that on the floor. So those two have a relationship, and they both want each other to be successful.”
Flagg a day earlier was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month, and despite Wednesday’s early foul trouble, he looked the part against the Heat.
“I think we’re just meshing together,” Flagg said. “Guys are trying to figure out their roles, and those roles are kind of getting defined, and everybody’s kind of sacrificing and putting the team first.”
Mavericks’ Recent Performance
Just nine days earlier in Miami, the Heat slogged out a 106-102 win over Dallas — Miami’s second-lowest scoring output of the season.
The Heat entered Wednesday night as the NBA’s second-highest scoring team (124.3); Dallas 28th (111.1).
But this is a much different Mavericks team than the one the Heat faced in Miami. Nembhard moved into the starting lineup after that Miami game, and in the four games since Dallas has scored 119, 114, 131 and 118 points.
After trailing by as much as 17 points in the third quarter, Miami pulled within 110-106 with 2:54 left, but baskets by Davis and Flagg extended Dallas’ lead for good.
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Conclusion
The Mavericks’ recent winning streak is a testament to the team’s potential when all players are healthy and contributing. With Anthony Davis back in the lineup, the team has shown significant improvement, and the emergence of Cooper Flagg and Ryan Nembhard has been a pleasant surprise. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how the team continues to develop and whether they can sustain this level of performance.
