Mavericks: Anderson Grows Up, Magic Number Is One

The Dallas Mavericks were thought to be dead not long ago, but a six-game winning streak has them positioned for the playoffs with one more win.

If you’re the Dallas Mavericks, what do you do when you’re missing point guard Deron Williams, small forward Chandler Parsons – and now J.J. Barea, for possibly a few games?

Seriously, who do you turn to?

History suggests Dirk Nowitzki.

Money suggests Wesley Matthews.

Nope and nope.

How about rookie Justin Anderson, who brought a career-best performance with 19 points and 10 rebounds?

Yeah, Anderson did the trick in a 103-93 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. His athleticism and tenacity was on full display, and so were a couple of huge 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter that put the Mavericks up 84-71 in a game that had been really tight all evening long.

Yes, Anderson was a difference-maker for Dallas – when was the last time you can recall saying these things about another Mavs rookie?

Sure, Anderson had help, but it’s unique that this Mavericks team, believed dead following a 133-111 loss to the Sacramento Kings back on March 27, continues to get better the more the lineups change and adapt. They seem to improve the more players they lose.  You realize that the Kings game wasn’t even two weeks ago from Friday night’s monster victory over the fifth-seeded Grizzlies?

What a shame that Kings point putz Rajon Rondo isn’t likely to get his wish after all.

Nowitzki brought some badly needed juice with 21 points, an element certainly needed now that Barea has a strained groin that could compromise his availability when the Mavericks need it most. It’s a safe argument that, offensively speaking, Barea is the main reason that the Mavericks haven’t lost since that ugly thing at Sacramento.

Also key in this game was Devin Harris, who stepped up in a big way with three 3-point shots and 16 points on the night.

Moving ahead, with only three games remaining, the Mavericks need to be finding as much time as possible for reserve center Salah Mejri. This 7’2” tower is literally changing the way opponents attack the Mavs. There’s a lot more shooting from the perimeter, which is what you want no matter who you’re playing. Mejri’s shot blocking wasn’t quite as dominant as it was against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, but the word is out – teams know that they can’t drive the lane like they can when Zaza Pachulia is in the game.

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Raymond Felton found Mejri for three-straight assisted dunks after Anderson started dropping long bombs to open the final period, so Mejri’s 9 points can be seen as another part of this towering Tunisian’s game that Dallas will want to take full advantage of as the playoffs are now within reach.

The Mavericks make the playoffs if they win one more game and/or the Rockets, who were just miserable against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, lose another game.

The Mavericks face a two-game road trip that includes back-to-back game against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz – both teams ranked fifth and eighth, respectively ,in the Western Conference.

With a record of 41-38, the Mavericks have clinched the second-most consecutive winning seasons in NBA history. The San Antonio Spurs currently sit at 19-straight seasons of .500-or-better basketball while Dallas exactly 16 following the win over the Grizzlies.

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The Mavericks had won five-straight games heading into Friday night’s win at American Airlines Center while holding each opponent under 90 points. Against the Grizzlies, the Mavericks let Memphis reach 93 points, still proof that lower scoring games seem to favor Dallas in a big way.

• Published on 04/09/2016 at 04:31 AM
• Last updated at 04/09/2016 at 04:31 AM