In the Mavericks' game against the Heat, the Heat only dominated for a short period of time in the first quarter, and when the Mavericks gradually found their rhythm of the game, the game was quickly controlled by the Mavericks. In the second quarter, the difference widened to more than 20 points, and the Heat struggled to narrow the gap in the second half, and once chased a single digit to play suspense, but the Mavericks did not give the Heat a chance to turn the tables.
In the last two minutes of the game, the Mavericks changed the main lineup early and put the victory firmly in their pockets.
The game really meant a lot for the Mavericks, with their 50th game win of the season allowing the Mavericks to secure the Southwest Division title, which they last won in 2020-21. And the Mavericks have also locked up the first round of the playoffs ahead of schedule, and they will face off against the Los Angeles Clippers.
After the end of the Dirk Nowitzki era, Luka Doncic quickly filled the spot as the king of Dallas, and the Mavericks' rebuild quickly took its direction. Although the Mavericks did not enter the championship ranks, young talent Luka Doncic showed the strength of the core players, so the Mavericks did not need to be too confused.
What Mark Cuban has done is nothing more than tinkering with the roster and improving the team's competitiveness.
However, this is not easy, Luka Doncic has not been partnered with many stars since entering the league, and Porzingis' partnership with Luka Doncic has been expected for some time, but the European pair has not made much of a difference. Later, Porzingis was traded for Spencer Dinwiddie, and the Mavericks made it through the first round of the playoffs that season.
Jaylen Bronson has made his mark with the Mavericks, but the Mavericks didn't keep him. Seeing that the team was not competitive enough, Mark Cuban made a trade that bordered on gambling - Kyrie Irving had a bad reputation at the time and was on a contract until the end of the season. The Mavericks still failed to make the playoffs, or even make the playoffs.
Are Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic incompatible?
This issue has been hotly debated since the time the trade happened, and the two stars didn't play together many games last season, which greatly affected their run-in. This season, their run-in also lasted for a long time, and the team made another trade in the middle of the season, but it did not drag down the team's overall run-in.
The team's run-in is deep, the team's tacit understanding is getting higher and higher, and the team's overall combat strength has been greatly improved. From a play-off team, the Mavericks have gradually firmly established themselves in the fifth place in the West, with 16 wins and 2 losses in their last 18 games, and the Mavericks have finally shown how strong they are (watch live sports and replays for free). Link3）。
What's even more gratifying is that Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic play a super combination.
Kyrie Irving focused on the game and he regained his top form, making it very difficult for opponents to defend with Luka Doncic. Since entering the league, young core Luka Doncic finally has a strong partner, and he is clearly no longer alone this season, and he doesn't need to be a big bag to win games.
Now, does the Mavericks have a chance to make a breakthrough?
(Text/Yan Wuqiang)