In the week since the Mavericks last faced the Hawks Feb. 3, Dallas appeared to find a steadier rhythm and confidence, traits that had evaded the team early in the season but appeared consistent in that win over Atlanta.
In their rematch Wednesday night, the Mavericks’ showed some of their best late comeback power yet in their 118-117 victory.
It’s unclear whether distraction by national debate about owner Mark Cuban’s decision to not play the national anthem before their first 12 home games of the season impacted the Mavericks’ preparation or focus.
But what was certain: Luka Doncic’s league-leading seventh triple-double (28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists) and a strong fourth quarter surge, sparked by Tim Hardaway Jr. and buoyed by Jalen Brunson, powered the Mavericks’ latest victory in their quest to rise from the bottom three of the Western Conference standings.
After the Hawks finished the second quarter on a 13-4 run to enter halftime with a 62-52 lead, it appeared the Mavericks had fallen into another 3-point shooting dry spell, which had doomed several of their losses this season.
They trailed 90-81 after the third quarter and had made just 7 of their 26 three-point attempts.
But Hardaway, who scored just three points before the fourth quarter, started the final period on a personal 10-0 run to cut the Mavericks’ deficit to two points, 90-88, with 10:10 remaining.
Less than five minutes later, a Doncic 3-pointer gave the Mavericks’ their first lead (104-101) since the 7:44 mark in the second quarter. Jalen Brunson tallied 11 of his 21 total points in the fourth quarter, shining against Hawks star Trae Young’s defense.
The Mavericks led for the final 3:28 and weathered the late push by the Hawks, who twice cut the gap to 1 point, with a closing lineup of Doncic, Brunson, Hardaway, Dorian Finney-Smith and Willie Cauley-Stein.
Aside from day-long national focus on the Mavericks’ in-arena pregame routine — which on Wednesday included a playing of the national anthem in front of the 1,500 vaccinated frontline workers, who attended for free — the Hawks entered with one distinct advantage.
They were more rested.
Atlanta had played just twice since their Feb. 3 game against the Mavericks, and not since last Saturday. The Mavericks, meanwhile, had played four times since, including their 127-122 win Monday over Minnesota.
Coach Rick Carlisle anticipated the Hawks would use the extra time to strategize for how to counter the Mavericks’ physical, aggressive, trap defense against Young last week.
Young finished with 25 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds, and BLANK this week as the Mavericks’ approach. Hawks power forward John Collins (33 points) logged his second straight 30-plus-point game against Dallas.
Neither, though, had a defensive answer for one of the Mavericks’ strongest fourth quarters of the season.
