After a gutsy win on Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks took on the Memphis Grizzlies in their fourth and final NBA Cup qualifying game. Since they were 2-1 in the Cup competition, the Mavs were in a real winning situation to advance to the Cup knockout games. Although Naji Marshall remained out due to illness, Klay Thompson and Dereck Lively returned to Dallas’ starting lineup.

The game was generally close in the first half and the referees kept both teams playing for 24 minutes full of energy and entertainment (in a good way). The third quarter felt like it dragged on for over an hour, with official reviews and coaching challenges all seeming to go in the Grizzlies’ favor. Dallas outscored by 16 points in the frame and trailed by 13 heading into the final 12 minutes, a deficit that honestly felt like it should have been more. Dallas did a good job of maintaining contact and keeping things ugly in the fourth, but a 3-for-8 sequence from the free throw line (Lively 1-for-4, Washington 1-for-2, Dinwiddie 1-for -2 ) made their task unnecessarily more difficult. Then something happened. I can’t say for sure what exactly it was, but one thing is for sure: Mavs fans loved every second of it. With a 15-2 run heading into the final 15 seconds of the game, the Mavs pulled off an unlikely victory and punched their ticket to the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup. Let’s get to the notes!

Luka Doncic: A

37 points / 12 rebounds / 4 assists / 4 steals / 1 block

Luka seems to be doing better since his return on Sunday and that is a welcome sight. He was very active defensively, using his body without fouling, showing quick hands and sprinting (yes, sprinting) back on defense. Offensively, he dropped 24 points in the first half alone. Doncic also had back-to-back steals in the third quarter, which led to him converting an uncontested layup and connecting with Lively on an alley-oop. His low assist total and six missed free throws kept him from getting the “+,” but that level of defensive effort prevented him from getting a “-.”

Kyrie Irving: C

10 points / 6 rebounds / 2 assists / 1 steal / 0 blocks

Similar to Luka, Kyrie (and actually the entire team) had a clear focus on defense in this game. That won’t show in the box score, but Kyrie had a great game in the second quarter, finishing off seven-footer Santi Aldama, who not only slowed him down for a three-pointer, but ultimately forced him to throw the ball out of bounds. Otherwise it was pretty ugly. At one point in the third quarter he had as many turnovers as points (4). 3-for-14 from the floor (0-for-4 on threes) was uncharacteristic to say the least, but his six boards and two free throws with 15 seconds left kept him just out of the basement in scoring. The good news is that the team won despite their struggles and it’s difficult to imagine a similar performance from them any time soon.

Klay Thompson: C-

4 points / 2 rebounds / 3 assists / 1 steal / 0 blocks

I discussed this intensively and ultimately ended up with a C- instead of a D. Thompson just returned from injury and only played 20 minutes, so he had some benefit of the doubt, but when a shooter can’t score (1 of 5 overall and 0-3 of three), the grade can’t be high . He was also roasted on a few consecutive defensive attempts against Ja Morant before being substituted.

Dereck Lively: A+

17 points / 11 rebounds / 3 assists / 0 steals / 3 blocks

Lively managed three dunks in the first two minutes of the second quarter to show his effort and energy on the night. Yes, a dunk is a two-pointer, just like a mid-range jumper, but there’s no denying that a powerful slam provides tremendous momentum and helps give the outside players more room to maneuver. Not only were these dunks pretty, they were notable for how they unfolded and how Lively executed them. He had two impressive, emphatic blocks (three total) – one to turn back a drive and one he hit at the top of his lungs. His free throws almost prevented me from scoring as well, but he had a huge positive impact on this game and his six offensive rebounds topped him. Lively is getting better and better right before our eyes and it’s fun to watch.

Quentin Grimes: C+

8 points / 2 rebounds / 1 assist / 0 steals / 0 blocks

Grimes didn’t have much to say in this case. He didn’t shoot particularly well, but he managed a big three-pointer at the moment. He also only played 20 minutes. It wasn’t his night, especially compared to what we’ve seen from him lately, but he at least stayed the course and gave it his best shot.

PJ Washington: A+

18 points / 8 rebounds / 7 assists / 1 steal / 2 blocks

That was another difficult question for me. An A+ should really mean something big, but I’m sticking with it here even though it’s not a particularly noteworthy stat line for Washington. A total of 6-of-10 from the floor and 4-of-6 from three was huge, especially the three that doubled the Mavs’ lead with 27 seconds left. This cold-blooded shot should not be underestimated. 2-for-5 free throws didn’t help him classify the ball, but seven assists certainly did. What really gives this grade a top rating was his defense throughout the night. It’s not possible to articulate every nuanced play, but there’s no doubt that PJ was a defensive force in this game and made a huge difference in the outcome.

Daniel Gafford: A-

11 points / 4 rebounds / 0 assists / 1 steal / 1 block

Gafford only logged 15 minutes and that can make it difficult to make an accurate assessment. 4-on-4 from the floor and 3-on-3 on free throws (the team shot 68.2% in one game) is more efficient than ever.

Spencer Dinwiddie: A+

16 points / 1 rebounds / 4 assists / 0 steals / 1 block

Dinwiddie is in the same boat as Washington in this game. I admit that this wasn’t an A+ game statistically, but this is an illustration of why we don’t judge based solely on the box score. Dinwiddie hit 50% of his shots overall, 60% from three, and helped lead the offense when Kyrie had a very uncharacteristic turnover night. Of course, hitting consecutive three-pointers within 30 seconds of each other is almost legendary – one of which gave the Mavs the lead, the second of which extended the lead to five. Those were Mike Tyson’s punch-out Level strokes. Cold-blooded atomic bombs that shook the foundations of the AAC.

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