After a disappointing loss on Christmas Day, the Dallas Mavericks faced the Phoenix Suns for the third time in as many months. The task would of course be made even more difficult by the loss of Luka Doncic, who was injured on Christmas and is expected to miss several games. Next to Luka on the bench was Dereck Lively II, who also suffered an injury on Christmas. Despite the challenges, the Mavericks eked out a 98-89 victory in Phoenix on Friday night.

Without Lively, Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell had more time to bolster the big man rotation, playing a total of 17 minutes in the first half alone. In the third period the rotation became much thinner than it already was, with Naji Marshall and PJ Washington both being ejected in an altercation with Jusef Nurkic, who was also sent off. It’s great and frankly necessary to see guys like Marshall and Washington defend their teammates and bring general toughness to the team, but given the circumstances it would have been best if they had stopped short of being ejected ( and Marshall would probably be banned). next game as a single striker). The Suns went on a 6-0 run and cut the Mavs’ lead to 10 immediately after the ejections. Despite a quick response from the Mavericks, they ultimately cut the lead to 8 when the Mavs scored horrendously in the third period.

Despite everything, the Mavs were undeniable in this game. They came out strong at the start of the fourth period and maintained their lead to eventually win it. It was as gutsy a victory as one could hope for under the circumstances, and the Mavericks looked very good in it. The team found itself in an unfriendly situation, missing key starters, losing two other starters in a contest, but staying the course with stellar defense (which held the Suns to their second-lowest point total of the season) and timely throws to a big win achieve difficult circumstances.

For those who doubt coach Jason Kidd, he must be credited with the culture of this team. Guys who had seen limited minutes for weeks saw this as a meaningful time, and for a man, they were fully prepared to make an impact. Let’s get to the notes!

Kyrie Irving: C

20 points / 4 rebounds / 5 assists / 1 steal / 0 blocks / 5 turnovers (40 minutes)

Had he not shot 50% on 10 three-point attempts, that attempt would likely be one of Kyrie’s weaker performances throughout the season. The overall score was decent/solid for him, but it came with significant inefficiency despite a lot of floor time. Admittedly, I didn’t realize how much turnover he had while watching the game, but assuming the box score doesn’t lie, that total and his four fouls in the game left a lot to be desired. Still, he’s Kyrie, and just being on the court draws defensive attention and creates opportunities for his teammates, who capitalized on their chances in this game.

Klay Thompson: B+

11 points / 6 rebounds / 5 assists / 1 steal / 1 block / 1 turnover (32 minutes)

I can see the comments section already questioning this grade, but hear me out. Thompson disappeared briefly in the second half, not because of his poor play, but because he was on the bench. However, he was successful in the fourth period, opening the quarter with a much-needed three-pointer, which was shortly followed by a deep two-pointer. That’s the type of threat he poses, and those two shots helped tremendously in staving off a Suns run that ended the third quarter. He also had a lot of assists, six boards (many of which were strong, “I fought for that”) and a team-leading plus-17 this season.

PJ Washington: N/A

7 points / 3 rebounds / 2 assists / 0 steals / 0 blocks / 4 turnovers (20 minutes)

Washington looked poised to make a big impact on this game before his night was cut short due to a ejection. He was 2-for-5 (2-for-4 from three) and played great defense. A particularly standout defensive performance was when he pivoted to cover Jusef Nurkic, caught a few shots to the chest, and then spun around him for a strip and a turnover. He also made a nice offensive foul while being screened to force another turnover. That’s not stat stealing, but that’s the kind of intangible effort he puts in every night. Oddly enough, he had four turnovers and three fouls in those few minutes.

Daniel Gafford: A-

16 points / 5 rebounds / 1 assist / 1 steal / 2 blocks / 1 turnover (29 minutes)

I give Gafford a slightly higher grade here, in part due to his overall development and the way he performed tonight. He has clearly developed a better post game and better low post ball handling. Although not single-handedly, he also completely took Jusef Nurkic (who had already had two good games against the Mavs this season) out of the game. Two dunks late in the fourth quarter were basically just an exclamation point on the game, and both were well-earned, as he wisely put himself in the right spot in both situations to make really big plays in a timely manner to secure the win.

Naji Marshall: N/A

4 points / 3 rebounds / 2 assists / 0 steals / 0 blocks / 1 turnover (19 minutes)

Naji was well on his way to a nice evening, going 2-3 from the floor while doing his usual business, but he didn’t last long in this game as he was ejected after an altercation with Jusef Nurkic. If he could be graded in this case, he would be rewarded for stepping up and defending his teammate, bringing the toughness that was expected of him when he joined the Mavs.

Spencer Dinwiddie: B+

15 points / 3 rebounds / 3 assists / 1 steal / 1 block / 1 turnover (23 minutes)

In a terrible third quarter for the entire team, Dinwiddie made two big shots – a three-pointer and a drive through uncalled contact – to keep the once 18-point lead from getting even smaller than it already was. It wasn’t his best shooting night, especially from three (1-5), but he still managed to make the most of his minutes by generally doing smart things, limiting turnovers and applying pressure on defense. Personally, I think he’s the victim of a bit of an unfair whistle – he’s just not getting as many calls as the actual contact he’s receiving would require, in my opinion – but he continues to play and demonstrates an important leadership quality, which should not be overlooked.

Quentin Grimes: B

8 points / 5 rebounds / 1 assist / 0 steals / 0 blocks / 2 turnovers (29 minutes)

I wanted to give Grimes’ grade a “+” mostly because of the intangible factors, but the standalone “B” itself might actually be a bit generous compared to the everyday boxing grade and poor shooting (3 out of 9). When watching the game, the intangibles that stand out include a solid Hunt defense and a fearless Moxie, who hit a huge three-pointer in the fourth quarter to answer a Suns three-pointer on the previous possession. All in all, not his best night, but kudos for showing time and time again that he’s a solid rebound guard who isn’t afraid to make a big shot or do dirty work.

Maxi Glue: A+

15 points / 7 rebounds / 1 assist / 1 steal / 0 blocks / 0 turnovers (26 minutes)

Maxi reached his season high (7) before the end of the first half. Admittedly, that may be a bit of an indictment of his season so far, but it’s still a fantastic sign. A truly crazy three-pointer during the Christmas Day game (a line drive that oddly bounced off the rim before crashing) may have been the reason he shook off his worries, but whatever it was, it couldn’t have come at a better time can come. The first half was essentially his best game of the season, with five rebounds, 3-for-4 shooting (1-for-1 on three-pointers) and zero fouls, along with seven points. Overall, this game was (by far) his best game of the season. He shot 5-for-7, including 1-for-2 on three-shots and 4-for-4 on free throws. I thought about his grade for a while, but in the end he got the top grade. I honestly don’t know if the Mavs win this game without him hitting a timely ball or two and making two absolutely great defensive stops late in the fourth quarter.

Dwight Powell: B

0 points / 4 rebounds / 3 assists / 0 steals / 1 block / 0 turnovers (15 minutes)

Powell’s fourth-quarter dive to save the ball was a classic. Even though he didn’t hit the box score, I can’t help but give him bonus points for his endless professionalism – not that we’d rate that per se, but he embodies the “Next Man Up” mantra that the Mavs and he preaches that the squad is far too thin to be able to do competent work with great enthusiasm and intelligent play.

You can listen our latest podcast episode in the player embedded below, and to make sure you don’t miss a single one in the future, subscribe to the Pod Maverick podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, Pocketcasts, YouTube, YouTube podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox.

You can check out our After Dark Recap podcasts, YouTube Live recordings and guest shows on Pod Maverick Podcast feed. Please subscribe, rate and review.