Cavaliers’ 20-0 Run Buries Mavericks Despite Grimes’ Big Night: “We Just Got to Hold It Down”
The Dallas Mavericks (20-15) have now lost four consecutive games as the Cleveland Cavaliers (30-4) rolled to a 134-122 victory on Friday night at American Airlines Center. Cleveland extended its winning streak to nine, matching the best 34-game start since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors.
The Mavericks already knew they would be without Luka Dončić (left calf strain), Danté Exum (right wrist surgery), and Naji Marshall (illness) entering this game. Coming off a 1-3 road trip, the Mavericks already faced the tall task of taking down the NBA’s hottest team without their best player,
However, while P.J. Washington (right knee sprain) and Maxi Kleber (right oblique strain) were upgraded from questionable to available, a late development occurred regarding Kyrie Irving—ruling him out with illness just hours before tipoff after previously not being on the injury report. Washington contributed 15 points and seven rebounds, while Kleber scored two points and grabbed four boards.
“It’s tough,” Quentin Grimes said. “We know how good we are at full strength. We just got to hold it down however long Luka’s out or Kai’s out. We get Naji back, so that will be a big help. We just got to come together everytime on the court.”
Irving is the latest Mavericks player to be ruled out due to illness. The team has lost 11 games due to illness regarding player availability. He became the sixth player to miss at least one game with an illness. Dallas leads the NBA in both figures, with illness challenges lingering since November.
“It’s tough. It’s in the locker room,” Kidd said. “Some of the coaches are dealing with it, too. So it’s just part of the time of year. People are getting sick, and we’re spending a lot of time with one another on the plane or at practice. All you can do is try to prevent it, stay away from each other as much as possible, but unfortunately on the road, we’re on that plane and spending a lot of time together.”
After the initial success in getting by without Dončić during previous injury stints this season, the Mavericks started 7-2 in games he doesn’t play, but have since lost four consecutive games without him. Dallas has to potentially get by without at least most of January since he was set to be re-evaluated “within one month” of a Dec. 27 injury announcement.
Early Battle and Cleveland Cavaliers’ Surge
Dallas hung tough early, even leading 21-17 with 3:18 left in the first quarter after a 7-0 run, including made shots from Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, and Brandon Williams, all within short range. However, Darius Garland, who had an injury scare in the opening period, ignited a run that changed the game by making a three-pointer.
Georges Niang continued to shift the momentum by drilling a three-pointer to give the Cavaliers a 23-21 lead with 2:34 left in the first quarter. Niang wasn’t done, knocking down another triple before the buzzer to cap a 15-0 run that pushed Cleveland’s lead to 32-21 by the end of the first.
“They’re playing a lot faster,” Grimes said. “Being in New York the last three years, and playing against them, they’re a lot faster, there’s not a lot of (isolation) ball with them. There’s not a lot of selfish play over there. They all can shoot, drive, and pass.”
Cleveland Cavaliers’ Domination Continues
The Cavaliers’ momentum carried over, stretching their run to 20-0 early in the second quarter. The Mavericks, who had led 21-17 with 3:18 left in the first, suddenly trailed 37-21 with 10:44 remaining before halftime. Dallas never truly recovered for the remainder of the game.
‘We got off to a good start and the turnovers there, they go on a 20-0 run, but the group stayed together, kept fighting,” coach Jason Kidd said. “The group played hard. I thought Q (Quentin Grimes) was good, so a lot of positive things to build on. We know that we get Marshall back, so we get a little healthier there, and we have to go find a way to win in Memphis.”
Dallas finally broke the drought as Klay Thompson hit a step-back three over Evan Mobley. Thompson followed it up with an assist to Grimes on a backdoor cut, narrowing the deficit to 43-30. Thompson wasn’t done, connecting on consecutive threes that brought Dallas within 11, 64-53. Thompson racked up 16 points before halftime but was held scoreless for the rest of the night.
However, Darius Garland responded for Cleveland, hitting a turnaround jumper. Caris LeVert capitalized on a Dallas turnover with a corner three that sent the Cavaliers into halftime with a commanding 69-53 lead.
“The ball movement – they kind of remind you of Boston and Memphis,” Kidd said. “No one’s holding onto it. They drive it. If someone steps into help, they’re letting it go and the next guy is open to shoot a three. Their offense is No. 1 in the league for a reason.”
Quentin Grimes’ Explosive Effort
Grimes came alive in the third, scoring 20 of his 26 points in the quarter. However, the rest of the team struggled to generate offense on the night. The Mavericks shot 34 of 86 (39.5%) overall and 11 of 39 (28.2%) from deep, while 12 turnovers led to points for the Cavaliers.
“I just tried to stay in attack mode,” Grimes said. “In the first half, I felt like I was a little lazy. I didn’t feel like myself, honestly. I wanted to make sure I came out in the second half with a lot of energy, be in attack mode.”
Grimes is having a successful season after failing to reach a contract extension agreement with the Mavericks before the regular season started. He’s averaging 10.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists through 33 games played, with five 20-point games already this season. He’s set to reach restricted free agency this summer after earning under $4.3 million in the final season of his rookie contract.
His effort helped cut Cleveland’s lead to 12, but the Cavaliers consistently responded. Evan Mobley led the charge with his interior scoring, finishing with 34 points and 10 rebounds. No matter what personnel the Mavericks had on the court, Mobley dominated the game for the Cavs.
“I know I’m going to have an opportunity offensively to make plays for myself and my teammates,” Grimes said. “Jaden Hardy went out there and made a lot of good plays, too.”
Dallas Mavericks’ Late Push Falls Short
Dallas made one final push in the fourth quarter, fueled by Hardy, who ended with 17 points and three assists. Hardy hit a crucial catch-and-shoot three, and Dereck Lively II followed up with a dunk after a Cavaliers turnover, cutting the lead to 12 with nine minutes remaining.
“Just sticking together,” Hardy said. “Really, we had to come out with more energy. I feel like we started off the game kind of low on energy.”
The Cavaliers didn’t need much from Donovan Mitchell in this game, given the balanced performance their supporting cast provided. Mobley’s big night set the tone, but Mitchell finished with 15 points, six assists, and two steals. The starting lineup scored in double figures, with Garland adding 16 points and nine assists, Allen chipping in 11 points and nine boards, and Dean Wade totaling 10 points and three assists. With Niang’s 15 points and LeVert adding 17 off the bench, Dallas was overwhelmed.
Despite their efforts, the Mavericks couldn’t get closer. Williams added 13 points off the bench in 20 minutes, earning praise from Kidd. Meanwhile, Spencer Dinwiddie struggled to replicate his 30-point performance without Dončić or Irving that he had agains the Sacramento Kings during the recent road trip, finishing with two points, four rebounds, and five assists, but shooting 1 of 7 overall.
“I thought B Will has been good. Ever since we went to him in Sacramento, he’s been positive, filling the hole that we have, which is a massive hole.”
Dallas outrebounded Cleveland 53-46, but fell to 8-1 this season when pulling down 50 or more boards. Lively finished with seven points and 11 rebounds, while Gafford recorded 12 points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes. The Mavericks struggled against the Cavaliers’ frontcourt last season, too, which only continued in this matchup again.
Looking Ahead
Kidd commended the Mavericks’ effort despite the loss. The team is eager to regain Marshall from a four-game suspension when it tries to snap its skid on Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum.
“I thought the group played hard,” Kidd said. “Q was good. We get Naji (Marshall) back next game, and that should help with our depth. We have to find a way to win in Memphis.”
Grimes echoed Kidd’s sentiment, expressing optimism about Dallas’ potential when healthy— and described regaining Marshall as a “big help.”
“We know how good we are at full strength,” Grimes said. “We just got to hold it down however long Luka’s out, or Kai’s out. We get Naji back, so that will be a big help.”
Marshall has averaged 10.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists this season but has elevated his game when stepping up without Dončić, averaging 14.8 points across nine games in those situations. He’ll surely be eager to make his presence felt.
