The Dallas Mavericks get two key contributors back Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks, but will be without Brandon Williams as they open a three-game homestand at American Airlines Center.
Klay Thompson and Daniel Gafford are both active for the 7:30 p.m. tip-off after each missing the past two games — Thompson for rest, Gafford for illness.
Thompson has been one of the more consistent contributors in March despite the team’s losing ways, averaging 13.7 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 20.7 minutes across six appearances this month. His best stretch came on consecutive nights earlier in the month — 24 points on 7-of-12 from three in Orlando on March 5, followed by 19 on 5-of-11 from deep in Boston the next night.
Things cooled from there. He put up six points on 3-of-11 shooting in just 16 minutes against Cleveland on March 13, and Dallas opted to sit him the next two games for rest. On the season, Thompson is averaging 11.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 39.2% from three in 59 games.
Daniel Gafford’s Return Matters Up Front
Gafford’s return is equally significant. The rim-protecting center leads the team in blocks at 1.3 per game and has averaged 9.0 points and 6.8 rebounds on the season.
Jason Kidd noted pregame that Gafford has put together four straight double-doubles since returning from an earlier absence, crediting improved health for the uptick.
“I think it starts with his health,” Kidd said. “He feels better and you can see that on the court. He’s giving us second and third opportunities and finishing plays. His health is why his play has picked up.”
P.J. Washington had filled in at center during Gafford’s two-game absence — a workable stopgap, but not a long-term answer with Dereck Lively II already sidelined for the season following right foot surgery.
Kidd said the temporary shift did help the offense in one specific way.
“I think it’s been good for the group,” Kidd said. “We’re playing a lot faster. We’ve created a lot more threes. So it’s been good to see PJ, and I think for him he’s been playing extremely well at the five.”
Klay Thompson’s Return Comes at the Right Time
Getting Thompson back matters for a team that just finished a grueling 14-day road stretch — nine games across nine cities — and dropped the finale Monday in New Orleans 129-111. Dallas led by 10 early before the offense went flat.
“It got stagnant, and I think that was the biggest challenge for us throughout the game,” Cooper Flagg said postgame. “We’ve got to find ways to get the energy back in the ball and keep it moving.”
Thompson spacing the floor on the perimeter is one answer to that problem. He led Dallas with 21 points in the March 10 loss in Atlanta, but the Mavericks still couldn’t hold off a Hawks team that has since extended its streak to 10 straight. Flagg was held to 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting that night, shadowed most of the evening by Dyson Daniels. Onyeka Okongwu added 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks off the bench, giving Atlanta a frontcourt presence Dallas had no answer for.
Marvin Bagley III, who figures to share the court with Thompson off the bench, explained what having him out there changes.
“He’s just a great shooter, obviously, and that’s how he makes the game easier for everybody,” Bagley told Dallas Hoops Journal. “Getting into his spots and just letting it fly with confidence — knowing where he’s gonna be, swinging it to him. I just try to make his life easier, set his screens for him to get to his spots and get open.”
Beyond the shooting, Bagley pointed to Thompson’s experience as something the bench group leans on.
“He’s been in a lot of games. He’s won championships,” Bagley told Dallas Hoops Journal. “He’s been through every situation that you could think of, and to have that experience on the team is great.”
Thompson himself has stayed focused on finishing the season well despite the results.
“Just having fun with the game and trying to finish the year as strong as I possibly can,” he said after the March 10 loss. “I’ve got big goals in my career, so just staying positive and finishing the year strong.”
Sizing Up an Atlanta Hawks Team on a 10-Game Roll
Atlanta presents a different challenge than most. Bagley acknowledged that the Hawks’ cohesion has been the driving force behind the streak.
“They move the ball really well. They play together. They’re gaining some confidence with each other,” Bagley told Dallas Hoops Journal. “We just gotta come out and do our thing and hopefully end the streak tonight for them, and continue to find our rhythm and give us a streak ourselves.”
Jason Kidd echoed that respect for what Atlanta has built, but isn’t planning to shy away from their pace.
“They’ve gotten better since the last time we saw them,” Kidd said pregame. “Walker’s coming off 40 or 41, CJ has given them veteran leadership on both sides of the ball, and Johnson is averaging close to a triple-double over his last five. They’re playing at a high level and they’re well coached.”
“We’ve got to run too. That’s one of our strengths — throw-aheads and playing fast. When we get into the half court and teams are set, we tend to stall,” Kidd added.
Dallas Mavericks Injury Report vs. Atlanta Hawks
Brandon Williams has been ruled out in the concussion protocol after leaving Monday’s game in New Orleans early. Williams has been one of the more reliable contributors in Dallas’ backcourt all season, averaging 12.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 60 games while shooting 47.2% from the floor.
With Kyrie Irving sidelined for the season following left knee surgery, his absence leaves Dallas short-handed in a role with no obvious fill-in. Ryan Nembhard has started at point guard the past three games, averaging 7.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 25.3 minutes over that stretch, but Williams’ scoring punch off the bench is a different animal.
Caleb Martin is out with right plantar fascia soreness. G League two-way players Moussa Cissé, John Poulakidas and Tyler Smith round out the questionable designations.
Dallas is 23-46 on the season. Tip-off against Atlanta is at 7:30 p.m.
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