“One Game at a Time”: Mavericks Edge Bulls, Climb to Ninth in West Playoff Race

Klay Thompson scored 20 points, P.J. Washington added 19 in his return from injury, and the Dallas Mavericks held off a late surge to defeat the Chicago Bulls 120-119 on Saturday night at the United Center.

The victory pushed Dallas (37-38) into sole possession of ninth place in the Western Conference, moving 1.5 games ahead of idle Phoenix in the tight three-team race with Sacramento for the final two play-in spots. The win also capped a 3-1 East Coast road trip, marking the Mavericks’ fourth win in five games.

“We’re just focused on one game at a time,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “As you know this group is close, they’re fighting for each other, they’re executing the game plan. So, to end the road trip with a W and 3-1 is big this time of the year, no matter what the record is.”

The Mavericks trailed by 12 early in the second quarter before Thompson’s hot shooting reversed the momentum. He buried three consecutive 3-pointers during a 15-0 run that was capped by a Naji Marshall layup, giving Dallas a 51-50 lead. Thompson hit five 3-pointers and poured 12 of his 20 points in the second quarter.

“It’s just great to see 11 or 12 guys on the roster right now,” Thompson said. “That was so nice. … I know once we get whole, we’ll have a chance to put a great end to this regular season.”

Dallas opened the third quarter on another burst, as Thompson drilled a corner three, Davis attacked the rim for a layup, and Kai Jones converted a three-point play before throwing down a dunk in transition to make it 68-59 with 9:18 left in the period. Though Chicago stayed within reach, the Mavericks remained in front and entered the fourth with an 89-87 edge.

Dallas led 114-102 with 2:57 remaining before Chicago stormed back. Coby White’s layup cut it to 118-115 with 32 seconds left. After a missed shot by Spencer Dinwiddie, Anthony Davis fouled Nikola Vučević to prevent a potential game-tying three. Vučević missed the first free throw and made the second. Thompson was then fouled and calmly hit two free throws with 6.6 seconds left. Vučević sank a contested three with 0.9 seconds left, but Dallas successfully inbounded the ball to close it out.

Dinwiddie helped stabilize the Mavericks late, scoring or assisting on 14 points in the final quarter. His layup with 36 seconds remaining gave Dallas a five-point cushion. After a missed free throw by Vučević cut the lead to two, Thompson hit both attempts from the line with 6.6 seconds left. Vučević made a contested three with 0.9 seconds to go, but the Mavericks inbounded successfully to seal the win.

Washington, back after missing two games with a left ankle sprain, made an immediate impact. He scored the game’s opening basket by posting up Bulls guard Josh Giddey and gesturing that Giddey was “too small.” Washington finished with 19 points and seven rebounds in 32 minutes and said afterward he “felt good” despite the layoff.

Davis added 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in his first game back in his hometown of Chicago as a Maverick. Though he shot just 7-of-23 from the floor, he played 30 minutes — his most since returning from a left adductor strain — and helped anchor the defense. Dallas improved to 4-0 when Davis plays.

“That (being 4-0 with Davis) is a good indicator,” Thompson said. “I love being his teammate, I love playing off him and I can’t wait to build – not just for this year – but for the future. We’ve got a really deep and talented team, and one day Kyrie (Irving) will be back in the lineup too, and that’ll be a special moment and we’ll all get to share the floor together again.”

The Mavericks also received contributions from Kai Jones (15 points, seven rebounds, four steals), Dinwiddie (14 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds), Naji Marshall (14 points, seven rebounds), and Brandon Williams (12 points). Dallas improved to 8-1 when seven or more players score double figures.

Chicago (33-41) was led by rookie Matas Buzelis, who finished with 28 points. Vučević and White each scored 25, with White posting a triple-double by adding 11 rebounds and 10 assists. The Bulls were denied a season-best fifth straight win and missed a chance to inch closer to the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Saturday also marked the 50th and final game of eligibility for two-way guard Brandon Williams. The Mavericks made it count.

“Speed. Can’t guard it,” Kidd said of Williams. “We talk about Devin Harris’ speed – you can’t guard it. I know you can’t teach it, but you can’t guard it and he uses his speed as a weapon to be able to get to the rim, as we saw in the last game. But, as we’ve seen with him all season, his ability to go coast-to-coast is something that doesn’t happen a lot in this league.“

Thompson is disappointed that Williams cannot play another game on his two-way contract.

“It’s really unfortunate that’s the case, because he is helping us so much,” Thompson said of Williams. “His ability to get to the rim — his scoring ability — and I really wish he could stick with us, because B-Will has been such a pleasant surprise, and he’s been such a great energy off the bench or in the starting lineup. It sucks he can’t keep going, because he’s making a huge impact.”

The Mavericks return home Monday to face the Brooklyn Nets before hosting the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. The Bulls visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.