The Dallas Mavericks hot streak was doused by cold water. Jason Kidd’s squad led by Luka Doncic was slowly ascending to being one of the top teams in the Western Conference until they faced the Cleveland Cavaliers. PJ Washington got the go-ahead bucket as everyone on the Mavericks bench cheered. All of the celebrations reached a screeching halt because Max Strus did the impossible.
A game-winner from over halfcourt can definitely bust a team’s morale, especially when they thought they were about to win. PJ Washington outlined his feelings after he saw Max Strus’ shot go in as the Cavaliers won the game over the Mavericks, via Bally Sports South West.
“It’s disappointing, obviously. We should’ve closed that game out in a better way. We felt like we should have won that game. To lose like that, it definitely hurts,” Washington said.
He still put up serviceable numbers to keep Jason Kidd’s Mavericks within striking distance. Washington ended the game with 11 points and two assists and rebounds each. It was not an ideal ending but he does know what the Mavericks could have done better in that situation.
“I feel like I got fouled and then the ball came in. We should have been pressing them because they didn’t have any timeouts either. Obviously, it was a lucky shot. You hate to lose that way but it is what it is,” he said
Nonetheless, they can still keep their momentum going. The Mavericks have won seven out of their last 10 outings. With how the Sacramento Kings are plunging in the standings, they could notch the seventh seed soon.
Luka Doncic’s all-around masterclass in a loss
The Mavericks superstar got his wish with big defenders now manning the paint. Since then, Luka Doncic has been effective on all fronts of the game. Against the Cavaliers, he led the team in the major statistical categories. He finished the game with 45 points on 17 of 29 field goal shooting. Doncic also grabbed nine rebounds to pair along with those buckets.
The most astounding part of his game was his playmaking. He dropped 14 assists while only committing one turnover on 41 minutes of playing time. This MVP candidate is peaking at the right time.
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