Mavericks Supply the Flame, Blazers Provide a Dumpster

Luka Doncic and the hot-shooting Mavericks ended the Trail Blazers’ three-game winning streak after a 132-92 drubbing on Sunday. After a tight first quarter of action, the Mavericks pulled away thanks to their accurate three-point shooting. Doncic led the way for Dallas with 37 points in 30 minutes of action. For the Blazers, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum participated in just three quarters of the blowout loss. Prior to heading to the sideline, Lillard and McCollum combined for 32 points.

You can check out the quarter-by-quarter breakdown in our instant recap. Before we turn the page on tonight’s result, here are three observations from the Mavericks’ 132-92 win.

Near-Perfect Luka

Doncic, who recorded only four three-pointers in Friday’s loss to the Blazers, could not miss from distance on Sunday. Seriously, he didn’t miss a shot from beyond the arc until late in the third quarter. From step-backs to getting downhill and posting up smaller defenders, Luka imposed his will early and often.

On the block, Doncic hunted for favorable mismatches and exploited them once they arrived. Both Gary Trent Jr. and Lillard endured tough sequences once Doncic established position. Luka finished with 37 points in three quarters and connected on eight of his nine attempts from distance.

Mavs Side with Size

It appears that a Saturday film sessions triggered a shift in rotations from the Mavericks. Dallas went with size instead of offense in the first half. That decision paid immediate dividends in two key areas: defense and rebounding. The Blazers’ perimeter shooters faced lengthy defenders even after working through their half-court sets.

In the paint, the Mavericks added to the Blazers’ shooting struggles by limiting Portland to single-shot possessions. Through three quarters, Dallas owned the rebounding battle with a 39-21 advantage.

Doncic deserves the headlines, but appearances from Dorian Finney-Smith and Boban Marjanovic helped set the stage for the Mavs’ runaway victory.

Ice-Cold Shooting

The Blazers extended streak of double-digit three-point games fell one triple short against the Mavericks. Dallas’ defense deserves credit, but Portland could not get into any form of a rhythm. Lillard, McCollum and Carmelo Anthony combined for an 0-for-16 shooting night from beyond the arc. A loss is a loss, but there aren’t many teams that can overcome that type of slump from their primary offensive contributors.

Hopefully everyone that wasn’t tasked with recapping this contest turned it over to the Beavers tournament game after three quarters.

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Box Score

The Blazers host James Harden and the Nets on Tuesday.