Christian Clark
NBA reporter for The Athletic. Texan back in Texas. It's all in the game.
- Incredible Kyrie Irving performance: 46 points (16-26 FG). He scored 20 in the fourth quarter. Comes in a 126-122 Dallas loss to Portland. No Luka, P.J., Naji or Lively. Couldn’t get enough stops.
- Kyrie made his first four shots. He went 2 of 17 the rest of the way. Mavericks, without Luka, beat the Suns 98-89 anyway. They're 7-2 without Luka this season. Dinwiddie and Kleber combine for 30 points off the bench.
- Mavericks will go into their Christmas game against Timberwolves as winners in 14 of 17 games. They are 19-10. Daniel Gafford: 23 points (7-7 FG) in the Portland win. Career-high 14 FTA. Luka: 27-7-7 in 30 minutes.
- Kyrie spent most of the first half as the primary defender on Harden. Thought he brought it defensively. Mavs held Clippers to 100.0 points/100 possessions in this game.
- The Mavericks had a 31-44 record without Luka Dončić in his first six seasons. They have a 6-2 record without Luka this season.
- "Getting stops. Rebounds. Bringing the ball up. ... If they need me to fight, I’ll do whatever, man." Naji Marshall brings an edge. The contract he signed was "relief" for a player who went undrafted. It was also motivation. "This won't be the last one." www.nytimes.com/athletic/600...
- Rick Welts was heavily involved in the Chase Center build in San Francisco. He'll be a big factor in a new arena project in Dallas. “It was a big part of what we talked about. ... Rick’s vision for how we could build a new home for the Dallas Mavs.” www.nytimes.com/athletic/600...
- Klay Thompson had his best game as a Maverick against his former team. “As far as regular-season wins? It has to be up there.” Klay's 7 3s helped the Mavs survive the Warriors' historic shooting performance and win for the 12th time in 14 games. www.nytimes.com/athletic/599...
