Ben Simmons trend ‘has to change’ as Josh Green continues hot streak, superstar duo explode in Mavs win

The Dallas Mavericks held off a pesky Brooklyn Nets outfit 119-107 on Wednesday because the Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving tandem delivered in a 71-point assertion.

Doncic and Irving had been taking part in their twenty fourth sport of the season collectively within the Mavericks line-up, with the latter returning to Barclays Center for his first sport since being traded to Dallas.

Irving placed on a present for the Brooklyn followers as he scored a game-high 36 factors to go along with 5 assists and two steals whereas Doncic had 35 factors, 18 rebounds, 9 assists and two steals.

Elsewhere, Australian Josh Green continued his robust begin to the month with 12 factors and three assists, now averaging 17.5 factors in February whereas taking pictures 53.5 per cent from downtown.

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On the opposite facet of the ground Ben Simmons was stable for Brooklyn as he threatened a triple-double, ending with 9 factors, 9 rebounds and 7 assists.

Simmons was additionally in a position to get to the free throw line for simply the third time this season, with six makes an attempt in 243 minutes which averages out to round one each 40 minutes.

“That has to change,” former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy stated in commentary.

It was an honest efficiency all-round from Simmons although given Brooklyn struggled to get its transition sport going the place the Australian thrives most.

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The Nets entered Wednesday’s sport trying the sixth-most 3-pointers within the league and had been fast to arrange a deep look as Spencer Dinwiddie missed on the primary shot of the night time.

It took 5 photographs from each groups for Irving to deliver up the opening factors of the sport after lively defence from Green helped power a steal for Doncic, who discovered his working mate for the rating.

Simmons, taking part in on Wednesday after lacking the primary sport of Brooklyn’s back-to-back resulting from harm upkeep, had a direct influence as he recorded two fast assists.

The first got here as he labored in direction of the paint and kicked it out to an open Mikal Bridges for the 3-pointer earlier than later discovering a reducing Nic Claxton inside, with the Nets massive man drawing the foul.

Simmons had a number of different good moments, first incomes an additional possession for Brooklyn as he hurled a ball that appeared destined to exit of bounds at Maxi Kleber.

The Australian then discovered Bridges for a simple bucket with a pinpoint inbounds go earlier than being substituted out of the sport with 6:56 left within the first quarter.

Dallas led 14-9 at that time, with Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn calling a timeout after Cam Thomas was blocked on a troublesome shot by Doncic earlier than Irving completed it off with a 3-pointer on the opposite finish.

It capped off a sluggish begin to Wednesday’s sport for Thomas, who was 0-for-4 from the ground at that time having tried a number of too many low share photographs.

Brooklyn, as an entire, in the meantime was 1-for-7 from deep when that timeout was referred to as.

The Mavericks had been coming off a 118-102 win over the 76ers which was significantly spectacular given Luka Doncic solely scored 19 factors and had three assists.

Only, after all, saying extra about simply how good Doncic has been this season and simply how reliant the Mavericks have usually been on his manufacturing for wins (see his 73 factors towards Atlanta).

The Slovenian celebrity was double-teamed fairly frequently in that sport towards the Hawks and the Nets put two defenders on him early however had been nonetheless punished as Doncic rose above for a 3-pointer.

Doncic completed the primary quarter with 9 factors, seven rebounds, 4 assists, one steal and a block as his mere presence alone opened up appears for teammates.

The Mavericks had a 31-24 lead with Irving additionally on 9 factors and the previous Nets guard saved that rolling into the second, scoring seven of Dallas’ first 9 factors to open the interval.

By the time Doncic had re-entered the sport the Mavericks had been in complete management and had pushed their lead out to 52-36.

The Nets answered again with their greatest sequence of the sport at that time as a Simmons rebound shortly led to a dunk for Claxton after an outlet go from the Australian to Bridges.

However, one other play simply earlier than bolstered simply how stagnant Brooklyn’s offence can get with Simmons and Claxton on the court docket collectively when the pair aren’t spaced out by shooters.

The Nets by no means actually threatened to shut the hole within the second quarter because the Mavericks took a 65-47 buffer into halftime, with Irving and Doncic combining for 36 of their factors.

Dallas, who got here into Wednesday’s sport making and trying the second-most 3-pointers within the league, shot 55 per cent from deep within the opening half (11-for-20).

The Nets, then again, solely made 5 of 16 and located themselves in a good larger gap simply 45 seconds into the third quarter because the Mavs pushed their lead out to 70-47.

It got here after a defensive breakdown noticed Green make a simple layup earlier than Irving drained a 3-pointer, prompting a fast timeout from Vaughn.

The Nets had been in a position to cut back the deficit to 16 on a number of events, with Simmons scoring 4 fast factors within the area of 30 seconds as he linked with Claxton in transition after a putback on the sooner possession.

Simmons then drew a foul quickly after to deliver up a pair of free throws, making one as Brooklyn trailed 76-59 with 6:42 left within the third quarter at that time.

Brooklyn was in a position to chip away at Dallas’ lead and ultimately bought inside single figures earlier than Irving and Doncic took over late to complete the third in emphatic trend, extending the buffer to 95-77.

Doncic alone had three rebounds and 6 factors within the ultimate 75 seconds of the quarter, placing an exclamation mark on the interval with a ridiculous 35-foot pullup jumper.

The Nets opened the fourth with two fast 3-pointers earlier than Simmons answered an Irving bounce shot with an alley oop dunk to maintain it at a 12-point distinction early.

Just as Dallas seemed set to tug away Brooklyn hit proper again, getting inside 9 factors as soon as extra as rookie Jalen Wilson hit a 3-pointer with eight minutes left to power a Mavs timeout.

That proved a standard theme for the rest of the fourth quarter because the Nets saved in contact however had been unable to get it to a one-possession sport, with Doncic and Irving developing clutch to ice the win for Dallas.