MEXICO CITY – Mavericks coach Jason Kidd understood the challenge awaiting his team in their first road game of the season: a physical Detroit Pistons team with a healthy frontcourt.
It’s what the Mavericks envision for their own frontcourt, available bodies and a dominant interior presence. Despite a shorthanded roster, the Mavericks tapped into a different area lacking from their first five home games: 3-point shooting.
Dallas regained its perimeter shooting south of the U.S. border and connected on a season-high 16 3-pointers, but suffered a 122-110 loss to the Pistons on Saturday night in the NBA’s annual Mexico City Game.
The Mavericks dropped to 2-4, while the Pistons improved to 4-2. Overall, the Mavericks also dropped to 4-4 in games held in Mexico City.
Mavericks
Arena Mexico was a pro-Mavericks crowd even though the Pistons were technically considered the home team. It was apparent from the sold-out crowd of 20,385 who roared for Klay Thompson and Cooper Flagg during the starting lineups.
Fans were scattered across the arena wearing NBA jerseys from every historic franchise, but the Mavericks’ royal blue jersey stood out the most. Flagg. Kyrie Irving. Anthony Davis. Even throwback uniforms of franchise legends Dirk Nowitzki and Kidd were spotted in the crowd.
A back-and-forth game reached its climax late in the fourth quarter when the Pistons took a five-point lead after Duncan Robinson connected on a floater. The Mavericks couldn’t answer on the next possession when PJ Washington missed his sixth straight 3 of the night. Arlington native Cade Cunningham, who tied a career-high 18 assists, dished a pass to Ausar Thompson for an open layup. That score ended the Mavericks’ chances of leaving Mexico with a victory.
The Mavericks’ offense stalled in the fourth quarter, scoring just 17 points in the final 12 minutes after scoring at least 30 points in each quarter before. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd attributed the offensive struggles to untimely turnovers. Dallas had 15 giveaways and Detroit scored 24 points from those mistakes.
“The start of that 4th quarter, we turned the ball over twice,” Kidd said. “We missed some layups. Got some great looks. Didn’t capitalize. Points off the turnovers were extremely high tonight. We gotta take care of the ball. We put ourselves in a position to win that game going into the fourth.”
D’Angelo Russell was available despite being listed as questionable with a left knee contusion entering the game. The veteran point guard played a pivotal role in helping the Mavericks eclipse their previous season-high of 16 3-pointers. He finished with a season-high 31 points, seven rebounds and three assists off the bench, while knocking down seven triples.
Russell knocked down back-to-back 3s early in the fourth quarter to surpass his former season-high of 24 points. He celebrated by beating his chest in the direction of the Pistons’ bench. The veteran provided offense but committed four turnovers, including two giveaways in the fourth quarter.
“Scoring the ball allows me to pass the ball,” Russell said. “It’s a simple mentality. They started to fall and open up the game a little bit.”
Cooper Flagg’s first opportunity to showcase his skills on an international stage improved as the night went on. Flagg had 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists, but struggled to connect from the field with a 3-of-14 shooting night.
Max Christie chipped in 13 points with six rebounds and five assists. Klay Thompson, who received the loudest ovation of any Maverick when the starters were introduced, had 11 points in 20 minutes.
Daniel Gafford made his long-awaited season debut, finishing with seven points and four rebounds in a restriction of 17 minutes.
Duren made his presence felt early and finished with a career-high 33 points and 10 rebounds, making 13-of-16 inside the paint. Cunningham wooed the crowd with his Spanish introduction prior to the tip-off. The orchestrator of Detroit’s offense impressed even more with a double-double of 21 points with 18 assists. Thompson added 15 points and seven rebounds.
Saturday’s offensive production was impressive by both teams considering the first half was played without functional shot clocks above the two backboards. Instead, floor shot clocks were placed in the corners of each side of the court. The issue was corrected during halftime when both shot clocks above the baskets were replaced.
After the first quarter, a group of five former NBA players were recognized, including former Mavericks Shawn Marion and Eduardo Najera, who received the loudest ovation from his home country.
The Pistons weren’t the only opponents from Mavericks faced on Saturday. Mexico City’s altitude of 7,350 feet was a significant challenge for both teams. It was more than 2,000 feet higher than that of Denver’s 5,280, the highest altitude in the NBA.
“It was tough. Not gonna lie,” Flagg said. “I was breathing really hard for most of the game, but at the end of the day, it was something everybody was dealing with.”
The Mavericks will return to a lower altitude to conclude a two-game road trip against the Houston Rockets on Monday.
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