| |
|
NBA -- Brunson a huge key for Mavs' life without Luka
By Japheth Bandi
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 18 Dec 2019
MILWAUKEE - No thanks to a sprained ankle, rising star Luka Doncic, last season's runaway Rookie of the Year winner, will be sidelined for at least two weeks.
For the Dallas Mavericks, life without their budding All-Star and offensive leader began with a road trip yesterday here in Milwaukee where they visited the Eastern Conference-leading Bucks at a full-house Fiserv Forum.
As it turned out, the Mavs not only acquitted themselves well, they actually penciled a victory that snapped the Bucks' season-high 18-game winning streak.
Not only did Dallas somehow weather this fleeting adversity, they also withstood the one-man rampage of reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who lit the arena with 48 points and 14 rebounds.
Dallas' recipe for success was simple. They shot the ball at a high rate (41 of 88 from the field and 16 of 41 from long distance ) and they moved the ball around exceptionally well, producing 27 assists.
"We just felt that if we come out and really concentrated on ourselves, with a pretty simple game plan, we give ourselves a chance," Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters at his post-game press conference outside the visitors' locker following the 48-minute scrap.
Is this sustainable though given the fact that Doncic is leaving a void that is difficult to fill --- 29.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.9 rebounds per?
Kristaps Porzingis would have to step up, a task he proved capable of doing by dropping 26 points and 12 boards. The rest of the Mavericks would have to step up as well.
But an important key of plugging in the leaks Doncic' absence will cause is Jalen Brunson.
The second-year guard will not be a triple-double machine like Doncic but he can be a good game manager, something he did against Milwaukee as the Villanova alum finished with an efficient 13 points and 11 assists.
Though ranked third in the Western Conference with a 20-8 record, the Mavericks a long, difficult path ahead without Doncic. But Brunson should help smooth some of the bumps.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Japheth Bandi.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
DAZN and Top Rank announce a landmark multi-year media rights deal bringing elite events and a storied archive to DAZN users worldwide
, Thu, 19 Mar 2026Sampson Boxing Signs Top Junior Lightweight Contender Charly Suarez to a Promotional Contract
, Thu, 19 Mar 2026THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 17 MARCH 2026: Collazo Stops Haro; Fundora KO Ruiz; Barboza Outpoints Sims; Cacace UD Dickens
By Eric Armit, , Wed, 18 Mar 2026Tapales Near Peak Form Ahead of April 3 Tokyo Showdown with Oguni
, Wed, 18 Mar 2026MILLER AND PERO CLASH IN HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN IN LAS VEGAS ON APRIL 25
, Wed, 18 Mar 2026Middleweight Championship Battle Between (C) Khamzat Chimaev and (#3) Sean Strickland Headlines UFC® 328 at Prudential Center Live on Paramount+
, Wed, 18 Mar 2026Sampson Lewkowicz & TM Boxing Sign Undefeated Mexican Prospect José Ángel Guerrero to Co-Promotional Deal
, Wed, 18 Mar 202612-Time World Champion & Hall of Famer James Toney Confirmed for Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Cinco De Mayo Weekend, Saturday May 2, in Las Vegas
, Wed, 18 Mar 2026Five stitches for Donaire’s cut
By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 17 Mar 2026Roberto Gomez Training Camp Notes
, Tue, 17 Mar 2026Esneth Domingo Trains at the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles Ahead of His US Debut
, Tue, 17 Mar 2026Tatay Digong Birthday Run on March 28
By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 17 Mar 202612-0 prospect Marco Romero to headline This Friday in Independence, Missouri
, Tue, 17 Mar 2026700 athletes on March 21-22 at UM
By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 17 Mar 2026United States Earns Four Gold Medals on Final Day of 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup
, Mon, 16 Mar 2026Mexico wins 2 bronze medals at World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok
By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Mon, 16 Mar 2026Arnold Barboza Jr. Shines in Welterweight Debut, Defeats Kenneth Sims Jr. to Claim Wbo Global Welterweight Title
, Sun, 15 Mar 2026WBC top contender Canoy returns to Davao with Unanimous Decision Victory
, Sun, 15 Mar 2026John Randall Peralta: The Future of the Philippine Chess
By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026Alvin “Felemon” Dologuin Claims Win in Brico Santig’s Show in Thailand (PHOTOS)
, Sun, 15 Mar 2026Donaire's Yokohama Showdown: Can our Filipino Flash Outshine the Rising Sun? (WEIGH-IN PHOTOS)
By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team Wins Five of Eight Bouts on Day Six
, Sun, 15 Mar 2026Shai Gilgeous-Alexander surpasses Chamberlain's record of 127 consecutive NBA games with 20 points or more
By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026World-Ranked Light Heavyweight Najee Lopez Stops Mexican Terminator Manuel Gallego in Eight Classic Rounds in Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’
, Sat, 14 Mar 2026Weigh-in from Highland Boxing in Bangkok, Thailand; Dologuin in Action (WEIGH-IN PHOTOS)
, Sat, 14 Mar 2026 |
|
|
|
|
|
