Still coming to terms with the superstar trade deal that stunned the basketball world, the undermanned Dallas Mavericks have received a mighty flogging from NBA leaders Cleveland.
The Cavaliers scored 91 points in the first half alone – matching the third-most for a first half in NBA history — as they rolled to a 144-101 home win over the injury-hit Mavericks on Sunday.
It came just hours after the shock blockbuster deal that has sent 25-year-old Slovenian ace Luka Doncic from the Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers with Anthony Davis heading the other way.
It was put together over a month in great secrecy. The coaches didn’t know and neither did the players.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd and the Mavericks arrived for Sunday’s game still trying to process the news.
Kidd then had to take on the Cavs without star Kyrie Irving and several other injured players and it wasn’t pretty.
The Cavs (40-9) set several franchise records, including 3-pointers (26), points in a quarter (50 in the first) and largest first-half lead (45). Cleveland also tied their record for 3s in a half by making 16 in the first 24 minutes.
Afterward Kidd expressed thanks it wasn’t worse.
“No one got hurt and we were able to give guys time who usually don’t get time,” Kidd said. “We just got off to a slow start. They shot the 3 at a high level and they’ve done that all year.”
The Phoenix Suns own the record for points in the first half with 107 against Denver on November 10, 1990.
Late in the first half, Sam Merrill, who finished with 27 points on nine 3-pointers for Cleveland, thought anything was possible.
“We were at 80 (points) with like four minutes left and I was like, ‘Man, let’s try to get 100,'” Merrill said. “But these games aren’t always easy.”
The Cavs showed no mercy, making nine of 11 3s in the first quarter while opening a 31-point lead. They made seven more in the second quarter and finished 16 of 22 (73 per cent) on 3s in the half.
The scoring binge continued in the second half, and when the Cavs were nearing the team record for 3s in the final minutes, Merrill said he could hear his teammates yelling for him to shoot.
“There was definitely encouragement,” he said. “I didn’t know why everyone was yelling but I figured that was why.”
In Detroit, Australia’s Josh Giddey posted another double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds along with four assists but his Chicago Bulls (21-29) continued to slide, losing 127-119 to the Pistons (25-24).
Cade Cunningham had 22 points and 15 assists for the Pistons who also overcame a triple-double from Nikola Vucevic, who finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
In Philadelphia, Jayson Tatum scored 13 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and the Boston Celtics rallied from a 26-point deficit to beat the host 76ers 118-110.
– with AAP.
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