The Dallas Mavericks were far from being under pressure in their first game since the team exchanged Luka Doncic at the Los Angeles Lakers and acquired Anthony Davis.
The Mavericks granted the Cleveland Cavaliers 91 points at halftime and lost the match 144-101.
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Cleveland goalkeeper Sam Merrill reacts after hitting a 3 -point basket in the first half of a NBA basketball game against Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, February 2, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP photo / Sue Ogrocki)
“Everyone was just locked even with the job and everything that was going on today,” said Evan Mobley, Cavs star, after the match. “We started hot and kept foot on the gas.”
Sam Merrill added nine 3 points for Cleveland. The riders made 16 3 points in the first half and finished with 26 in total.
“We were 80 (points) with about four minutes to do, and I said to myself:” Dude, let’s try to get 100 “, said Merrill. “But these games are not always easy. I was one of the games where everyone was released, and it’s a near game because it is difficult to have the right mindset in a game like this CI.
“It is such a credit to the starters to go out and play in the right direction and to communicate and defend and share basketball. About 80 but 90 (at half-time) is crazy.”
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The Mavericks goalkeeper Luka Doncic looks from the team to be bench during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at the American Airlines Center on January 27, 2025 in Dallas. (Jerome Miron-Imagn images)
It was the closure of a wild day for the Mavericks. Dallas woke up and his All-Star five times was suddenly exchanged with the Lakers.
The director general of Mavericks, Nico Harrison, defended the agreement before the match.
“I understand why [fans] would be shocked at the start, “Harrison told Dallas Morning News.
“But I believe that we positioned ourselves to win now and also win in the future. And that is ultimately the goal and why we are here. This is one of those things where it is my job to take the difficult decisions that first put our goals first and above all. “
The extension of $ 207 million in Doncic should expire this year, and it was for a supermax that was worth more than $ 340 million. In addition, he was able to quickly withdraw from any other offer. So Harrison wanted security. Now he is no longer eligible for supermax.
“We really feel like we’ve taken ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, being eligible for supermax and also a year from his power with any contract,” said Harrison. “And so we really had the impression that we came out in front of this. We know teams, they got it, the teams were responsible to try to sign it once it is available.”
Dallas Mavericks’ head coach Jason Kidd, on the left, and managing director Nico Harrison discussed Luka Doncic’s trade on February 2, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP photo / Sue Ogrocki)
Doncic thanked fans for their support when he was with Dallas. He did not mention the Mavericks in his goodbye message.
