Dallas Mavericks: Leadership On Display Against Clips

The Dallas Mavericks rebounded with a big win against the Clippers and their leadership impacted in a big way.

The Dallas Mavericks went into their second meeting of the season with the Los Angeles Clippers with plenty storylines surrounding the team. Whether it was Chandler Parsons sitting out, a blowout loss the night before or the whole DeAndre Jordan saga from the summer, it was clear that the night was going to be filled with emotion.

It was exactly how everyone thought it would be. Technical fouls were flying, as well as words and bodies, but the Mavs came out with a physical 118-108 win over the Clippers. They ended the game on a 14-2 run after the Clips led 106-104 with three minutes left.

Many things played into the win but one in particular was leadership, something the Mavs have struggled to find at times this season. After a loss to the Pelicans, where the team immediately fell into a hole and never recovered, the Mavs knew that changes had to be made and they adjusted accordingly.

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One of the many things Wesley Matthews was known for in Portland was his leadership and constant encouragement. He took over early in the game and picked up Chris Paul, giving him tons of frustration all night long. Paul eventually ended with 11 points (2-of-11 shooting) and 11 assists, rather low numbers for the eight-time NBA All-Star.

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Dirk Nowitzki also responded in a big way with his vintage style of play, hitting off-balance jumpers and banking in ridiculous shots. He finished the night with 31 points while Matthews finished with 25 points, season-high scoring totals for both players.

The duo had a huge night, combining for huge shots late to seal the game for the Mavs. Deron Williams, Raymond Felton and Zaza Pachulia also came up big, all adding in double-digit scoring totals and producing throughout the game.

One of the most important aspects of basketball in situations against good teams is leadership and the Mavs showed plenty of that. It changed the flow of the game at times and they had plenty of guys playing tough defense and drawing charges as well as other guys calling for the ball on offense in order to make plays happen.

Without the great play from their best players and leaders, they would’ve never recovered after going down by double-digits in the first quarter or after giving up a 14-point lead in the 4th quarter. They withstood and played team basketball while relying on their go-to guys.

With the tests that the Mavs will face in the Western Conference, it is important to have solidified leaders to help the younger players on the team and to take blame after losses and the Mavs look like that have solved that issue.

The ability to take up for the team and speak on improvement can help a team turn it’s fortunes around. That was put on full display when the Mavs took a hard loss to a below-average team, adjusted overnight and came out of the second night of a back-to-back hot by getting a win over an elite team.

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It will be important for the Mavs to make sure they fine-tune that aspect of their team so that they are able to stay the course while competing in a stacked Western Conference. With many proven leaders on the team, they will be in good position to make a run and try to steal a playoff spot.