Dallas Mavericks (21-36) beat Brooklyn Nets (15-42) 123-114 on the road on Tuesday, February 24.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Mavericks had the better start, winning the first 36-29 to lead by 7 after one. The Mavericks kept the pressure on with a 40-35 second quarter, carrying a 12-point lead into halftime.
The Nets won the third 27-23 to stay in front, taking a 8-point lead into the fourth. The Mavericks took the fourth 24-23; the Mavericks finished the job for a 123-114 regulation win.
What decided it
The Mavericks grabbed 30.3% of their own misses, while the Nets recovered 12.8%. The Mavericks got more from their shots, finishing at 63.4% effective field-goal shooting compared with 59.4% for the Nets. The second chances kept adding up.
The Nets did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 11.2 against 15.4. The Mavericks made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 98 possessions per team, the Mavericks produced 125.9 points per 100 possessions to 116.7 for the Nets.
The Mavericks' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 54-39.
Who made the difference
Nicolas Claxton was the game's biggest individual force for BKN: 16 pts, 4 reb, 9 ast, 3 stl on 7-10 shooting. His Game Score of 20.5 led everyone. His team was +6 with him on the floor.
Naji Marshall led the Mavericks with 21 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast on 7-13 shooting, good for a 20.3 Game Score.
Brandon Williams (19 pts, 1 reb, 10 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 48% for the Mavericks.
Across the last 4 meetings in our records, Dallas Mavericks lead 3-1.
The Mavericks are now 21-36, and the Nets are 15-42. The Mavericks last five before this game: L-L-L-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.