Atlanta Hawks (34-31) beat Dallas Mavericks (21-44) 124-112 at home on Tuesday, March 10, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Hawks had the better start, winning the first 40-26 to lead by 14 after one. The Mavericks cut into the deficit with a 27-24 second quarter, though the Hawks still led by 11 at halftime.
The Mavericks won the third 38-31 to stay in front, taking a 4-point lead into the fourth. The Hawks took the fourth 29-21; the Hawks finished the job for a 124-112 regulation win.
What decided it
The Hawks took better care of the ball, turning it over on 9.1% of possessions compared with 14.3% for the Mavericks. The Hawks got more from their shots, finishing at 58.9% effective field-goal shooting compared with 55.2% for the Mavericks. Those extra possessions were crucial.
The Mavericks did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 19.8 against 12.6. The Hawks made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 98 possessions per team, the Hawks produced 126.1 points per 100 possessions to 113.9 for the Mavericks.
The Mavericks' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 42-23.
Who made the difference
Jalen Johnson was the game's biggest individual force for ATL: 27 pts, 7 reb, 8 ast on 10-18 shooting. His Game Score of 25.5 led everyone. His team was +14 with him on the floor.
Dyson Daniels (14 pts, 7 reb, 10 ast), Cooper Flagg (14 pts, 12 reb, 5 ast), and Daniel Gafford (14 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Hawks about a 82% chance.
Across the last 2 meetings in our records, Dallas Mavericks lead 2-0.
The Hawks are now 34-31, and the Mavericks are 21-44. The Hawks last five before this game: W-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.