Dallas Mavericks (26-56) beat Chicago Bulls (31-51) 149-128 at home on Sunday, April 12. The final margin was 21 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Mavericks had the better start, winning the first 45-34 to lead by 11 after one. The Mavericks kept the pressure on with a 35-22 second quarter, carrying a 24-point lead into halftime.
The Mavericks won the third 39-32 to create some separation, taking a 31-point lead into the fourth. The Bulls took the fourth 40-30; the Mavericks held on for a 149-128 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Mavericks grabbed 35.6% of their own misses, while the Bulls recovered 24.1%. The Mavericks got more from their shots, finishing at 63% effective field-goal shooting compared with 53.8% for the Bulls. The second chances kept adding up.
The Bulls did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 11.4 against 15.8. The Mavericks made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 114 possessions per team, the Mavericks produced 130.6 points per 100 possessions to 112.2 for the Bulls.
Who stood out
Ryan Nembhard was the game's biggest individual force for DAL: 15 pts, 9 reb, 23 ast on 6-11 shooting. His Game Score of 26.5 led everyone. His team was +23 with him on the floor.
Lachlan Olbrich led the Bulls with 10 pts, 15 reb, 10 ast on 4-7 shooting, good for a 21.2 Game Score.
Ryan Nembhard (15 pts, 9 reb, 23 ast), Moussa Cisse (17 pts, 20 reb, 1 ast), and Lachlan Olbrich (10 pts, 15 reb, 10 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 62% for the Mavericks.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Dallas Mavericks lead 2-1.
The Mavericks are now 26-56, and the Bulls are 31-51. The Mavericks last five before this game: L-W-L-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.