Mavericks dominate paint despite Cooper Flagg's absence. Nets' scorers fight back, but Dallas' relentless rim-runs seal another Brooklyn loss.
The Brooklyn Nets were handed a 123-114 defeat at Barclays Center by a Dallas Mavericks squad missing their Rookie of the Year frontrunner Cooper Flagg.
Brooklyn's quartet of 15-plus point scorers Michael Porter Jr. (26), Noah Clowney (22), Terance Mann (17) and Nic Claxton (16) did their best to pull the Nets back from a 15-point deficit, shooting 28-for-44 from the floor combined, but Dallas' mix of veterans made up for the loss of their star first-year forward with massive contributions.
Claxton dished nine assists total, with seven coming in the first half to tie his lifetime mark for the most dimes in any first half of his career.
The Mavericks made rim-runs their bread and butter throughout, driving relentlessly into the teeth of the Nets' defense down low and coming away with 66 points in the paint. Dallas' paint production was led by the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft Marvin Bagley III, as he scored a team-high 22 points on 76.9% shooting from the field.
Bagley III's footwork and consistent shot-making around the rim gave the Mavericks a safety valve every time a possession went south, and he delivered countless timely buckets to keep the Nets at bay.
Clowney quickly became the story of the first half for Brooklyn despite their continued struggles with paint protection on the defensive end, scoring 15 points on 4-for-4 shooting (3-for-3 on three's) in the first two frames.
Rookie floor general Nolan Traoré had a rough shooting night, but his paint penetration gave Clowney, Porter Jr. and others to keep the Nets within striking distance from behind the three-point line. Brooklyn shot 40.6% from behind the three-point line for the game.
Dallas' superb role playing wing Naji Marshall displayed his all-around talent with a 21-point, 7-rebound, 5-assist performance in 36 minutes of action to back Bagley III. Brandon Williams' 19-point, 10-assist double-double came with scorching efficiency, as the shifty guard shot 9-for-11 from the field.
Williams did his best Kyrie Irving impression for plenty of the bout with the 9-time All-Star still sidelined as he recovers from an ACL tear, and his shot-creation kept Brooklyn's perimeter defenders guessing all night long.
4-time NBA champion shooting guard Klay Thompson also connected on five of his 10 tries from three-point range for 17 points off of the bench.
Brooklyn tried their best to muster a comeback after trailing 99-91 heading into the fourth quarter, and Mann led the charge. The 7-year veteran put on a show during the fourth period, scoring 10 of his 17 points in the frame with a myriad of jump shots.
Still, Brooklyn's lack of resistance around the basket led to the Mavericks taking care of business and finishing the job with an 8-3 run in the final 2:23 after the Nets brought the deficit down to four (115-111).
The Nets fell for a fifth consecutive game, and they'll prepare to defend home-court once again Thursday night as Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs head to town.
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