Nets ignite second half, but Cooper Flagg's clutch plays and balanced Mavericks offense prove too much. Porter Jr. shines in losing effort.
Michael Porter Jr. and the Brooklyn Nets traveled to take on the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, and their three-point shooting did not come along for the ride.
Brooklyn fell by a score of 113-105 against Rookie of the Year frontrunner Cooper Flagg and Dallas' mix of savvy defensive-minded veterans and skilled prospects, and their ultimate undoing was a product of horrific shot-making from anyone without the name 'Porter Jr.' on the back of their jersey.
The same could be said for the Mavericks throughout the first quarter of this one with regard to the shot-making of fourth-year shooting guard Jaden Hardy, as he poured in 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting from the field in the first five minutes of the contest.
Despite Porter Jr.'s 9-point first frame and Day'Ron Sharpe's continued excellence on the offensive glass (seven offensive rebounds), the Mavericks took a 32-23 lead into the second quarter due in large part to their run-and-gun offensive attack.
To start the second, Sharpe unsuspectingly set a new league-wide mark when he brought down his 10th rebound of the game with 10:27 remaining in that quarter to pair with 10 points, setting a new mark for the quickest double-double in the NBA this season.
Still, the Nets' complete lack of three-point shooting outside of Porter Jr. held the team back, and the Mavs finished the first half by building their lead to double-digits at 56-45. Brooklyn shot 18.2% on 22 attempts from three-point range, but they'd ultimately claw their way back once again.
Dallas' three-point productivity saw a dip to begin the second half, giving the Nets the slightest of chances to make a run.
Rookie two-way point guard Nolan Traoré did a great job of penetrating and finding open teammates on the perimeter. While he was doing that in his time with the ball, Porter Jr. continued to do his nightly work shooting off the dribble.
By the time the third wrapped up, a couple of free throws with 4:04 left in the period gave him 22 points, with more left to come.
As the fourth quarter got underway with Dallas leading 84-77, it was a combination of Noah Clowney, Traoré, Drake Powell and Tyrese Martin's energy and effort that helped to pull Brooklyn within three points a few separate times. Unfortunately, Flagg always had an answer.
A couple of tough pull-up jump-shots, strong drives to the rim and stellar free throw shooting gave the 19-year-old 27 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals on an efficient 58.8% field goal percentage.
A few Porter Jr. threes in the fourth brought his total to 28 points for the night and six three-point hits, but the Mavericks' team effort was too much to overcome, especially thanks to Dallas' Naji Marshall commanding the offense and finishing with 22 points and nine assists of his own, affecting the game heavily on both ends.
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