Mavericks take beating in first game of post-Doncic era

The Cavaliers dominate the Mavs, as their general manager scrambles to justify the trade of their star player before the game.

Thompson (13) pugna por un rebote con el jugador de los Mavs Olivier-Maxence Prosper — Thompson (13) battles for a rebound with Mavs' Olivier-Maxence ProsperKen Blaze-Imagn Images/Sipa USA / Cordon Press

Published by

Víctor Mendoza

February 3, 2025

3 minutes read

Topics:

NBA
Dallas

The Dallas Mavericks endured a brutal 144-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, just hours after announcing the trade of their star, Luka Doncic, to the Los Angeles Lakers. Missing key players, including Kyrie Irving, the team struggled to compete while still grappling with the departure of Dončić, their leader for the past seven seasons.

At Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Dallas general manager Nico Harrison attempted to defend his controversial decision to trade Slovenian star Luka Dončić, who led the team to a runner-up finish last season. In return, the Mavericks will receive veteran center Anthony Davis and promising shooting guard Max Christie—a package widely considered insufficient for a player of Dončić's caliber and youth at just 25 years old.

A loss that could have been historic

Amid the controversy, the Mavericks faced the league's top team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and chose to rest three of their starters. In addition to Kyrie Irving, who was sidelined with shoulder discomfort, head coach Jason Kidd also had to manage without power forward PJ Washington and center Daniel Gafford due to various injuries. Veteran point guard Klay Thompson started but struggled, scoring just 2 points (1-10 shooting) in 18 minutes of play.

The Cavaliers swiftly capitalized on their opponent's disarray, racing to a 50-19 lead by the end of the first quarter. These 50 points set a new franchise record for the most points scored in a single quarter of an NBA game.

The hosts led 91-46 at halftime and, had they kept up their pace, they were on track to break several league records, including the highest-scoring game ever, set by the Detroit Pistons with 186 points in 1983, according to AFP reports.

The Cavs rested its star players

As Cleveland began to rest its star players, Dallas managed to avoid further embarrassment with a third-quarter rally, outscoring the Cavaliers 28-29.

In the final period the Cavaliers set another franchise record, making 26 three-pointers, including nine by reserve guard Sam Merrill, who finished with 27 points.

Power forward Evan Mobley had a standout performance with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while point guard Darius Garland scored 17 points and made 10 assists, both playing key roles in the Calvaliers' win.

Dallas' sixth-worst loss

For the Mavericks, who endured the sixth-worst loss in their history, reserve point guard Jaden Hardy led the offense with 21 points.

With this result, the Mavericks fell to ninth place in the Western Conference with a 26-24 record, putting their playoff hopes in jeopardy. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers strengthened their grip on the top spot in the East, holding a 40-9 record.

Celtics come back from 26 points down

Their closest challengers, the Boston Celtics (35-15), pulled off a thrilling 26-point comeback to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 118-110.

The reigning champions trailed 64-90 with three minutes left in the third quarter, while the 76ers were missing star players Joel Embiid and Paul George.

Forward Jayson Tatum led the Celtics' remarkable comeback, finishing with 35 points and 11 assists. For the 76ers, guard Tyrese Maxey scored 34 points in the effort.

In other games, the Pistons defeated the Chicago Bulls 127-119, led by Cade Cunningham's 22 points and 15 assists. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors beat the Los Angeles Clippers 115-108, with RJ Barrett scoring 20 points.