Dallas Mavericks Fall to Struggling Hawks in Back and Forth Game

The Dallas Mavericks fell to the Atlanta Hawks for the second time this season and once again Dennis Schroder led the charge. Despite a close one all the way through, Mavs lose 112-107.

Despite the Atlanta Hawks only having 7 wins before tonight, it did not stop the Dallas Mavericks from giving them every opportunity to close a tight game. Such has been the norm for the Mavs over a large portion of the season so far, playing the good teams tough but finding a way to lose to all the not-so-good teams. Tonight was no different.

6 out of the Mavs 9 wins have been against teams that were above .500 at the time. 2 of the other 3 were Oklahoma City and the LA Clippers, just showing that Dallas really has shown up big against teams that are above average this year. On the other hand, losses to Atlanta, Phoenix, Brooklyn, Sacramento, and Memphis are all unacceptable for the team the Mavericks are putting on the court.

Tonight, Dallas kept it close with the Hawks from start to finish. The biggest lead for either team came late in the third quarter when Atlanta jumped out to a 75-65 lead. Dallas made up the deficit before the end of the quarter though, going into the 4th with a one-point lead. The entire fourth quarter became a back-and-forth that looked like whichever team slipped up first would be left in the dust. And the Mavs slipped.

After Dirk tied the game up at 107-107, Dennis Schroder found the bottom of the net yet again with just over a minute left in the game. Dallas got some shots but couldn’t get the ball through and it all culminated with a missed free throw by Harrison Barnes with only seconds left. He intentionally missed the second in hopes of getting the rebound but it did not work out and the Hawks made both there free throws to put it away.

ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 23: Dennis Schroder #17 of the Atlanta Hawks and J.J. Barea #5 of the Dallas Mavericks battle for a loose ball at Philips Arena on December 23, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Dallas was led in scoring by Harrison Barnes once again, who scored 22. Despite his great numbers overall, his inability to take over in clutch minutes has continued to hurt Dallas this season. Other Mavs in double-digits for the night included a vintage performance from Dirk with 18, 15 for JJ Barea, 12 for Dwight, and 10 for Devin. Barea also did a great job distributing the ball, racking up a game high 12 assists.

The story of the night was undoubtedly Dennis Schroder, who went from nonexistent in the first half (6 points) to unstoppable as he finished with 33 points on 13-22 from the field, including 4-8 from three-point. This is the second time this season that Schroder has killed us, and hopefully the last.

Next: Dallas Mavericks: Looking Back at the Forgotten Dirk Nowitzki

Dallas will take the next two days off in the name of Christmas before returning home for a matchup with the Raptors on the 26th. The game will tip-off at 6:00 central time.

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