Dallas Mavericks: Jalen Brunson drops 27 in victory over Hawks

Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson scored 27 points in the victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 1. Here is a look back at that game.

The Dallas Mavericks returned home to face the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. It was the second night of a back-to-back coming off a loss in Houston. Luka Doncic was ruled out sprained ankle and Kristaps Porzingis joined him on the sidelines as the team manages his knees closely. Defeating the Hawks without their two star players was going to be difficult.

The Mavs got off to a slow start. They were trailing by nine points three minutes into the game but quickly righted the ship. The Mavericks finished the first quarter with 36 points and ahead by ten. They rode that moment to a 123-100 victory on Feb. 1.

The Mavs used a fantastic team effort to pick up the win. Five players finished in double-figures. Of the nine players that saw 20-plus minutes of action, the lowest scorer had seven points. They used a balanced attack without their two stars.

Dorian Finney-Smith tied his career-high with 22 points. He also chipped in seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, one block, and six 3-pointers made in 27 minutes. Doe-Doe was rolling against the Hawks. Here is a look at his best plays from the game.

Jalen Brunson also went off. He returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 31. He had 19 points in the first half and was a massive reason the Mavs got out to a significant lead. Brunson finished with 27 points, four rebounds, and eight assists in 27 minutes of action. It included a stellar highlight reel too.

Carlisle gets win number 500

The Mavericks also made a little history for Coach Rick Carlisle on Saturday evening.

Looking ahead

The Dallas Mavericks travel to Indiana to face the Pacers on Monday. Kristaps Porzingis should return. The Pacers present a difficult matchup, though. Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis will both start in the frontcourt. Carlisle will have to counter with Maxi Kleber or Willie Cauley-Stein in the starting five next to KP.

The Smoking Cuban will be back with news, analysis, and game content all season long, so coming back often is a must for Dallas Mavericks supporters.