Klay Thompson's quiet return overshadowed by Mavs veteran's late-game brilliance

The Dallas Mavericks are quietly becoming one of the top contenders in the league. The team has gone 9-1 over its past 10 games and is currently riding a five-game winning streak. Dallas also has the league's fourth-best offensive and ninth-best defensive ratings. The Mavs are playing balanced basketball, working hard on both ends of the court.

One reason for the Mavs' recent success is the return of Luka Doncic. The team has gone 4-1 without Doncic this season, but greatly felt his impact upon his return. Doncic had 36 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. He looked completely healthy, scoring 15 points in the second quarter. His perfect shooting in the second solidified his return to elite form.

Doncic continued his high level of play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. Doncic scored 37 points, helping him drop back-to-back 30-point games. He also recorded a double-double with 12 rebounds. His 3-point shooting was the difference, as he shot 55 percent from downtown. Doncic's ability to play balanced basketball too stands out. He recorded four steals and one block against Memphis.

Dinwiddie's late-game fireworks lift Mavs past Grizzlies

Aside from Doncic, the Mavericks got much-needed assistance from their role players on Tuesday. Dallas trailed the Grizzlies by eight points with three and a half minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The team capitalized off Memphis' missed shots, as the Mavs knocked down critical 3-pointers to give themselves a lead.

Spencer Dinwiddie was the difference maker, as his critical shots helped put Dallas on top. The Mavs were down by one point with a minute and 40 seconds left to go when Dinwiddie knocked down a long-range attempt to put Dallas ahead by two. 30 seconds later, Dinwiddie converted another 3-point attempt to put the Mavs up by five.

Dinwiddie's heroics came in handy. Plain and simple, the Mavs were able to knock down more 3-pointers than Memphis in the fourth quarter. This though was not the case in the third quarter. The Grizzlies shot 55 percent from the 3-point line in the third quarter, while Dallas missed all seven of their long-range attempts. Dinwiddie played a big part in the team's shooting turnaround in the fourth.

The Mavs' veteran's performance came at a perfect time. Dallas saw the return of NBA champion Klay Thompson on Tuesday, as he missed the past four games with a left foot plantar fascia. Thompson's return though was limited. Coach Jason Kidd explained his plan to play him for 20 minutes before the game, and stuck with it.

Thompson struggled in his return. He went 1-5 from the field, as he missed all three of his 3-point attempts. Thompson's minutes restriction provided the perfect opportunity for a player like Dinwiddie to step up, and getting back into the swing of things should help him perform better moving forward.

In some fourth-quarter situations, the Mavs roll with the trio of Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Thompson. Kidd's plan though to limit Thompson worked well for Dallas, as Dinwiddie made the most of his late-game opportunity. He ended up finishing with 16 points while shooting 5-10 from the field and 3-5 from downtown, and his late-game heroics helped seal the deal for Dallas.

The Mavericks signed Dinwiddie to a one-year contract back in August. The fan favorite played a key role in helping Dallas advance to the Western Conference Finals back in 2022.

Former Mav Theo Pinson vouched for the Mavs to bring back Dinwiddie back in July. He explained that the guard had all the intangibles to succeed again in Dallas, as his former chemistry would help out.

Dallas was right to adhere to Pinson's plea. Dinwiddie has scored above 15 points in four of his last five games. He is also shooting 50 percent from the 3-point line over the past two games. Dinwiddie continues to look comfortable with the team, as his high scoring has sparked Dallas to a mini-winning streak.

Spencer Dinwiddie and the Dallas Mavericks have two more games left before they start their journey toward winning the NBA Cup.