The Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks crossed swords in an NBA regular-season game at the American Airlines Center on Friday. Both teams arrived after losing their season opener. The Wizards suffered a 133-120 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Mavericks were schooled (125-92) by the San Antonio Spurs.
The two teams maintained the same starting lineup that had featured in the previous contest. Washington’s starting five comprised Khris Middleton, Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr, CJ McCollum and Bub Carrington. Dallas stuck with their big starting lineup comprising Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II and Klay Thompson.
The Mavericks got off to a superb start in the game and quickly secured a 13-5 lead on the Wizards with 6:56 left in the first quarter. Rookie Cooper Flagg made his presence felt early with a 3-pointer and set up Klay Thompson for an easy 3-pointer. P.J. Washington had an emphatic block in transition that got the crowd inside the arena all excited and hyped.
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Max Christie came off the bench and kept the momentum going for Dallas by knocking down a contested corner 3-pointer and pushed the lead to 23-9. Anthony Davis led all scorers and helped the Mavericks enter the second period with a 35-28 lead.
The momentum completely swung in the second quarter. The Mavericks, who once led by as many as 14 points, entered the half time break trailing 58-52. Washington outscored Dallas 30-17 in the second quarter. Turnovers turned into the Mavericks’ Achilles heel as they turned the ball over 13 times in the first half.
Washington Wizards vs Dallas Mavericks Player Stats and Box Score (Oct. 24)
Atishay Jain is a sports aficionado and an avid follower of the NBA and WNBA, with a deep admiration for LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo. Currently, he serves as an Assistant Content Manager with Sportskeeda’s basketball team.
Atishay’s career spans both Indian and international sports coverage, with a keen interest in cricket, football, basketball, and tennis. His previous roles at News9Live and Sports Tak included live blogging, anchoring sports shows, and participating in debates.
A graduate in Journalism from the Center for Management Studies in Bengaluru, India, Atishay brings a wealth of experience and passion to his work in sports media.