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Free Throw Shooting Dooms Dallas Mavericks in Game 4: 3 Game-Changing Plays

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Free Throw Shooting Dooms Dallas Mavericks in Game 4: 3 Game-Changing Plays


The Dallas Mavericks had this game won. They were up 10 at the end of the first quarter, 11 at halftime, 14 early in the 3rd quarter, and by 8 with eight minutes to go. All they had to do was make free throws and some of their usual shots. They just couldn’t and would fall at the end 100-96, being out-scored 28-16 in the final 8 minutes of the game.

We’ll get to it more at the end of the article, but Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic struggled to score or get momentum all game. When the two superstars are shooting the ball this inefficiently and the team as a whole can’t make free throws, it’s hard to overcome that.

Still, Dallas had their chances. Where did it go so poorly?

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks Squander 14-Point Lead in Game 4 Loss Against OKC Thunder, Tying Series

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It started in the second half. For the third quarter, Dallas was just 5/20 from the floor. Not ideal, but they held OKC to 8/24, so they kept them at arm’s length.

In the 4th quarter, both teams were over 40% from the floor, but the biggest difference was Dallas’ 1/5 shooting from deep, while OKC was 4/8 from three. Pair that with a 23/24 free throw performance from OKC while Dallas was 12/23 and that’s your ball game.

Let’s get into some of these plays.

Over the final five minutes of the game, Dallas made just three field goals and this was one of them. If there has ever been a more “no no no no YES” shot, I’d like to see it. Lu Dort had just made a 3 on the other end to extend the lead to 4, the Thunder’s biggest lead of the night to this point, and Dallas was desperate on offense.

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Credit to Tim Hardaway Jr. for knocking down a shot, but it shows how tough life was for Luka Doncic in this game. He gets in the post and turns to be double-teamed and all five members of OKC have a foot in the paint ready to help. It’s a miracle this “pass” even got out to Hardaway.

A few seconds later, this sequence happens. Jalen Williams receives a pass but fumbles it, while Dereck Lively II gets in his body space assuming Williams had dribbled. It certainly looked like he did, commentator and former All-Star Grant Hill thought so on the broadcast, and Dallas was confused about why he was allowed a live dribble again. Williams would finish the play with a dunk.

Here is what referee Zach Zarba said after the game regarding the play: “We felt Williams never gained control of that basketball.  Therefore, he’s allowed to initiate a dribble after he secures it.  Post-game video review confirmed our on-court ruling.”

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Then when asked to clarify what gaining control constitutes: “It’s got to be a controlled dribble, possession of the ball, generally something that you would reset the shot clock on if it was a turnover.  For example, if that would have been stolen and that action would have occurred you would not have reset the shot clock on that play because it’s not deemed a possession.  That was more a bat that was more of a bat than a fumble than a controlled dribble therefore he’s allowed after he secures it to initiate the dribble.”

With that explanation, it makes sense. But it’s a huge swing in that moment of that game. Dallas could’ve had a turnover going the other way with the clock stopped to get something set up. Instead, Williams gets a free dunk at the basket.

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks Exclusive: P.J. Washington Details Hot Playoff Shooting After Trade Adjustment

The game ended here, in my opinion. It’s a great after-timeout set by Jason Kidd and his staff to get Doncic free and running toward the basket, but he’s fouled and sent to the line.

Then he misses the first free throw. Any chance of sending this game to overtime instantly got much harder. If OKC made both free throws at the other end, they were almost guaranteed to foul on the ensuing offensive possession for Dallas, which is what happened. PJ Washington missed the first and made the second, the opposite of what Dallas would’ve preferred.

Doncic has to be better than this. He knows it. The team knows it. I imagine he’ll respond in a big way for Game 5. He finished with a triple-double, 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, but he was just 6/20 from the floor, 2/9 from three, and 4/6 from the charity stripe with 7 turnovers in this game. Somehow, he was the only Maverick above 50% from the free-throw line in this game.

Kyrie Irving also has to be better. He was dishing the ball well in the first half but couldn’t score: 9 points and 9 assists while shooting 4/11 from the floor. It’s the second time this series he’s been held under 10 points and the first time in his playoff career he’s been held under 10 points twice in a series. He can’t be taking the fourth-most shots on the team most nights. He’s been fantastic down the stretch in these playoffs for Dallas and this is more than likely a blip but it can’t become a trend.

P.J. Washington has found his rhythm from 3, going 5/11 from distance in this game. However, he was just 2/8 on 2-point attempts. He usually has that push shot in the paint working, but it wasn’t falling. For the third straight game though, he led the Mavericks in scoring.

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On the other end, it was a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander show, who finished with 34 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and zero turnovers. Dallas has to find a way to get the ball out of his hands moving forward. Jalen Williams hasn’t played great, Chet Holmgren has been hit or miss throughout the series (he was good in Game 4), and Lu Dort isn’t a shot-creator. If the Mavericks want to come away with this series, it starts with how they defend SGA.

Game 5, with the series tied 2-2, is back in Oklahoma City on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. CST. There will be a Game 6 in Dallas no matter what on Saturday.

READ MORE: Former Dallas Maverick Believes Mavs Will Win NBA Finals in Next Two or Three Years

Stick with MavericksGameday for more coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the NBA Playoffs 

Follow Austin Veazey on Twitter

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Suspect arrested after Dallas police shooting was wanted for March double murder

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Suspect arrested after Dallas police shooting was wanted for March double murder


Dallas police have released the names of the three people arrested at a Northeast Dallas apartment complex on Thursday,

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17-year-old Eric Lampkin-Scarborough, 21-year-old Damon Price and 19-year-old Deantae Moore were arrested after ramming two police cruisers in a stolen truck.

Police say Moore was wanted on two counts of capital murder after two 18-year-olds were killed on Dixon Avenue this March.

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Camren Stacy was found on the ground outside of a vehicle and Kamari Smith-Capps was found in the driver’s seat on March 22.

An arrest warrant affidavit obtained by FOX 4 says Moore was Instagram messaging Smith-Capps about buying “Glock Switches” before the shooting.

Dallas Police Shooting

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DPD says on Thursday afternoon they tried to stop a red truck that had been flagged as stolen.

The truck rammed two police cruisers in the parking lot of the Lakeside Apartments and the four suspects inside ran from the area.

Police shot one of the suspects, Eric Lampkin-Scarborough. He is in the hospital in stable condition. Police say he was armed at the time of the shooting.

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Deantae Moore and Damon Price were also arrested.

In connection to Thursday’s incident, Price was charged with the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, two counts of aggravated assault of a public servant, and a probation violation for the manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance.

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A fourth suspect got away. Police say they are working to identify the suspect, but there is no description at this time.

Police say three guns were recovered in the area.

Chief Eddie Garcia is expected to release more information and video of the incident in the coming days.

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Best Dallas Cowboys player to wear jersey No. 44

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Best Dallas Cowboys player to wear jersey No. 44


Thursday was an eventful first day of the Dallas Cowboys training camp. The front office attempted to answer tough questions, and even an emotional Dak Prescott spoke about his future with the franchise.

So, let’s start today on a lighter note, celebrating the best player ever to wear the number 44 for the Cowboys.

Rober Newhouse

Herb Weitman-USA TODAY Sports

A second-round pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, Robert Newhouse played the role of bruiser in the backfield for the Cowboys. Playing for the franchise from 1972 to 1983, Newhouse appeared in 168 games, starting in 75.

The fullback position is a lost art in the game today; however, in this era, Newhouse’s position was vital to the success of most teams in the league.

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Robert Newhouse

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Many of the greats from this franchise have a ring to compliment their time in Dallas; Newhouse is no different. Newhouse was a member of the 1977 team that went on to win the Super Bowl.

Sadly, Newhouse passed away back in 2014. The legacy of the number 44 starts with Newhouse. A Texas boy who went to college in Houston and found his professional home in Dallas.

Texas made and is now known as one of the best to play for the Cowboys.

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What we learned from Dallas Cowboys’ training camp opening presser and first practice

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What we learned from Dallas Cowboys’ training camp opening presser and first practice


Day 1 of Dallas Cowboys training camp is in the books, meaning we have a lot to revisit.

To start things off, Jerry Jones dominated much of the team’s camp-opening news conference by answering questions about contract extensions, fan frustration and expectations. Stephen Jones and Mike McCarthy were also in attendance but didn’t generate as much buzz as the Cowboys owner and general manager.

Before the team’s first practice started, Jerry Jones had already coined a word of the day and pointed out the positive trajectory of the team’s season ticket sales. Here’s a look at what we learned from Day 1 of Cowboys training camp:

Jerry Jones and ambiguity

Much of Jerry Jones’ Thursday monologue included the phrase “ambiguity.” The word was mainly used while discussing frustration from the fan base after a slow summer that was marked by minimal moves on the free-agency market, a holdout from CeeDee Lamb and the lack of an extension for Dak Prescott.

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“After 35 years, the one thing that is for sure is ambiguity,’’ Jerry Jones said. “Just the nature of what being a part of sports, a part of football is, is very ambiguous.

“There is always going to be many dangling participles out here of unfinished business. That’s the reality of it.

“That’s what frustrates you [media],’’ Jones continued. “And if it frustrates you it frustrates fans, obviously, to not have closure or to not have bright lines.

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“That’s not in my mind. That’s not in my life. I don’t ever anticipate it getting any better with the NFL and the Cowboys.’’

Read more here from The Dallas Morning News’ David Moore.

A lame-duck year for Mike McCarthy?

Following the team’s news conference, Jerry Jones told a small group of reporters that McCarthy has the ability to become Dallas’ coach for years to come. McCarthy is in the final year of a five-year contract.

“I don’t agree with you,” Jones said. “I understand the term and I understand how it fits. I don’t look at it that way. There’s a point in there, I know our fans would like it if everybody were on a low contract, but if they won a Super Bowl, they’d get rid of [everybody]. I’m talking about every coach, every player, I’m talking about everybody. I know that’s the fans’ sentiment. I know that for a fact that you don’t domino if you don’t [win a Super Bowl]. But if you get it, it’s glory hole. Oil and gas term of hitting the big well.”

When asked why McCarthy didn’t receive an extension after the 2023 season, Jerry Jones pointed toward Dallas’ latest wild-card playoff loss to the Packers.

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“Green Bay,” Jones said. “Mike has shown me that I want to have him and he’s qualified and he’s excellent and the players are excellent and he’s shown me that he could be our coach for years to come. He sits next to me in the draft. I really call on him a lot. If you can’t get along with Mike McCarthy, you can’t get along.”

Read more from The News’ Calvin Watkins here.

Dallas Cowboys training camp central: Latest news, preseason schedule and more

Where do extension talks stand for the Cowboys’ three big stars?

A majority of Dallas fans most likely already know CeeDee Lamb is in the early stages of a camp holdout. The Cowboys receiver is seeking the largest contract for a non-quarterback in league history.

He isn’t the only one seeking a big payday, as Micah Parsons and Dak Prescott are also in line for extensions. Parsons, who said he’ll wait until next year to get a new contract, also wants one of the largest contracts for a non-quarterback in league history.

That leaves us with Prescott.

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The Cowboys quarterback desires to retire with the franchise that drafted him but is comfortable knowing it might not end that way. Prescott, entering the final year of his deal, expects to get a fair market value contract if he doesn’t get an extension this year.

“I want to be here but when you look up all the great quarterbacks that I watched, played for other teams,” Prescott said. “So my point in saying that it’s not something to fear. It may be a reality for me one day. It may not be my decision. The freedom that I have is be where your feet are, make the most of it, be confident in yourself, make your team better. I love my teammates I love that locker room.”

Read more here.

What Jerry said about his trial

Before the Cowboys owner joined his team in Southern California, he spent part of the week preoccupied with a trial in Texarkana. Jones brought a countersuit against a woman alleging she was his biological daughter, accusing the woman and her mother of breaching a settlement agreement reached in 1998. The trial came to a sudden resolution Tuesday as the parties settled, signaling the end of multiple lawsuits Jones has faced since 2022.

“Well, we got it resolved like I wanted. And so it was unfortunate but it is resolved,” Jones said Thursday. “And it was, of course, very sensitive with my family and it was very sensitive with the unique publicity that’s involved with the Cowboys, but it was [resolved] satisfactory for all concerned. I won’t be commenting any more about it, but I certainly are where I want to be.”

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Read more here.

More coverage of Cowboys camp Day 1

— Jerry Jones remains comfortable selling the past, even in Cowboys’ most puzzling offseason

— While Cowboys navigate contract storm, Dak Prescott reveals honest outlook on future

— Was Jerry Jones sending a message to frustrated Cowboys fans with reference to ambiguity?

— Takeaways from Cowboys’ camp-opening address: Jerry Jones focuses on elephant in the room

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— Cowboys owner Jerry Jones comments on dismissed paternity dispute in training camp address

— Why hasn’t Mike McCarthy gotten a contract extension yet? ‘Green Bay,’ Jerry Jones says

— Highlights from Jerry Jones, Mike McCarthy at ‘State of the Cowboys’ address in Oxnard

— Back in the saddle: See photos from Dallas Cowboys’ first training camp practice and opening news conference

Reporting from staff writers Calvin Watkins and David Moore was used in this post.

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    Dallas Cowboys training camp central: Latest news, preseason schedule and more
    Jake Ferguson on Cowboys’ brand-centric culture: ‘Put on the blinders, man. It’s football’

Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.



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