After playing in their first overtime game of the season, Dallas was rewarded by going on the road and playing the second game of a back-to-back.

Already without Luka Doncic, Dallas also dealt with a plethora of additional injuries and illnesses that forced them to play without Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes or Dereck Lively. After a short rest with a short roster, Dallas pulled off an impressive victory thanks to some quick and timely shots.

68%: Dallas’ shooting from the floor in the fourth

Dallas hasn’t had any luck in clutch games so far this season. They have lost seven games while winning only three.

Well, the Mavericks’ new approach to clutch time seems to avoid it entirely. After trading the lead back and forth throughout the game, Dallas stepped on the gas in the fourth, led by Kyrie Irving who scored 16 in the frame; half of the 32 points he scored for the game, including going four-of-five from deep in the fourth.

31: Three-point shots attempted by Atlanta

Gafford and Lively were both game decisions for Dallas. Lively left early due to an illness, while Gafford lost 23 minutes for Dallas.

Without their two bigs to patrol the paint, the Mavericks’ defensive mentality seemed to focus on running Atlanta off the three-point line. They held the Hawks to 31 attempts – five short of their typical 36, and more importantly, they hindered the Atlanta shooter enough to hold them to just 29% from deep; well below the 36% the Hawks have averaged thus far.

Nothing comes for free, however, and Dallas’ focus on the long ball and missing the defensive anchor caused them to give up 76 points in the paint. Still, that amounted to a winning strategy for tonight.

22, 22, 23: Points from Naji Marshall, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaden Hardy

Jaden Hardy got the start next to Irving in the backcourt and showed some of his firepower. Until Kyrie came in in the fourth, he was Dallas’ leading scorer for much of the game. It was also a good sign to see Dinwiddie shake off his 1-for-12 night against the Heat.

There have been a handful of games this season where Dallas got outsized contributions from bench players but couldn’t convert them into wins. Together, the trio of Marshall, Hardy and Dinwiddie kept Dallas level and answered every punch Atlanta threw.

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