The Dallas Mavericks have been struggling on the defensive end of the floor this season, and their latest game against the Miami Heat exposed their flaws even more. The Mavericks allowed the Heat to score 76 points in the first half.
Kevin Love wasted no time in making his presence felt, scoring 13 points in just 7 minutes of action to spark would we be a flashback night for him offensively. Love’s performance drew praise from fans on social media, but also a roast session for Mavericks’ defense failing to cover the assignment properly.
It seemed like decades ago that Kevin Love was a dominant offensive player, but against Dallas he turned into the Minnesota version of himself. A few minutes was all he needed to reach double figures, and social media isn’t going to let Mavs’ defense live after allowing it to happen with their season on the line.
If Mavericks don’t manage to make the play-ins or playoffs, this moment might be the one that people remember most. The night the 2023 version of Kevin Love snatched their post season hopes away. It’s ironic he scored exactly 13 points in 8 minutes considering the superstitions about it being an unlucky number.
Mavericks failed to complete a comeback down the stretch losing the game 122-129. Their playoffs hopes continue to dwindle down to impossible. Currently they still have a chance, but the path just became much more difficult.
