The Mavericks played a rock-solid second half and came up with a 110-102 victory over the defending champion Toronto Raptors on Saturday, opening an important four-game home stand in much-needed winning fashion. Here’s our five takeaways from the defensive-powered win.
FREE FOR THE TAKING: The Mavericks have been shooting more free throws than their opponents most of the season. On Saturday, they shot a lot more. With Luka Doncic getting 19 trips to the line, the Mavericks outshot Toronto 33-15 at the stripe. They made 27 (81 percent) while the Raptors made 11 (73 percent). Rick Carlisle called Doncic “a beast” for the way he puts defenses in a serious bind.