It’s ironic, poetic even, that during Monday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Kristaps Porzingis and the Dallas Mavericks seemed to always find some way to keep the game out of reach. More often than not, it involved the 7-foot-3 big reaching out for a key rebound reserved for someone of his stature, or hitting a turnaround shot over the outstretched arms of a Blazers forward giving up nearly an entire foot.
One play late in that game comes to mind: with the Mavericks leading 116-94, the Blazers force a miss, and Damian Lillard is tasked with boxing out Porzingis, who, of course, retrieves the ball on a long rebound.