Mavericks vs. Bulls Final Score: Dallas defeated Chicago, 119-99

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Chicago Bulls 119-99 on Wednesday night in Dallas. Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 27 points and 13 assists, while Nikola Vučević had 14 points and 10 rebounds in a Bulls loss. The win never seemed in doubt for Dallas and was a much-needed victory for the current home team after their disappointing loss to the Pacers earlier this week. The stunning win was especially impressive because the Mavericks were dealing with so many injuries, most notably Dereck Lively and PJ Washington.

The Bulls were struggling themselves, missing Lonzo Ball and leading scorer Zach LaVine, and their absence was felt on offense as well. Chicago struggled to shoot the ball, finishing just 42 percent from the field and 29 percent from three.

Dallas had one of its best starts of the season, going on a 17-0 run in the first quarter, led by Kyrie Irving's 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting from the field. However, the predominantly bench-based lineup with Dwight Powell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Quentin Grimes and Olivier-Maxence Prosper immediately allowed the Bulls to go on a 15-5 run.

The starters came back into the game in the second quarter and continued to extend the lead. Doncic finished the half with a near double-double and recorded nine assists, the most he has had in a half this season.

Dallas came out even hotter in the third quarter, outscoring Chicago 32-23 and effectively closing out the game. The Mavericks never looked back and ultimately finished the game with a 20-point win.

Here are our top thoughts on the game.

Great attack from the starters

Dallas got a ton of production from its starters, with four starters finishing in double figures. Daniel Gafford had a great game and finished the game with an efficient 17 points and seven rebounds. Klay Thompson didn't have his usual volume, but still scored 13 points. Adding in the other starters – including Naji Marshall, who filled in for the injured Washington – the Dallas starting five totaled 82 points in a game that was virtually over at the end of the third quarter.

If the Mavericks can maintain this performance around the clock, they will be difficult to beat.

Lack of bank production

It wasn't all good news for Dallas. The bench has struggled all season and tonight was no exception. The Mavericks bench scored just one point in the first half on a free throw from Dinwiddie. They eventually finished the game with 32 points, but the vast majority were scored in stoppage time. While the Mavericks are missing key rotation pieces, the lack of bench scoring has been consistently poor, even when Dallas was healthy. That wasn't a factor in an easy win today, but the performance of the bench is something to keep an eye on going forward.

Forgoing offensive rebounds

Another issue of the season for Dallas has been opposing offensive rebounds, and tonight was no exception. In the first half, Chicago had eight offensive rebounds, which was the only element that worked for the Bulls. Dallas cleaned up a bit in the second half, but Chicago still finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds, significantly more than their season average of 9.9 per game.

Chicago only scored 12 second-chance points off those rebounds, but better teams will take advantage of those opportunities. The return of top stars Lively and Maxi Kleber should help with the recovery.

Evaluate ball losses

The Mavericks are at their best when they limit turnovers on offense and force turnovers on defense. Aside from five turnovers by an unusually sloppy Doncic, Dallas defended the ball well. The defense forced the Bulls into 22 turnovers, which led to 28 points. Compare that to the 13 points Chicago scored off Dallas turnovers, and that's almost the margin of victory.

While the team's problems have persisted throughout the season, they didn't play a role tonight. The struggling Mavericks did a great job securing an easy win against Chicago.

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