D’Angelo Russell scored 31 points off the bench, but the Dallas Mavericks fell 122-110 to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night in Mexico City.
Russell described the adjustment period early in the game as a factor in the fourth-quarter collapse. “We were getting adjusted, getting acquainted, obviously the altitude, things like that…third quarter probably could have been a little better. That carried over to the fourth quarter,” he said.
On his offensive performance, Russell emphasized the balance between scoring and playmaking. “Scoring the ball allows me to pass the ball. Simple mentality. They started to fall, opened up the game a little bit,” he said.
Defensively, Russell believed the Mavericks executed their plan despite struggles on the boards. “I thought we did a big solid job. They dominated us a little bit on the glass, but other than that, we forced the guys we wanted to shoot the ball to shoot the ball,” he added.
Russell also reflected on his role as a leader with Dallas. “I think just bringing that addition helps everybody get going. If that’s scoring, if that’s passing, just trying to impact winning,” he said, highlighting his efforts to guide teammates in Anthony Davis’ absence.
Regarding the learning experience from the loss, Russell kept perspective on the team’s professional growth. “We’re all pros in the NBA. Anybody’s game, anybody’s night. If shots are falling, it could be your night and it was just my night,” he said.
Detroit pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Dallas 35-17 behind Jalen Duren’s career-high 33 points and 10 rebounds. Cade Cunningham added 21 points and 18 assists for the Pistons, who improved to 4-2 on the season.
The Mavericks, now 2-4, were hindered by the absence of Davis and limited minutes for Daniel Gafford. Rookie Cooper Flagg scored a season-high 16 points on 3-of-14 shooting.
Dallas will face the Houston Rockets on Monday as they look to bounce back from their Mexico City loss.
