P.J. Washington’s 3-for-13 shooting was a problem for Dallas on Friday, even if it was not the whole problem. The Mavericks lost 135-111 to Atlanta at American Airlines Center, and Washington contributed six rebounds, one assist and eight points in 27 minutes.
For a team that expects Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving to carry substantial creative responsibility, that is too little scoring from a frontcourt player who took 13 shots.
The more useful reading is also the fairer one. Washington did not turn the ball over, and five of his six rebounds came on the defensive end. Those are legitimate contributions.
A supporting player can have value without forcing offense into every possession. But Dallas needs more nights in which Washington’s clean, sturdy work comes with enough made shots to influence how an opponent guards the lineup.
Friday offered a particularly clear example of why the margin matters. Atlanta held a 39-34 edge after the first quarter, then turned a competitive game into a long evening in the second. Irving’s pull-up at 9:46 cut the Hawks’ lead to 49-40. Atlanta then scored 14 of the next 15 points, reaching 63-41 on Jalen Johnson’s dunk at 5:01.
Washington missed a 23-foot three at 8:45 of that quarter and another 25-footer at 6:09. Those misses cannot be assigned as the cause of the run; Atlanta also created its own offense, and Dallas had other empty possessions. They do show the basic arithmetic, though.
Dallas went 8-for-24 in the second quarter and made just 1 of 10 threes. Atlanta finished with 21 made threes to Dallas’ 13, producing a 24-point difference from beyond the arc—the same size as the final margin.
That is where Washington’s role becomes actionable. He does not need to imitate Flagg or Irving, and Dallas does not need him to become a primary creator. He does need to make the ordinary perimeter chances that come with playing beside high-level initiators often enough to preserve the value of the lineup.
If a possession ends with a clean swing and a three, the defense has to account for it. If the shot misses, the next possession begins with one fewer answer having been supplied.
There were encouraging pieces elsewhere. Flagg scored 26 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and handed out four assists, while Irving made 5 of 7 threes on his way to 18 points. Zaccharie Risacher scored 14 points after halftime on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting line, finishing the game with 18.
