Max Christie waited in the corner with 3:52 left to play.
He’s been solid all season, and the guard was no different in the moment. He made a wide-open triple, pushing the Dallas Mavericks within six points and fueling a 25-4 run against the Oklahoma City Thunder at American Airlines Center on Monday night.
And although they fell 101-94 to the defending champions after a late comeback fizzled, Christie has been a highlight of a difficult start to the season.
“All the coaches empower me to shoot when I’m open for sure and not pass up any threes,” he said after the game. “I’m very confident in myself always to be able to shoot the ball and feel like I’m confident in the work that I put in.”
Mavericks
Christie had 14 points, going 50% from the field and 4-of-8 from three in 31 minutes during his first start of the season. He spaced the floor when nothing else seemed to work. The Mavericks were down by as much as 22 after the third quarter.
The guard also held Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, last year’s regular season MVP, to eight points in the first half and two points in the fourth quarter with the help of P.J. Washington. The Thunder scored only 14 points in the last 12 minutes.
“That’s what got us back in the game,” Christie said. “We were holding them to one shot for the most part. They were taking some tough shots. We were able to rebound and run for us to knock down some threes.”
Consistent performances like Monday’s have allowed Jason Kidd to give him the “green light,” Christie said, which helps him play with more ease even after missing his first three attempts from beyond the arc. Christie helped the Mavericks score six more triples than the Thunder.
“We need to shoot more threes, and I want to be the spark for that,” Christie said. “So, for me, just not passing up any open ones, knowing that if I do that it hurts the team.”
Through four games, Christie is averaging 12.3 points, shooting 55.2% from the field 56.5% from three.
Before Monday, Christie had his best performance of the season in the Mavericks’ only win against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night, recording 17 points, two rebounds and two assists.
“He’s playing great,” Kidd said. “He’s shooting the three well. He’s competing on the defensive end, and I thought he had some great looks early and knocked some down for us late. He been playing well for us all season.”
His surge is coming at a time when the Mavericks need him most after facing a slew of injuries. They are without Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II, who are dealing with a right ankle sprain and right knee contusion, respectively.
This is in addition to Kyrie Irving and Dante Exum, who are out indefinitely.
And with so many absences, Christie knows the kind of player he has to be. He knows what to expect and what to do.
“Whether it’s shoot threes, whether it’s guard the best player, bring energy every night, that’s kind of what it is for me,” Christie said. “It’s more of a selfless approach, knowing that my role can change on a daily basis.”
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