Dallas Mavericks center Willie Cauley-Stein just earned himself a WWE-themed belt after his big performance against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
The 27-year old earned the Mavs' first-ever Defensive Player of the Game belt, which he rocked after the team's 124-112 win over the Pacers. Cauley-Stein finished the game with 10 points, five boards, two steals and two blocks to help Dallas earn their seventh win of the season.
.@THEwillieCS15 earns the first Defensive Player of the Game belt 😤🚫#MFFL pic.twitter.com/LUnTc4AKon
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 21, 2021
With a handful of their key players still out due to COVID-19, the healthy Mavs all had to step up against the Pacers. Dallas was only able to field in nine players against Indiana, but the team still managed to end their three-game losing slump thanks to solid performances from all nine of their available players, including Willie Cauley-Stein.
It was Kristaps Porzingis who led the way for the Mavs after he tallied season-high numbers of 27 points and 13 boards, while Luka Doncic put up another triple-double performance with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Dallas, though, wouldn't have come up with a win without the contribution of Trill down the stretch. The Kentucky product had a couple of big dunks in the fourth to help the Texas-based team keep the Pacers at bay.
After being traded to the Mavs in January 2020 and opting out of the NBA Bubble in Orlando, Cauley-Stein is looking to play his first full season in Dallas this 2020-21. So far, he has been able to stay healthy and play in the team's first 14 games–starting seven. Though his numbers aren't off the charts, the seven-foot center has provided consistency in the frontcourt.
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