Sleepwalking Through A Home Streak!

Sometimes the worst thing that can happen to a team is going off on the road, away from the bed your familiar with, the meals you enjoy daily at home, and you have a modicum of success in someone elses house.

Add to that a little added flavor of a non-call here and there like in Minnesota in the case of the Dallas Mavericks. 

Three straight road wins in Chicago, Minnesota (where Shawn Marion exploded for 32 points) and a thrilling 100-98 win, and Washington DC to start off the New Year for a perfect three game win streak. Improving to 19-13 and a three game home stand to look forward to beginning with the Clippers and the lowly Knicks immediately thereafter.

A recipe to run the table for a few games and start to think about the climb to #7 from #8 in the seedings.

Alas one gets a little comfortable and all of a sudden you lose your edge, your identity, your direction, your objective. It happens!

Don't look now but all of a sudden the once 11-2 at home Dallas Mavericks are having issues trying to get a win at home before disappointed fans. 

Friday night a 13 point lead was lost in a 119-112 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers. Big nights for Deandre Jordan and Blake Griffin. Chris Paul was lost to a shoulder separation early in the 3rd period. Still the Clippers were able to pull away after a wild first half where the Mavericks were sitting pretty with a 70-67 lead.

That lead would not last. Friday nights game ended with Los Angeles on a 16-2 run in the win. Seeing ex-Maverick Darren Collison get 22 points off the bench was also a bit maddening.

Friday nights defeat marked the 6th time a double digit lead was lost by Team Carlisle which of course left the Coach at a loss with what to say or do. Perhaps it's possible the team has hit the proverbial mid season wall that tends to happen in an 82 game NBA season. Or maybe there's a lack of focus within the team.

The 10-22 New York Knicks were in town Sunday and were anything but a 10-22 team. Carmelo Anthony would pour in 15 of his 19 points in the first quarter as the Mavericks kept getting picked and rolled. Held to only 35 first half points while trailing by as many as 19 there were a few occasions where Dallas closed the gap but could get no closer as New York rolled to a 92-80 victory over the suddenly hapless at home Mavericks (19-15).

Dirk Nowitzki was quick to make an observation about how (if the team plays poorly they don't deserve) to be a playof team based on the latest style of play. It didn't help that for a second time Samuel Dalembert was late for a morning shootaround. For that he did not play against the Knicks. A game where his presence might have made a difference.

On the plus side we congratulate Vince Carter for becoming the 82nd player in NBA history to collect 17,000 points in a career. Dirk Nowitzki is now one offensive rebound away from being the all time leader in Mavericks history. It will mark 15 out of a possible 22 categories that Dirk Nowitzki will own for quite some time. 

The Dirkinator is also one steal away from having 1,000 in his career while Vince Carter became the 62nd player in the NBA to play in 1,100 games. 

With accomplishments like these suffice to say that maybe its time the vets like Dirk, Shawn, and Vince do their best to lead the way in a mentoring manner to right the current ills that have befallen the 19-15 Mavericks. Ball handling, defending, keeping a lead, unselfish play, and dare I say a tendency once in a while by Monta Ellis to not do so much by himself . That leads to Steve Nash flashbacks from a decade ago.

This week the Lakers visit Tuesday before Dallas makes a return trip to San Antonio before a back to back with the New Orleans Pelicans. In essence 4 games in 5 days. Barelty holding onto the #8 seed lets see a little more effort and focus by the whole team beginning with being on time for practice!

Go Mavs!

Over and out in Big D.

Mr. Will