Game 34, Dallas Mavericks host Los Angeles Clippers

Theme: The shitty Satisfaction song
Game Info: Hurt me, oh please kill me, so I don't have to hear, Satisfaction

I really can't turn my back on you guys for a minute.

In The Wash: There's two ways you can look at this game. One is of course we're going to have a rough time of it when Jet only scores in single digits. Bad hair day, so to speak. The other is that the starters decided to use defense as a time to slack off and catch their breaths.

I'm tending towards the latter. Mostly because of a possession in the fourth -- I think the guys were expecting a whistle -- the Clips brought it up totally uncontested and laid it in, part of a second and third which saw them come from fifteen behind to five or six ahead. The extreme example of what went on for most of the game; the Clips pulling together like pros (and half their roster is out with injuries!) and the Mavs only waking up for the last three minutes or so.

Letting up on defense because one is winded is a Big Basketball No-No. One asks the coach to put in a sub so's one can come out for a rest.

Which suggests to me two thing, both terrifying. One, the starters (and yes, Dirk is Prime Cause Number One here) have developed some very bad habits, and two, our Bench Guys Other Than Jason Terry are not up to the challenge of making sure the starters can get the rest they need. Dirk was under the assumption that his minutes would drop somewhat this season (thirty per was the figure quoted). Hasn't been happening. Not going to happen.

Oh well. Thank God, that's the last game we've got with the Clips and they can continue their business of wrecking on the nearest reef. Thursday the Knicks are in town, and then the guys hit the road to Phoenix, Sacramento, and Denver. After Denver they fly straight home and take on the Hornets for the first time this season, have a couple days off, then the Jazz come to town. We've also got our first meet-and-greets with the Celtics, the Pistons, and the Heat in January (all Away games too). I think by the beginning of February we'll have a clear idea of what we are. Early indications are not promising.

As a nice birthday present to me, could you guys see fit to beat the everloving snot out of the Warriors? (makes big seal eyes)

Final: 107-102, Mavericks
-BJ