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So Far, So Good

Authored by Jeffrey Stotts - January 24, 2006 - 8:01 pm

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The Dallas Mavericks had plenty to be excited after Sunday night’s overtime win against the Portland Trailblazers. Thanks to a certain 81-point performance the “Kobe” monkey leapt from the back of the Mavericks’ and onto that of the Raptors’. However the main reason for the excitement was the 31-10 record the Mavs have amassed that has moved them into a tie with the Spurs for the best record in both the Southwest division and the Western conference.

For weeks the Mavs have lingered a game behind the champs, waiting to make ground. It seemed every time the Spurs would drop a game Dallas would follow suit and stumble too. However that trend came to an end with the streaking Nuggets handing the champs a rare home loss while Dirk and company overcame a Steve Blake barrage to hang on against Portland.

The victory allowed the Mavericks to reach the statistical halfway mark with a franchise best 31 wins. While it was not apparent Sunday the Mavs are playing some of their best team basketball and should take advantage of it and look to put some room between them and the Spurs. While the task is a difficult one, it isn’t impossible considering San Antonio has lost Manu Ginobili for an extended period and have yet to embark on their infamous “rodeo road trip”. If the Mavs are serious about their title aspirations now would be a great time to strike because despite their numerous obstacles the Spurs are notorious for finishing season strong. The best strategy for the Mavericks isn’t a surprising one. They must continue to play well on the road and collect as many wins as possible. Winning ball games is the only thing that will allow the Mavs to put pressure on their instate rivals and is their only shot at winning home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The first half of the season has been an interesting one for the Dallas Mavericks. Doug Christie came and went. Marquis Daniels, Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse, and Keith Van Horn have all missed time to injury. Despite the adversity the Mavs have been able to overcome it all and continue to play well. Nowitzki once again finds himself in the MVP race while the sudden emergence of DeSagana Diop has been nothing short of amazing. The Cleveland outcast has brought energy and a style of play that has allowed him to dethrone Erick Dampier as the team’s starting center. More importantly Coach Avery Johnson has brought some defense to Dallas. With 41 games down and 41 more to go anything is possible for these Mavericks.