30 for 30; Mavs Flip Script against Clippers

Ah, that was nice.

After Tuesday’s humiliating 33 point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Mavs had a lot of soul searching to do for two full days before a bout with the Los Angeles Clippers Friday night.

The game was important among all important games. A win would keep Dallas 6th in the West but also close the gap from 5th to just half a game of the Clippers.

A loss would push the team back into 7th behind San Antonio and make it all the more difficult to ascend higher than 6th rather than the frightening possibility of descending down to 8th or 9th.

Safe to say, whatever message wasn’t getting across to the Mavericks after recent blowout losses at Portland, at Golden State and Tuesday night against LeBron James and friends, it came through last night in an absolute route of the title contending L.A. Clippers, 129-99.

Sure, they were shorthanded without Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford, but they still entered the game winners in five of their last seven, including wins over Memphis, Chicago and Oklahoma City.

There’s an old adage in basketball, and it will never cease to being the most important line of reason.

If you can shoot, you can win. If you can’t…well, you get it.

The Mavericks shot a stout 60% last night as well as an efficient 57% from behind the three point line. They had shot 47 percent or worse in all but four games since the start of February, including three games of 37% or worse. That’s just not going to get it done.

For a team built heavily on offensive efficiency, it made the Mavericks one of the league’s biggest threats early in the season.

However, combined natural regression from insane, gaudy numbers as well as injuries, struggles for Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis and the often discussed #acclimation of point guard Rajon Rondo, the Mavericks biggest weapon –offensive efficiency– has cost them many games.

Frankly, we know this team has a long way to go on defense. But it’s March 14th. Baseball is just around the corner.

So if there’s to be any damage done by this group of Dallas Mavs, it’s going to have to get done with offensive efficiency.

But seriously, Hello Win Column.

Next: Game Grades for Big Win Over Clippers

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