Well great doesn’t really seem like the right adjective.

The Dallas Mavericks have rounded the final turn, and find themselves coming down the stretch. Less than 4 weeks left in the season, and the Mavericks have lost their swagger.

The Mavericks are the oldest team in the league, the Boston Celtics are the second oldest. The Celtics have been through a stretch run before, and they ultimately taught the old Mavericks a valuable lesson.

Excuses are pointless; winning games is all that matters.

So despite being as healthy as they have been since the All-Star break, despite being well rested, despite playing at home, despite knowing they need a win to stay in the playoff push, the Mavericks lost.

The battle got physical, it got personal, it got intense, and it got ugly. The Mavericks had the Celtics on the ropes, yet could not close them out. They lacked the knock out punch, and ultimately got knocked out themselves.

When inspiration was evident, the Mavericks looked uninspired. When they needed to make a statement, they left us only with questions.

Did the Mavericks peak too early? The smooth, well-oiled rotation that Carlisle seemed to have set up looked ugly and disoriented.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points, yet missed the shots down the stretch that Mavericks’ fans have come to take for granted. Jason Terry tried to inspire coming off the bench, ultimately growing cold down the stretch finishing with 18 points.

The East conquered the West. Boston handled the Mavericks in Dallas, and the Milwaukee Bucks went into Denver and beat the Nuggets. Meaning the Mavericks missed a chance to gain a game separation.

The Mavericks hopefully can regain their momentum, and regain their swagger. They have the firepower to win, but that doesn’t always mean wins should be taken for granted.

The Mavericks should have won the game. The excuses are pointless though.

So the Mavericks move on and hit the road starting on Monday in Charlotte. Needless to mention, but I will anyway, the Mavericks need to win on Monday

There was a Jason Terry sighting on the court at the AA Center, meaning that the Mavericks are officially at full strength for the stretch run. Granted Terry will need a little time to get accustomed to his new grill, the clear hard plastic mask that Terry wears now to protect his face. Erick Dampier appeared to be running the court cleanly and smoothly, yet I would say he is at 95%.

The point being, outside of a few players getting their legs underneath them, the Mavericks are at full power. With Terry and Dampier back, the Maverick bench is as powerful as it has been for a few years. J.J. Barea is quickly becoming a viable option to spell Jason Kidd, and keeping Kidd’s minutes down will be a must. With Terry, Barea, Dampier, Najera, Rod Boubois, and the defensive stopper himself DeShawn Stevenson all ready, willing, and able to provide a spark off the bench and give the veteran starters a rest, the engine is firing on all cylinders.

The hiccup that was Saturday night when the Mavericks unexpectedly lost to the New York Knicks to end the winning streak behind them, the Mavericks played a complete game against a team desperately trying to hang on in the East playoff chase.

Rick Carlisle decided to sit Jason Kidd the whole 4th period even though the Mavericks did their best to squander a big lead. The Bulls drew within 7 points, but never got closer. J.J. Barea played solidly down the stretch, at one point scoring 10 straight points, and finished with 15 points.

Caron Butler paced the Mavericks with 27 points, getting to the free throw line 16 times. Dirk threw in 26 points, as the Mavericks won game 1 of their new winning streak. How long will this new winning streak last? Well, that’s anyone’s guess.

The Bulls weren’t able to grab the luck of the Irish on St. Patricks Day; the Boston Celtics will try their luck against the Mavericks at the AA Center next.