The Dallas Mavericks rode the roller coaster a bit again, building a big lead before letting the Washington Wizards right back in it in the fourth quarter.  Fortunately things came together again and the Mavs held on for a 107-101 victory against a hapless and depleted Wizards team who nevertheless played hard and almost came back to win.

The Wizards stayed close early but the Mavericks built a head of steam and shot ahead by 18 points only to nearly succumb to a late fourth-quarter Wizard run.   With a slim three point advantage and only :21 left, Chris Kaman made a final three-point play to extend the margin and seal the victory.

Kaman resumed his torrid pace and had his best night as a Maverick with 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting to go with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, a block and a steal.  O. J. Mayo led the Mavericks with 25 points and Elton Brand also had his best night in a Dallas uniform with 11 points and 12 rebounds.  It was the same story for Jae Crowder and Troy Murphy, both of whom shot well and along with Kaman, Mayo and Brand, helped to overcome poor shooting nights for Darren Collison and Vince Carter.  After losing three in a row, Rick Carlisle revamped the starting lineup by inserting Kaman and Dahntay Jones, substituting for the injured Shawn Marion.

In a move yet to be explained, Brandan Wright not only didn’t start, he didn’t enter the game at all.    Wright has been playing well with a very high field goal percentage and blocking shots but his rebounding numbers remain weak.

The Wizards were led by Jordan Crawford with 21 points and 7 assists.  With the Detroit Pistons posting their first victory, the Wizards remain the only winless franchise in the NBA this season and with no timetable for the return of John Wall or Nene, things aren’t looking good.

Detailed game analysis coming up on The Smoking Cuban.

An oasis off of I-94, Racine, Wisconsin offers charm and history that few take time to visit or experience.

NBA players during All-Star weekend had a hard time pin pointing the time and place that they fell in love with the game of basketball. Most of them insisted that it was there when they were born. Brandon Jennings, rookie from the Milwaukee Bucks, talked about the feeling he felt when he was a young kid when he stepped on the basketball court.

Racine, Wisconsin is where Caron Butler solved the riddle to his questionable upbringing. Arrested over 15 times before he was 15 years old, Butler was in a detention center in Wisconsin when he told himself enough is enough.

“I wrote my mom letter after letter while I was in prison promising to change my life, and that she deserved a better son. I used basketball to achieve my promise to her.”

In solitary confinement for disciplinary reasons Caron saw his future written all over the walls of his cell. “They were blank. I didn’t see anything but a life staring at a blank wall in solitary confinement.”

Caron Butler has traveled the nation. Stops in Connecticut, Miami, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and now Dallas.

“Those easily could have been prison stays.”

Released from jail Butler’s focus turned to basketball. Catching the attention of Jim Calhoun, Butler played two seasons for Calhoun at the University of Connecticut. “I wanted to stay, I honestly did, but I saw a chance to provide for mom.”

Eight years after being released from prison, Butler was drafted 10th by the Miami Heat in the 2002 NBA Draft. “It was an amazing feeling being drafted. I have never forgotten that feeling I had while being locked up.”

Caron Butler was traded from the Heat to the Lakers, from the Lakers to the Wizards, and most recently from the Wizards to the Dallas Mavericks.

Dallas gets a player that plays with a chip on his shoulder. There isn’t anything on the court that seems too tough for Butler to overcome. A hard-nosed defender, Butler creates havoc for teams due to his ability to play shooting guard or small forward. A tenacious rebounder, Butler gives the Mavericks another scoring option they so desperately craved.

Butler’s tough, tattooed exterior can’t cover up his big heart. The Dallas community gets a player dedicated to giving back, and provides a role model for kids with troubled pasts. “I simply offer my support and experience. You cannot force anyone to do something they don’t want to do.”

His off court awards and projects are far too many to list. He has traveled to South Africa on behalf of the NBA. He has hosted charity basketball games, sponsored high school tournaments, hosted back-to-school drives for less fortunate kids, and held free basketball clinics.

He has been given awards on the local and national level.

He started “Caron’s Coats for Kids” program which hands out coats, hats, and gloves to kids in Racine and Washington D.C. “Caron’s Bike Brigade” has partnered with Wal-Mart and The Salvation Army to give out over 2,500 bikes and helmets. He sponsors “Cops n Kids Legacy Program” in Racine for the betterment of the Racine community.

June 8, 2007 and July 20, 2009 were proclaimed “Caron Butler Day” in Racine and Connecticut respectively.

A true “momma’s boy” Butler never loses focus on and off the court. He still lists his mother, Mattie Paden, as the person he admires most.

After his playing days are over Caron says he would love to open and run a group home.

His future is far from blank.