Mavericks versus Demons

"A famous man once said, “We create our own demons.”"

– Tony Stark, Iron Man Three

This season the Dallas Mavericks have created plenty of demons. You let a game slip away and sure, you can rebound the in the next one, but that feeling, the “shoulda coulda woulda’s” don’t easily go away, and an L instead of a W cannot be changed. The crazy thing about the plethora ofdisheartening and torturous losses this year has been the concession to the old adage, did your opponent win the game or did you lose it?

Much of the Mavericks frustration this year has been self-made, whether it’s turnovers, bad shot selection, inexperience or just flat out inexcusable stupidity or hell, they’ve managed to combine some of these negatives and make it look far too easy.

The 2013-2014 Dallas Mavericks have created their own demons, and though you cannot go back and do things differently no matter how hard you squint and how backwards you read cryptic text, the best you can do is to confront and overcome your demons before they permanently engulf you in deep pit of inescapable misery.

Mar 25, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) reacts after hitting a three point basket in overtime against the Oklahoma City Thunde at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

After taking care of the darling, still darling and probably forever NBA darling OKC Thunder in the 2011 Western Conference Finals on their way to the chip, the Mavs lost 11 in a row to Kevin Durant and Kevin Durant’s teammates.

If the Mavericks make the playoffs this year, the Thunder is a very likely matchup and that skid just one shy of a dozen losses in a row was a cloud of pessimism and anticipatory defeat if that matchup comes to fruition. That is, until recently.

Dallas defeated Oklahoma City twice in ten days, the most recent outcome happening Tuesday night in front a national audience as Dirk Nowitzki and a huge Jose Calderon three ball propelled the Mavs to the win in overtime.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were a demonic presence to the Dallas Mavericks. One the Mavs created. Sure the Thunder absolutely had better teams the past two seasons (Lamar Odom, Delonte West, Troy Murphy and Mike James, K?!) but including the first round sweep in 2012, the Mavericks have played the Thunder competitively in almost each contest.

Where there is Dirk, there is hope. Where they is help for Dirk, there is hope for more.

The last two wins, a butt-kicking on the road and the thrilling OT win at the AAC, Dallas has extinguished the demons they created just north of Dallas.

However the Mavericks have been busy this season implementing new demons in new places.

Golden State and Los Angeles.

The Warriors will be in town soon, the Sacramento Kings before them and preceding both are Flops Angeles Clippers.

Excuse me, keys are stuck I can’t change it.

The Mavericks have played two heartbreaking games vs. LAC so far this year, losing at home in the Chris-Paul-Got-Hurt-and-ESPN-Made-Blake-Griffin-Lew-Alcindor game. But the stinger, the rise of those darn demons would come two weeks later two days prior later…12 days. We all remember this game, it was the low moment of the season for sure as the Mavs squandered a 17 point lead with 4:23 to go.

J.J. Redick went bonkers and Maverick-killer of the past Matt Barnes made 5 three balls as the Clippers rallied to win 129-127 and I listened to a lot Miley Cyrus after that game…by choice – it was a pretty bad loss. Ok fine, I enjoy some of her music.

I don’t think Iron Man said this one, but maybe a very busy and well managed Exorcist did, “You get rid of one demon at a time.”

The Thunder demon has been silenced, the Clippers demon can take a big hit tonight, and the Warriors demon, well let’s deal with the Clippers demon for now.

Mar 25, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) guard Vince Carter (25) guard Jose Calderon (8) and guard Monta Ellis (11) smiles after a timeout is called in the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Mavericks are currently 9th in the Western Conference, a tiebreaker out of 8th .5 GB of 7th, 1.5 GB of 6th & 2 GB of 5th.

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