We know this much as we tip-toe into 2015 with the Mavericks: They own the East.
Rajon Rondo’s shooting is going to prompt countless headaches. Dirk Nowitzki is a living, shooting legend.
All of the above were on display last night in Brooklyn as Rondo missed 12 of his 13 shots but was bailed out by Nowitzki’s clutch 3-pointer that made him the NBA’s 7th all-time scorer and improved the Mavs to 11-0 against Eastern Conference teams. Dallas blew a late nine-point lead but survived in overtime as Chandler Parsons provided breathing room with a 3-pointer to set up the heroics of Dirk, who jumped Moses Malone on the all-time list with 27,412 points. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O’Neal have scored more points than Nowitzki.
“It’s been a crazy ride, and it’s an honor to pass Moses,” Nowitzki told reporters in the post-game locker room. “But I’m more proud of the fact that we came away with this win.”
Despite the Nets playing without Deron Williams and Kevin Garnett, it wasn’t easy. Thanks in part to Rondo, the Mavs trailed by 14 early and had to survive late.
Just four nights after making 12 of 19 shots in a rout of his old team in Boston, the point guard’s jumper was flat, crooked and just horrible. He not only made just one basket, he also clanged two missed free throws at the end of the fourth quarter. Inexplicably, he’s a 33-percent free-throw shooter this year with the Celtics and Mavericks. Of course, considering he contributed 14 assists, 10 rebounds and two steals, his shooting woes are manageable in the short-term.
The Mavs have won a season-high six straight, which is also the longest current streak in the NBA.
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A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
