Dallas

Mavs Aren't Yet Great, But They're Long Ago Gritty

These Mavericks likely won’t win a playoff series, much less a championship. But there’s no doubting their character.

Saturday night was cringe time in Memphis. A lot of critics – though noting the surprising Mavs as one of the best warm-‘n-fuzzy stories of the early NBA season – are waiting for the bubble to burst.

A long losing streak. The realization that they can’t beat the elite in the West. And a sudden dive into the Lottery.

Late in the game against the Grizzlies felt ominous.

Off the heels of a humiliating home loss to the Spurs in which they managed only 26 points in the first half, Dallas wasted a late lead against the playoff-bound Grizzlies. A 10-2 Memphis spurt late and, presto, overtime.

Staring them in the face: A heart-breaking loss, the season’s first four-game losing streak and …

Hold that thought. The Mavs aren’t dead yet.

In probably their most important five minutes of basketball of the season so far, Dallas displayed grit and acumen. Chandler Parsons aggressive shot – and made – two key 3-pointers, Justin Anderson grabbed a couple of man-sized rebounds and the Mavs got a rare road win in Memphis.

They’ve proven they don’t mind overtime. And they can indeed deal with adversity.

“(The San Antonio game) was a lousy show for our team,” said head coach Rick Carlisle. “You never want to go through something like that. But then, here we are one night later, and we showed a lot of character.”

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 lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.

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