So, that collapse in Houston was so bad that it beat the Mavericks twice.
How else to explain Monday night’s absolute no-show against the depleted Pacers? Indiana, without Paul George and George Hill and David West and Roy Hibbert, waltzed into American Airlines Center and hung 111 points on the Mavs’ indifferent defense.
That’s 111 points, from a 5-8 team that came in ranked 28th in the NBA in scoring and whose main offensive weapons are journeymen like Donald Sloan and Chris Copeland and Solomon Hill. Who exactly?
“A horrible loss. Horrific. Awful,” said a disgusted Dirk Nowitzki in the post-game locker room. “I can’t find any more words.”
The Mavs’ offense is one of the best in the NBA. Most nights they can out-score opponents. But on some nights they’ll have to play a smidge of defense. Or else.
The Pacers have played 14 games this season. They’ve now broken 100 points twice.
“There's no way around it, this is an embarrassing loss,” echoed Chandler Parsons. “There is no excuse for this. We have to come out and play harder.”
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Dallas shot 50 percent, which is usually a solid barometer for a home win. But against the Pacers were punked, repeatedly beaten to rebounds and loose balls. The combination of the loss to the Rockets and the oversight of the mediocre Pacers made this upset possible.
It’s a reminder that the Mavs may be good, but they’re not yet good enough to take anyone lightly.
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.
