NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers - 01/19/2011
It seemed just a short time ago that the Mavericks were 24-5 and in an all-out sprint with the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the NBA.
Now they're stuck in neutral and on the verge of becoming the first Mavericks team to lose seven consecutive games since Mark Cuban bought the franchise Jan. 4, 2000.
Not exactly a good time for the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers to make their first appearance at American Airlines Center.
The Mavericks have lost nine of their last 11 games and can't seem to get going.
"For some reason, now it seems like it's just got us snowballing and now we can't stop it," Dirk Nowitzki said. "We've got to all be on the same page and give a little bit more effort.
"We're giving up layups, we're giving up dunks - even after made baskets - and that's not acceptable. Everybody's got to do a little more, got to play a little harder. I feel confident we'll stop this streak at some point."
The only teams with worse records than the Mavs over the last 11 games are Cleveland (0-11) and New Jersey (1-10).
"Today we've got to face the music, because it's been a disappointing stretch," coach Rick Carlisle said. "The effort has really been beneath what we stood for all year, so now we've got to circle the wagons.
"Hard work breathes toughness. Again, I'm not going to make any excuses. Things happened the way they happened, and there are reasons."
The Mavs are 2-9 since Nowitzki sprained his right knee Dec. 27 at Oklahoma City and 2-6 since losing Caron Butler during a Jan. 1 game at Milwaukee.
The Lakers won't be throwing them a pity party when they visit AAC tonight.
The Lakers have won eight of their last nine games and own the league's third-best record at 31-12. And they appear to be hitting their stride after a bumpy road in late December when they dropped three straight games - two at home to Milwaukee (98-79) and Miami (96-80) and one on the road against San Antonio (97-82).
"They have the best player in the league (in Kobe Bryant), but they also surround him with nice talent," Nowitzki said. "They're long, they're athletic, they've got shooters from the outside, so they've pretty much got all the bases covered that you need for a good basketball team.
"They've got a great coach (Phil Jackson), they're very good. They're long and they're tough to beat, but usually they bring the best out of us, so maybe we can have a good game for the fans."
Mavs center Tyson Chandler grew up in the shadows of Los Angeles in Compton and watched the Lakers remain one of the top dynasties in sports.
"I think it's all about Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant having the passion that they have to win," Chandler said. "Having a guy like Phil be able to put together all the pieces, I think that's where it starts.
"And then over the years, they've been able to get pieces in place - the right pieces - to keep the longevity going."
It's a blueprint the Mavs want to duplicate, but first they must remember how to win.
"Losing streaks are never fun," Nowitzki said. "At some point you've got to stop the bleeding, we've got to come together and leave it all out on the court and go down swinging.
"We've got to start playing a little harder. We've just got to make things happen. Hopefully our home crowd will get us going (Wednesday night)."
