After the Knicks game on Sunday, I declared on Twitter to just eject that game from the memory banks. Dallas played a sloppy second half, got no bench production and still needed a remarkable amount of ridiculous shots from Steve Novak and Jeremy Lin to beat them. All the good work Dallas did last week wasn't lost on that Sunday. And tonight proved it.

It wasn't always sharp, but Dallas did what any good team would have done tonight: pummel a team in free-fall with injuries and no depth. The final score of 89-73 wasn't really indicative of how close the game was. The Mavericks didn't exactly hammer the Celtics early, but aside from a few moments in the first quarter, Boston never really had a chance.

Dirk Nowitkzi was great, Jason Terry returned some much needed stability to the bench, the defense feasted on a depleted Boston team and Dominique Jones looks like a player (a good one, wise ass). It wasn't perfect, but on the second night of a back-to-back, a win like this is just fine. Onto the bullets.

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The atmosphere in MSG is always a little bit weird. When the game is going, they're pretty quiet. But as soon as something exciting happens, like, say, a score, they go bananas. It's very bipolar. And also they really seem to be buying into this whole Jeremy Lin thing, which was only slightly annoying.

What was more than slightly annoying is the fact that J.R. Smith, a very new Knick, was having his way on offense. As was Lin. The Mavericks were getting violently out-rebounded and worked over by former Mav Tyson Chandler. It wasn't a pretty first quarter, and Dallas gave up 32 points.

Quarter number two saw a nice offensive resurgence by the Mavericks. They were able to put together a 14-2 run to tie the game up briefly. It stayed close, and the Mavericks found ways to stifle the offence (read: Lin). They also got a little more physical, giving the Knicks some hard fouls to think about. They went into the locker room only down 48-45, which wasn't too horrible, all things considered.

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Dallas started off their game by missing a few chippies here and there, but they were strong on the boards and able to give themselves a few second chances. It took them a minute to get warmed up, but once they did the offense found a nice flow. Dirk Nowitzki, however, didn’t quite look like he had enough power behind his shots, missing quite a few off the front of the rim. The Sixers, not to be outdone, had a little run at the end of the quarter to take the lead, and the first period ended with the Mavs down 27-21.

To start the second quarter, the Mavericks simply could not buy a basket. The Sixers, however, were purchasing baskets with reckless abandon. They opened up a huge lead, and the Mavericks could find no way to stop them. Dirk’s shot was STILL off, and the only one providing any spark was Brandan Wright. Lamar Odom contributed his first score of the night on a nice three, but other than that and a cool spin move from Vince Carter, there wasn’t much to watch. The half ended with Dallas down 51-37.

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Phew.

When Caron Butler set his feet for a wide-open, spot-up three-pointer with a few second left, it seemed the Mavericks were done. They would have coughed up a six point lead with two minutes left and a five point lead with under 30 seconds left.

The shot clanged off the iron and Dallas picked up its fourth win in a row over a quality Western Conference team, 96-92. It was another mucky game and another second-half shooting swoon but the Mavericks defense stayed level, keeping the team in it until Dallas could get the necessary daggers.

The differences in offense between the first and second halves continue to be remarkably confusing. At first it seemed it was just the Mavericks having an inability to adjust to an opponents' changes on defense. But tonight, Dallas generated decent looks in the second half and just weren't able to knock them down. The rebounding was a problem early, but down the stretch, the Mavericks closed out possessions well, which was crucial especially when the offense wasn't getting much.

Like I said, it wasn't pretty. But Dallas managed to limit turnovers (except for that, uh, pretty big one) and attacked the basket and made an effort to get to the line. Against a top Western team in the Clippers (how weird is it to say that, still?) you'll take it. This team is leaps and bounds from the team that slopped through that Cleveland game and still has plenty of room for improvement. Dallas is 18-11 and it still feels like the best is yet to come. Bullets after the jump.

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For anyone who thinks the lockout is over, it's not. Just like that crazy cousin who you aren't even sure how you're related to but ends up coming to every family reunion and drinking all your beer, you can't get away from it. The lockout is going to haunt the rest of this season.

That's why a championship team like the Mavericks can hold an eighteen-point lead in the second quarter and a fourteen-point lead in the third and still end up going to double overtime. That's why neither team could reach triple digits even though they had ten extra minutes to do so.

But the lockout didn't prevent Dallas from beating Portland this Saturday night, 97-94, despite the extra periods. Dirk Nowitzki struggled, but still put up twenty points, including a game-clinching fadeaway jumper from the foul line with 0:16 left in the second overtime frame. For the Blazers, LaMarcus Aldridge did what he does, scoring 33 with 12 rebounds, all on 50%+ shooting.

It was clear what Rick Carlisle had been preaching pre-game. The Mavericks started off with Vince posting on the block and got an easy two, then got another two from Dirk from a similar spot. They got Dirk cutting to the basket, they got Marion cutting to the basket, and they even got a layup from Brenden Haywood crashing down the lane. The Mavericks attempted only two twenty foot shots in the entire quarter, one three and one long two. Both were wide open.

But after that first buzzer sounded, the Mavericks drifted way, WAY off course. The Trail Blazer offense played about as poorly in the second quarter, but the Mavericks started turning the ball over while taking longer and longer shots. Eight turnovers and four missed threes in the second quarter, ten more turnovers in the second half, and all of a sudden, a game that seemed to be under control was tied.

Fortunately, the Mavericks were able to match the Blazers in the first overtime period, and five minutes after that were watching Jamal Crawford's desperation three pointer clang off the rim to close their three point victory.

Jump for bullets.

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The first quarter was an absolute SHOOTOUT. Indiana made their first 8 shots, but then hit a pretty substantial dry spell. Dirk Nowitzki, who had been worrying us all, found himself a bit of a groove, going five for five from the field with some pretty looking jumpers. The second quarter saw Vince Carter making circus shots, battling inside and taking charges. Dirk made a three, so that happened. And the Mavericks still couldn't quite defend the arc. There were a few awkward back-and-forth sequences where both offenses looked totally out of control, but the Mavericks went into the locker room at the half up by one.

The third quarter started without the Mavericks. They couldn't score in the first two minutes and it took, of all things, a pair of made free throws from Brendan Haywood to break the scoring draught. The Pacers found a way to open up a double-digit lead, and Haywood and Dahntay Jones found a way to get double technicals after a shoving match. The final period saw a lot more bad stuff, like three-pointers for everyone not wearing a Mavericks uniform. There was one circus shot and-one made by Dirk, but that was just about the only highlight of the second half. It was another case of Jekyll and Hyde teams, with a completely lackluster performance to close the game.

Some bullets after the jump.

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This was another classic battle between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Prior to the game the Mavs learned that next to Jason Kidd another two key pieces of their rotation, Brendan Haywood and Lamar Odom would be out tonight. The Thunder countered with Thabo Sefolosha, still uneven.

The Mavs rediscovered offense disappeared again in the second half and so their best defensive performance since six games went unrewarded. The Mavericks drop to 14-9 while the Thunder remain the NBA's best team at 17-4.

On the bright side this game proved that the Mavs are able to hold their ground against this talented bunch of youngsters even on a night when the officiating was questionable at some points. Coach Carlisle pulled his classic "I-run-halfway-down-the-court-arguing" in the fourth quarter and because the refs didn't reward it with an instant ejection, he had to prove his soccer skills only two possessions later and the refs finally granted his wish. He kicked the basketball into the stands in disbelief and made sure the fan he hit was alright before leaving the court with a standing ovation.

The Mavs tried to come back from a 10 point deficit but couldn't come closer than two points before the Thunder pulled away in the last minute of regulation.

Onto the bullets:

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Dallas mediocre offense didn't add up. The early struggles were somewhat predictable, with so many new parts and no full training camp, but eventually, those struggles just had to end. The Mavericks were too talented to be this stagnent. Tonight doesn't mean those struggles are over, but it is a pretty filthy tease at what the team is capable of.

The 124-99 win tonight over the Suns displayed everything that is best about the Mavericks attack – expert ball movement, tremendous cuts, great finishes and precision shooting. I like this kind of basketball, it's neat.

Onto the bullets:

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