Sefko has an article on how much better Dallas has been this year when they are playing defense.
Over the last 21 games, when the Mavericks started playing better, they were 6-5 when the opponent shot 45 percent or better from the field; they were 10-0 when opponents shot below 45 percent.
"In our wins, our defensive numbers are among the best in the league," Carlisle said. "In our losses, they stink. I don't have the first nine games memorized, but they stunk, for the most part.
The idea that you win more when you play defense seems pretty obvious. To me, these numbers don't really seem to indicate that Dallas is fueled by defense, but just highlights how incredibly inconsistent they've been on that end.
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Not sure what's going on, but that's the only Mavs article I can find. So here's the 62nd edition of the 'NBA Carnival' with an unimaginable amount NBA links.