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The aftermath...
- I didn't even remember this until someone pointed it out in the comments, but yes, I totally called this. And yes, I did laugh.
- But seriously, in many ways, that was a very impressive win. Getting blown out against Charlotte and Indiana both would have been a horrible way to finish out the pre-All Star Break schedule, but it looked like it was about to happen just a few minutes into the game. But then the Mavericks stayed in the game, stuck with Indiana the whole way, and beat them.
- And most impressively, they beat the Pacers at their own game. I predicted in the Four-Pointer that if the Mavericks could win, they would do it by scoring a lot and taking advantage of a disinterested or unorganized defense. But that didn't happen to the best team in the league -- instead, it was the Mavericks defense that got just enough stops to make it happen. And without Devin Harris!
- To be fair, though, this wasn't the return of the Tyson Chandler-led 2011 defensive team. Indiana played poorly on offense, and they did so for long stretches. The Mavericks get plenty of credit for the physicality, for adjusting to the strange whistles and for making some big plays on that end. But if Indiana had made the plays they usually do, I'm not sure we're quite so ecstatic today.
- But hey, don't discard any win against the best team in the league. It was a great way to end the break, especially considering the Mavericks had just two truly "signature" victories (the Houston comeback and the Portland game winner). Mark this down as the third.
- And look at that -- the Mavericks are now in the sixth spot in the West. Would a Houston-Dallas first round series be ridiculously fun? I think it would.
If you like gifs...
After downing a full bottle of Crown Royal whiskey, Monta Ellis suddenly found the sport of basketball much harder.
Like seriously, I can't stop watching because nothing about this makes sense. Also: Carlisle's reaction is so, "I know this is a joke, tell me this is a joke, OH GOD THAT WASN'T A JOKE."
Something about this very frantic fast break is very enjoyable to me. Let's break it down: (1) Ian Mahinmi misses a dunk, which is hilarious by itself; (2) Wright definitely travels and then almost travels again; (3) Monta almost runs someone over but has a really smooth pirouette; (4) Layup time, and a nice one.
There are few things on the Earth prettier than a Dirk jump shot banked in high off glass.
I've watched this a dozen times and I still can't tell if Vince Carter's cut was planned or not. But Dirk's pick draws so much attention that this turns into an easy bounce pass and dunk.
Despite 0-for-5 shooting last night, Shane Larkin really is looking more comfortable as of late. Here's a nice drive and kick to DeJuan Blair.
Some light reading/watching...
- I just about died when I saw this at the AAC last Friday:
- Our friend Jason Gallagher at Mavs Outsider is a PhotoShop wizard. If you haven't seen his work with Samuel Dalembert photos, please correct your mistake.
- Another reminder that we have an Instagram. I know we haven't posted since last Friday, but things are about to start poppin' at New Orleans and All-Star Weekend, so if you are an IGer, get on this bandwagon before it's full!
- Speaking of Instagram, do you want to see the video Shane Larkin posted of himself dunking? Yes, yes you do.
- Understandably, the folks over at Indy Cornrows are not too pleased with the performance they saw after a season-low 83 points. They debate whether it was the worst showing of the year.
- And lastly, do check out Drew Garrison's breakdown of how good Dirk Nowitzki is. You may actually see this in the cover of our site before too long, but an early read can never hurt.
