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When you're a team like the Mavericks, winning the second night of a back to back is good enough. It doesn't matter how gross it is. Just get the win and get out of there.
That's what happened tonight. I can't remember the last time I was that disinterested in a Mavs game. Dallas is fighting for their playoff lives, so I should be glued to the TV (or computer screen) no matter what. But that's how bad this game was to watch. Missed shots, lazy offense, no box outs, sloppy passing.
It was just a mess for most of the time. Dallas maintained a 10-12 points lead for most of the game after building that lead up in the first half thanks to Devin Harris and Brandan Wright coming in and changing the temp of the game. Harris worked the two-man game with Wright beautifully, getting Wright some easy baskets and finishing a few plays himself as well.
Then that third quarter happened. The Mavs were stuck on 64 points longer than I was stuck in world 8 of Super Mario Bros. 3. It was just brutal and the Celtics clawed back into it with rebounding and some form of Jerryd Bayless.
The board were the biggest problem. Boston outrebounded Dallas 57-36 including 21 offensive rebounds. 21! The Celtics almost had 20 more shot attempts, mainly because of that.
It got even closer in the fourth, all the way down to a three-point game. But then Monta hit a three, Dirk hit a three and Bayless finally started to miss some and the Mavericks got a win.
Dirk was especially cold, just 6-of-17. But he had that huge three in the fourth that gave Dallas much needed breathing room. Wright went 5-for-5 from the floor but only grabbed three rebounds in 17 minutes. Ellis had some nice moments getting into the paint, but had five turnovers.
Seemingly everyone on the Mavericks off-set what little good they did with lots of bad. But that's the cool thing about playing a game like this -- even when you're at your worst you can still win because you just simply have better basketball players than the other team. That's sort of what happened tonight.
And that's OK! It's the second night of a back to back and the Mavs just CRUSHED THE THUNDER IN OKC ON SUNDAY NIGHT. It doesn't matter if it looks better if the Mavs would have squeaked by the Thunder and then crushed the Celtics. In this Western Conference, two wins are two wins. Let's take it and be happy.
Thoughts? I got to enjoy my "Blair subs in, does nothing, Wright subs in, does everything" routine again. Honestly becoming my favorite part of Mavs games.