The Dallas Mavericks went into last nights game against Sacramento reeling from a tough loss Sunday night to Dwyane Wade, and the Miami Heat. We all expected them to come out and throw everything AND the kitchen sink at the young and surprising Kings last night, but instead watched our squad fall to an early 24-4 deficit. Sacramento was hitting everything they threw up there, while the Mavericks were having a rough time on both ends of the court. What happened next…? Who’s Thirsty?!?!

 

 

CAN #1 – Dirk Makes History

 

 

 

26,953 career points for the Tall Baller from the G! Good for 9th on the NBA All-Time scoring list and best of any foreign born player.

It’s truly remarkable all the accomplishments Dirk Nowitzki has accumulated throughout his career, but all his hard work and dedication deserve such accolades. The legend will only continue as Dirk may be getting older, but wiser and utilizing his wisdom to constantly find areas to improve.

Nowitzki’s efficiency this year has been off the charts, shooting nearly 53 percent from the field and 47 percent from three. He owns a 26.85 player efficiency rating on ESPN.com.

Dirk is 361 points away from 8th (Elvin Hayes) and 457 from 7th (Moses Malone).

 

 

CAN #2 – Defensive Attitude and Hustle Aid Comeback

The Mavericks dwindled the Kings lead from 20 to 9 heading into the 2nd Half, and the Mavericks could certainly feel the momentum start to shift. Once the 2nd Half got underway, the Mavericks whole attitude saw a tremendous shift. The hustle on both ends of the floor, combined with a much larger focus on defense allowed the Mavericks to get stops and start attacking on the offensive end. The Mavericks outscored the Kings 30-15 in the 3rd quarter, and carried that momentum all the way to the big time finish.

 

 

CAN #3 – The Return of Chandler Parsons

It has been a rough go as of late for the second half of Chandler & Chandler, and although he shot just 7-for-19 last night, he really helped spark the Mavericks comeback in the 2nd Half, scoring 11 of his 19 points, with eight of them coming in a matter of 67 seconds. I’m not concerned about Chandler, as he is still getting his feet wet. He will continue to find his niche in this offense, and his confidence should only grow from here. When his jumper is falling, his ability to get to the basket becomes that much harder to defend. He will prove to be a real match-up nightmare all season long.

 

 

CAN #4 – Harris, Wright Lead Mavericks Bench Assault

The best teams usually have a top group of reserves who come off their bench and make a difference nightly as a collection. Dallas’ bench this season through eight games ranks in the Top 5 of assists, steals, blocks and overall efficiency differential.

Thanks in large part to Devin Harris (10.4P 4.6A 1.5S 19.75PER) and Brandan Wright (8.8P 3.6R 1.6B 27.24PER) who have both been sensational this season.

 

 

CAN #5 – Drive, Drive, Drive! – The Monta Ellis Mantra

 

Monta Have It All! That is all I’m going to say. The guy has an uncanny ability for getting to the rack no matter how far from the basket he seems to be. The Mavericks outscored the Kings 38-34 in the paint, and a large part of that had to do with Monta, scoring 8 of them in the 2nd half on his own. When the Mavericks offense gets rolling, it opens up the entire floor, allowing him to be able to attack the rim at will, which was clearly evident last night.

 

 

CAN #6 – Mavericks Dominance Over Kings In Recent Memory

It’s not often one NBA team exemplifies such dominance over another. Dirk was only 24 while I still was getting up for high school. That’s how far back you need to go to for a Sacramento Kings regular season victory in Dallas.

Nowitzki, not surprisingly, is the only remaining player on either team from that night on February 27, 2003. We’re on the right side of this so may the streak continue to grow!!