The Mavericks are clearly a team in transition under coach Rick Carlisle. They are trying to run-and-gun and defend and rebound but rarely are putting it all together.
As they head to San Antonio for their first of four back-to-backs this month, the Mavs are hurting after dropping to 0-2 at home and being whipped for a second time in the fourth quarter. Houston used a 16-2 run to sink the Mavs last week, and Cleveland started the fourth Monday with a 13-0 march against a Mavs second unit consisting of all reserves.
"We just had a funky rhythm all night long," guard Jason Terry said after the Cleveland loss. "The second unit, we just let ourselves down. We let the whole team down, we didn't execute, we gave up bucket after bucket, and you can't do that in this league."
Now the Mavs face the Spurs and Lakers over the next four games, with road games in between at the transitioning Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.
"San Antonio is sitting there waiting for us and they are 0-2 and they are desperate for a win," Carlisle said. "There is not a lot of time for us to mope about this one."
CAVALIERS 100, MAVERICKS 81: A 22-3 run by the Cavaliers sank the Mavericks at the end of the third quarter and into the fourth, turning a tie game with 3:35 left in the third quarter into a laugher. Dirk Nowitzki finished with eight points, his first effort in single digits since Dec. 14, 2007. Josh Howard led the team with 18 points. The damage was done on the boards with the Cavs outrebounding the Mavs, 52-35, including 18 on the offensive glass.
