Dallas Mavericks: Game 14 Reaction

Beat the teams you're supposed to beat. That would be the Milwaukee Bucks (without Andrew Bogut) and the Sacramento Kings (holding them to 60 points...60).

But then put up a 73-70 stinker against the Lakers, in which LA was held to (or only managed, take your pick) seven points in the third quarter. Seven. In a quarter. A Lakers team that included an active Kobe. And then still lose. Darn near unforgivable.

Except for the fact that we're seeing some of the worst professional basketball ever. Scoring is down league-wide. I thought that it would have been over by now, but we're still seeing the ramifications of the lockout. The season may have started on Christmas Day, but we're witnessing an awful lot of games that would give the preseason a challenge for the label of "sloppy." And that's how we end up with a 73-70 game that featured 5-36 on three-pointers. The only one the Lakers made all night was Derek Fisher's game-winner with 3.1 seconds left in regulation. But, if you only make one, that's the one to make, right?

In my opinion, the bright spot for the Mavs: Ian Mahinmi. He is really coming along. Twenty-four minutes and a respectable 9 points and 10 rebounds.

Going the other way, I've previously shared my dislike for LA fans, especially those that root-on the Lakers. Their scale ranges from lazy and apathetic scenesters to parolees. I can't stand them and neither should any decent human being, speaking directly to you. But they did show some sports-common sense when Lamar Odom took the court, offering him a standing-o that seemed to go on for a good thirty seconds. Then there was an Odom highlight reel that played on the Staples' Center TV. They really seemed to like that guy when he played for the home team.

Really wish that guy would locate his game and get things together. Twenty-four minutes, 10 points and 4 rebounds is not a bright spot for him. I know he can do better, once he gets out of his "new kid, new school, miss my old school" funk.