These Mavericks likely won’t win a playoff series, much less a championship. But there’s no doubting their character.
Saturday night was cringe time in Memphis. A lot of critics – though noting the surprising Mavs as one of the best warm-‘n-fuzzy stories of the early NBA season – are waiting for the bubble to burst.
A long losing streak. The realization that they can’t beat the elite in the West. And a sudden dive into the Lottery.
Late in the game against the Grizzlies felt ominous.
Off the heels of a humiliating home loss to the Spurs in which they managed only 26 points in the first half, Dallas wasted a late lead against the playoff-bound Grizzlies. A 10-2 Memphis spurt late and, presto, overtime.
Staring them in the face: A heart-breaking loss, the season’s first four-game losing streak and …
Hold that thought. The Mavs aren’t dead yet.
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In probably their most important five minutes of basketball of the season so far, Dallas displayed grit and acumen. Chandler Parsons aggressive shot – and made – two key 3-pointers, Justin Anderson grabbed a couple of man-sized rebounds and the Mavs got a rare road win in Memphis.
They’ve proven they don’t mind overtime. And they can indeed deal with adversity.
“(The San Antonio game) was a lousy show for our team,” said head coach Rick Carlisle. “You never want to go through something like that. But then, here we are one night later, and we showed a lot of character.”
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
