This is the game Dallas Mavericks must win if they want to prove they are turning things around following a poor start. One good win, like the one against Miami on Friday, is not enough to prove that they belong in the upper tier of the Western Conference. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was even more direct in his post-game interview on Friday:
At 2-3, we’re probably at 12th or 13th place in the west, so we haven’t done sh*t.
Thus far, the Mavericks are either blowing out their opponents (Clippers, Heat) or getting blown out themselves (Lakers, Hornets).