It was a rough and tumble last week for the Dallas Mavericks. They dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season over the weekend in losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings. Then they escaped with a win against the Los Angeles Lakers after coughing up a large lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Fifteen games into the season the storyline is solidifying: the offense is beyond lethal and the defense is about as bad as last season. This, with Dereck Lively’s rebounding going away after sustaining a back contusion in the third quarter against the Lakers.