Here's our three quick observations from the Mavericks' 105-95 loss to Portland Friday night, which dropped their record to 0-5, the longest season-opening losing streak in franchise history.
Nowitzki's health takes precedent: The losing streak is getting bothersome. Everybody's ticked off. But none of that matters if this Achilles problem lingers (or worsens) for Dirk Nowitzki. He was on his way out to the court to warm up for the third quarter, but made a U-turn and went back to the locker room. Nowitzki had five points and seven rebounds in the first half, playing 16 minutes.