After watching last night's loss to the Hornets, and the Mavs putting themselves in a 3-1 series hole, I began to wonder what sort of team we really have. Two years ago, we were on the cusp of raising the Larry O'Brien Trophy and being the kings of the basketball world. Something I remember from that series was Jerry Stackhouse and his no-b.s. attitude.
Where did that mentality go? I noticed during this game that the Mavs started out high-energy, and ended the first quarter up by eight. Then they seemed to become lethargic and let the Hornets come all the way back. Cameras on some of the Mavericks players showed them worried and anxious that they were losing their grip. At that point, why didn't anything happen? There was no real sense of urgency, and it seemed like they were just going through the motions...something NO team down 2-1 should do.
In Game 3, Erick Dampier had a hard foul on CP3. Following that incident, the Mavs played with that mean-guy mentality and ended up with the all-important W. Without that fire in their eyes, they looked lost (see Games 1, 2, & 4). The Hornets looked more into the game in the second half than the Mavs have looked since Game 2 of the Heat series in 2006. The Mavericks need to collectively take a look in the mirror, and find that extra energy, that long-lost mentality, or they'll be looking at the 18th green on vacation before we know it.
Game 5 is a must-win not only to extend the season, but also to avoid the Mavericks entirely losing their identity.
Keywords: Hornets, Mavericks, NBA Playoffs
