Terrible start to the third for Mavs

On their first six possessions of the third quarter, the Mavericks fired up three 3-pointers, two 20-foot jumpers and had a turnover.

Their two-point lead turned into a 55-49 deficit as the Cavaliers scored eight in a row.

Then LeBron James hit two 20-footers when Jason Kidd dared him to shoot them. That's not a bad defensive strategy. LeBron shooting jumpers is way preferable to LeBron driving and dunking.

Still, the Mavericks look like a different team, settling for jumpers instead of working for shots. It's a far cry from the first half, when they won points in the paint 22-18.

--Eddie Sefko