Mavs went through the same thing last year

DALLAS -- What the Dallas Mavericks are experiencing at this juncture of the season is something similar to what they experienced last season.

From Dec. 28, 2010-Jan. 17, 2011, the Mavs lost nine of 11 games, and the natives became restless. That losing skid coincided with the Mavs losing Caron Butler on Jan. 1 with a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament, and with losing Dirk Nowitzki for an extended period with a sprained right knee.

Going into Tuesday's home game against the Washington Wizards, the Mavs have lost eight of their last 10 games. The losing trend coincides with key injuries to Delonte West (ring finger), Brendan Haywood (ankle) and Brandan Wright (concussion).

Coach Rick Carlisle wasn't in the mood Monday to compare how last year's losing skid compares to this year's losing skid.

"I’m looking at the game tomorrow (against the Wizards),'' Carlisle said. "I’m not into regurgitating last year’s bad stretch or going back on this one and put myself through that.

"We have to move forward and play better, and it's on all of us.''

But in regurgitating last year's bad stretch and comparing it to this year's bad stretch, Carlisle finally said: "There were health issues at that time and we have some of those here, too. The dynamics are a little bit different.

"The point is it’s never going to go 100 percent smooth. We have to bust our (butts) to get our things back on track here.''

Last year, the Mavs got back on track and won the NBA title. Whether they can turn it on again and do that again is anybody's guess.

-- Dwain Price

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Comments

[Lebron James]

O yea I forgot about that stretch last year. I prefer to block out bad memories