The Mavericks rallied from 19 down to beat Cleveland last night. In doing so, they gave up a total of eight points to the Cavs in the third quarter.
Let that sink in for just a moment.
This is the Dallas Mavericks, folks. The team that redefined "Matador" defense (waving the cape and shouting "Ole" as the offensive player blew past them) as recently as last year.
They held LeBron James and the Cavs to eight points in an entire quarter. And it's not like the Cavs were ice cold - they dominated the first half.
The comeback was a masterwork of defense, with everyone getting into the act. Erick Dampier made maybe his best play as a Maverick, cleanly blocking a dunk by Drew Gooden.
In the midst of all this, the man responsible for the Mavs transformation celebrated a milestone of his own. Avery Johnson coached his 82nd regular-season game and has won 66 of them. The previous best for a first full season was Paul Westphal, who won 62 of his first 82.
The Mavs still have to have real success in the playoffs before I'm completely sold - I still have doubts about this team's toughness and killer instinct. But there sure isn't much left for them to prove in the regular season.
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