Over the last month, the Mavericks obviously have lost a bit of their luster.
They are 6-7 since Dec. 8 and, worse, 2-4 on their home floor.
This stretch has coincided with a treacherous part of the schedule, but also with a couple of relatively minor injuries that happened to key personnel.
Not surprisingly, they have slipped out of the top four in the Western Conference. As the season nears its midpoint, it’s looking more and more like the Mavericks will be locked in a cutthroat battle for one of the top six spots in the West.