A special two-week edition of the NBA’s most competitive division, where the Mavs still rule the roost. Just how competitive is this division? Going into this weekend, the Southwest Division is the only one in which each team has reached double-digits in victories (each team has at least 11) and has seen each team play at least .500 ball for their past 10 games.
Standings
Dallas 19-8 (5-2)
Houston 15-11 (4-3)
San Antonio 13-10 (4-3)
New Orleans 12-13 (4-2)
Memphis 11-15 (3-3)
Dallas Mavericks (19-8)
Dec 5 v ATL L 80-75
Dec 8 v PHX W 102-101
Dec 11 @ MIA W 106-83
Dec 12 v CHA W 98-97
Dec 14 v NOH W 94-90
Dec 16 @ OKC W 100-86
Dec 18 v HOU L 116-108
The Mavs were finally at full strength for the first time this season going into the game against the Suns. Perhaps, not coincidentally, that game was the beginning of a five game winning streak, matching a season high. That streak came to an end Friday night in a hotly contested game with the Rockets that saw Dirk leave the game after getting Carl Landry’s teeth lodged in his elbow and Erick Dampier and Rick Carlisle ejected due to technical fouls. The Mavs have are beginning a treacherous part of their schedule and will need Dirk in there to navigate through it. Let’s all hope he and Landry are able to recover from their injuries soon.
Some key numbers:
14: blocked shots for the Mavs against the Hawks, a season high
13: games missed by Josh Howard before returning to the lineup against the Suns
30: total assists by the Mavs against the Heat
11: consecutive wins against the Bobcats (Mavs the only franchise the Bobcats have failed to beat)
23: turnovers for the Mavs against the Hornets
12: points for Thunder’s Kevin Durant, breaking a streak of 9 games of 25+ points
6: technical fouls called against the Mavs in loss to Rockets
Upcoming games
Dec 20 v CLE
Dec 22 v POR
Houston Rockets (15-11)
Dec 5 @ POR L 90-89
Dec 9 v CLE W 95-85
Dec 11 @ PHI W 96-91
Dec 13 @ TOR L 101-88
Dec 15 v DET W 107-96
Dec 16 @ DEN L 111-101
Dec 18 @ DAL W 116-108
The Rockets had been playing respectable ball since the beginning of the season, so much so that they were good playoff position. Then Tracy McGrady came back. Houston is 2-1 since McGrady’s return, which is seeing him play about 10 minutes a night so far. If McGrady is able to round into anywhere near the shape he was in before his knee surgery and acclimate himself to the way the Rockets are currently playing, the Rockets could be one of the surprise teams in the league as the season progresses. Especially if Yao is able to return from his foot surgery before the end of the season.
Some key numbers:
46: bench points scored against the Trail Blazers
2: fast break points allowed by the Rockets against the Cavaliers
13: points allowed to the Sixers in the 3rd quarter, an opponent season-low for the Rockets
3: 20-15 performances this season for Luis Scola, after posting 21 points and 15 rebounds against the Raptors
7:44: amount of playing time for Tracy McGrady against the Pistons, his first game back following microfracture knee surgery in February
21: turnovers committed in loss to Nuggets
26: points for Kyle Lowry against the Mavs, a career-high
Upcoming games
Dec 19 v OKC
Dec 22 v LAC
Dec 23 @ ORL
San Antonio Spurs (13-10)
Dec 5 v DEN L 106-99
Dec 7 @ UTAH L 104-101
Dec 9 v SAC W 118-106
Dec 11 v CHA W 104-85
Dec 13 @ LAC W 115-90
Dec 15 @ PHX L 116-104
Dec 16 @ GSW W 103-91
Write off the Spurs at your own peril. I know they’re struggling against the better competition in the league, but isn’t this what they do every year? Start off slow out of the gate then make a furious charge in the second half of the season to get into prime playoff position? I think I’ll wait until after the “Rodeo Trip” to make any official judgements. In the meantime, if the Spurs are going to stay in the thick of things, they need to get consistent contributions from their summer acquisitions, especially Richard Jefferson. They also need to figure out a way to take some of the load off of Tim Duncan’s shoulders, er, knees. It will be interesting to see how Greg Popovich handles Duncan’s minutes as the season progresses in order to keep him as fresh as possible for the stretch run.
Some key numbers:
19: turnovers against the Nuggets
18: points Spurs were outscored by against the Jazz in the 3rd quarter after leading by 8 at halftime
28: fast break points against the Kings, a season high
59: field-goal percentage against the Bobcats, a season-best
34: field-goal percentage for Clippers in 2nd half against the Spurs, an opponent season-low
34: points for Tim Duncan against the Suns, a season-high
87: team free-throw percentage against the Warriors, a season high
Upcoming games
Dec 19 v IND
Dec 21 v LAC
Dec 23 v POR
New Orleans Hornets (12-13)
Dec 8 v SAC W 96-94
Dec 9 @ MIN W 97-96
Dec 11 v NYK L 113-96
Dec 14 @ DAL L 94-90
Dec 16 v DET W 95-87
Dec 18 v DEN W 98-92
Like I said before, Chris Paul is back! The Hornets are 5-2 since Paul’s return and his presence on the floor makes this team as dangerous as any in the league. Can the Hornets get back to the level of a couple of years ago, when they were a game away from the Western Conference Finals? For a chance of that happening, the Hornets need to start winning on the road, as they are just 2-10 away from New Orleans Arena.
Some key numbers:
6: consecutive home wins after victory over Kings
13: points allowed in 4th quarter against the Timberwolves
62: points in the 1st half against the Knicks, a season-high
30: points scored off turnovers in loss to Mavericks
5: wins, with zero losses, when David West posts 20 points and 10 rebounds in a game, following his 32-12 effort against the Pistons
1: rebound away from a Chris Paul triple-double against the Nuggets (30 points, 19 assists, 9 rebounds)
Upcoming games
Dec 20 @ TOR
Dec 23 v GSW
Memphis Grizzlies (11-15)
Dec 8 v CLE W 111-109
Dec 11 v OKC L 102-94
Dec 13 @ MIA W 118-90
Dec 14 v BOS L 110-105
Dec 16 @ ATL L 110-97
Dec 18 v IND W 107-94
The Grizz? Just when you thought this division couldn’t get any tougher, now the Grizzlies are starting to play to their potential. I’m really liking what I’m starting to see from this team, and it honestly scares me. There are long, athletic, rangy guys on this team that can make plays, but are also learning how to play together as a team. I really admire the job Lionel Hollins is doing in Memphis, especially in the aftermath of the Allen Iverson fiasco. If they keep rounding into shape, it won’t be long before this team is competing for a playoff spot.
Some key numbers:
16: points overcome to beat the Cavaliers, the Grizzlies’ largest come from behind win this season
11: offensive rebounds by Zach Randolph against the Thunder, a new Grizzlies team record
41: points for Rudy Gay against the Heat, a new career high
8: rebounds for Hasheem Thabeet against the Celtics, a career high
20: turnovers committed in loss to Hawks, leading to 33 points
14.3: 3-point field goal percentage allowed by Grizzlies against the Pacers
Upcoming games
Dec 20 v DEN
Dec 22 v GSW
Sources: mavs.com, rockets.com, spurs.com, hornets.com, grizzlies.com, sports.yahoo.com/nba
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- NBA Southwest Division Report – Dec 5th
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