Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
West's second seed at stake in Big D
Denver Nuggets (48-26) at Dallas Mavericks (48-25)
Conventional wisdom would lead you to believe that Monday night's matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets is the biggest game of the season for both teams.
Mavs coach Rick Carlisle begs to differ.
"With just nine games left, they're all important," Carlisle said.
(Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
Maybe the coach is just trying to psych us all out.
Monday's contest between the Mavs and Nuggets is more than just the rubber game in the season series, it is also crucial for playoff seeding. The two squads, both of which earned postseason berths with Memphis' 108-103 overtime loss to Milwaukee on Sunday, are separated by just one-half game in the Western Conference standings. Thanks to Denver's 103-97 loss in Orlando, the Mavericks currently sit in the two hole. It's a spot the Mavericks hope to remain in with a victory against the team that ended Dallas' season a year ago in the Western Conference semifinals.
"If we concentrate on playing well, then the seeding will take care of itself," Carlisle added.
Neither the Northwest or Southwest Division leaders have played their best recently, making this game even more important. Playing without coach George Karl (throat cancer) and Kenyon Martin (knee), Denver has dropped four of its last five games. Meanwhile, the Mavericks haven't won consecutive games since their 13-game win streak came to an end on March 13 with a 128-94 loss to the New York Knicks.
But the Mavericks have someone on the bench that is patiently waiting to change that.
One player that has certainly played well of late is Mavs rookie Rodrigue Beaubois. The former French League product is coming off of a 40-point explosion against Golden State in the team's 111-90 win on Saturday night. Beaubois finished just two points shy of Mark Aguirre's franchise rookie record of 42 points set on November 14, 1981. Instead Beaubois had to settle for being just the fourth Maverick to score 40-plus in a game during their rookie season.
"It was a good night for me," the Guadeloupe native said. "It was an even better night because our team got the win."
Most impressively, the young guard eclipsed his old career-best of 24 points in the first half of that game, scoring 26 points off the bench in the first 24 minutes of play. All of this after playing just 48 seconds in the Mavs' 101-89 loss to Portland last Thursday.
Beaubois' ability to score in bunches has certainly caught Carlisle's eye. The first-year pro's 9-of-11 from 3-point range against the Warriors also made the coach take another look at how he utilizes the budding star. Carlisle, who has used Beaubois at the shooting guard position next to point guard Jason Kidd, now also feels like he can trust the 22-year-old at the backup lead guard spot.
"He's played mostly at the two, but I wouldn't hesitate to use him at both positions...He's played well and he's earned the minutes he's gotten. We don't just give out minutes around here," the coach said of Beaubois' role with the team.
Meanwhile, nothing changes for Beaubois. It's still business as usual for the versatile 6-footer.
"I just have to be ready when Coach calls my name. And I have to take advantage of my opportunities and help the team win," Beaubois concluded.
Beaubois tries to put on an encore performance, as the Nuggets make their only regular season visit to the American Airlines Center. The Mavs and Nuggets have split the first two games of the season series, both in Denver. The third matchup between the two squads will air nationally on NBA TV and locally on KTXA and KTXA HD at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.
For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.
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