[BGMaverick9]

Setting the table...

The last time the Mavericks had a seven-game losing streak was from February 9, 1999 to February 19, 1999. That was the NBA's strike-shortened season. It was also the rookie year for Dirk Nowitzki and the first year Steve Nash was on the Mavericks. The team finished that year with a 19-31 record. It won't be an easy challenge to avoid their seventh straight loss as they go up against the Los Angeles Lakers. "They’re two-time champions now, they’re big, they’re strong and Bryant is a great player," Coach Rick Carlisle said. "You’ve got to look at (Pau) Gasol now as a legitimate really great player in this league. They’re deep and they shoot the three well, they have the right compliments to their really good players. So, they’re always tough to play."

It is all about perspective. Despite the six-game losing streak, the Mavericks have the exact same record as they did last season at this point, 26-14. Last season, the Mavericks were 27-14 at the halfway point of the season. The Lakers will be finishing a stretch of three games in four nights. They played a back-to-back against the Clippers on Sunday (loss) and Oklahoma City on Monday (win).

The two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers make their first visit of the season to the American Airlines Center on Wednesday evening. The Lakers have won eight of the last 10 meetings with the Mavericks, but the Mavericks took the most recent meeting in Dallas on February 24, 2010. The Mavericks will be looking to continue making use of the home cooking as they have defeated the Lakers five out of their last eight times on their home floor. The Lakers had won three straight at American Airlines Center before the Mavericks took the final game of last year’s season series.

you can read the rest at http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2011/1/...-versus-lakers

mentions today's game and Nelson talking about Butler and Beaubois.