Mavs crash out of the NBA Cup at 1-3 and now get two "make-up" games vs. the Nets and Jazz. Time to respond ... or let this skid define their season.
The Dallas Mavericks' NBA Cup run is over before it ever really got started.
After losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in their final Group B matchup, the Mavs officially failed to advance from group play, finishing 1-3 and in fourth place.
They finished behind the Clippers, Grizzlies, and the group-winning Lakers, who now move on to face the San Antonio Spurs in the quarterfinals on Dec. 10.
Instead of Vegas dreams and knockout games, Dallas gets the league's consolation prize in the form of two extra regular-season matchups to round out the 82-game schedule while the rest of the tournament plays on.
Those two opponents? The Brooklyn Nets and Utah Jazz.
The Nets come first, and it's a game the Mavs have to handle. Brooklyn has stumbled out to a 3-15 start, but hasn't exactly rolled over.
Under head coach Jordi Fernandez, the Nets scrap, defend, and play with effort even when the talent gap is obvious. All three of their wins have come on the road, so this isn't an automatic "show up and win" night for Dallas.
Tipoff against Brooklyn is set for Friday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. CT at the American Airlines Center, giving the Mavs a chance to reset in front of the home crowd after the flat NBA Cup showing.
After that, things shift to altitude.
Dallas heads to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz for the first time this season. Utah has had its own issues, sitting at 6-12 through 18 games, but they're very much alive in the Western Conference Play-In mix.
Lauri Markkanen continues to play at an All-Star level, and rookie guard Keyonte George has given the Jazz a punch of playmaking and scoring that can swing a game if Dallas isn't locked in.
That matchup tips off Monday, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. CT at the Delta Center.
The NBA Cup is done for Dallas, and it's got nothing to show for it but a 1-3 mark and a missed opportunity.
But these two "scheduling filler" games suddenly matter a lot. Drop them, and the NBA Cup flameout becomes part of a bigger early-season slump narrative.
Handle business, and the Mavs can turn the page and start rebuilding momentum the old-fashioned way ... one regular-season win at a time.