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The Dallas Mavericks have been backsliding of late, and their standing in the Western Conference has fallen accordingly. At 7-9 overall, the Mavericks currently sit in tenth place in the conference, tied with Phoenix Suns and a half-game behind the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.
Losers of seven of their last ten games, Dallas is currently on a three-game slide after being blown out by the Lakers, 115-89, last Saturday, then losing a lead late and the game, 100-98, to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday and getting stomped, 101-78, by the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
The Mavericks next play on Saturday, when they host the Detroit Pistons.
Elsewhere, the San Antonio Spurs, off to a 13-3 start, are second in the West behind the 11-2 Memphis Grizzlies. The Spurs, winners of five straight, will be in Miami on Thursday night taking on the defending champion Heat.
The aforementioned Rockets, behind San Antonio and Memphis, are third in the Southwest division and had their three-game winning streak snapped by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, 120-98.