For the second straight night, the Washington Wizards hung tough with a superior team but simply could not get defensive stops and cut into a lead to threaten in the fourth quarter. When it was all said and done, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Wizards 107-98 - Washington's third straight loss to a Western Conference team.
Trevor Booker continued his impressive season, leading the Wiz with a double-double effort. He finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds and was one of six players to finish in double figures. John Wall matched Booker with a double-double of his own, dishing 10 assists and adding 18 points.
But it was the defensive end that was the problem again on Tuesday. Dallas shot better than 50 percent from the floor with Dirk Nowitzki scoring a game-high 27 points on 10 of 14 from the floor. Dirk was on fire in the first half, scoring 20 in the first alone and pacing Dallas to a nine-point lead that they would not relinquish. The Wizards cut it to two in the third quarter, but Dallas quickly responded and would enjoy a comfortable lead for the entire fourth quarter.
Washington will now continue their five-game road trip on Thursday against the New Orleans Hornets
For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Wizards, check out Bullets Forever, SB Nation's Wiz blog. For all your NBA news and notes as the trade deadline approaches, visitSB Nation's NBA news hub.