Mavs try to ignore injuries, 2-0 deficit
DALLAS — The mood at American Airlines Center on Thursday was all business.
The Mavericks were preparing to host the Rockets for Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. They are 0-2 in the series and, as of Wednesday, down two starters.
Forward Chandler Parsons will miss the rest of the postseason with a knee injury that requires surgery, and point guard Rajon Rondo is out indefinitely with a back injury he sustained in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Parsons and Rondo were players the Mavericks acquired in hopes of getting back to a championship level this season.
While things haven’t gone as planned for the Mavericks, they are staying positive and hoping to
have a turnaround Friday night when they host the Rockets at 6 p.m.
“We have to bring high energy,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. “We have to play together, we have to play with pace, we have to make smart choices. I like our team. The guys we have available are going to fight their butts off, and our crowd is going to be into it.
“We are going to have to make it happen.”
In the offseason, the Mavericks signed Parsons and re-signed Dirk Nowitzki and Devin Harris. They also picked up Richard Jefferson and traded for Tyson Chandler, who played on their championship team in 2011.
During the season, they traded for Rondo, who was expected to provide a big lift after being the subject of trade talks all over the NBA.
From the beginning, there were chemistry issues with the point guard, and the Mavericks lost games and made headlines they were trying to avoid.
In Game 2, there was evident tension as Rondo spent most of his time on the bench.
When Carlisle announced Wednesday that Rondo would be out with the back injury, he was asked if he expected to see the free agent-to-be in a Mavericks uniform again.
“No, I do not,” was Carlisle’s response.
Rondo’s teammates expected the trade for the four-time All-Star to work out when it was made.
“I am surprised how it all went down,” Parsons said. “I was all for it when there were talks about it, and it just clearly wasn’t working for both parties, and we will see what happens. I don’t know what will happen with free agency and everything.”
For now, the team is trying to ignore the situation with Rondo and move on to the rest of the postseason.
Chandler said the team doesn’t need distractions now. It simply needs a win.
“This team has been through a lot this year,” Chandler said. “This is just another thing. We have to lock in with the players we have and move forward.
“We have to step up collectively. You can’t win by any individual. We still have a good chance.”
Chandler said the veteran-heavy team wouldn’t be affected by all the drama surrounding Rondo. He also said he was worried only about the players on the floor — not the ones who can’t play.
“It can cause some distractions, but I think we have enough veterans that are able to stick together and get over this,” he said. “The news didn’t make a big difference. Whoever is out there has to play well. It doesn’t make any difference to me.”
The Mavericks won’t worry about being down in the series until they have to. If they can win at home Friday and Sunday, they feel like they have a good chance to pick up a victory in Houston and win the series.
“I look at it as the only thing they did was take care of their home floor,” Chandler said.
“The playoffs don’t start ’til someone loses on their home court. If we take care of ours, we will be all right.”