Mavericks playing for pride vs. Rockets

All that's left for the Dallas Mavericks is to play as hard as they can Sunday night to avoid getting swept in their first-round series against theHouston Rockets.

It's doubtful effort alone will be enough to derail the inevitable.

None of the 110 NBA teams that have previously trailed three games to none in a best-of-seven series has ever rallied to win the series -- and the Mavs aren't going to be the first.

They simply don't have enough healthy players or talent to beat these Rockets, who won 56 games and finished second in the Western Conference.

Injuries are never an excuse for losing, and the Mavericks certainly aren't making excuses, but there comes a time when a team suffers so many injuries that it becomes compromised.

The Mavs, seeded seventh, lost three of four games to the Rockets in the regular season. Beating Houston, even if the Mavs had been in pristine health, was going to be difficult.

Beating the Rockets without Chandler Parsons (knee), who was ruled out for the season following Game 2, and withDevin Harris (toe), who also missed Game 2, hobbled was going to be hard enough.

Throw in Rajon Rondo quitting on the Mavs in Game 2, ending his tenure with the team and ensuring he gets booed every time he touches the ball against the Mavs for his new team next season, made it a fait accompli.

And that was before point guard Raymond Felton, who started Game 3, pulled a hamstring in the first quarter, though he returned, and forward Richard Jefferson suffered a calf injury in the first half.

Yet the Mavs still had an opportunity to win or tie Game 3 with the final shot. But Monta Ellis missed badly from the free throw line on a shot contested by Josh Smith.

For the second time in three games, the Mavs wasted a vintage big-game performance fromDirk Nowitzki.

He scored a season-high 34 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, on 19 shots.

Ellis also scored 34 for the Mavs, who played with maximum effort because everyone understood the magnitude and ramifications of losing Game 3.

"It was a fun game to be a part of with playmaking and shot-making all over the place," Nowitzki said. "We kept coming back and we kept plugging.

"It didn't look good when we went down eight, and we still fought back and had a chance to tie it at the buzzer. This ranks up there with one of the toughest losses in my long playoff career."

There's disappointment in losing, but there's no shame in the way the Mavs played. Nowitzki spoke with pride about the Mavs' effort. So did coach Rick Carlisle.

Of course, any and all references to effort are veiled shots at Rondo and his total lack of effort in Game 2 that resulted In a mysterious back injury and Carlisle saying Rondo would never wear a Mavs uniform again.

"Dirk has championship blood in his veins and I knew he wasn't going to quit," Houston coach Kevin McHale said. "I didn't think that team would quit.

"Rick is too good of a coach and he wasn't going to let those guys come out and not fight."

The Mavs are a proud franchise with a winning culture. They won 50 games this season for the 12th time in 15 seasons.

This series is essentially over. All that's left is another display of pride from the Mavs.

"I want to see the same fight we had tonight for our fans and our franchise," Nowitzki said when asked what mentality he wanted the Mavs to display Sunday. "Whoever goes out there will play hard and attack like we did today."

We would expect no less.