Traveling in today's NBA

It wasn't just the nationally televised Warriors/Mavericks game. Whistles for walking are indeed on the rise this season. We examine ...

After four consecutive losses, as well as the fourth-quarter ejection of Spencer Dinwiddie, Dallas hung on Tuesday night for a 116-113 victory over Golden State in one of the spicier games I've seen in person so far this season.

On the way to postgame interviews, I crossed paths in the American Airlines Center hallway with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, whose reaction surprised me.

"I think this was the best-officiated game I've seen since I bought the Mavs," Cuban said.

The source of his satisfaction — beyond the obvious: Cuban’s team won — was the jarring frequency of traveling calls. Ten traveling violations were called ... capped by a whistle on Stephen Curry with 10.1 seconds remaining and Golden State trailing by two points as Curry tried to make space for a cleaner look at a 3 ball.

It was actually the third NBA game this season with at least 10 traveling citations. Yet this one, televised on TNT and with superstars Curry and Luka Dončić combining for a whopping six of the violations, inevitably made some observers wonder if there was a sudden decree from the league office for referees to get strict on walking.

Because, well, when MVP candidates start getting called for it …