Source of Mavs Strife: Howard's B-Day Bash

Day-after eulogies have a way of making squeaks and squawks of truth peak out from the shadows. It is the day after in Dallas, and hey! there's Jeff Kaplan of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via CSTB) reporting on why Avery Johnson canceled Monday's practice, leading to a team mutiny and bad mojo all around.

A late-night party to celebrate Josh Howard's 28th birthday after Sunday's Game 4 loss turned Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson livid and led him to cancel Monday's practice, two sources confirmed.

Johnson, who stressed no partying during the series, was informed before Monday's scheduled practice that Howard handed out fliers to teammates in the locker room before Game 4, inviting them to his party at a Dallas nightclub. [...]

Upon learning of the party, the sources said, Johnson entered the locker room and asked the players who attended to stand up. Infuriated, Johnson lit into his team and then called off practice. He told the team they'd meet on the flight to New Orleans.

Kaplan reports only a few Mavericks attended Howard's bash, but it seems one was too many for Johnson. But do you blame him? Of course not. It should not this difficult to follow a 'no-parties' decree in the midst of a difficult playoffs series.

Howard shouldn't get killed for (the renewed interest in) his (old news) weed admission last week (the 'bad timing' was not his fault; he got asked a question and he is not a liar), but this incident leaves Maverick blood on his hands. Know your boundaries, man. (It will be worth watching how Mark Cuban responds to this; even if Avery's gone, might Josh also have gone too far?)