Don't blame this on Michael Finley. Resist the urge to correlate the swingman's return to the lineup with the Mavericks' 117-100 loss to the LA Clippers, their first stumble in eight games.

He was, definitely, not the cause for the effect.
Because Finley, it turns out, was just fine Tuesday in front of a sold-out American Airlines Center. He worked his way back into the rotation, showed no signs of favoring the strained left hamstring that forced him to sit 13 games, and contributed 29 solid minutes, hit 6-of-11 shots and recorded 14 points.