The 1981âÂÂ82 Dallas Mavericks season was the second season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Rookie Jay Vincent led the team in scoring with 21.4 points per game and earned NBA All-Rookie Team honors. The Mavericks improved to 28âÂÂ54, getting out of the Midwest Division cellar as they finished above the Utah Jazz.
The 1981 NBA draft brought three players who would become vital parts of the team. The Mavs selected 6'6" forward Mark Aguirre with the first pick, 6'6" guard Rolando Blackman 9th, and 6'7" forward Jay Vincent 24th. By the end of his seven-year Mavs career, Aguirre would average 24.6 points per game. Blackman contributed 19.2 points over his 11-year career in Dallas.
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 6 | <br>9:00p.m. CST | @Los Angeles | L 111âÂÂ121 | Aguirre (23) | LaGarde (11) | Davis (7) | The Forum<br>9,870 | 1âÂÂ5 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 13 | <br>7:35p.m. CST | Los Angeles | L 110âÂÂ125 | Vincent (20) | Vincent (13) | Davis (9) | Reunion Arena<br>14,266 | 1âÂÂ12 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 14 | <br>8:35p.m. CST | @ Denver | L 133âÂÂ139 | Aguirre (31) | LaGarde (8) | Davis (15) | McNichols Sports Arena<br>8,533 | 1âÂÂ13
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 18 | <br>7:35p.m. CST | Denver | W 109âÂÂ105 | Aguirre (26) | Turner (8) | Davis (13) | Reunion Arena<br>7,620 | 3âÂÂ15 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 24 | <br>6:30p.m. CST | @ Boston | L 92âÂÂ109 | Vincent (27) | LaGarde (9) | Davis,<br>Lloyd,<br>Spanarkel,<br>Turner (4) | Boston Garden<br>15,320 | 5âÂÂ19 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 28 | <br>7:35p.m. CST | Denver | L 117âÂÂ124 | Vincent (33) | Cooper,<br>Nimphius,<br>Vincent (8) | Bristow,<br>Davis (7) | Reunion Arena<br>9,580 | 6âÂÂ22
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 36 | <br>8:35p.m. CST | @ Denver | L 113âÂÂ128 | Vincent (22) | Bristow,<br>Cooper (8) | Bristow (7) | McNichols Sports Arena<br>7,990 | 9âÂÂ27
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 57 | <br>7:35p.m. CST | Boston | L 97âÂÂ101 | Vincent (31) | Bristow,<br>Cooper (8) | Bristow (12) | Reunion Arena<br>17,134 | 19âÂÂ38 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 64 | <br>9:00p.m. CST | @ Los Angeles | L 116âÂÂ138 | Blackman (25) | Vincent (7) | Davis (6) | The Forum<br>13,000 | 22âÂÂ42 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 66 | <br>7:35p.m. CST | Los Angeles | L 106âÂÂ112 | Vincent (22) | Vincent (13) | Cooper (5) | Reunion Arena<br>17,134 | 22âÂÂ44 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 68 | <br>9:30p.m. CST | @ Los Angeles | W 118âÂÂ116 | Aguirre (23) | Vincent (10) | Spanarkel (7) | The Forum<br>13,516 | 23âÂÂ45 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 73 | <br>7:35p.m. CST | Denver | L 119âÂÂ120 | Vincent (31) | Cooper (10) | Bristow (14) | Reunion Arena<br>7,322 | 24âÂÂ49
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 82 | <br>8:35p.m. CST | @ Denver | L 124âÂÂ130 | Vincent (26) | Aguirre,<br>Vincent (9) | Bristow (10) | McNichols Sports Arena<br>17,009 | 28âÂÂ54