Mavericks-Rockets Recap

(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 94 at Houston Rockets 97

Bringing 2009 to a close, the Dallas Mavericks began a three-game road trip against a familiar foe.

In the finale of the season series with the Southwest Division rival Houston Rockets, the Mavs looked to bring the year to an end with their third straight win. Dallas also entered Houston hoping to take the season series 3-1, but the Rockets had something else in mind. Despite getting double-figure scoring from six players, the Mavericks could not overcome multiple double-digit deficits and early foul trouble to their superstar, coming up just short of a late comeback attempt to fall 97-94 at the Toyota Center.

"We just couldn't come up with enough plays down the stretch. We had a couple of good looks…We had our chances down the stretch, but just didn't have enough to get over the hump," forward Dirk Nowitzki said.

The Mavericks came into their fourth and final meeting with Houston well aware that they needed to improve on their play in the first quarter, after struggling early in the first three games against the Rockets this season. But in an eerie resemblance to the three previous matchups with Houston, the Mavericks found themselves down by double digits in the opening quarter before cutting the deficit to 24-17 at the end of one.

Dallas hit on just 8-of-23 shots in the first quarter, unable to capitalize on the five turnovers they forced Houston into at the defensive end. Meanwhile, Houston used fast-break offense to sprint out to the quick advantage.

"Our undoing as a team was a sluggish first quarter," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "We just got off to a sluggish start. They hit us with transition points and threes…With a team that's an energetic team like this, you can’t have any lolls, especially at the beginning."

(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)

But the Dallas offense began to catch up with the team's defensive intensity early in the second quarter, as Josh Howard and Jason Terry ignited the Mavericks' second unit. With Howard and forward Shawn Marion finding success both inside and outside the paint, the Mavericks made up for their early shooting deficiencies to tie the game at 40-all with 4:14 remaining in the period. But with their leading-scorer, Nowitzki, picking up his third foul with 2:03 left in the first half, the Mavericks didn't have enough firepower on the floor to contend with the Rockets' backcourt of Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry. Houston finished the half on a 14-5 run to take a 56-47 edge at the halftime break.

The Rockets shot lights-out in the first 24 minutes of play, out-shooting the Mavericks 55 percent to 44 percent in the half. Houston also held a 25-20 rebounding advantage, making up for their nine first half turnovers. Brooks led all scorers with 14 points at that point, while Marion paced Dallas with 12 points as Nowitzki was sidelined with the early fouls.

"Obviously with the foul trouble, I didn't have a good rhythm in the first half, but I still have to come through for the team," Nowitzki said. "In the second half, I thought we battled."

Things got worse before they got better for the Mavericks at the start of the third quarter. Falling behind by as much as 14, the Mavericks stayed in the game behind Jason Kidd's long range shooting and J.J. Barea's dribble penetration. Though the Dallas defense held Houston to just 36 percent shooting in the quarter, the Mavericks' offense could only cut the deficit to 78-70 headed into the fourth.

(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)

With Kidd and the Mavs making all of the hustle plays in the early minutes of the fourth, the tempo picked up and Dallas crept to within 80-77 after Terry nailed a 3-pointer at the 10:22-mark. The Mavs' veteran point guard continued to look for his own shot, as Kidd's scoring and play-making gave Dallas the momentum in the period. Terry then took over the scoring load, tying the game at 86-all with 5:39 remaining. But the Rockets continued to answer the Mavs' scoring burst with a heavy dose of Carl Landry in the low post.

Using a zone on the defensive end, the Mavericks grounded Brooks and the Rockets' scoring attack. But with the Dallas defense scrambling, Shane Battier put Houston up 92-89 with a corner three with just 2:11 on the game clock. The lead doubled after Brooks' three with 1:35 remaining. But the Mavs continued to hang tough with Howard's rim-attacking aggression. Arguing a call, Battier picked up his first career technical foul, allowing the Mavs to draw to with three on Nowitzki's free throw. After Nowitzki picked up his fourth blocked shot of the game on Brooks' driving layup attempt, Dallas called their last timeout down 97-94 with just 8.0 ticks left.

"The zone was actually really, really effective for us," Nowitzki said of the defensive strategy late.

After the Mavs drew up a play for a game-tying 3-pointer, the Rockets forced the ball out of both Terry's and Nowitzki's hands, as the ball was swung to Kidd. The lead guard's shot from behind the arch hit the back of the rim, as the ball landed in Trevor Ariza's hands as the game expired.

"I got a great look," Kidd said. "I might have rushed it a second. I would love to have that shot again...Give Houston credit, they won the game. The zone helped us in the second half to get back in the game. We had an opportunity."

"I was proud of the way we battled back in the second half. We gave ourselves a chance to win but the shots just wouldn't drop. The first eight minutes of the game put us behind the eight ball. We didn't do the things we needed to do consistently in the first quarter and that hurt us," Carlisle said.

Though Dallas shot just better than Houston, 45 to 44 percent, the Mavericks' 2-for-12 shooting from 3-point range was their downfall. Despite losing the rebounding battle 48-42, the Mavs outscored the Rockets 52-40 in the paint.

Brooks finished with a game-high 30 points, leading six Rockets in double figures.

Terry scored a team-best 20 points, while Howard (16), Marion (16), Kidd (14), Nowitzki (11) and Gooden (10) all reached the 10-point plateau.

The two teams split the season series knotted at 2-2.

"We're rivals and have been since I've been in Dallas," Terry said of the two squads. "It's been tough all season and it's an early end to our matchup during the regular season. Good luck to them and maybe we'll see them in the playoffs. They always play hard."



Dallas now tries to begin 2010 better than they ended 2009, playing a West Coast back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday night. The Mavericks open up the new year by traveling to Sacramento to battled the Kings on Saturday, with the game airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 9:00 p.m. CT. The Mavs lead the season series 1-0 after squeaking out a 104-102 home win on Nov. 20.

Sunday night the Mavericks head into Los Angeles to play the Lakers for the second time this season, as that matchup will air on KTXA and KTXA HD at 8:30 p.m. CT. Dallas defeated the defending champion Lakers 94-80 at the Staples Center on Oct. 30 in the only meeting between the two teams.

The Mavericks return to the American Airlines Center on Jan. 5 to host the Detroit Pistons. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Rockets Preview

(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Houston Rockets (19-13) at Dallas Mavericks (22-9)

It is only fitting that the Dallas Mavericks finish off 2009 on the road.

With an 11-4 road record, the Mavericks have relished taking down opposing teams in the most hostile arenas. Heading into Houston on the last day of the year, Dallas will try to continue their hot play on the road against a team they will have seen for a fifth time since the preseason, the Southwest Division rival Rockets. All the more reason to celebrate the closing of '09 with a win, sixth man Jason Terry said, as the Mavs begin a three-game road trip also looking to run their overall winning streak to three.

(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)

"(The key to the success on the road has been) just coming in with that mentality of us against the world," Terry said. "For me, there's no greater joy than when you hear the entire opposing crowd going nuts and then you hit a shot to silence them...I live for that moment."

Terry and his team's killer instinct is even stronger when Dallas sniffs the scent of the Rockets, having seen Houston plenty for their liking. With a great familiarity with what the Rockets bring to the table, the Mavs know exactly what they are up against on Thursday night.

"No question, I mean, this is a team we've played already four times this year. They play hard, and if you don't come in ready to outwork them, then you're in for a long night," Terry said.

The Mavs lead the season series with the Rockets 2-1, but Dallas will be seeking retribution for the one loss in that equation, a 116-108 overtime loss to Houston at home on Dec. 18.

Needless to say, that loss is still on Dallas' mind.

"We definitely owe them one," center Erick Dampier said. "We didn't play the way we wanted to play (at home) in the last game...We're just going to go down their, play hard and try to win us one game."

But the division-leading Mavericks know that if they are to come out with a victory in the fourth and final meeting between the two teams in the regular season, they must first improve on their first half play. Dallas will try to put a stop to the trend of falling behind by double-digit deficits in the first 24 minutes of play, as they have in all three games thus far.

(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)

"You could say we've gotten off to a slow start every time we've played this team, but (Thursday night) we're just going to come out and try to play hard from the beginning of the game and make it an interesting game," Dampier said.

"Execution and making sure that we're ready to play from the beginning of games, that's going to be key," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "Most of the games (between the two teams) are going to come down to who's playing harder, who's playing more efficiently and who's putting the ball in the basket."

Though Carlisle's team has had several scorers putting the ball in the basket with regularity of late, Dallas' calling card is still defense. The coach admits that the rugged Rockets' offense possess yet another great challenge to that Dallas defense.

"They're very good and they play their style very effectively. So, we're going to have to slow them down in transition, try to limit their threes and they've got some guys that do a great job in the post. There are a lot of challenges," Carlisle said.

Dallas plays its final game of 2009, heading into Houston on New Year's Eve. The Mavericks-Rockets matchup will air locally on KTXA and KTXA HD at 6:00 p.m. CT. It is the second game of four straight on the road for the Mavericks.

The team returns to the American Airlines Center on Jan. 5 to host the Detroit Pistons. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks Practice Report (12/30/09)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavericks Practice Report (12/30/09)

(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets know each other about as well as they know themselves.

Having already played each other in an exhibition game and three regular season games, the Mavs and Rockets will not be trying to fool each other when they meet in Houston on Thursday night for the fourth and final meeting between the two in the regular season. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle knows exactly what he is going to get from his counterpart Rick Adelman and the Houston squad.

"Well, it's been pretty frequent, and this is somewhat unusual but these things do happen," Carlisle said of matching up against the Houston team for the fifth time in a three-month span. "You got to roll with the schedule. They're obviously a good team. They've played well against us a lot of the time...We've got our hands full.

"Most of the games (between the two teams) are going to come down to who's playing harder, who's playing more efficiently and who's putting the ball in the basket...They're very good and they play their style very effectively. So, we're going to have to slow them down in transition, try to limit their threes and they've got some guys that do a great job in the post. There are a lot of challenges."

The Mavs lead the season series with the Rockets 2-1, but Dallas still can taste the sourness of a 116-108 overtime loss to Houston at home on Dec. 18.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

"We definitely owe them one," center Erick Dampier said. "We didn't play the way we wanted to play here in the last game. We worked on our defensive schemes today, so we're just going to go down their, play hard and try to win us one game."

A theme in the three meetings has been slow starts from the Mavericks, needing valient comeback efforts in the second halves of all three games. That is a trend that must end, the 7-footer said, if the Mavs are going to close out 2009 with a win.

"You could say we've gotten off to a slow start every time we've played this team, but tomorrow we're just going to come out and try to play hard from the beginning of the game and make it an interesting game," Dampier said.

Houston has shown an ability to win without their two superstars, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, sitting in third place behind Dallas in the Southwest Division standings. Though McGrady is now healthy, the Rockets have indicated to the star that they are moving in a different direction, helping the Mavs turn their full attention towards a balanced Rockets' attack.

"(McGrady) is a great player, but they are obviously proving that they are a very capable team without him," Carlisle said. "Our efforts are going to be focused on the guys that are going to be there, and they're all tough customers."

For Dallas, keeping together a healthy unit is still a top priority. After battling through nagging early season injuries, the Mavs appear to be as healthy as a team can be in an 82-game season.

The Mavericks exhaled a sigh of relief when swingman Josh Howard went through practice on Wednesday after sitting out the day before due to a sore hamstring suffered in the first half of the win against Denver. He is still expected to play against the Rockets on Thursday.

"We've worked hard to try to get healthy," Carlisle said. "We're crossing our fingers that we can stay healthy. It's work, it's time in the training room and a lot of meticulous things with our medical staff...Our goal is to get to Houston healthy and be able to step on the floor and be in good shape. You can't assume anything.

"We're very aware of the importance of good health and what it means, and we don't take it for granted."

Dallas plays its final game of 2009, heading into Houston on New Year's Eve. The Mavericks-Rockets matchup will air locally on KTXA and KTXA HD at 6:00 p.m. CT. It is the second game of four straight on the road for the Mavericks.

The team returns to the American Airlines Center on Jan. 5 to host the Detroit Pistons. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks Practice Report (12/29/09)

(Photo By Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavericks Practice Report (12/29/09)

The last two games have served as the blueprint for winning basketball for the Dallas Mavericks.

(Photo By Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

In both games, two Dallas wins, the Mavs featured a balanced offensive attack with seven players scoring in double figures while displaying shutdown defense on some of the NBA's premiere scorers. With three days to prepare for a three-game road trip, the Mavericks returned to the practice court on Tuesday hoping to continue to fine-tune their offense arsenal.

"Our key to success is not only defense but getting consistent scoring from everyone that's out there on the floor," sixth man Jason Terry said. "We've been able to do a great job of that and we're getting ball movement. Ball movement is the key for us, and it allows everyone to be able to touch it and be involved.

"If we hold the ball and try to play one-on-one basketball, we're not a very good team. We still have the talent and we've got one of the best players in the world in Dirk (Nowitzki) that can do that, but it doesn't help us as a team. We need ball movement and everybody is happy when that happens."

(Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

One reason the Mavericks have gelled offensively is a second year under Mavs coach Rick Carlisle. With the players in Carlisle's system for another season, the team has learned to maximum the offensive talent on the court. Carlisle has learned from his players as well, allowing point guard Jason Kidd to have more freedom with his own play-calling on the court this season, creating a much more free-flowing transition assault.

"(Carlisle) is the same as he was last year, in terms of he prepares us well and he has us ready to go," Kidd said of his coach. "I think the biggest thing is he understands that with a veteran ball club, (he knows) what we need to understand when we're not playing well and he gives that to us.

"When we're just out there playing, it shows that he has trust in us...He lets us play because he believes that we're going to do the right thing."

The coach is quick to point out that his veteran point guard also deserves a lot of credit for the ball moving around and finding its way into multiple scorers' hands of late.

"Jason Kidd figures it out," Carlisle answered when asked how the Mavericks keep so many potent scorers happy. "We've been in this system now for close to a year and a half, and I think we've gained a feel and a sense for what works.

"I don't think you can sit down and script everything you factor, not with our team because we're a flow-team offensively. There are too many variables, but the things that we do know is that hard play and attention to detail of the game plan is a constant with everything."

As the Mavericks have found out after one exhibition and three regular season games against the Houston Rockets, hard work and attention to detail means everything when matching up with the divisional rival. In the final regular season meeting between the two squads, Dallas is hoping to use the formula of success from their back-to-back wins.

Though the Mavs lead the season series 2-1, Dallas trailed by double-digit deficits in the first halves of their two wins before blowing out the Rockets in the final 24 minutes of play. In their one loss, a 116-108 overtime defeat to the Rockets at home on Dec. 18, the Mavs lost Nowitzki early in the second quarter after the superstar collided with Rockets forward Carl Landry. Nowitzki left the game with a deeply lacerated right elbow, while Landry never returned after losing several teeth, but the Rockets were still able to out-hustle the Mavs in the extra period to claim the win on Dallas' home floor. It was a lessen learned, according to Terry.

"This is a team that we've played already four times this year. They play hard. If you don't come ready to outwork them, you're in for a long night," Terry said.

Now the Mavericks will play their final game of 2009 when they head into Houston on New Year's Eve. The Mavericks-Rockets matchup will air locally on KTXA and KTXA HD at 6:00 p.m. CT. It is the second game of four straight on the road for the Mavericks.


The team returns to the American Airlines Center on Jan. 5 to host the Detroit Pistons. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Nuggets Recap

(Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 104 at Denver Nuggets 96

It must have felt like returning to a crime scene for the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night.

Playing against the team that ended Dallas' season a year ago after five games in the Western Conference Semifinals, the Mavericks returned to the Pepsi Center to tangle with the Denver Nuggets, who were without Chauncey Billups due to a strained left groin. With Billups in street clothes the Mavericks turned their full attention to the NBA's scoring leader, Carmelo Anthony, and it never left. Holding the Nuggets' star to 16 points on just 5-of-19 shooting, while seven Mavericks scored in double figures for the second straight night, Dallas erased their past memories with a 104-96 road win.

(Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

"In fairness to them, they don't have Billups, who’s a great player," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "And Anthony was in foul trouble but I like the way we played."

"I think it was bigger for coach then it was for us," sixth man Jason Terry said of the win after Carlisle targeted this game as a big matchup. "As players we wanted to come in here and get a win, but for him. We had four close games in here last year that easily could have went the other way. So (Carlisle) put a big emphasis on the game, it's been marked down on our calender but it's one game. They didn't have Billups, but we come out of here with a win. We had to win this game and we got it done."

In the building that haunted the Mavericks during last season's playoff run, the Mavericks proved early on that they entered Denver ready to deal with any adversity. Overcoming an early 10-point deficit with a 23-6 run to end the first quarter, Dallas utilized a balanced scoring attack to take a 30-23 lead at the end of one.

After what was once a nine-point Dallas advantage slimmed down to five early in the second quarter, Carlisle called for timeout to calm his squad down with 9:21 on the game clock. The Mavericks took heed to their coach's direction, pushing the margin back up to nine on consecutive baskets from Terry. Dallas answered every Denver charge in the period with Terry, Josh Howard and J.J. Barea aggressively getting to the rim while forward Drew Gooden, who returned after missing a game with back spasms, provided the dirty work in the paint. Learning a lot from their playoff series, the Mavs wanted to come into Denver with a more physical style of play.

"You know when you come into this building they're going to play a physical game," forward Dirk Nowitzki said. "If you want to have a chance, you have to adjust and play that type of style, rebound the ball and really go after the ball.

"It really happened to us in the playoffs last year. We were hanging around for three quarters and they'd pick their defensive pressure up, we'd turn the ball over a bunch and next thing you know we were down 20. So, you have to know coming in that you have to be physical here and I think we did a decent job."

But after leading by as much as 11, Denver used a 7-0 run in the last 1:17 of the half to cut the Dallas lead to 55-52 headed into the intermission. Just before the half closed the Mavericks received a scare when Nowitzki, who was already wearing a protective wrap around his deeply lacerated right elbow, left the court favoring his left shoulder after attempting a driving layup in the closing seconds.

"It was just a weird play. I tried to make a move and I felt a little pop there. But we got in at halftime and looked at it, and it felt alright," Nowitzki said of the play.

Gooden's 10 points paced the Mavs in the first half, while Barea and Howard added nine apiece to help Dallas shoot 46 percent through 24 minutes of play. Aaron Afflalo's 13 points and Kenyon Martin's 10 kept the Nuggets close, though the Dallas defense held Denver to just under 44 percent shooting after two quarters. The Mavericks appeared to be on the right track, holding Anthony to just 3-of-12 shooting for nine points while picking up three fouls in the half.

(Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

"We were doing different things (defensively on Anthony). At times we'd guard him straight up, at times we ran somebody at him. But what helped was he was in some foul trouble, so he was in and out of the game," Carlisle said.

Nowitzki shook off any signs of an injury in the locker room during the halftime break, as the All-Star forward began the second half on the court. After the Nuggets gained life after the run at the end of the first half, the Mavericks turned up their energy level a couple more notches early in the third quarter. As Shawn Marion ignited the Dallas offense by posting up smaller defenders, the Maverick lead climbed back up to double digits. Even after J.R. Smith brought a spark to the Nuggets' offense with Anthony in foul trouble, Terry came right back to beat the shot clock with a 3-pointer to put Dallas up 78-68.

"That was a Hail Mary -- prayer answered," Terry said of the shot.

Everything seemed to be going Dallas' way in the period, as even Gooden's circus layup found its way to the bottom of the net to put the Mavericks up 13 in the final minute of the quarter. Outscoring the Nuggets 28-20 in the third, Dallas took an 83-72 advantage into the final period.

"The 7-0 run at the end of the first half was very disappointing for us. But we regrouped, guys came out and really fought in the third quarter and got the lead up," Carlisle said.

When Anthony picked up his fifth foul at the 10:02-mark of the fourth with the Nuggets down eight, Denver lost their go-to scorer during their comeback attempt. With Anthony watching from the sidelines, the Dallas defensive intensity picked up and it translated to gritty play on the offensive end. When Anthony returned with his team down 12 and 7:22 on the game clock, the Mavs prepared themselves for the stretch run. But with the Nuggets' defense playing with active hands and forcing Maverick turnovers, Denver got back into the game. The Nuggets hacked away at the Mavs' lead at the foul line, scoring points while stopping the game clock with Dallas in the penalty.

With Dallas hanging on tightly to a 97-92 advantage, Anthony fouled out after pushing Howard to the floor away from the ball with 2:47 left.

"(Anthony) never got into one of those rythems where he can go out there and get 20 in a quarter. That was fortunate, but we had something to do with him picking up the fouls, too," Calisle said.

With their star out, the Nuggets' aggression was on high alert but their offensive production was sorely lacking. Meanwhile the Mavericks secured every needed rebound, including Gooden's tip-in with 1:19 remaining to put Dallas up 101-94. Struggling by his standards offensively all night, Nowitzki put the seal on the win with a 3-pointer with 50.5 ticks on the clock to put his team up 104-96. The two teams then played out the clock as the Mavs moved to 11-4 on the road.

Gooden finished with a game-high 19 points, on 8-for-8 shooting, while grabbing 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double this season.

"Drew Gooden was phenomenal for us in the paint -- keeping balls alive, getting tip-ins and being a beast in the paint. He was great," Nowitzki said.

"It was big, especially since not playing yesterday and coming in here playing with an injury," Gooden said of his night. "I didn't know what to expect, but I feel kind of good...Anytime you can make a contribution to this team, especially while we are winning, is big for us right now."

Howard added 17 points and nine rebounds, while Nowitzki also posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Barea (13), Terry (13), Marion (12) and Erick Dampier (10) all scored in double figures to help the Mavs shoot 50 percent from the field.

"For us, it was being aggressive, attacking the basket and playing good, solid defense," Terry said. "That's the key to success -- balanced scoring, ball movement and getting stops defensively."

Martin led the Nuggets with 18 points while grabbing 11 rebounds, though the Dallas defense held Denver to just 38 percent shooting.

"We haven't won here in a long time…So it's definitely a good win," Nowitzki said. "Defensively we were solid, to hold a great offensive team to 38 percent shooting, that's pretty solid."

Dallas also won the battle on the glass, out-rebounding Denver 51-45. The Mavericks overcame their 16 total turnovers and a 32-8 deficit in second chance points to claim their 22nd victory of the young season.



Now the Mavericks will put a cap on 2009 when they head into Houston to battle the division rival Rockets with three days to prepare. Dallas leads the season series 2-1, but the Mavs suffered a 116-108 overtime defeat to the Rockets at home on Dec. 18. The Mavericks-Rockets matchup will air locally on KTXA and KTXA HD at 6:00 p.m. CT. It is the second game of four straight on the road for the Mavericks.

"We have another tough one coming up in Houston," Terry said. "Three days to prepare but they beat us at home, so we have work ahead of us."

The team returns to the American Airlines Center on Jan. 5 to host the Detroit Pistons. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Nuggets Preview

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks (21-9) at Denver Nuggets (20-10)

When the players on the Dallas Mavericks' roster look around the locker room, it doesn't have to be said.

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Dallas returns to the place where last season ended

The returning Maverick players and the new additions know that Sunday night's game in Denver is more than just another regular season game. The matchup is more than just a contest between two division leaders. It's more than just a test of wills. Sunday night is a measuring stick for both Dallas and Denver, two teams that know each other very well.

"When you have some recent history with a team in a playoff, there's a familiarity. They're familiar with us, we're familiar with them. It makes it that much more competitive usually," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said.

Against the team that ended Dallas' season a year ago in the Western Conference Semifinals, the Mavericks will attempt to show just how improved a team they are at this point in the year. By putting their 10-4 road record on the line in a building that haunted the Dallas squad in last season's playoff run, the Mavs will also be trying to put a strangle hold on the second-best record in the West while fighting the high altitude of the Denver landscape. But the Mavs do figure to be somewhat rested after taking home a 106-101 home win over Memphis in a Saturday matinee game.

"Any time you're going up to Denver, it's always hard with the altitude," sixth man Jason Terry said. "But I'm glad we get a chance to go up early instead of going up late.

"We're going to let our play speak for itself. But they are a good team and they are playing well right now. And we're in a deadly battle for second place."

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Josh Howard, Shawn Marion have the task of stopping Carmelo Anthony

But for the Mavericks to leave the steep air of Denver with a win, they must first stop the league's leading-scorer Carmelo Anthony, who is having an MVP-caliber year. Stopping Anthony's 30.4 points per game scoring average is a daunting task for any defense, but swingmen Shawn Marion and Josh Howard will be handed the responsibility most of the night.

"We've got different guys to throw at Carmelo, so we will," Carlisle said. "Look, there will be more than (Marion and Howard defending Anthony) before we're done. You can count on that.

"(Anthony) is another guy that is having a career year. And that's saying something because he's been a great player, and he's been an All-Star, he's been on the Olympic team and everything else. So, our team defense has to be geared around what's going on with him on the floor...We're going to have to do a lot of things well to win."

On offense, the Mavericks will have to duplicate the balanced scoring that was on display against Memphis on Saturday when a season-best seven players scored in double figures. Dallas is hopeful that multiple offensive options will be become a staple of this team, taking a heavy burden off of leading-scorer Dirk Nowitzki's shoulders.

"It was great. We were moving the ball, getting stops and pushing the ball up to get transition opportunities," Nowitzki said of the play on Saturday.

"This team is going to be something else when we can get consistent contributions from seven or eight players in double figures," Terry said after leading the team with 23 points against the Grizzlies. "That's the way this team was built."

Now the Mavericks hope to show that they were also built to take down the Nuggets on the road. The Mavericks-Nuggets matchup will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:00 p.m. CT. It is the start of four games away from home.

The team returns to the American Airlines Center on Jan. 5 to host the Detroit Pistons. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Grizzlies Recap

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Memphis Grizzles 101 at Dallas Mavericks 106

The Dallas Mavericks came into the last matchup of a four-game home stand looking to avenge a 98-82 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 4.

After losing the last three meetings to the Grizzlies, the Mavericks entered Saturday afternoon's game looking for balanced scoring and improved shooting numbers at home, where the Mavs have struggled at times early this season. With a season-best seven players scoring in double figures while shooting 52 percent, the Mavericks got back on the winning track and downed the divisional foe Grizzlies, 106-101.

"Our balance was very good tonight," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the win. "We had very good balance down the stretch as well. Different guys involved, different guys scoring, different guys making plays...That's a positive."

Dallas got a major boost in their effort to tie the season series with Memphis when point guard Jason Kidd got the start, despite battling soreness after falling hard in the closing seconds of an 85-81 loss to Portland on Tuesday night. But the Mavs were without one of their most reliable reserves, as forward Drew Gooden didn't dress after experiencing back spasms.

"I found out (Gooden would be out) after I turned in the active list, because it appeared that he was going to be okay. And then it got tighter as we approached game time coming out of the meeting," Carlisle said of the injury to Gooden.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

With Gooden out, the Mavericks needed more scoring in the painted area from everyone. Using an 8-0 run, all of which was in the paint, the Mavericks sprinted out to a 14-8 edge early in the first quarter. But Memphis came storming back, capitalizing on Dallas turnovers and turning the errors into transition offense, as the Grizzlies finished the quarter on an 18-6 run. At the source of Dallas' problems were the 16 first quarter points from Zach Randolph. Leading by as many as nine in the period, the Grizzlies held a 30-24 lead after one while shooting 15-of-27 from the field. Meanwhile, the Mavs hit on 10-of-22 shots at the other end.

"(Randolph) was hitting shots in the first half, and we just tried to give him different looks," center Erick Dampier said. "Any good player is going to make shots, so he's doing what he can to help that team win."

Perhaps more than Gooden's offense, the Mavericks lacked the big man's interior defense. With Randolph and the Grizzlies scoring easily at the rim, the Mavericks found themselves down double digits in the early minutes of the second quarter. Then the Mavericks staged their own comeback effort, ignited by sixth man Jason Terry's play at both ends of the court. With 11 points coming from Terry in the second period, Dallas turned a 10-point deficit to just a 55-53 marginal disadvantage at the halftime break.

"It was good to see the ball go into the basket," Terry said. "I was real aggressive, getting into the paint early, creating, making plays, which loosened it up for me."

After the slow start, the Mavs brought their shooting percentage up to 54 percent at the half, while the Grizzlies hit on 50 percent. Randolph's 21 first half points and Memphis' 36-24 points in the paint edge pushed the Grizzlies to the two-point lead after 24 minutes of play.

"We knew this was an important game. We knew it was not going to be an easy game, for a number of reasons. First of all, (the Grizzlies) are an improving team and Randolph has been playing at a stratospheric level."

In the third quarter, the Mavericks sprung to life with above-the-rim finishes from forward Shawn Marion. Defensively, the Mavs switched to different looks on Randolph and threw multiple double teams his way.

"It was all-out, double-teaming when he caught the ball...We just had to do it. He's just two effective down there. It worked out and our guys did a good job with it," Carlisle said of the strategy.

"I thought defensively tonight, that's where we really got it going in the second half," Terry said.

In the half court offensive sets, Nowitzki handled the scoring load and the Mavericks surged ahead on the scoreboard. In a chippy quarter, the Mavs led by as much as seven before the Grizzlies closed to within 79-77 on a Sam Young dunk as the period expired.

(Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

Terry and the Mavs' second unit widened the Dallas lead to eight early in the fourth, but O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay brought Memphis right back to within one with 7:41 remaining in the game. With Nowitzki scoreless in the fourth, Terry and Josh Howard refused to relinquish the lead.

The two swingmen answered an aggressive Memphis squad with timely scoring. Nursing a three-point lead, Terry may have made the play of the game when he intercepted Mayo's outlet pass to stop a transition opportunity for Memphis. Terry then found Howard for a jumper with 29.5 ticks left, as the Mavs led 101-96. After a pair of free throws from Mayo, Terry sunk two game-sealing shots at the charity stripe with 20.6 seconds on the game clock. Dallas then finished the Grizzlies off at the foul line, padding the lead to take the victory. Terry and Howard combined to score 20 of Dallas' 27 points in the final period.

"That's an old habit for us. We're accustom to Josh and I getting it going or Dirk having it going. That just hasn't been there for us this season, but it's something that in the near future is going to be there and it's going to be consistent," Terry said.

"(Terry and Howard) were great," Nowitzki said of his teammates and their play in the fourth. "I didn't really have great looks out there -- (Randolph) was really playing up on me...Josh was coming off on one side and Jet (Terry) was coming off of a down screen on the other. And Kidd was quarterbacking, so that really worked well for us."

Terry led the Mavs with 23 points, while Nowitzki added 20. Erick Dampier recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Kidd added a double-double of his own, scoring 10 points and dishing out 10 assists. J.J. Barea (11), Howard (11) and Marion (11) gave the Mavericks seven with 10-plus points for the first time since April 4 against Phoenix.

"When you get seven or eight guys playing at a high level, it makes a big difference," Carlisle said.

"This team is going to be something else, when we can get consistent contributions from seven or eight players in double figures," Terry said. "That's the way this team was built."

After his explosive first half the Mavericks found an answer for Randolph, who finished with a game-high 27 points (six in the second half). Gay added 22 and Mayo finished with 18, though the Dallas defense held Memphis to just 44 percent shooting.

Dallas' balanced scoring attack allowed the Mavs to overcome a 49-40 rebounding disadvantage and a 60-44 scoring deficit in the paint. Memphis also outscored Dallas 19-12 in second chance points.

"These guys have to be a league-leader in points in the paint. I don't know where they are rank-wise, but 60 is too many," Carlisle said.

"We're a lot better defensive team than that," Dampier said. "We know that we have to do it each and every night. We can't overlook teams like Memphis...We gave up a lot of rebounds, so we have to play together and gang rebound."

Dallas now heads to the thin air and steep altitude of Denver to play the Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back. Denver ended Dallas' season last year, taking the Western Conference Semifinals series in five games. It is the start of four games away from home.

"When you have some recent history with a team in a playoff, there's a familiarity. They're familiar with us, we're familiar with them. It makes it that much more competitive usually," Carlisle said.

The Mavericks-Nuggets matchup will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:00 p.m. CT.

The team returns to the American Airlines Center on Jan. 5 to host the Detroit Pistons. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Grizzlies Preview

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Memphis Grizzles (13-15) at Dallas Mavericks (20-9)

You won't hear the Dallas Mavericks call Saturday afternoon's matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies a "statement game," but make no mistake, Dallas is out to send a clear message both to Memphis and to themselves when they hit the American Airlines Center hardwood.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
Shawn Marion says the Mavs need an edge at home

After an 85-81 home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, the Mavs come into their contest with the Grizzlies admittedly looking for improved play in their own backyard. Though they lead the Southwest Division and currently sit second in the Western Conference standings, the Mavs have yet to use their home crowd to their advantage.

"I think it's time to go ahead and find ourselves, especially on this home court," forward Shawn Marion said. "I think we have to come out there and become the main aggressors and intimidators on our home court.

"That home court speaks for itself. That's where you're supposed to have the best advantage to win...That's what everybody is fighting for in the playoffs, to get home court advantage."

If the Mavericks are to improve their play at home it will be because of better play on the offensive end. As hard as it sounds, the run-and-gun Mavs have struggled putting the ball in the hoop at home, while their defense has been their calling card on their way to earning a 10-5 record on the home floor. A breakthrough offensively is as simple as shot-making, according to Mavs coach Rick Carlisle.

"We haven't shot the ball as well at home, for one thing," the coach said. "I think our defensive numbers are comparable (between home and away games)...We know where we have to get better, and we'll concentrate on those things.

"We spent a lot of time (Thursday) shooting, and we just have to stay with our defense and our offense will come around...Shot-making comes and goes, even with the best shooting teams."

(Photo by Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Jason Kidd's status Saturday is unclear

While he is not asked to put the ball in the basket much, the Mavs' success rate on shot attempts is often predicated on the play-making of point guard Jason Kidd. But the health of the legendary lead guard is in question and so too is his playing status, after Kidd hit the court hard contesting Brandon Roy's shot attempt in the final seconds of the loss to Portland. Kidd missed the team's practice on Thursday but Carlisle is hopeful that the veteran will be ready to go against the Grizzlies.

"(Kidd) is sore, and he didn't practice (Thursday). We'll hold our breath and see where we are come Saturday. But if he can't go, then Roddy (Beaubois) has to be ready to step in and play minutes. That's where we're at. I'm still hopeful that (Kidd) can play, but he took a nasty, nasty fall," Carlisle said.

But the Mavericks will need every play-maker on the floor if they are going to avenge a 98-82 loss in Memphis on Dec. 4. In that game, Dallas struggled to score while having a hard time defending Zach Randolph in the paint and O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay on the perimeter. Despite sitting last in the Southwest Division standings, the Grizzlies are 7-3 in their last 10 games and a tough squad to corral, as Dallas found out first-hand in Memphis.

"With Memphis coming in here, we've got to deal with a great low-post player and rebounder in Randolph, the best offensive rebounding team in the league and a team that doesn't have great 3-point numbers but they lite us up like a Christmas tree the last time we played them," Carlisle said.

Priority No. 1 will be matching the Grizzlies' effort on the glass, according to Marion. No. 2 will be igniting an offensive assault in front of the home crowd.

"We have to come out here and match their intensity. We have to keep them off the boards. We have to play some offense and make them play defense," Marion said.

The Mavericks-Grizzlies matchup will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 2:00 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks Practice Report (12/24/09)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavericks Practice Report (12/24/09)

The Dallas Mavericks' Christmas list is short.

A healthy floor general, better offensive production and improved play at home is all the Mavericks are asking St. Nick for this holiday season.

Santa's must-get list for Dallas starts with the health of point guard Jason Kidd, who hit the court hard contesting Brandon Roy's shot attempt in the final seconds of an 85-81 home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night. Kidd missed the team's practice on Thursday but Mavs coach Rick Carlisle is hopeful the veteran pass-first lead guard will be ready to go by the team's matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday afternoon.

"(Kidd) is sore, and he didn't practice today," Carlisle said. "We'll hold our breath and see where we are come Saturday. But if he can't go, then Roddy (Beaubois) has to be ready to step in and play minutes. That's where we're at. I'm still hopeful that (Kidd) can play, but he took a nasty, nasty fall."

"J. Kidd is a soldier," forward Shawn Marion said of his floor general. "He took a hard fall and it takes a lot for him to stop working and stop ticking. He has to do what he has to do to take care of his body and we have to control that as well."

With Dallas hopeful that Kidd will not miss any time due to injury, the Mavericks are also wishing that the holiday spirit brings along a better flow offensively. The Mavs have gone through shooting droughts of late, but Carlisle says that offensive cohesiveness is on the way.

"We spent a lot of time today shooting, and we just have to stay with our defense and our offense will come around...Shot-making comes and goes, even with the best shooting teams. The thing that I like is that we've made real progress as a defensive team -- much more than anyone could have imagined in this period of time. But we've got to now sustain that and we have to work on our offensive rhythm and our shot-making. We'll continue to do that," Carlisle said.

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
Dallas will try to avenge a Dec. 4 loss on Saturday

Dallas will need improved play offensively on Saturday if they are to beat a hard-charging Memphis Grizzlies squad just a day after Christmas. The Grizzlies are 7-3 in their last 10 games, despite sitting last in the Southwest Division standings, and they have already claimed a win over the Mavs this season with a 98-82 home win on Dec. 4. That loss sticks out to the Mavs as they look for both retribution and better play at home when Dallas wraps up a four-game home stand.

"With Memphis coming in here, we've got to deal with a great low-post player and rebounder in (Zach) Randolph, the best offensive rebounding team in the league and a team that doesn't have great 3-point numbers but they lite us up like a Christmas tree the last time we played them," Carlisle said.

"We laid an egg the last game (in Memphis)," Marion said. "We have to come out here and match their intensity...We have to keep them off the boards and make them play some defense. We have to play some offense and make them play defense."

(Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Shawn Marion Foundation will bring Christmas to seven families

Marion will hit the court on Saturday after making Christmas wishes come true for seven families.

While most players will be spending their Christmas Day surrounded by family and friends in front of the television set, Marion, the Shawn Marion Foundation and the ChildCareGroup, a United Way agency, will personally deliver toys, bikes, TVs, clothes, furniture, gift cards and gifts to seven Dallas area single mothers and their children on Christmas morning.

"That's what this time is about," Marion said. "This is about giving and sharing. We are definitely blessed in the situation that we're in to give back. It's easy to give people checks and money, but I like to take the effort and let the people see me doing it personally.

"I grew up in a single-family home, so I know what it's like to grow up and be without something. You wake up wondering what you're going to have for Christmas and a lot of times it's not what you want but it's what you need. I'm blessed, why not give a blessing back."

When Marion and the Mavs return to the court they will try to avenge the Dec. 4 loss to the Grizzlies. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 2:00 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Trail Blazers Recap

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Portland Trail Blazers 85 at Dallas Mavericks 81

For the better part of a game and a half, the Dallas Mavericks played without their leader Dirk Nowitzki.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Tuesday night, the Mavericks got their leading-scorer back on the court as Nowitzki battled through a deeply lacerated elbow injury to led his team against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Mavericks entered the night having won the last 11 meetings with the Blazers at home and 18 of the last 20 matchups in total. With his shooting arm heavily bandaged, No. 41 made a triumphant return to the Mavericks' starting lineup with a game-high 27 points but his team was unable to continue the trend against the Blazers, falling 85-81 after a 39-percent shooting night.

"(The bandage on his right arm) was pretty big, but I have to admit it felt pretty good," Nowitzki said after the game about playing with the injury. "I was not really worried about getting the ball up or shooting, it was more hitting it.

"But it's a tough loss. As good a team as we are, we should have found a way to win this game. There's no way we should have loss that game tonight. We held a Portland team too 85 points, you figure if they put 85 on the board we'll find a way to get 90. I don't think our defense was bad...We lost that game on offense."

Aside from an explosive third quarter from Dallas, Portland kept the Mavericks' scoring to a minimum. On a night where only two Mavs, Nowitzki and J.J. Barea, scored in double figures, the Mavs struggled to duplicate the balanced scoring that helped Dallas overtake Cleveland 102-95 just two nights before.

"You can't play one good quarter of basketball and expect to win an NBA game," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "It just doesn't work that way."

"I don't know if guys relaxed too much when I was (on the court), but they looked good the other night," Nowitzki said after his teammates weren't as aggressive in his return as they were in his absence.

Matched up with the Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge, Nowitzki let the game come to him early on. But with the team struggling to produce points and forward Shawn Marion in early foul trouble, Dallas turned to their superstar to provide the scoring in the opening period and Nowitzki gladly obliged with six points. At the 3:12-mark of the quarter, the injury-riddled Blazers took another blow when Joel Przybilla was assisted off the court by teammates with a ruptured patella tendon and dislocated patella in his right knee. Meanwhile, Aldridge and Brandon Roy had Portland covered, lifting the Blazers to an 18-14 advantage after one. Both teams struggled putting the ball in the basket early, as the Blazers' 33 percent from the field was just better than Dallas' 26 percent shooting.

"It's disappointing, especially at home," Barea said. "We just didn't come out well. They were playing harder than us."

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

With Nowitzki on the bench, Josh Howard and Barea picked up the pace and put Dallas ahead in the early minutes of the second quarter. But Dallas had no answer defensively for Aldridge, as the big man poured in 11 of his 17 first half points in the second quarter to take the Blazers to a 44-33 halftime lead.

The 33-point output was a season-low for a half, as the Mavericks shot just 33 percent in the first 24 minutes. Though Portland shot just 39 percent at the other end, Aldridge's scoring and an 11-4 edge in second chance points was plenty to build the double-digit lead.

"We just never were quite right all night and Portland took advantage of it," Carlisle said. "Aldridge had a great first half and then other guys got into it the rest of the game."

The Mavericks found the shooting touch in the third quarter while clamping down on defense, using a 16-6 run at the beginning of the period to cut the deficit to 50-49 with 7:00 left in the third on Barea's driving layup. The speedy guard then gave the Mavs a slight advantage, 55-54, on another drive at the 4:31-mark. The quarter was all about Barea and Nowitzki, as the two each posted 11 points in the period. When the cat-quick combo guard headed to the bench, Nowitzki took over the scoring load as Dallas outscored Portland 32-14 in the quarter to take a 65-58 edge into the fourth.

"I was just trying to attack," Barea said of his play in the third quarter. "I take what the defense gives me. Sometimes I have to shoot, sometimes I get to the paint and see somebody open and I'll pass it. If I've got to shoot it, I'll shoot it. If I have to pass it, I'll pass it.

"I think in the third quarter, we got fast. We attacked the paint in the third quarter and it was working out. Then we had a letdown in the fourth quarter."

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Roy and his patented step-back jumper put the Blazers back on top, playing like the All-Star that he is to help the Blazers retake the lead midway through the fourth quarter. Getting help from Steve Blake and Jerryd Bayless, Roy and the Blazers sprinted to an 81-73 advantage with 3:48 remaining.

"Roy hit some big shots down the stretch. They chipped away at us. Blake hit a three. Bayless hit a three. Juwan Howard goes for 10 points. And so, it's just a combination of things adding up," Carlisle said.

But Dallas wouldn't go quietly into the night, as Nowitzki brought his squad back by raining in a 3-pointer with 1:16 on the clock to cut the deficit to 83-81. After getting a defensive stop, No. 41's game-tying shot attempt rimmed in and rolled out with 38.9 ticks left.

"I feel like when I'm there, I have to make every shot down the stretch to win the game," Nowitzki said. "Myself, I still have to make that shot. The pull-up I had to tie it going left, I have to find a way to tie it."

Down two, the Mavericks received a major scare when point guard Jason Kidd hit the court hard contesting Roy's shot attempt. While Kidd lay in pain, Jason Terry took the rebound from the missed shot and sprinted back to the other end, but his driving layup rolled off the iron and Portland snatched the rebound with 6.8 seconds remaining.

"Kidd is down. It probably would have been wiser to call timeout, but hey, we've been good on the fly before -- getting a stop and then being aggressive in transition. So, we can't really fault Jet (Terry) on that. He made an aggressive play, got to the basket and then just didn't get the roll. Afterwards you're always smarter, and it probably would have been better to pull the ball out, get a timeout and set the play up and try to tie the game up," Nowitzki said of the final seconds.

"I'm the head coach, so I'm accountable for the result of that play," Carlisle said. "The fact that we didn't call time out is on me. I take responsibility for that, so that's my fault."

Kidd remained in the game, but Terry's foul on Andre Miller sent the Blazers' point guard to the free throw line with 6.5 seconds on the game clock. The veteran calmly knocked down a pair to extend the Portland lead to 85-81. After Terry's desperation attempt at the other end missed the rim, the Blazers ran the clock out to end their winless streak in Dallas. Portland outscored the Mavericks 27-16 in the fourth.

There is no injury to report on Kidd.

In addition to Nowitzki's 27 points, on 10-of-13 shooting, the 7-footer grabbed nine rebounds while playing 41 minutes in his return. Barea finished with 22 points. The rest of the team combined to score 32 points on 12-of-51 shooting. Dallas also struggled from the foul line, hitting just 12-for-22 at the charity stripe, while Portland capitalized off of their freebies by hitting 16-of-19 from the line.

Aldridge scored just two points in the second half to bring his total to 19 points, to go along with 12 rebounds. But Roy scored 10 of his team-high 23 points in the fourth to lead the Blazers to the victory.

Now the Mavericks will try to correct things over the Christmas holiday before welcoming in divisional foe Memphis on Saturday afternoon. Dallas will try to avenge a 98-82 road loss to the Grizzlies on Dec. 4.

"They're really playing well," Nowitzki said of the upstart Grizzlies squad. "They've got three legit scorers with (Zach) Randolph, (Rudy) Gay and obviously (O.J.) Mayo. They really took it to us in Memphis, played a good game and beat us.

"We have to be ready, but this one is going to be a tough one to swallow. I'll probably sit with this one for three days. Over the Christmas break, sitting with a loss is awful. It's something you want to avoid but you can't change it now...Try to enjoy Christmas with the family and then come ready on the 26th in an early game."

That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 2:00 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Trail Blazers Preview

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Portland Trail Blazers (17-12) at Dallas Mavericks (20-8)

If the role players for the Dallas Mavericks have learned anything in the wake of Dirk Nowitzki suffering a deeply lacerated elbow injury last Friday night, it's be prepared because your number can be called at any point and time.

After Tim Thomas' 22-point effort while starting for Nowitzki in a 102-95 win over Cleveland on Sunday night, that point was reaffirmed.

"Injuries are a part of this league," point guard Jason Kidd said after the team's Tuesday morning shootaround. "More than anything, (role players) have to be professionals and ready at any time because they can be called on."

Someone else may be called on Tuesday night as the Mavericks host the Portland Trail Blazers. Dallas' depth may once again play a big role with Nowitzki's status for the game still unclear.

"(Nowitzki) is doing better but it's going to be a game-time decision," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "If there's no infection and everything checks out, it will probably be up to him. But we'll know more tonight."

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Bottling up Roy tops Dallas' to-do list

After proving that they are more than just a one-man team against Cleveland, the Southwest Division-leading Mavericks are preparing to win their second straight without their leading-scorer. Enter perhaps the perfect opponent, as the Mavericks have won the last 11 meetings with the Blazers in Dallas. The Mavs have taken 18 of the last 20 games with the team from the Northwest Division.

The key to Dallas running their winning streak against Portland at home to 12 will be stopping swingman Brandon Roy. The versatile guard is one of the upper-echelon stars in the league, though he is not as heralded.

"(Roy) is a great player, though he may not be quite up there with LeBron James or Dwyane Wade," Kidd said. "But as we've seen, he can take over a game in the fourth quarter like he did in Miami."

Roy nailed three 3-pointers in the last 4 1/2 minutes of a 102-95 road win against the Heat on Sunday. The All-Star scored 28 points on the night.

"We're going to have to have a lot of different guys ready to guard (Roy). We're going to have to have our team defense geared towards containing him, because one guy can't do it -- you just simply can't. He's a perennial All-Star player, he's a perennial All-NBA guy and he's a great guy in crunch time."

Portland has been decimated by injuries, mainly to the former No. 1 overall draft pick, the 7-foot Greg Oden, and to Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillian.

McMillian had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right foot after participating in practice to give his injury-plagued team 10 men for five-on-five scrimmages.

The Blazers will be without Oden (fractured patella) for the remainder of the season and without reserve Nicolas Batum (shoulder) for most of the year.

"If you look at their situation, they were so banged up that the coach had to practice, and then he went down," Carlisle said.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
LaMarcus Aldridge is a versatile big man

"(The Oden injury) takes a dominate, athletic center out of the equation. But they make up for it with (Joel Przybilla), who is one of the best defensive centers in the league. And then they can slide (LaMarcus Aldridge) up to the five, which causes matchup problems. Aldridge is going to be an All-Star in this league, we all know that."

Dallas will try to keep Aldridge and the Roy-led Blazers under wraps in the third game of the Mavs' four-game home stand. It is the first meeting between the two squads this season. The game will air locally on TXA 21, TXA HD and HD NET at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks Practice Report (12/21/09)

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavericks Practice Report (12/21/09)

The Dallas Mavericks have a message to the rest of the NBA: Sunday night was no fluke.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

With leading-scorer Dirk Nowitzki sidelined due to a deeply lacerated right elbow, the veteran Mavericks didn't miss a beat as they used a complete team effort to defeat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-95 on the American Airlines Center floor. As six Mavs scored in double figures, led by forward Tim Thomas' 22 points after being inserted into the starting lineup in place of Nowitzki, the Mavericks proved to the rest of the league that Dallas is not a one-man team.

A strong effort on defense in the fourth quarter, holding James to just two of his 25 points in the final period, coupled with balanced scoring lifted Dallas to the win. Now, with Nowitzki's status still unknown for Dallas' game on Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Mavericks are preparing for an encore performance against Brandon Roy and company.

"It was a good win for us," center Erick Dampier said after the team's Monday practice. "It just shows that even though our best player is out of the lineup, we still have guys that can step up and give us quality minutes and give us the scoring we need."

"It was a team effort last night. We went out there and got the job done defensively, got rebounds and got stops. We were able to put the ball in the basket and we played good last night."

The Mavericks have talked about their depth since Training Camp, but Sunday it was truly on display. Though Mavs coach Rick Carlisle decided to play just an eight-man rotation against the Cavaliers, he certainly got his full use out of all of his players in the win.

With guys available at the coach's disposal nightly that have played in big games, balancing playing time for a team this deep is a nice problem to have, according to Carlisle.

"That's why we put the team together the way that we did, because we felt we had to have a lot of depth and a lot of protection because you go through injuries," Carlisle said. "You have to have other guys ready to step up."

"All of our guys played well. Some nights it will be eight, some nights it will be nine or 10, but whoever is on the floor has got to give us great effort and they have to bring to the table what they do -- if it's a shooter, or driver or whatever. But everyone on the floor has got to give us defense."

Dallas certainly received a strong effort defensively from their full compliment of players against James and the Cavs. A defensive disposition is one that Carlisle feels his team can not lose, especially with Roy, one of the league's most dangerous scorers, coming in town.

"The improvements in our team this year has been more about better things we're doing at the defensive end, and we have to stick with that," Carlisle said. "Shot-making can come and go, but your defense can hold you in games and give you a chance to win if you're not making it."

The Mavericks admit that Roy presents different challenges than James, though he may not equal the reigning MVP in talent. But after limiting James' scoring opportunities down the stretch to claim then win, Dallas is fairly confident that they can contain the league's ninth-leading scorer.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

"They're both great players, LeBron James and Roy," Carlisle said. "We're going to have to have a lot of different guys ready to guard him. We're going to have to have our team defense geared towards containing him, because one guy can't do it -- you just simply can't. He's a perennial All-Star player, he's a perennial All-NBA guy and he's a great guy in crunch time."

"Brandon Roy is not LeBron James, so we'll approach him differently. He's the best player on their team, so he's going to take shots. He's not really a post-up guy. We just have to give him different looks, blitz him on picks, make him find other guys and make them be play-makers. He's the best player on their team, we just have to find a way to get him under control," Dampier said.

Dallas will try to keep Roy under control when the Blazers head into Dallas for the third game of the Mavs' four-game home stand. Though he is still listed as questionable, the Mavericks could have Nowitzki back in action as soon as Tuesday night. That game will air locally on TXA 21, TXA HD and HD NET at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.