Dallas Mavericks 130 at Houston Rockets 99
It's amazing how things can change in a 24-hour span.
The Dallas Mavericks lacked both energy and effort in their 111-103 loss to Golden State on Tuesday night. As with any team, the Mavs' energy level was directly correlated to their shooting just a night later, as Dallas shot lights-out against the Houston Rockets in the first matchup of a three-game road trip.
On a night in which Jason Kidd continued to cement his place in NBA immortality, the Mavericks shot a season-high 65.5 percent and showed just why they are so thankful for their depth and bench play this holiday season, as the Dallas reserves outscored their Houston counterparts 68-44 to lift Dallas to a 130-99 road win. With the victory, the Mavs have claimed the first two meetings of the season against the Southwest Division rival.
"Nights like last night are tough and tonight is what makes this league fantastic," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the win. "Our guys bounced back well. Our tempo was perfect. Last night, we played a very unintelligent game. We were much more aggressive tonight. Consistency with our effort and overall team play will be key for this team."
(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
Kidd moved into second place on the all-time assists list in the win
While the Mavs were snatching away the win from the Rockets' grasp, Kidd was dishing out assists as he has his entire career, moving past Mark Jackson into second on the all-time assists list.
"The big thing was we knew it was going to happen," Kidd said of the accomplishment. "The stats will take care of themselves and after my career is over I will reflect on them."
Dallas came into Houston hoping that the return of Shawn Marion would be just what the doctor ordered, as the high-flying forward returned to the court after a sprained left ankle kept him out of the last three contests. With Quinton Ross (lower back injury) not traveling with the team, Marion joined Kidd, rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, Dirk Nowitzki and Drew Gooden in the starting lineup.
But not even Marion was enough to inject life into the struggling Mavericks early, as Dallas quickly found themselves down 13 (17-4) in the first quarter as Chuck Hayes and Luis Scola dominated the paint at the onset.
"Houston scored on their first nine possessions of the game," Carlisle said. "Our start was horrendous. The rest of the game was great. We battled back and were very active defensively."
"Defensively, we couldn't get a stop to start the game and they came out hot," Nowitzki said. "Our bench was great and we stepped up on defense and that turned the game for us."
Behind Kidd and sixth man Jason Terry, the Mavs responded with outside shooting to end the quarter on a 32-8 run, taking a 36-25 lead at the end of one.
Terry's 13-point first quarter was instrumental, as the Mavs came back from a double-digit deficit much like the first meeting between the two squads, when Dallas overcame a 17-point deficit to win in a route.
(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
Thomas was a much-needed spark off the Mavs' bench Wednesday night
Behind newcomer Tim Thomas' touch from 3-point range and his ability to score in the paint, the Dallas advantage grew to 17 (46-29) in the early minutes of the second quarter. Nowitzki's face-up jumper with 3:17 left in the half put the Dallas lead at 18 (60-42), before the Mavericks closed the first half up 68-51.
"We had to get ourselves going after the way the game started," Thomas said. "We have guys on the bench that have been around and know how to play the game. I have a high confidence level and I’m trying to get a feel for everything."
"He (Thomas) brings a playoff mentality to our team. He has worked hard and has been impressive. He came here for a chance to win a championship and he took a substantial pay cut for this opportunity. I’m proud of him and the way he plays," Carlisle said.
Nowitzki, Terry and Thomas combined to score 43 of the Mavs' 68 first half points. Dallas shot a staggering 69 percent in the first half, while hitting 5-of-7 from behind the 3-point arch. Meanwhile, after the abysmal start, the Dallas defense held Houston to 44 percent shooting and just 4-of-13 from long range.
The Mavericks were hoping those trends continued in the second half, and continue they did.
At the 10:52-mark of the third quarter, the Mavericks were a part of history, as Kidd moved ahead of Jackson and just behind John Stockton on the assists charts with a beautiful alley-oop lob pass to Beaubois for the above-the-rim finish. As for the third quarter, it was just business as usual for the Mavs, leading by as much as 20 before taking a 91-77 advantage into the fourth.
"Some records are meant to stay where they are and the all-time assist number of John Stockton is going to stay there for a long time," Kidd said. "When you are talking about the all-time great guards you can’t omit John Stockton. He has to be up at the top of the list."
Dallas made quick work of the Rockets in the final period, leading by as much as 35 while outscoring Houston 39-22 in the period.
Terry led the way for Dallas with a game-high 27 points (on 10-of-11 shooting), adding 10 assists as well for the double-double. Meanwhile, Nowitzki (25), Thomas (23), Marion (12) and Gooden (10) made it five Mavericks in double-figures. Kidd finished with nine points and seven assists on the night, giving the point guard 10,337 dimes for his career.
In a losing effort, Carl Landry led Houston with 24 points.
In addition to the Mavs' hot shooting, the Dallas defense forced 17 turnovers and held the Rockets' sharpshooters to just 5-of-20 from 3-point range.
The Mavericks continue on their road trip, touching down in Indianapolis on Friday night to battle the Indiana Pacers. The Mavericks-Pacers matchup will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7 p.m. CT.
Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Nov. 30, when they play host to the Philadelphia 76ers. 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.
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