Mavericks Practice Report (11/21/09)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavs Practice Report (11/21/09)

In the midst of a grueling 82-game NBA schedule there are few days to simply hit the practice court and correct the mistakes made on the hardwood.

With a 10-3 record, five straight wins and a third-day break in between games, the Mavs took advantage of the kind schedule and concentrated on sharpening up their offense on Saturday. With health a concern for Dallas, as three starters (Erick Dampier, Josh Howard and Shawn Marion) sat out Friday night's 104-102 win over the Sacramento Kings, the team looked to integrate role players more into Mavs coach Rick Carlisle's system. In doing so, the team went through almost the entire offensive playbook, practicing against the assistant coaches.

"We're practicing today and taking tomorrow off, so we had to get some things done," Carlisle said after Saturday's practice. "It can be tough after a game day, but they did a good job."

"Today was offensive-oriented and then Monday will be more geared towards defense. We have some guys that need to catch up. (Tim Thomas) has been out. He's gotten some reps but now he has to be able to play three positions, so he caught up a little bit. (Marion) has been out a little bit, so he needed to get some reps. And we're just solidifying what we're doing."

With so many players in and out of the Mavs' lineup, the team has needed production from multiple sources. The contributions have come from different last names on the back of Dallas uniforms on a nightly basis. But with different players stepping up every game, Carlisle says it has caused the team to lack a true chemistry on the court.

"We have to work toward gaining a team rhythm offensively and staying persistent defensively," Carlisle said.

While the Mavs coach has liked his team's effort, and of course the results in the win column, he is still looking for consistency from the Dallas bench.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
Dallas is looking for more from Kris Humphries at both ends

Despite games like Friday night's win, where the Dallas reserves out scored their Sacramento counterparts 52-14, there have also been nights where the bench scoring fell solely on the shoulders of sixth man Jason Terry. With Drew Gooden inserted into the starting lineup in Dampier's stead, Carlisle is looking for more from Thomas and Kris Humphries in the interior.

"With Damp being out, it brings other guys into the equation. Humphries has got to play well for us. Thomas is healthy now, and he's back in there playing two or three diferent positions. And so, we need everybody. We really do."

Humphries and Thomas combined for 26 of the 52 bench points for the Mavs on Friday night. While Thomas will see time both in the paint and out on the perimeter, Humphries' role is set in place as the grunt-working, hustle play-making, energy guy.

"He's kind of like a construction worker with Sunday school clothes on," Carlisle said of Humphries' ability to bang in the paint while also having a smooth jumper from the perimeter. "He's a dirty work guy, but also he has some very good skill aspects to his game."

"A construction worker dressed up for Sunday school," Humphries repeated. "The reality is, guys off the bench have to be blue-collar type of guys. You have to be willing to do the things that guys can't necessarily do if they play 40 minutes a game. I'm just a guy out there playing hard and running the floor."


If Humphries' willingness to create hustle plays continues, it can only enhance the Dallas bench, making the Mavs even more well-rounded. Despite their health situation, Dallas sits tied atop the Western Conference with the Phoenix Suns. Still the Mavs are being overlooked by many across the league as serious contenders for the title.

"You know what, it's early and as long as we can slide under the radar, we are cool with that. It's not where you are now, it's where you are at the end of the year. For us, we're not cheering because we're 10-3 and at the top off the Western Conference. We're sitting here thinking we have to keep stringing together wins and working on our stuff, and it's going to lead to a good record in the end," Humphries said.

Dallas hits the court again Tuesday night to start a stretch of four games in five nights, as the Mavs host the Golden State Warriors at 7:30 p.m. CT. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest. 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.

1-on-1 with Jason Kidd

Earl K. Sneed chats with point guard Jason Kidd after the Mavs' 104-102 win over the Kings

Mavericks-Kings Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Sacramento Kings 102 at Dallas Mavericks 104

The Dallas Mavericks haven't used their health situation as an excuse all season.

With Erick Dampier (illness), Josh Howard (surgically-repaired left ankle) and Shawn Marion (left ankle) all out for the team's matchup with the Sacramento Kings, the excuses didn't start on Friday night as the Mavericks hit the court looking for their fifth straight win. Behind gritty play and a 52-14 bench scoring edge, the Mavs squeaked out a 104-102 win on the home floor at the American Airlines Center.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

"We're going to have to get help from a lot of different guys," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the win. "To win games with some of your key guys out you've got to be a true team, so that's what we're attempting to do as best we can."

Though the win certainly couldn't be described as being pretty, it was another notch in the win column as Dallas moves to 10-3 on the young season.

"In this league, in doesn't really matter if you win ugly or pretty," Dirk Nowitzki said after the win. "Out of 13 games we've won 10 and that's pretty good, but we know we have work to do. We have a lot of ugly wins, so we know we have to get better from game to game, from month to month."

Starting a lineup of Jason Kidd, rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, Quinton Ross, Nowitzki and Drew Gooden, the Mavs looked to get off to a quick start against a .500 Kings squad. Dallas did just that, scoring the first seven points of the night. But with an opportunity to blow the game open early in the first quarter, the Mavs allowed Sacramento to stay close with countless missed layups despite getting to the rim at will. Influenced most by the blown "bunnies" at the rim was Gooden, who grabbed nine rebounds (five offensive) in the first quarter but shot just 1-of-8 in the period.

"Tonight he (Gooden) had a rough night with luck around the basket and getting the ball to go in," Carlisle said. "He had some good looks and the key is for him to just to keep doing what he's doing because he's making a great effort and bringing great energy to us."

As Dallas struggled to convert on easy scores, Sacramento surged ahead 24-22 at the end of one. The Mavs shot just 9-of-28 (32 percent) in the period, while the Kings hit on just under 55 percent of their shots.

Sacramento didn't let up to start the second quarter, as rookie standout Tyreke Evans and forward Andres Nocioni opened up a five-point (33-28) Kings' lead. Behind Nowitzki, Kidd, sixth man Jason Terry and reserve forward Kris Humphries, Dallas rallied to outscore Sacramento 25-18 in the quarter to take a 47-42 advantage into the half.

Humphries led all Mavericks in scoring at the half with 10 points, as Jason Thompson matched that output for the Kings. Dallas made up for a 40 percent shooting half by forcing 12 turnovers on the defensive end, keeping the Kings from capitalizing off of their 49 percent shooting.

Gooden had enough of the missed layups, so the big man decided to emphatically throw down a two-handed dunk, plus the foul, to open up the scoring at the start of the second half. It was the start of a seven-point third quarter for Gooden, as he rebounded from his ugly beginning to the night.

"I didn't care about going 1-for-10 (in the first half)," Gooden said. "I just stayed with it and was active trying to keep the ball alive. I had one of those nights where I was going to fight and do whatever it took to get to that ball."

Behind trapping defense on Evans and a scoring Kidd, who is normally reluctant to look for his own offense, the Mavs took a 68-65 lead into the fourth quarter.


The Mavs' advantage quickly ballooned to ten at the start of the fourth, as Humphries, Tim Thomas and J.J. Barea gave a big boost to the Dallas second unit.

"I think that's (the bench) an important part to this team," Humphries said. "When the bench is coming in strong, it helps the overall flow of what we're doing and kind of picks us up."

Sacramento then came back to within three, as Evans looked more like a veteran and less likely a first-year pro as he single-handily kept the Kings close in the last five minutes. Dallas countered with a heavy dose of Terry, as the reigning Sixth Man of the Year scored 10 of the Mavs' final 19 points over the final 4:15 of game time.

"I wanted to be aggressive," Terry said. "I was due. I wasn't going to stop shooting. Coach did a great job of calling my number, we got some stops and we just kept them at bay."

But Dallas' inability to protect the lead, coupled with Evans' determination to never quit, brought the Kings to within three, 102-99, on a 3-pointer from the Kings' rookie with 2.8 seconds left in the game. The two teams then played the free throw game and Terry calmly made the Kings pay at the charity stripe. Out of the woods and up by five, Omri Casspi's three at the buzzer was merely a minuet point, as Dallas wrapped up a hard fought two-point win. The Mavs hung on to win despite being outscored 37-36 in the fourth.

"We were doing okay until we gave up 37 in the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter and the way it ended, it's going to leave a bad taste for everybody. Some disappointment, but getting the win is important so we'll be glad for that and we'll work to get better," Carlisle said.

"We've got to do better than we did in the last minute. You give up three 3-pointers in 24 seconds, that's not acceptable. We need to get better -- we will do better."

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)


Nowitzki and Terry led the Mavs with team-high honors in scoring, as both stars posted 20 points. Kidd added a double-double with 15 points, on 5-of-9 from 3-point range, to go along with his 11 assists. Meanwhile, Gooden finished just one point shy of his fourth straight double-double with nine points and a season-high 16 rebounds. Off the bench, Humphries (15) and Thomas (11) saw season-high scoring nights.

"With what Humphries and Thomas did inside, they were a force. We're going to need those guys to continue to be consistent and continue to give us something," Terry said.

Evans finished with a game-high 29 points for the Kings.

The Kings out-shot the Mavericks 53 percent to 45 percent, but Dallas' defense caused 21 turnovers and forced 10 steals.

Now the Mavs will take three days away from game action before playing four games in five nights, starting with host the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. CT. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest. 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.

One-on-One with Mavs rookie Rodrigue Beaubois

Mavericks-Kings Preview

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Sacramento Kings (5-5) at Dallas Mavericks (9-3)

If the Dallas Mavericks are going to be a championship contender, they have to win games like the one they will find themselves in on Friday night.

Without 60 percent of their conventional starting lineup (with Erick Dampier, Josh Howard and Shawn Marion out), the Mavericks face a formidable foe in the Sacramento Kings led by rookie Tyreke Evans. Despite losing the league's leading scorer, Kevin Martin, the Kings have continued to play .500 basketball. But if an NBA title is in Dallas' future, they can't lose games to marginal opponents, even without some of their stars.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

"We're a confident bunch right now," Mavs sixth man Jason Terry said. "We still have a lot of guys injured or they have certain ailments right now, so we're just kind of trying to weather the storm, tough it out and win as many games as we can. That's all you can really do right now, and hope no one else goes down. Knock on wood for that."

In spite of their health situation, the Mavs come in Friday night riding a four-game winning wave. The Mavs hope they don't suffer a wipe-out against Sacramento.

Knowing the Kings are a quality ball club, Dallas will look to jump out early offensively on their home floor while trying to stifle the Kings' rookie sensation at the defensive end.

"Dangerous team. I think when Kevin Martin went out they ran off two or three straight games. They have a great rookie point guard. They're scrappy. They're a scrappy bunch, and if you don't come out ready to play, it's going to be a 'grind-it-out' game," Terry said.

"We're at home. We have to take advantage of being at home right now, even though we have guys out, and come out of here with another victory. This ain't a team you can overlook. You have to come out ready to play and don't let them get any confidence early."

The Mavs come in 4-1 at home, with the one loss coming in the season opener to the Washington Wizards. Visa versa, the Kings are only 1-3 on the road but they do hold a winning record against fellow Western Conference teams, sitting at 5-3 against the West. Still, Dallas expects for their winning streak to run to five, after showing an ability to win close games by notching back-to-back overtime wins.

"I like the momentum of winning games, but we don't want to lose any momentum," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "We just have to keep going here."

"We have a long ways to go to get where we really want to be."

The Mavs host the Kings on Friday night, with the game airing locally on FSN 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

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavs Practice Report (11/19/09)

After back-to-back 53-minute games, the Dallas Mavericks got off their feet Thursday, using the day as a film and treatment day before their upcoming matchup against one of the NBA's rising stars.

The Mavericks are on a four-game winning streak, but Dallas has needed two straight wins in overtime to run that streak to four, giving the veteran team plenty of reason to need a day of rest.

"We're looking to play 48 minutes of solid basketball," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "That's what Mavericks' basketball is -- it's 48 minutes long, and some nights it's 53 minutes long. Whatever gets you from start to finish and gives you the chance to win is what we're looking for."



Despite their 9-3 record and first place in the Southwest Division standings, the Mavericks are not convinced that they have played a full 48 minutes in any game thus far. So for now, the Mavericks are less focused on their spot in the standings and more focused on improving as a team.

"You definitely want to get out ahead of the curve rather than trying to play catch-up," sixth man Jason Terry said. "Our emphasis this year has been on getting off to a good start and primarily we've done that. But we're still not out off the first month yet so we'll hold off on any assumptions right now."

"In terms of keeping our eye on the ball, it's got to be about getting better. This is no time for complacency or feeling like we have anything solved because we really don't. We have a long ways to go," Carlisle said.

One reason for Carlisle's focused demeanor is the team's poor shooting early this season. Coupled with their ever-changing health situation, Dallas has plenty to be alarmed about, despite the winning record.

Yet Carlisle isn't stressed, just focused on improving.

"Stress is a relative term," Carlisle said. "I think you always have to be very honest in evaluating your team and how you're playing, whether you're winning or losing."

"Something we have to start working at is putting teams away and not having all of these close games with teams," forward Drew Gooden said. "Yeah, our record is nice but a lot of our games have been nail-bitters. It's building a lot of nervous energy out there on the bench and probably some more grey hairs for Coach."

(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
Mavs are preparing to defend rookie star Tyreke Evans


Carlisle is hoping Gooden's prediction rings true, especially with the Sacramento Kings and rookie sensation Tyreke Evans coming into the American Airlines Center on Friday night. Evans has caused many opposing coaches to grow new grey hairs with his scoring and play-making in his first year. The rookie ranks second in scoring (17.1 ppg) and third in assists (4.3 apg) for first-year pros.

"He's (Evans) a very solid player," Carlisle said. "He's very athletic. He's got unusual strength for a young player, so I think using size (a larger player guarding Evans) when we can do that is going to be something we'll want to do, but again he's one of those guys that you're going to end up throwing a lot of different guys at before the night's over."

"He can just do so many different things. He can shoot it, he can drive it, he can make plays, he can post up. He's just a very good all-around young player."

The Mavericks will try to slow Evans down, first and foremost, in hopes that that brings the Sacramento attack to a halt.

Meanwhile, Carlisle is hoping that Dallas can break out of their shooting slump. The Mavs shot just 40 percent in their 99-94 overtime win over the Spurs on Wednesday night. It is trend that can't continue if Dallas is going to eventually contend for an NBA title.

"I just don't want to get caught up in how things have gone the last couple of games and not look ahead and put our efforts into getting better, because we can. We have to get healthier and better, and we have a long way to get where we really want to be," Carlisle said.

The Mavs host the Kings on Friday night, with the game airing locally on FSN 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-Spurs Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
San Antonio Spurs 94 at Dallas Mavericks 99 F/OT

While there are no more superlatives left to describe what Dirk Nowitzki has meant to the Dallas Mavericks organization, the legend of No. 41 grew even more Wednesday night.

Facing the Mavs' biggest foe, the San Antonio Spurs, Nowitzki saved his best for the end of the game, like Houdini's' finale, as the Mavs' magician pulled a rabbit out of his hat and willed Dallas to a 99-94 overtime win with a season-high 41 points. The heroics came just just two nights after Nowitzki downed Milwaukee on the road by hitting a game-winning buzzer-beater at the conclusion of overtime. With a playoff-like feel in the arena, Nowitzki proved to the home crowd of 20,110 that there's still a few more tricks up his sleeve.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

"I thought the key to the game tonight was poise, composure and just determination," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "It doesn't matter who San Antonio has out there, with their style of play, they have a way to control the game. We just were struggling to make shots but our guys stayed patient. Even more than just the plays that Dirk made, he just was able to keep his composure in tough spots."

"I felt like I missed a couple of face-up jump shots that I usually have to make," Nowitzki said. "I got angry at halftime over shots that I missed, but for our team right now, especially with Josh (Howard) and (Shawn) Marion out, I have to keep coming offensively and keep making stuff happen."

The Mavericks entered their second of four meetings against the Spurs winners of three straight. Dallas was without center Erick Dampier (illness), Josh Howard (surgically-repaired left ankle) and forward Shawn Marion (sprained left ankle), but Wednesday night marked the debut of forward Tim Thomas. Meanwhile, the Spurs were once again without point guard Tony Parker (left ankle) but not Tim Duncan, who missed the first matchup between the two teams.

With Marion out, Quinton Ross was inserted into the starting lineup at the small forward position next to Jason Kidd, rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, Nowitzki and Drew Gooden. As they have the last two games, the Mavericks came out the gates firing on all cylinders led by Beaubois and Gooden as Dallas scored the game's first eight points.

While Beaubois dazzled the home crowd early, the Spurs took advantage of their ability to knock down the 3-point shot much like the first meeting between the two teams, as Matt Bonner and former Mav Michael Finley's long range assault powered San Antonio to a 21-19 lead after the first quarter. Dallas hit on 9-of-22 shots in the period, while San Antonio responded with 8-of-19 shooting (3-of-4 from 3-point range). Already without one star, the Spurs took a major blow in the quarter when they lost guard Manu Ginobili for the game with a strained left groin.

"It hurt not having him (Ginobili) in there but I thought we did a good job of not worrying about it, getting back together," Duncan said. "We had guys step up and make
plays."

The second quarter began with Dallas' second unit running and pushing the tempo to create easy offense. In the process, the Mavs regained the lead behind the combination of J.J. Barea and Jason Terry. Using a 12-1 run, Dallas opened up a seven-point lead (33-26) midway through the second quarter. With Ginobili's rim-attacking offense on the sideline for the night, the Spurs once again answered with the long-range attack, as Bonner's third 3-pointer in the half (3-for-3) paced San Antonio's comeback to close the gap to 37-35 in Dallas' favor at the end of the first half in a low-scoring affair.

"We did a great job of battling, I think," Nowitzki said. "It wasn't pretty again, they kept it a low-scoring game, and we didn't get anything going offensively. But I thought we just kept coming."

Dallas' 37 percent shooting half was still better than San Antonio's abysmal 34 percent. The Spurs made up for their shooting deficiency by knocking down 4-of-7 from 3-point range, but Dallas was not as fortunate as the Mavs hit just 1-of-7 from behind the arch in the half. Nowitzki matched Bonner and Duncan with nine first half points to lead all scorers. Beaubois' above-the-rim finishes and smooth, silky scoring added eight points in the half.

The two stars left on the court, Nowitzki and Duncan, began to assert themselves to start the third quarter. But it was the role players for the Spurs that led San Antonio to an 11-2 run after George Hill's crossover and jumper in the lane pushed the team from the south ahead 48-45, leading to a Dallas timeout with 7:02 left in the third. The Mavs found life in Gooden's inside play, as the forward's rebounding and timely scoring in the paint brought Dallas to within one, before Nowitzki's jumper put Dallas back ahead 55-54 with 3:22 left in the quarter. Nowitzki and Gooden scored the first 18 Dallas points (20 total) in the period, before Thomas finished off the scoring to give Dallas a 63-59 advantage heading into the fourth.

"He's (Gooden) brought a real presence to our game. He made some really important offensive plays down the stretch and battled Duncan all night," Carlisle said.

As they have throughout the early stage of the season, the Mavs found themselves in a tightly contested game in the fourth period. Playing a three-guard lineup of Barea, Terry and Kidd, next to Nowitzki and Gooden, the Mavericks' offense played at a faster pace and took a 74-68 lead on a Terry three off Kidd's feed with 7:00 on the clock. Just before that play, a scrum between Nowitzki and Bonner illustrated the hatred between the two clubs, but more importantly it got No. 41's attention, awaking a somewhat sleeping giant.

But while the Dallas star was getting little help in the period, the Spurs were slowly climbing back before eventually tying the game at 78-all on an Antonio McDyess jumper with 3:15 on the game clock. As he had the entire night, Gooden rose to the occasion with a spinning post move and score (goal-tending) to put Dallas ahead 82-80 with 1:58 left. Gooden's block on Hill's jumper on the other end maintained the two-point advantage inside of the last minute, but matched up one-on-one with Duncan, the Mavs forward committed his sixth foul, ending his night with 30.1 seconds left in regulation. Duncan calmly nailed both free throws to tie the game (82-82).

"When we lost him (Gooden), it was a tough break because he played so solid," Carlisle said.

Gooden exited the game with his third straight double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in his 36 minutes.

Out of a timeout, the Mavs played pick-and-roll basketball with Terry and Nowitzki. After Terry's jumper met the front end of the rim, Nowitzki slashed down the middle of the lane for the tip-in to put Dallas ahead by two with 14.6 seconds on the clock. Duncan came right back with a bank-in off the glass over Kris Humphries to knot the game with 2.3 seconds remaining. With a chance to win it, Carlisle drew up a play for Terry to come off a screen, but the sharpshooter's shot attempt was blocked by Duncan as time expired, sending the game into an extra period even at 84-all.

The game was then decide when one team's star showed up big in the overtime, while the other fizzled.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

With Dallas down three early in the overtime, Nowitzki drove and scored, plus the foul, to tie the game once again. The team once again needed Nowitzki's heroics, as the 7-footer's three-point play with 2:28 left in overtime put Dallas ahead 92-91, earning a "M-V-P" chant from the hometown crowd. On the other end, the two stars for each team matched up, with Nowitzki stifling Duncan with his defense in the overtime period.

"The overtime period was the difference, and I played very badly in the
overtime period and Dirk really showed up and took his team over the top," Duncan said.

"The key was we put Dirk on Duncan the last couple of times he had it, and Dirk's length may have bothered Tim a little bit more," Carlisle said. "He's a lot taller and longer arms (then Gooden), so I thought those plays were just as important as the buckets that he made."

"Defensively, we kept battling. Offensively, we made some big shots when we needed them," Nowitzki said of the execution late.

Nowitzki's 3-pointer with 1:15 left put the proverbial nail in the Spurs' coffin for the night, with the Mavs up 97-91, and gave Dallas an 11-2 run. After Hill's three, Nowitzki iced the game at the free throw line, putting the finishing touches on his 41-point night.

Scoring 23 of his 41 in the fourth quarter and overtime, Nowitzki put the team on his back once again.

"The ball kept coming to me, so I was able to knock some shots down in the second half, and we definitely needed it to get the win," Nowitzki said.

And get the win the Mavs did, despite shooting just 40 percent compared to the Spurs' 44 percent. Despite the cold shooting, the Mavericks won with defensive intensity, forcing San Antonio into 19 total turnovers while only committing five unforced errors themselves. Dallas also destroyed San Antonio in the paint, outscoring the Spurs 46-22 in the interior.

Duncan led the Spurs with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

Dallas was motivated by the 92-83 loss the Mavs suffered just a week earlier in San Antonio.

"We were playing in Minnesota thinking about that game. We were playing in Detroit thinking about that game. We played against Milwaukee and were still thinking about that game, so we're just glad we came in and protected our home court and redeemed ourselves from that loss in San Antonio," Gooden said.

The Mavs try to once again protect their home court and run their winning streak to five when they host the Sacramento Kings on Friday night, with the game airing locally on FSN 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-Spurs Preview

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
San Antonio Spurs (4-4) at Dallas Mavericks (8-3)

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

The Dallas Mavericks have revenge on their minds and a cold feeling for their opponent on Wednesday night, as the Southwest Division rival San Antonio Spurs enter the American Airlines Center.

(Photo by D. Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images)
Mavs still taste the bitterness of a 92-83 loss to the Spurs


The Mavs, back home after going 3-1 on a four-game road trip, welcome the Spurs after falling 92-83 in San Antonio just one week ago. It was the previously mentioned one loss for Dallas during the nomadic stretch, before the Mavericks reeled off three straight in the win column. But it is still the one game that sticks out in the minds of the Mavericks, as Dallas fell despite matching up with a short-handed Spurs squad without Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.

"We just played poorly," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of the loss to the Spurs. "No excuses. It was just one of those nights where our level of aggression and unselfishness wasn't where it needed to be. Tonight's a different night. We're going to have to be extremely aggressive without committing bad fouls. We're going to have to share the ball and make things happen at both ends of the court."

"It's a challenging game but we're in our own building, and we've got to make some good things happen."

With the two San Antonio stars out in their last meeting, the Mavericks say they lost their own identity and failed to play unselfish, team basketball in the loss.

"We have to share the ball," Kidd said. "We felt we held on to the ball down in San Antonio, and we shot a lot of one-on-ones in the since of one pass, one shot. We have to make them work on the defensive end, so for that we have to get the ball from one end to another and make those guys work."

Dallas has shared the ball much better during their three-game winning streak, which has allowed for new contributors to step in and play big roles as others have gone down due to injury. When swingman Josh Howard went out indefinitely, to return to rehabbing his surgically-repaired left ankle, rookie Rodrigue Beaubois stepped into the starting lineup. Beaubois has scored double figures in Dallas' last two games, seeing time at both the point guard and shooting guard spots next to Jason Kidd.

"He's (Beaubois) got a lot of talent," Kidd said. "My job is to supply him with information about his opponent and maximize his strength, and that's getting out and running. He's doing a great job with the team and finding the open guys and also looking for his shot."

"We're not going to give him too much. We're just going to let him play. When there's time to talk about different things and situations that's when we'll approach him, but right now we're trying to stay out of his way and let him do what he does best."

When Dallas lost starting center Erick Dampier due to illness, reserve forward Drew Gooden was inserted at the five spot, and all he's done since is post back-to-back double-doubles in Dampier's stead.

"Both of them (Beaubois and Gooden) have played well, giving us production at both ends of the court," Carlisle said. "When you get guys that are unable to play, you have to have people step forward and in the last two or three games Drew and Roddy have both done that for us, and we're going to need them to continue to do it."

Lastly, the team finished a victorious 115-113 overtime thriller against Milwaukee in the Mavs' last game without forward Shawn Marion, who sprained his left ankle on the opening play of the game before playing just 14 minutes on the night, all in the first half.

Marion is a game-time decision for Wednesday night's matchup.

"We're going to come back early tonight and treat it, and see what's going on," Marion said about the possibility of him suiting up Wednesday night. "If I had to play right now, no, but if it gets a lot better today and tonight it's possible, definitely."

The game will air locally on KTXA 21 and KTXA 21 HD and nationally on ESPN at 8:30 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-Bucks Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 115 at Milwaukee Bucks 113

In a battle headlined by the newly named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, the Dallas Mavericks entered Milwaukee hoping to end the Bucks' four-game winning streak and in the process finish 3-1 on their four-game road trip.

The two players lived up to the hype, as both teams' superstars elevated their teams in an overtime thriller. But by night's end, it would be Dallas' star that shined the brightest, as Dirk Nowitzki got the "shooter's roll" on a game-winning, buzzer-beater to give Dallas a 115-113 overtime win on the road.

(Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)


"We want to get the ball to Dirk in those situations any time we can," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the win. "(Jason Kidd) made a great pass. They were draped all over him. They played great defense and he just hit a better, more difficult shot. That's what great players do. They defended it as well as you can defend it."

"They actually played me tough up there all night and they were really into my stuff, and they didn’t give me a lot of room to operate," Nowitzki said.

For the second straight night, Dallas was starting a lineup of Jason Kidd, rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, Shawn Marion, Nowitzki and Drew Gooden. Nowitzki was named the player of the week for the Western Conference earlier on Monday, while Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings grabbed the honors for the Eastern Conference after his 55-point night against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.

The Mavs came out quick despite playing on the second night of a back-to-back, as Nowitzki and both teams' standout rookies looked to make an impact on the game early. But the quarter belonged to Gooden, as he once again filled in for center Erick Dampier (illness) and dominated the paint early with his scoring. Gooden's 12 points, on 5-of-5 shooting, in the first quarter powered Dallas to an early seven-point advantage before taking a 33-28 lead after one.

"I've been a starter pretty much my whole career," Gooden said. "From my pre-game routine, everything is focused on getting it going right away and I think that's why I got off to a great start."

The Mavs shot 13-of-20 (65 percent) in the period.

When Gooden went to the bench to start the second quarter, reserve guard J.J. Barea provided the scoring for Dallas with a 3-point assault from long range with three triples in the quarter. After Milwaukee's transition offense cut the Dallas lead to three, the Mavs countered with a three-guard lineup of Kidd, Barea (later Jason Terry) and Beaubois. Beaubois' highlight reel alley-oop finish off Kidd's feed, followed by Terry's three and a triple from Kidd with .6 seconds on the clock then paced Dallas to a 66-54 halftime advantage after finishing the second quarter on a 9-0 run.

Dallas shot a staggering 68 percent in the first half, while Milwaukee connected on 49 percent. The Mavs added the 3-pointer to their arsenal in first half, hitting 7-of-10 from behind the arch. Nowitzki and Gooden combined for 29 points in the half, while Barea added 11 points off the bench. Meanwhile, the Mavericks clamped down on Jennings, as the star rookie shot just 1-of-8 in the first half.

The Mavs did suffer one casualty in the half, losing Marion to a sprained left ankle after playing just 14 minutes. Quinton Ross replaced the forward to start the second half.

Behind the speedy Beaubois and Kidd's do-it-all ability, the Dallas lead expanded to 18 within the first three minutes of the third quarter. Milwaukee then battled back to within three with 3-point bombs and Jennings' play-making. The Bucks outscored the Mavericks 28-19 in the third, but Dallas continued to hold an 85-82 lead headed into the fourth quarter.

"The threes were raining in the third quarter like I've never seen before. We had to fight that off and keep plugging away. It was difficult. The building gets going -- it just makes it tough," Carlisle said.

"We kept battling and found a way, and that's the important thing."

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

With the Mavericks looking for offense as Nowitzki and Kidd sat, the Reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Terry, came alive to start the fourth quarter lifting Dallas to an eight-point lead. On the other end, Jennings began to assert himself against a tough Dallas defense, as the Bucks climbed to within two (95-93). Terry and Jennings then exchanged 3-pointers, as each tried to land a knock out punch late in the fourth.

Jennings' jumper at the 2:30 mark then tied the game at 98-all. After following behind briefly 101-100, Gooden's tip-in gave Dallas a one-point edge with 1:28 remaining. The Bucks rookie then tied the game at the foul line, before nailing a running left-handed floater in the lane with 45.6 seconds left after a costly Maverick turnover on a mishandling of an exchange between Kidd and Barea.

"They kept coming and kept making plays, and the crowd got into it and that really made it a ball game," Nowitzki said.

As he had the entire fourth period, Terry put the Mavs on his back, nailing a baseline jumper to tie the game with 32.2 seconds left on the clock. With the game knotted at 104-all, the Bucks rookie came up short on a 3-pointer to win it, sending the game into the extra period after a scrum for the rebound ended in a jump ball with .7 seconds left.

In the overtime period, Beaubois' defense on Jennings was vital in slowing his counterpart down. Meanwhile Nowitzki handled the scoring, nailing a jumper and 3-pointer to give the Mavs a 111-110 edge with 1:55 on the clock. After Ersan Ilyasova split a pair of free throws to tie the game (111-111), Milwaukee surged ahead at the charity stripe when Luc Richard Mbah a Moute calmly hit 2-of-2 at the line. Out of a Dallas timeout, the Mavs went back to Nowitzki, but his lay-in attempt rimmed out before being tipped in by Gooden to tie the game at 113-113 with 27.0 seconds left.

As expected, the Bucks came back with Jennings, as the two high-profile rookies matched up one-on-one with the game on the line. Jennings threw up a three over Beaubois' out-stretched arm, but Beaubois slightly deflected the shot and the ball landed in Kidd's hands leading to a Dallas timeout with 3.5 seconds left.

"That was a decisive play in the game," Carlisle said. "It gave us a chance to regain the lead and he (Beaubois) brings something different to our team. He's got a difficult type of athleticism and a different type of feel for the game. He's been doing some good things offensively and that play was a great defensive play."

After Milwaukee committed a foul to run the clock down to 3.1 seconds, Kidd inbounded the ball into Nowitzki, as the 7-footer took one dribble, turned and fadewaway and shot over Mbah a Moute as time expired, with the ball rolling off the rim, bouncing off the top of the glass and falling through the net to lift Dallas to the miraculous 115-113 win.

"Dirk got the ball in the position where he could get up a shot. It was not an easy shot, but he got up a shot and we got a fortunate bounce. We feel fortunate. Both teams played extremely hard. I thought we played hard enough to deserve to win the game, but I thought they did too. It's a tough loss for them. It's a great win for us," Carlisle said.

"Mbah a Moute played pretty good defense up there (the high post) all night but I figured if that’s where I’m going to get it I’m going to do a little move and turn around and just try to shoot over him," Nowitzki said of the shot. "I used my size advantage and got it up and when it left my hand I thought it was going straight in. The bounce was obviously lucky. We got a lucky bounce and we definitely needed it."

Nowitzki finished with a game-high 32 points (seven in overtime) and 11 rebounds. For the second straight night, Gooden provided a double-double from the five spot with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Terry added 19 points off the bench, while the rookie Beaubois added 12 points. Finishing just one point shy of a triple-double, Kidd scored nine points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 17 assists.

After the slow start, Jennings led Milwaukee with 25 points (8-of-22 from the floor), with eight assists and seven rebounds.

Dallas out-shot Milwaukee 51 to 44 percent, while both teams shot 50 percent or better from 3-point range. The Mavs overcame 16 turnovers in the win.



After winning three straight on the road, the Mavs return to the American Airlines Center on Wednesday night, when the Mavs host the San Antonio Spurs. The Mavericks get a chance at revenge after the Spurs handed Dallas a 92-83 loss last Wednesday night. The game will air locally on KTXA 21 and KTXA 21 HD and nationally on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

"We thought we should have won all of them on the road but of course we didn’t in San Antonio. This is a big win because it’s back-to-back," Kidd said. "We've given some away and it was kind of looking like that tonight but we stayed involved and guys made plays down the stretch."

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-Bucks Preview

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks (7-3) at Milwaukee Bucks (5-2)

To say the Dallas Mavericks had an eventful Sunday night would be an understatement.

Playing the third game of a four-game road trip, the Mavericks found out just before tip that they would be without their starting center, Erick Dampier, against the Detroit Pistons. Dampier left the court and headed for the locker room just after pregame warm-ups with a sudden illness, before eventually leaving the arena and checking in at a local hospital for precautionary reasons accompanied by Head Athletic Trainer Casey Smith. Dampier didn't travel with the team to Milwaukee, staying in Detroit for further testing though his symptoms have subsided.

Already without swingman Josh Howard (left ankle), the Mavs once again inserted rookie Rodrigue Beaubois into the starting lineup along with Drew Gooden, who stepped in for Dampier in his first start of the season. The result was a career-high night from Beaubois (14 points on 6-of-6 shooting in just 19 minutes), a double-double from Gooden (11 points and 11 rebounds) and a 95-90 road win as all five starters scored in double figures.

(Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Beaubois-Jennings matchup is one to watch Monday night


Just a day later, the Mavs have to try to duplicate that success against an upstart Bucks squad headlined by rookie Brandon Jennings. Jennings leads all rookies in scoring at 25.6 points per game. The rookie is a threat every time he laces up a pair of sneakers, gaining the basketball world's attention with his 55-point night against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night in a 129-125 Milwaukee win. Jennings' "double-nickel" ranks fifth all-time in NBA history for scoring barrages by a rookie.

Now, the Mavs' rookie Beaubois and Jennings will go toe-to-toe on the big stage and something figures to give. Both young guards possess an uncanny ability to use explosive quickness to get anywhere on the court at will. While Jennings has led Milwaukee to four straight wins, Beaubois' presence in the Dallas starting lineup has lifted the Mavs to back-to-back wins on the road.

The two rookies met this past July in the NBA's Summer League, with Beaubois recording eight points on 4-of-9 shooting while dishing out two assists, compared to Jennings' 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting. The two have certainly come a long way since July.

Dallas and Milwaukee meet Monday night, with the game airing on FSN Southwest and NBA TV at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Oct. 18, when the Mavs host the San Antonio Spurs, after the Spurs handed Dallas a 92-83 road loss last Wednesday night. The game will air locally on KTXA 21 and KTXA 21 HD and nationally on ESPN at 8:30 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-Pistons Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 95 at Detroit Pistons 90

Since making a Draft Day trade to bring in rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, the Dallas Mavericks and Mavs coach Rick Carlisle have seen something special in the Guadeloupe native.

Getting his second straight start, the first-year pro stepped in once again for Josh Howard (out indefinitely as he rehabs his surgically-repaired left ankle) at the starting shooting guard spot. If Carlisle was impressed with Beaubois before, the coach was wowed by his rookie's performance Sunday evening against the Detroit Pistons. Behind a career-high scoring night from Beaubois, a double-double from a surprise starter at center and a big fourth quarter from Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas exited the Palace of Auburn Hills with a 95-90 victory.

(Photo by Allen Einstein/Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Beaubois' career night powers Mavs to 95-90 win


"Detroit is a persistent team and extremely well-coached," Carlisle said. "We knew that they were going to battle hard and so did we. Both teams had struggles at times and we were just fortunate to get a spurt and enough of a cushion in the fourth quarter to get out of here alive. We will take it."

Sunday night the rookie got the start next to Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Nowitzki and Drew Gooden, as center Erick Dampier stayed in the locker room due to illness. The center later left the arena and checked in at a local hospital for precautionary reasons, accompanied by Head Athletic Trainer Casey Smith. Dampier will not travel with the team to Milwaukee, staying in Detroit for further testing though his symptoms have subsided.

"I didn’t know I was in the starting lineup until they went through the starters," Gooden said. "Coach said 'Drew you are starting,' and then I heard ‘Drew Gooden’ and I was like, ‘Oh...’ and I ran out there. I thought Dampier was still out there."

As he has in all three of his career starts, Beaubois got the Mavericks on the scoreboard, this time with a floater in the lane. The rookie's defense on sharpshooter Ben Gordon, his quick-trigger offense and his ability to finish above the rim was instrumental for Dallas in the opening quarter, as Beaubois poured in eight points (4-of-4 from the field) in the period to lift the Mavs to a 22-18 advantage after one.

After the first quarter, the objective was clear for Dallas: Push the tempo on offense and wear down Detroit's tired legs as the Pistons were playing on the second night of a back-to-back.

With Beaubois on the bench most of the second quarter the tempo slowed, as Detroit took control of the game in the halfcourt. Struggling to defense point guard Rodney Stuckey and unable to score with the game at a slower pace, Dallas found themselves outscored 28-18 in the second period, as Detroit took a 46-40 advantage into halftime.

Stuckey scored 17 first half points to lead all scorers, while Beaubois led Dallas with eight. The Mavs hit on just 15-of-41 shots (37 percent), while Detroit shot 48 percent through the first 24 minutes of play. The Pistons out-rebounded Dallas 24-18 in the half.

"The first half we played hard, but we just had some tough luck," Carlisle said. "We just needed to stay with our game plan and pick it up a little bit defensively, so that we could get our offense going a little bit and fortunately that is what happened."

The rookie got the start again in the second half and he quickly resuscitated the Maverick lineup. After falling behind by seven early in the third quarter, Beaubois moved into double figures for the first time in his young career and back-to-back scores from Marion brought Dallas back to tie the game at 49-all at the 8:26-mark. Marion then found Kidd in transition to give Dallas a brief lead.

Beaubois' offensive game began to develop before the Mavericks' very eyes, after his stop-and-pop 3-pointer late in the shot clock gave Dallas a 54-53 lead before running the two-man game with Nowitzki. After Beaubois exited the game, Nowitzki took over the scoring load until back-to-back dunks from Marion and Kris Humphries powered Dallas to a 71-66 lead after three. The Mavs outscored the Pistons 31-20 in the quarter.

The fourth quarter began with Marion, Humphries and J.J. Barea quickly lifting Dallas to a 78-70 advantage. Detroit came charging back behind an 8-0 run off the dribble-penetration from their three-guard lineup of Stuckey, Gordon and Will Bynum. The Mavs then turned to Nowitzki, whose timely three-point play with 5:45 on the game clock put Dallas back ahead.

(Photo by Allen Einstein/Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Nowitzki's second half finished off the Pistons


"Sometimes it isn't going to be how it was drawn up," Marion said. "Sometimes it is going to be a grind and this was one of those games that was a grind and it was a battle in there. Everyone was battling inside and we were going back and forth."

Then, with Stuckey limping in the backcourt, Dallas took advantage of a 5-on-4 situation by finding the open man, Jason Terry, in the corner for a 3-pointer to put the Mavs up 86-79 with 4:21 left. With Stuckey shaken up and on the sideline, Bynum became Detroit's central figure on offense, bringing the Pistons to within three before Nowitzki's fadeaway jumper over Ben Wallace with 35.3 seconds remaining found the bottom of the net to keep Detroit at a safe distance.

After Bynum once again cut the lead to three, Dallas ran the shot clock all the way down before Terry's 3-point attempt hit the front of the rim and Detroit grabbed the rebound and called a timeout with 5.7 seconds still on the clock. The Pistons went to Gordon out of the timeout, whose three bounced off the iron bringing his shooting night to 1-of-16. Terry secured the rebound and iced the game at the foul line.

"We got some big shots tonight when we needed them. We got some big stops on the defensive end and then made the shots on the offensive end to get a little of a cushion. The Pistons hit some good shots in the fourth quarter, but we were able to walk it on in at the end," Marion said.

Shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, Beaubois' career-high 14 points and four assists in 19 minutes paced Dallas in the first and third quarter, while Nowitzki finished the win off with his team-high 25 points (19 in the second half).

"He came in and played well for us, and we did what we needed to do to get a win tonight," Marion said of Beaubois' play.

Meanwhile Gooden, who stepped in right before tip-off, collected a double-double in his first start of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

"It was about opportunity and I had to use it with all the talent on this team and I was just happy that it was my night tonight," Gooden said.

Marion (11) and Kidd (10) were also in double figures.

Stuckey finished with a game-high 28 points and Bynum added 27 to led Detroit.

"Those guys (Stuckey and Bynum) had huge nights last night as well and you aren’t going to shoot that well every night, so we were paying a lot of attention to them, but they also missed shots that they usually make. We were fortunate tonight, but our effort was definitely worthy of a win tonight," Carlisle said.

Though the Pistons out-shot the Mavs 46 percent to 44 percent and won the rebounding edge 44-38, Dallas made Detroit pay from long range by hitting 7-of-16 from behind the 3-point arch. The Dallas defense also forced Detroit into 13 turnovers, while the Mavs committed just seven giveaways themselves.

Dallas completes its four-game road trip on the second night of a back-to-back in Milwaukee, taking on rookie standout Brandon Jennings and the Bucks with the game airing on FSN Southwest at 7:00 p.m. CT. Jennings scored 55 points in Milwaukee's 129-125 win over Golden State on Saturday night, which is the fifth best scoring output by a rookie in NBA history.

Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Oct. 18, when the Mavs host the San Antonio Spurs, after the Spurs handed Dallas a 92-83 road loss on Wednesday night. The game will air locally on KTXA 21 and KTXA 21 HD and nationally on ESPN at 8:30 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-Pistons Preview

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks (6-3) at Detroit Pistons (5-4)

As they have needed to do so much of the last two seasons, the Dallas Mavericks proved they can win without swingman Josh Howard on the court in their 89-77 road win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Though Dallas is clearly a better team when Howard is on the court, with No. 5 out indefinitely while he returns to rehabbing his surgically-repaired left ankle, Dallas has to move on and find a way to make up for his production on the court.

With and without Howard, the Mavs have shot poorly for long stretches this season but Dallas has learned how to win when the shots aren't falling. Dallas' defensive intensity has made up for their inability to score at times, though the Mavericks will need both if they are going to win the third game of a four-game road trip against the offensively-potent Detroit Pistons.

(Photo by Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Defending Ben Gordon tops Dallas' priority list


The two teams met exactly one month ago in the preseason, with Dallas leaving their home floor with a 113-88 runaway win. Now Dallas enters Detroit and the game actually counts in the standings. Despite their 5-4 record, the Pistons are on a three-game win streak and figure to be a much-improved team by season's end.

"They’re still a team that’s going to compete in the East. To me, they’re certainly a playoff team," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "There are probably going to be better than a lot of people think. They’ve got a lot of weapons, and they’re going to stretch you out with a lot of ball movement, drive-and-kick and pick-and-rolls, so it’s going to be another good test for our defense."

The new-look Pistons made a great impression on Carlisle when they signed free agent forward Charlie Villanueva and guard Ben Gordon this offseason. While stopping Villanueva is one of the Mavs' top priorities, containing Gordon heads the list of concerns.

“(Ben Gordon) is a big time scorer,” Carlisle said of Detroit's high-volume scoring sixth man before their preseason matchup. “He is going to be extremely aggressive, and he’s capable of 30 and 40-point nights. That type of weapon off the bench is extremely valuable.”

The Mavs take on the Pistons on Sunday evening, with the game airing on FSN Southwest at 5:00 p.m. CT. Dallas completes its four-game road trip on the back end of a back-to-back in Milwaukee, taking on rookie standout Brandon Jennings and the Bucks with the game airing on FSN Southwest at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Oct. 18, when the Mavs host the San Antonio Spurs, after the Spurs handed Dallas a 92-83 road loss on Wednesday night. The game will air locally on KTXA 21 and KTXA 21 HD and nationally on ESPN at 8:30 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.