Mavericks-Hawks Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Atlanta Hawks 80 at Dallas Mavericks 75

Win or lose, you must have a short-term memory in the NBA.

With no time to mourn in defeat, the Dallas Mavericks caught a convenient case of amnesia a day after their 98-82 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Dallas would prefer to forget Saturday night as well, losing consecutive games for the first time this season, after falling 80-75 at home to the Atlanta Hawks due to sub-par shooting for a second straight night.

"Once again, we struggled to shoot the ball and some of that certainly was Atlanta," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "They have length and they are hard to score against."

"We might be in a little bit of a funk right now," forward Shawn Marion said. "The ball wasn't going in for us, like there was a little bit of a lid on there for us."

Back at home, with the Hawks in town, Carlisle wanted to make a splash to help put the Memphis loss out of Dallas' memory. The Head Coach inserted sixth man Jason Terry into the starting lineup next to Jason Kidd, Marion, Dirk Nowitzki and Erick Dampier.

"He (Carlisle) told me right before the tip," Terry said. "It didn't change anything for me. I still have to be aggressive and find a way to score."

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Terry's presence next to the starters was felt early, as the quick-triggered assassin brought the Mavs back after Atlanta began the game on a 10-2 run. But not Terry or Nowitzki's 12 first quarter points, could keep the the fast-breaking Hawks from sprinted out to a 27-19 advantage after one. Atlanta's countless finishes at the rim and 13 quick points from Joe Johnson powered the Hawks in the first.

"Joe's a talented guy. He just hit some tough shots all night," Marion said.

"I thought the start we got off to hurt us," Carlisle said. "We got down 9-2 in the first two or three minutes and it's a tough way to get going. We gained some energy after that, but you know, it is tough playing from behind the whole game and that is the position we were in."

(Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Mavs found themselves down 13 early in the second quarter, but Dallas continued to hang around behind Terry and Kidd's 3-point shooting. After Johnson shot over smaller defenders in the first quarter, Carlisle switched to a taller lineup with Marion seeing time on the All-Star shooting guard. The adjustment worked, as Marion matched Johnson with size and quickness to help the Dallas defense hold Atlanta to zero field goals the last 7:19 of game time in the first half, as the Mavericks crawled to within 41-40 at the halftime break.

Dallas made up for a 40 percent shooting half by knocking down 7-of-13 from behind the 3-point arch, while suffocating the Hawks into 36 percent shooting at the other end. The Mavericks' defensive intensity helped overcome 11 turnovers on offense in the half, but Dallas struggled defending Atlanta in the paint, as the Hawks outscored the Mavs 20-4 in the interior.

Things got chippy in the third quarter, after a hard foul by Dampier on Josh Smith garnered a flagrant foul call. Smith quickly returned the favor at the other end on Marion. Meanwhile, Nowitzki was more concerned about what was happening on the scoreboard, pouring in 11 more points in the period. Still, Dallas entered the fourth down 64-60.

"It was a grind," Marion said. "We were going back and forth there for a while."

After the Mavs knotted the game at 64-all early in the fourth, Atlanta surged back ahead with a 10-1 run. At the other end, the Mavs stayed in the game at the foul line despite a stretch of eight straight missed field goal attempts. Nowitzki's driving layup broke up that streak and cut the deficit to 76-73 with 3:23 left in the game. With Dallas down 78-75 and 17.1 seconds on the clock, a kick ball violation was called on Nowitzki with just 9.8 seconds on the clock. A near turnover and backcourt violation on the subsequent Hawks' inbound pass left the Maverick defense out of position, before eventually fouling Johnson with just 1.5 seconds remaining, as Atlanta capped the game off at the charity stripe.

"They got a little bit of a lead on us, but we got it down to a one possession game. We forced what we thought was a turnover at the end. I don't know what happened, if it was backcourt or not, but they won the game off of that," Marion said.

In a low-scoring affair, the Mavericks' 37 percent shooting was just better than Atlanta's 36 percent at the other end. But Dallas' demise lied in the paint, where the Mavs were outscored 34-10.

"When you hold a team to 36 percent shooting you are going to win, but that wasn't the case tonight. We didn't capitalize on anything," Marion said.

"We just couldn't find a way to break out of the funk," Terry said. "It's been a tough stretch for us."

In his first start of the season, Terry posted 17 points, coming on 5-of-16 shooting.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Nowitzki's game-high 32 points just bettered Johnson's 31-point night, but No. 41's big night came in a losing effort. Also in vain was Dallas' season-high 14 blocked shots, due to the abysmal shooting and 16 total turnovers on the night.

The Mavericks try to end their two-game skid when Dallas returns to the court, hosting the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center on Tuesday night. The Mavericks-Suns matchup will air on KTXA 21, KTXA HD and HD NET at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

"We are going to have to regroup," Marion said. "We are going to get back in here (for practice on Monday) and work on a couple of other things. We'll get there."

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-Hawks Preview

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Atlanta Hawks (13-6) at Dallas Mavericks (14-6)

The Atlanta Hawks know exactly how the Dallas Mavericks feel right now.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

After the shots just didn't seem to fall for the Mavericks on Friday night, in a 98-82 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas' opportunity to get the bad taste out of its mouth just a day later is enticing. Simultaneously, the Hawks were dropping a 114-107 home game to the New York Knicks.

Therapeutically, both teams are looking forward to getting back to the refuge of being on the court, with an opportunity to get back on the winning track. With both squads finding it hard to get up for teams at the bottom of the standings in their last games, seeing an opponent that is seemingly on the fast track to the playoffs should bring the best out in both teams. According to Mavs center Erick Dampier, Dallas learned a valuable lesson in defeat: Never take any opponent lightly.

"It's the NBA, it doesn't matter if you're the worst team in this league, you can beat the best team," Dampier said. "We're just going to come out (Saturday) and get ready for those guys (the Hawks)."

The Mavericks also enrolled in a crash course on how not to let poor shooting influence your play at the defensive end. On a night that featured a 35 percent shooting night, the Dallas defense suffered most, as the Mavs' overaggressive play in an attempt to create a comeback allowed Memphis to take advantage of open looks.

"It was a cycle that we never were able to stem," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "On night's when you're not shooting well, you have to be solid defensively, and we just weren't."

"Even if the ball is not going in for us, our defense has to be there every night," Dampier said.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

After having problems slowing down one upstart, young and athletic team, the Southwest Division-leading Mavericks will have their hands full with a Hawks squad that uses its athleticism to the maximum.

Showing the past two years that they are a perennial playoff team, the young Hawks seem ready to grow up this season, sitting just two games behind the defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic in the Southeast Division.

"They're young, but at the same time, you have to know that if you give a young team confidence then it's hard to knock them out of the box," forward Shawn Marion said.

The Mavericks return to the American Airlines Center on Saturday night after spitting a two-game road trip. The Mavericks-Hawks matchup will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 8 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

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 82 at Memphis Grizzlies 98

FedExForum has not been a kind place for the Dallas Mavericks in recent memory.

After losing both meetings in Memphis last season, the Southwest Division-leading Mavericks weren't looking at the Grizzlies' 7-12 record or the seven games that separated the two squads in the standings coming into the night. And with good reason, as Memphis once again blew past Dallas, using a big second quarter run to sprint to a 98-82 win over the Mavericks, handing Dallas its third straight loss in the Grizzlies' home arena.

"We struggled with them last year," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said before the game. "We were 0-for-2 in here last year, so this has been a tough place for us to play."

Carlisle's pre-game forecast rained true on Friday night.

Fresh off of a record-setting shooting performance in a 117-101 road win over the New Jersey Nets, the Mavericks struggled to duplicate that hot shooting two nights later, and it carried over to the defensive end.

"We didn't defend well enough at the beginning of the game, at any point or in any stretch of the game," Carlisle said.

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
O.J. Mayo scored 14 of his 25 in the first quarter

The Mavs had no answer defensively for Memphis' second-year shooting guard O.J. Mayo, pouring in 14 quick points in the first quarter to give Memphis an early advantage. But Dallas responded, as rookie guard Rodrigue Beaubois played like a veteran from the onset to keep Dallas close, before Tim Thomas and the Mavericks' second unit surged ahead 30-28 after one.

With the Dallas starters on the bench, a 17-0 Memphis run powered the Grizzlies back ahead early in the second quarter. The Grizzlies never trailed from that point.

After falling behind by as many as 13 in the period, the Mavs crept closer to end the half down 58-51, after being outscored 30-21 in the second.

"They have a nice squad over there," forward Shawn Marion said of the upstart Grizzlies. "You can't take them lightly. They're young, but at the same time, you have to know that if you give a young team confidence then it's hard to knock them out of the box."

Led by Mayo's 17 first half points on 7-of-9 shooting, Memphis out-shot Dallas 54 to 44 percent in the half. Struggling to get back in the game, the Mavs shot 3-of-11 from 3-point range in the first 24 minutes.

"We were trying to hit too many home runs. Even when you're down in games, you have to still work the game and go two at a time. We became impatient, and we didn't play the kind of game we needed to play really at either end," Carlisle said.

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Things didn't get any better for Dallas in the third quarter, as Rudy Gay came to life for Memphis, helping the Grizzlies open up as much as a 15-point lead en route to taking a 78-67 advantage into the fourth.

While sixth man Jason Terry did everything in his power to keep Dallas in contention from behind the 3-point arch early in the final quarter, the rest of the Mavs found little success putting the ball in the basket in Dallas' comeback effort. After the Memphis lead ballooned to 20 in the fourth, it was clear it wasn't Dallas' night, as Carlisle emptied the bench in the final minutes in preparation for the second night of a back-to-back.

"It's the NBA, it doesn't matter if you're the worst team in this league, you can beat the best team," center Erick Dampier said.

"Even if the ball is not going in for us, our defense has to be there every night. Those guys came out and played hard tonight, shot the ball well and came out victorious."

Memphis' 46 percent shooting night was plenty to leave the home floor with the win, as Dallas shot just 35 percent, including 8-of-29 from 3-point range. The two teams battled to a 46-46 rebounding stalemate on the glass.

Playing from behind much of the night, the Mavericks settled for numerous outside shots. Shots that just weren't falling on Friday night.

"It was a cycle that we never were able to stem. On night's when you're not shooting well, you have to be solid defensively, and we just weren't," Carlisle said.

"We shot no free throws in the second half, which meant that basically we became a jump-shooting team and a passive team offensively, as well. You're not going to win on the road in this league playing like that."



Terry led Dallas with a team-high 18 points, while Dirk Nowitzki racked up a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, albeit in a loss.

Mayo finished with a game-high 25 points, while Zach Randolph posted a double-double with 24 points and 16 rebounds.

Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Saturday night, when they play host to the Atlanta Hawks. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 8 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

"We're just going to come out tomorrow and get ready for those guys," Dampier said.

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-Nets Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 117 at New Jersey Nets 101

Not all records are earned through achievement.

The Dallas Mavericks entered the IZOD Center with the New Jersey Nets hoping to avoid setting a dubious record for the worst start in NBA history. At New Jersey's expense, the Southwest Division-leading Mavericks claimed their second straight win and had no problem sending the Nets to an 0-18 start to the season, the worst in NBA history.

On a record-setting night for the Mavericks, recording franchise marks for points in the second quarter and shooting percentage in a half, the Mavs put an inescapable gap between themselves and the Nets en route to a 117-101 road win, inking New Jersey in the history books for the most dreadful of distinctions.

(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Mavs send Nets to NBA-worst 0-18 start


"Everybody was talking about their record. I don't think about this game or any game in terms of milestones, except for that this game is another game on the schedule," Mavs point guard and former Net Jason Kidd said. "We just took it like that and we wanted to find a way to get a win."

The Mavericks sent an early message to the Nets on the offensive end, as rookie Rodrigue Beaubois' play-making and above-the-rim finishes off of Kidd's alley-oop lob passes paced Dallas to a 19-11 lead midway through the first quarter. The Nets then surged ahead with an 11-0 run, before the two teams finished knotted at 28-all after one.

"The Nets are really aggressive and got after us and got some deflections," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "They made some stuff happen. The Nets are struggling but they are playing hard, I give them that."

Dallas shot an outstanding 12-of-17 in the first quarter, but foul trouble and six early turnovers helped the Nets hang around.

The hot shooting didn't cool off in the second quarter and it didn't take long for the Mavs to seize control, as Dallas pushed the tempo out to a double-digit edge. Eliminating their early turnover woes, the Mavericks outscored the Nets 49-22 in the period, taking a commanding 77-50 lead into the halftime intermission. The 49-point second quarter, on 17-of-19 shooting, was the best output by a Maverick team in the period.

"We had a nice little lead out there in the first quarter. We gave up a lot of turnovers and we weren't alert defensively," Dirk Nowitzki said. "Second quarter, we picked it up and found some defensive stops. When we get out on the fast break, we're pretty tough to stop. We just got some great shots that helped us open up the game."

"Our offense in the second quarter was great, the rest of the game it was good and bad, at times," Carlisle said.

Dallas shot a franchise record 80.6 percent in the first half, including 7-of-8 from 3-point range. The last team in the NBA to shoot at least 80 percent from the field in a half was Denver on April 4, 2006 against the Los Angeles Clippers, when the Nuggets shot 81.6 percent. The Mavericks got everyone into the act, shelling out 22 assists as five Mavs scored in double-figures after the first 24 minutes of play.

After leading by as much as 31, the Mavs gave up a little ground early in the third quarter with the Nets getting as close as 19. But the two squads played to a 28-28 stalemate in the period, with Dallas taking a 105-78 advantage into the fourth.

(Photo by Jeyhoun Allebaugh/NBAE via Getty Images)

As the Nets continued to play competitively, climbing to within 16 against the Dallas reserves, Carlisle went back to his main contributors, Nowitzki and Kidd, to keep the Nets at bay. The Dallas bench returned just minutes later, after the two future Hall-of-Famers put the Nets to bed for the night. Despite being outscored 23-12 in the fourth, the Mavericks already had their 14th win of the season in their pocket.

"You play the opponent, but you're also going up against the expectations you have for yourself. Again the fourth quarter, we had a stretch where I didn't want to put Dirk Nowitzki or Jason Kidd back in, but the Nets went on an eight or nine point run and we had to do it. You do what you have to do. For the most part we played well and played the way we needed to play," Carlisle said.

Dallas finished shooting just short of 59 percent, while holding New Jersey to 44 percent shooting. The Mavs also held a decisive edge on the glass, out-rebounding the Nets 42-28.

Six Mavericks scored in double-figures, led by Nowitzki who shared game-high scoring honors with New Jersey's Chris Douglas-Roberts with 24 points. No. 41 also added seven rebounds and eight assists. In his second game back on the court, Erick Dampier posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, Kidd finished just shy of a triple-double with 16 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Off the bench, sixth man Jason Terry scored 18 points off of 7-of-10 shooting.

"Personnel-wise they're young, they have some young talent over there and the future is bright for them. The big thing is we got a win to start this road trip," Kidd said.

The Mavs now continue on the road, touching down in Memphis on Friday night to play in the Grizzlies in a divisional matchup and the first game of a back-to-back. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7 p.m. CT.

Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Saturday night, when they play host to the Atlanta Hawks. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 8 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-Nets Preview

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks (13-5) at New Jersey Nets (0-17)

Futility is a word rarely associated with an NBA ball club.

The New Jersey Nets are hoping that word doesn't become synonymous with their play on the basketball court. The 0-17 Nets are just one loss away from setting a new mark for the worst start in league history. That loss could, and by all accounts should come at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Devin Harris and the Nets try to avoid an NBA-worst 0-18 start

The Mavericks are a 13-5, Southwest Division leading team, so coming into New Jersey and handing the Nets one more defeat shouldn't be asking too much. Should it?

"Not at all," Mavs sixth man Jason Terry said fresh off his game-winning jumper in a 104-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. "Going in there, we're thinking about that."

"Throw the record out. The record isn't even going to matter. They're still going to play hard. I've watched them play. They've played hard, they just haven't gotten away with a win. We don't want to be the one (the first team to lose to the Nets)."

The Nets have been riddled with injuries all season long, including a groin injury for former Mav Devin Harris which kept the cat-quick point guard out of 10 games. Now with Harris back, the Mavericks say the Nets are everything but an 0-17 team, after witnessing a 41-point, 13-assist night from Harris a season ago.

"When we went in there last year, Devin Harris had one of the best games of his career," Terry said. "I don't want to say revenge is on our minds, but we definitely want to get that game."

"You know Devin is going to be fired up to do what he did last year, when he had 40 against us," Dirk Nowitzki said. "I think we would have rather seen them if they would have won one already, but it is what it is."

On the Mavs' end, Dallas is looking to score a knockout when they have an opponent staggering on the ropes. After getting out to big leads, the Mavs have not been unable to put teams into submission holds and force them to tap out, leading to many late-game heroics this season.

Dallas does not want that to be the case Wednesday night.

"We'll figure it out. I'm glad it's early on in the season. We're a much better team than what we're showing," Terry said. "We're just disappointed about the way we're finishing. It's no secret, that's definitely an area where this team has to get better, but we'll continue to work."

"To us at this point, no game is easy," Nowitzki said.

The Mavericks-Nets game will air Wednesday night, locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 6:30 p.m. CT.



Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Saturday night, when they play host to the Atlanta Hawks. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 8 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 (12/01/09)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavericks Practice Report (12/01/09)

December is a welcomed sight for the Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavs enter the last month of the calender year with a 13-5 record, which is good for first place in the Southwest Division. December also means Dallas is moving closer to becoming healthy, after getting center Erick Dampier back Monday night in a 104-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at home. Dampier missed eight games with an undisclosed illness, but stepped right back in the starting lineup against the Sixers.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

"Damp is doing well," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said Tuesday after the team's practice. "He had a good workout today. He's on the road back, and we need him. He's obviously I big part of our team."

Now the Mavericks are hoping to spring a winning streak, while also hoping to get swingmen Josh Howard (surgically-repaired left ankle) and Quinton Ross (sore lower back) on the court in the coming weeks. With Howard and Ross out, and even in Dampier's stead, the Mavericks got a major contribution from their second unit. The play of the reserves due to the injury situation figures to only help Dallas later in the season, as the Mavericks will have a bevy of players with valuable game experience in the ladder part of the season. As the Mavs get healthier, trying to find playing time for everyone is a good problem to have, Carlisle said.

"I just continue to stress to these guys that everybody be ready. The decision on playing time will be based on the matchups, sometimes it will be based on who I believe is going to be the most energetic guy in that particular situation. And sometimes it's going to be based on if you're playing well, you're going to keep playing," Carlisle said.

"We have a lot of options. It's one of the things that you can view as a downside, because there are tough decisions sometimes, but I don't mind it. I like having a lot of good players and a lot of guys that are capable."

With so many capable players, Carlisle is looking for players to turn their attention to the glass. Rebounding has recently been a problem for the Mavs, including getting out-boarded 60-37 by the Sixers. While Jason Terry's game-winning jumper, with just 1.4 seconds remaining, to down Philly overshadowed Dallas' rebounding deficiency, the Mavs know they won't win too many games with rebounding numbers like the ones that have been on display at times this season.

"If we take care of the glass, which obviously we didn't do (Monday night), then we can play free ball and get out and run," Dirk Nowitzki said.

(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Now the Mavericks try to attack the glass with purpose and avoid making headlines for the wrong reason as they head to play the 0-17 New Jersey Nets and former Mav Devin Harris. The Nets are trying to avoid setting an NBA record for the worst start in league history.

"You know Devin is going to be fired up to do what he did last year, when he had 40 against us," Nowitzki said. "I think we would have rather seen them if they would have won one already, but it is what it is. We have to be solid defensively and go from there."

The Mavericks-Nets game will air Wednesday night, locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 6:30 p.m. CT.

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-76ers Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Philadelphia 76ers 102 at Dallas Mavericks 104

Jason Terry would be the first to tell you that Monday night was not his best game of the season. But it may rank in Terry's personal Top 5 all time.

With the Dallas Mavericks tied with the Philadelphia 76ers at 102-all and just over five seconds on the clock, it was Terry's number, off of a Jason Kidd inbound pass, that Mavs coach Rick Carlisle called. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year did not disappoint, nailing the eventual game-winning jumper with just 1.4 seconds remaining for the Sixers to answer. Needless to say, Philly had no response, as Dallas left their home floor at the American Airlines Center with a 104-102 win with Terry playing the hero role, despite shooting just 3-for-7 and scoring only seven points on the night.

"J. Kidd went through his progressions -- Plan A, Plan B, Plan C. And luckily we hit on it. I won't tell you which plan it was, but it hit," Terry said of the play.

"It was something that we fill comfortable running," Kidd said of the play call. "It's going to be Dirk (Nowitzki) or Jet (Terry), and Jet was wide-open and we have a lot of confidence in him doing the right thing. He did it again for us tonight. He was Plan A, because I saw he was wide-open. Dirk is Plan B, C and D."

Before Terry sent the Mavericks away on a high note for the night, Dallas got a lift as their health situation took another step in the right direction when center Erick Dampier returned to the court after missing eight games with an undisclosed illness.

Dampier stepped right into the starting lineup, joining Kidd, rookie guard Rodrigue Beaubois, Shawn Marion and Nowitzki. The 7-footer quickly showed he is ready for game action, as Dampier finished above the rim after catching an alley-oop lob pass from Kidd for a two-handed dunk to give Dallas a 12-6 lead early in the first quarter. Behind an aggressively scoring Kidd, who posted 13 first quarter points, the Mavs took a 28-23 lead after one.

Kidd shot 5-of-6 from the floor in the period, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range. Led by their point guard, the Mavs shot 55 percent in the opening quarter while holding the 76ers to just 40 percent at the other end.

"Shots presented themselves and I'm just trying to help us get off to a better start," Kidd said. "We sometimes come out of the gates a little slow, and so I was just trying to take shots that present themselves and they went down."

Dallas' advantage quickly moved into double-digits early in the second quarter, as the Mavericks played the passing lanes to perfection and turned Philly turnovers into points at the other end to lead by as many as 17 in the period. After Kidd handled the scoring responsibilities in the first quarter, Nowitzki and Marion took the reins in the second. Once Kidd found Marion for an alley-oop dunk on an inbound play with 2.4 seconds remaining the first half, and the Mavs took a 57-43 lead into the break.

Dallas shot 50 percent in the first half, while defensively stifling the Sixers to just 33 percent. Nowitzki led all scorers at the half with 15 points.

Carlisle inserted J.J. Barea for Beaubois to start the second half just to give the Sixers a different look, but the result was the same. Kidd's lob passes continued to lead to spectacular finishes, as Marion once again dazzled the hometown crowd at the receiving end early in the third quarter. In the Mavs' halfcourt sets, Nowitzki abused his matchup with Thaddeus Young with multiple step-back jumpers. But the Sixers wouldn't go away, climbing to within three on a jumper from Willie Green with 1:03 left in the quarter. Philly outscored Dallas 29-21 in the third, but the Mavs took a 78-72 edge into the fourth.

"They keep coming at you," Carlisle said. "They just come at you and attack and take angles, get to the free throw line and pull up, and jump over you. They are just tough to play."

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)


What Barea didn't provide in the third quarter, he more than made up for early in the fourth. Getting to the rim, knocking down the long range shot and becoming a nagging pest on the defensive end, the smallest player on the court brought the spark that the Dallas squad needed. But playing a three-guard lineup of Barea, Kidd and Jason Terry, the Mavs struggled rebounding and had an even tougher time guarding taller scorers. After sprinting out to a nine-point lead, Dallas' rebounding woes coupled with untimely turnovers allowed the Sixers to creep to within three (99-96) on Young's putback with 1:29 on the game clock.

After Nowitzki's free throws made it a five-point game, Young's 3-pointer cut the margin to just two, 101-99, with 1:00 remaining. Neither side scored again until Kidd went 1-for-2 at the foul line, giving the Sixers an opportunity to tie the game with a three as 9.8 seconds appeared on the clock. Philly did just that, as Andre Iguodala's pull-up three over Marion found the bottom of the net with 5.9 ticks left. After a Dallas timeout ran the clock down to 5.6 seconds, Carlisle drew up the play of the game with a Nowitzki screen setting up an isolation for Terry on the right side of the baseline. Though he was merely 2-of-6 shooting at the time, the sixth man displayed all the confidence in the world as he made a spin move, pivoted and nailed a clutch fadeawy jumper over Green with just 1.4 seconds still remaining and Dallas up two.

"I came off a great pick from Dirk and J. Kidd put the pass on the money," Terry said. "There were five seconds, I figured I'd make a little move to take some time off and got the shot off."

"We ran something that was going to be him (Terry) or Dirk, two good options," Carlisle said. "I thought the key on the whole thing was he could have taken the shot quickly but he had the presence of mind to get the guy on his hip, use some clock and was able to get some separation and take the shot. And 1.4 (seconds) is a lot tougher time to score in than 3 seconds or 2.8 or something like that. He hit a great shot. Tremendous. Much needed, obviously."

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)


With the 7-foot Nowitzki defending the inbound pass, Young struggled to find Iguodala, who grabbed the ball in a congested lane and threw up a desperation jumper that missed as time expired to secure a two-point Mavs' win.

"In that situation, with that team, you're thinking it's going to be him (Iguodala) somehow," Carlisle said. "Everyone converged. Marion did a great job on a couple of those late possessions and he had been cold on the bench. He was there, Kidd was there. Dirk would guard the in-bounder. It turned into a very difficult shot. Our execution on the last two possessions, Jet's score and that defensive sequence, were great. And they needed to be because that's a team that makes shots."

"It's a great win even though we had a lead and they got it back even. I liked the way we fought them off at the end and were able to finish the game. I would have liked to have closed the last four minutes better than we did, but some nights it's about survival and that's what this was."

Dallas out-shot Philly 46 to 41 percent, which made up for the Sixers' 60-37 rebounding edge. As they dominated the glass, the Sixers stayed in the game with 32 second-chance points and a 46-30 points in the paint advantage. Dallas countered by shooting 10-of-21 from behind the 3-point arch.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks shared the ball much better, shelling out 31 assists compared to Philadelphia's 13 helpers.

Nowitzki finished with a game-high 28 points, while Kidd scored a season-best 22 points to go along with his 11 assists. Playing on a nagging left ankle, Marion added 14 points. Off the bench, Drew Gooden rung up a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Barea scored 11 points while dishing out six assists.

Green led the Sixers with 23 points, as Young and Elton Brand added 21 points apiece. Iguodala finished with 19 points on just 6-of-17 shooting.

Now the Mavericks hit the road once again, heading to the northeast to play the 0-17 New Jersey Nets and former Mav Devin Harris. The Nets are trying to avoid an NBA record for the worst start in league history. The game will air Wednesday night, locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 6:30 p.m. CT.

"Throw their record out," Terry said of the Nets. "They're still going to play hard. I've watched them play. They've played hard, they just haven't gotten away with a win. We don't want to be the one (the first team to lose to the Nets)."

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.

Inside Report Pregame: Mavericks-76ers

Mavericks-76ers Preview

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Philadelphia 76ers (5-12) at Dallas Mavericks (12-5)

Most teams would look at a 2-1 record on a three-game road trip as a success. The Dallas Mavericks aren't most teams.

For Dallas, it's the one defeat, a 111-95 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Mavs' last game, that makes the stretch away from home somewhat disappointing.

"The thing that stays with you is the last game," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "There were some things that happened defensively that were very poor, that we needed to address today and we did. We just have to get better. We played well in the previous two games, at Houston and at Indiana, and we just took a step back against Cleveland. We have to get the wheels back on the wagon tonight."

If the Mavericks are looking to get back on the winning track, then the Philadelphia 76ers are the perfect sacrificial lamb. The 76ers come into Dallas limping to a 5-12 record, 180 degrees from where the Mavericks sit at this point in the season. Philly is spiraling downward, riding a six game losing streak.

"This is a big week for us," Mavs sixth man Jason Terry said. "Coming off a loss at home (to Golden State), we want to avenge that loss tonight against Philly, which is a young team that get up and down the court. They pose a big threat to us."

"You got to get back on defense and you have to have a disposition about your body that says: 'We're not going to lose this game.' That's what you'll see tonight from us."

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
Crowding Iguodala ranks tops on Dallas' priority list

Monday night, much of the Dallas defense will be predicated on stopping All-Star forward Andre Iguodala.

"He's (Iguodala) a tremendous player. We have to just have a lot of different guys ready to guard him. Our whole team has to be tuned into his whereabouts on the court. Every time he puts the ball on the floor and looks to drive it, he has to see a crowd. He's just a terrific player and we're going to have to work hard to limit him," Carlisle said.

The 76ers will be without starting point guard Lou Williams for eight weeks with a fractured jaw. With Williams out, the door opens for rookie guard Jrue Holiday. The former UCLA standout will be required to step up in a big way and add support to Iguodala.

"Holiday was a guy that was highly rated in the Draft," Carlisle said. "I thought he was a really good player, and now he's getting an opportunity to play. He's getting better each game. He's a guy that can run a team, he can make shots, he can drive it, he can guard people, he's got good size, so he's a factor in the game and we're going to have to deal with him too."

With an offensive explosion on display recently, the Mavericks come into their matchup with Philly with a hardcore focus on the defensive end.

"In our wins, we have tremendous defensive numbers. In our losses, the numbers are extremely poor, which I guess you would expect. We're working towards consistency at both ends, but I really believe it starts with defense," Carlisle said.

The Mavericks-76ers game will air Monday night, 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.