Mavericks Practice Report 01/06/10
If practice makes perfect then the Dallas Mavericks are hoping that two days to prepare for the division rival San Antonio Spurs pays off with a strong 48-minute performance come Friday night.
A day after knocking off the Detroit Pistons with a 98-93 home win, the Mavericks returned to the practice court in preparation for the Spurs. Beating Detroit, a team that has now loss 10 straight, was one thing. Heading into San Antonio and knocking off the Spurs, a team just 2 1/2 games behind Dallas in the Southwest Division standings, is a much more daunting task.
(Photo by D. Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images)
"Divisional games are very important for obvious reasons and they all count on the total record," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of the the upcoming meeting with the Spurs. "There's significance in every game you play, and you have to win as many as you can. I'm sure (San Antonio) looks at it the same way."
The two teams split the first two meetings of the season, with both squads winning on their home floor. San Antonio's 92-83 win on Nov. 11, without Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, was answered one week later when Dallas left the American Airlines Center floor with a 99-94 win over a Duncan-led Spurs squad. Having yet to match up against Parker, Carlisle understands just how different Friday night should be with the cat-quick point guard on the floor.
"(Parker) is a great player," Carlisle said. "He was a major problem for us last year, and he's a major problem for everybody. A big part of our game plan will be trying to slow him down...Our whole team is going to have to do a good job, otherwise he's great at getting in the paint, finishing and causing havoc."
Visa versa, the Mavericks are hoping to have their full unit intact. Dallas has played the last two games without starting center Erick Dampier, as the 7-footer has been inactive with a left knee effusion. Carlisle is hopeful that the big man can return to the court on Friday night.
"We're not for sure yet, but (Dampier) is making some gradual progress. We'll see what's what after tomorrow and go from there," the coach said.
If Dampier can't go, the Mavericks are confident that their stable of bigs can step in and contend with Duncan. That assignment will fall on Drew Gooden's shoulders mostly if Dampier continues to sit, though Duncan will see every big body Dallas can throw his way over the course of the night.
"It's a tough job," Carlisle said of defending Duncan. "Last game we had to play without Damp, and it's work. You miss that length when you don't have it out there. But last game, Drew and Dirk (Nowitzki) and Kris (Humphries) guarded him, and if Damp can't go then we're going to have to do it by committee."
"Hopefully we will get (Dampier) back here soon and Drew can continue to still play with the urgency and effort he showed (Tuesday night)," sixth man Jason Terry said.
(Photo by D. Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images)
Though the free agent addition has struggled at times with his scoring near the basket, Gooden has shown a rare ability to snag loose balls off the glass and on the floor.
"It is amazing what Drew Gooden can do for us and he is a valuable asset," Terry said of his teammate. "Especially, without Erick Dampier out there, he is our only big man on the roster, so he has a tough task."
The former Kansas standout's hustle was once again showcased in the win over Detroit, as Gooden overcame a 4-for-16 shooting night to post 10 points and grab a season-high 18 rebounds. A career-best nine of the 18 rebounds were offensive boards, though many came off of his own misses. Still, Carlisle loves what the veteran post man brings to the court nightly.
"I love the way (Gooden) pursues the ball. Whether it's in the air, off the rim or if it's on the floor, he's after it. The energy that he exudes in doing that lifts our team up, gets our crowd involved, so it's big for us.
"He didn't have a great shooting night, but he still impacted the game with his tenacity and that's what we need from everybody."
Dallas will need that tenacious energy to be contagious when they head to San Antonio to battle a Spurs team that has won eight of their last 10. In the third of four meetings between the two squads, the Mavericks-Spurs matchup will air locally on KTXA and KTXA HD on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. CT.
Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on the second night of a back-to-back Saturday, hosting the Utah Jazz, with the game airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.
The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.
Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.
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