Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Phoenix Suns 97 Dallas Mavericks 107
Tuesday night's 99-86 loss in Oklahoma City was not the ideal beginning in a Dallas Mavericks' uniform for new additions Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson.
Just 24 hours later, the trio took the court for a more impressive showing in their American Airlines Center debuts against the Phoenix Suns. Though the newcomers continue to learn on the fly, playing the second of four games in five nights, Wednesday night the squad got back on the winning track. With a tormenting defense and six players scoring in double figures, including Butler and Haywood, the Mavericks claimed a 107-97 win over the Suns on the home floor.
(Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
"They really wanted it," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of his new-look squad. "Our new guys, being here, the guys who have been here want them to feel what it's like to win, especially in this building. We fought hard for it."
"It's always easier at home," Butler added. "The crowd just kind of carried us and lifted us and gave us that momentum we needed down the stretch to win this game."
Butler and Haywood hit the hardwood from the opening tip, starting next to Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki. Haywood got the start in the middle, with center Erick Dampier out of the lineup after suffering an open dislocation to his right middle finger in the loss to Oklahoma City. The 7-footer then had the injury surgically repaired before returning to Dallas, though a timetable for his return to game action has not been set.
"I just kind of grabbed my hand at first," the big man said explaining the injury. "I didn't think it was that serious until I tried to open my hand and I saw a bone sticking out of the skin.
"Everything is fine. We'll take this week to week to see how it feels."
After following behind by as much as eight in the opening period, the two new starters began to settle into their roles. Meanwhile, the Dallas defense held Phoenix without a made basket for the final 3:25 of the quarter. With Nowitzki and Butler handling the scoring responsibilities, while Kidd sped up the tempo for an 11-0 run, the Mavs sprinted to a 28-23 edge after one. The Suns misfired on their last six field goal attempts in the period.
Transition offense continued to be the key for the Mavericks in the second quarter.
"We're a running team," the coach said. "We have Jason Kidd. We are always better when we don't call plays or don't have to call plays. Sometimes you have to in certain situations. When you do, you better be able to execute it and put the ball in the hole... We got the ball moving up and down the court well."
"We're just playing basketball -- it's like pickup game style. We're just getting the ball to the floor general (Kidd) and just getting to spots and he's finding us," Butler said.
Simultaneously, the Suns went almost seven minutes without a made basket, stretching back to the end of the first quarter. Despite Amar'e Stoudemire racking up a double-double midway through the second quarter, the Mavericks' lead reached double digits. The scrambling Dallas defense continuously disrupted the rugged Phoenix offense in the quarter, including Haywood's block out on the perimeter on Steve Nash's 3-point attempt. But after the Mavericks led by as much as 12, the Suns cut their deficit to 56-49 at the half.
Dallas out-shot the Phoenix squad 48 percent to 39 percent in the first half, despite losing the rebounding battle 28-26. The Maverick defense stifled the deadly Phoenix 3-point attack, as the Suns hit on just 1-of-14 attempts from behind the arch in the first 24 minutes of play.
"I think against Phoenix, you've got to guard the 3-point line. That's where they really get you," Nowitzki said.
Nowitzki led the way for Dallas with his 16 first half points, but Stoudemire's 17 points and 12 rebounds kept the Suns in contention.
The Mavs blew the game open in the third quarter behind Kidd's 3-point shooting. The veteran lead guard then got help from Butler and Marion, as the two former All-Stars attacked the rim with an aggressive state of mind. With Haywood paroling the paint and sending back shot after shot at the defensive end, the Mavericks outscored the Suns 26-19 in third to take an 82-68 advantage into the final period.
But after the Mavericks' lead climbed to as much as 19 in the third, the Suns responded with a 7-0 run early in the fourth to get their deficit to single digits. Jason Richardson's three at the 7:45-mark cut the Dallas lead to 90-85.
"Next thing you know it's a five-point game. But overall, I felt we did a good job staying with their shooters and made them finish in the lane over big Haywood," Nowitzki said.
Still the game laid in the Mavericks' grasp, as seemingly every loose ball found its way into a Dallas player's hands down the stretch. With Nowitzki carrying the offensive load for most of the fourth, Jason Terry battling through a tough shooting night with back-to-back jumpers to put the Mavs ahead 103-91 with 2:29 remaining. The game then got testy, with Nowitzki and Grant Hill drawing a double technical call during a brief scrum. But on a night where Kidd was virtually all over the court, the future Hall-of-Famer iced the game with timely rebounds while racking up the steals on the defensive side of the ball. The Mavs finished the game off by nailing clutch free throws.
"This is a tough team to play. They have tons of weapons. They are quick, they shoot it, they have skill. They keep coming at you...I like the way we hung in when they got close. We made big plays and were able to close it," Carlisle said of his team's resolve.
"I don't think I've ever known a team to hold Phoenix to under a 100. So, our defense tonight was great. Everybody stuck to the game plan, everybody was in position and it just felt good to give a good defensive effort," Haywood said after his five-block night.
The story of the night was the play of Kidd at both ends. The 10-time All-Star engineered the fast-breaking offense to perfection, racking up 18 points and 10 assists.
"(Using transition offense) is to make the game simple," Kidd said. "Make or miss, get it down the court as fast as you can and hope something presents itself, whether it's a layup or a wide-open jump shot."
(Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)
Defensively, the 15-year veteran literally stole the show, claiming a career-best seven steals while also snatching seven rebounds.
"(Kidd) is just amazing," his coach said. "Just an amazing game, the way he led the team. The steals, to get to seven steals is a phenomenal number in one game. It seems like they were all timely...He was great."
"They put my Rookie of the Year trophy in my locker, so maybe that's what made me feel young," Kidd joked.
Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 28 points on 11-of-24 from the field, while Kidd, Terry (17), Butler (15), Marion (14) and Haywood (10) all scored in double digits.
Stoudemire led the Suns with 30 points and 14 rebounds, but the Dallas defense held Nash to just nine points on 4-of-13 shooting. The All-Star point guard and former Mav did shell out 12 assists.
The Mavericks finished the night slightly out-shooting the Suns, 47 percent to 46 percent, while also holding a 45-44 edge in rebounding. Dallas was also extremely efficient, committing just 11 turnovers, compared to 17 for Phoenix. Led by Stoudemire's big night, the Suns did outscore the Mavs 50-42 in the paint, albeit in a losing effort.
After taking a day off, the Mavericks continue their tough five-day stretch with another back-to-back. The squad heads to Orlando to battle the Eastern Conference champion Magic on Friday night. The game will air nationally on ESPN and locally on KTXA and KTXA HD at 7 p.m. CT. The two teams have not met this regular season.
"Going in there and trying to get a win is going to be a big momentum-booster," Butler said of the trip to Orlando. "It's against a quality team that's playing great basketball as well."
Saturday night, the Mavs return home to host the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Center. That game will air nationally on NBA TV and 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 Mavs took the first meeting between the two teams, escaping Miami with a 106-93 road win on Dec. 11.
For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.
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