Mavericks-Warriors Recap

(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Beaubois' breakthrough performance on the Bay
Dallas Mavericks 111 at Golden State Warriors 90

After coming up on the wrong side of the scoreboard in four of their last six games, Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was looking for someone to step up and lead his slumping squad.

(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Who would think that a rookie from Guadeloupe would be the catalyst to winning basketball?

Looking forward to reigniting their competitive juices against an old rival on Saturday night, the Mavs entered Oracle Arena with hopes of winning the four-game season series with the Golden State Warriors in the final matchup between the two teams. Thanks in large part to a career night from rookie guard Rodrigue Beaubois, the Mavericks not only got back in the win column, they did it in blowout fashion.

Beaubois' 40-point night not only shredded his previous career-high of 24 points, it also boosted the Mavericks to a 111-90 win.

"First off, I have to say that Roddy (Beaubois) had a great game," Carlisle said after the win. "Coming into this game, we knew this was the type of team that he would be able to showcase his abilities against...It was a good win in a not-so-easy place to play."

Looking to right the ship, Carlisle re-inserted Brendan Haywood at the starting center spot, after the 7-footer came off the bench behind Erick Dampier in the previous two games. But even with Haywood monitoring the paint, the Mavericks had their hands full in the opening quarter thanks to a quick start from Clippers forward Corey Maggette. Once Haywood exited the game at the 3:18-mark of the first quarter with a left middle finger injury, Carlisle turned to a three-guard lineup of Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and the rookie Beaubois playing next to Shawn Marion and Eduardo Najera. The move was a successful one, as the "small ball" Mavericks escaped with a 31-27 edge at the end of one, despite Maggette's 17 first quarter points.

The Dallas reserves accounted for 15 points off the bench in the period. That would become a trend.

It didn't take long in the second quarter for Beaubois to heat up. Back-to-back-to-back threes from the former French League product gave the Mavericks a 13-point lead just two minutes into the period.

"When he came in, he made a lot of great things happen," the coach added. "He hit a bunch of threes at key points in the game and that took some of the wind out of their sail and gave us a push when we needed it."

The first year-pro then got plenty of help on the offensive end from fellow point guard J.J. Barea and All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki, but the quarter was all about Beaubois' assassin-like sharpshooting from behind the 3-point arch. The result was an advantage as large as 28 before the half ended with Dallas in front 67-41.

With a 21-point second quarter, Beaubois' 26 points in the first 24 minutes established a new career mark for the budding star. No. 3's 10-for-13 from the field and 5-for-6 from behind the arch helped the Mavericks shot 59 percent in the half. Meanwhile, the Warriors struggled to just 35 percent shooting at the other end.

"We were active at both ends," Carlisle simply said.

"We held them to one shot opportunities and that was helpful for us. We don't look at the record of the teams we play because this is the NBA, so any team can win or lose," Marion explained.

(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
Carlisle didn't stop utilizing his smaller lineups to begin the second half and the team kept responding. Haywood continued to sit with the mild injury while Najera continued to get the minutes at the five spot. With their rookie on the sidelines to start the third quarter, Najera and Marion took control of the scoring. But after the Warriors cut into a 33-point Dallas lead with a 9-0 run, Beaubois once again defused things with his sixth made three. The Mavs then took a 91-62 lead into the final period.

In the fourth, the young guard began to put in work both as a facilitator and a scorer, eclipsing the 30-point plateau while dishing out play-making assists. By that point, the game was less about the scoreboard and more about where Beaubois' night would rank by the end of the night. His ninth made three came with 1:16 remaining, breaking a Mavericks' rookie record held by his mentor and teammate, Kidd.

"What a performance by Beaubois...Unbelievable," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "We left him open a couple of times, but it didn't matter. He made shots when we covered him, when he was open. Nine threes, what a performance. I didn't expect that."

With Kidd going scoreless in the game, Beaubois' night became more of a necessity than a luxury. The team then dribbled out the clock with Beaubois just two points shy of tying the franchise mark for points in a single game by a rookie.

Beaubois' scoring output is the second-best by a rookie this season, sitting only behind Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings' 55 points on Nov. 14 against the very same Warriors squad.

"Hats off to Roddy for his game tonight," Kidd said. "He picked up a lot of slack for us. I wasn't able to get a shot and I guess he found them. The main thing is that we got the win, so we are all happy about that. We may have to add another player to this rookie class, with Stephen Curry, Tyreke (Evans), Jennings and now Roddy."

In addition to his 15-of-22 shooting and 9-of-11 from long range, Beaubois also snatched a career-high eight rebounds while sending back three blocked shots on the defensive end. The 6-foot guard also dished out three assists and committed just one turnover.

"He has earned the minutes that he has been getting. The type of team we have is beneficial for him. To have the ability to play with a Jason Kidd and the rest of this team is only beneficial for him. It's a smaller team that we played tonight and that suited him. The great thing about Roddy is he has been ready to play every time he has been called upon. I believe in the kid a lot. He will be out there if he will be able to help us win," Carlisle said of Beaubois' maturation.

The Mavericks finished the game out-shooting the Warriors 48 percent to 33 percent. With Beaubois' big explosion, the Dallas reserves outscored their Golden State counterparts 65-27.

"We got a big spark off the bench from Roddy. We have a lot of different sparks off of the bench and tonight was his night," Marion said.

But the rookie wasn't the only one that performed in a big way for the Mavs Saturday night. Marion's 18 points, Caron Butler's 14 and Nowitzki's 13 made it four Mavericks that scored in double figures. All of wish benefited off of Kidd's 11 assists.

"(Kidd) doesn't care about scoring, he only cares about winning. He's a true professional, and he helps this team go. He directs traffic out there for this team to be successful," the coach concluded.

Nowitzki also added 10 rebounds to record the double-double, as Dallas won the battle of the boards 48-43.

After his big first quarter, Maggette finished with 21 points to led the Warriors.

Now the Mavericks shift their focus to perhaps the game of the season.

With the team in a dogfight with the Denver Nuggets for the second seed in the Western Conference playoff picture, the Mavs return to the American Airlines Center on Monday night to play host to the Nuggets. The two squads have split the first two games of the season series, both in Denver. That matchup will air nationally on NBA TV and locally on KTXA 21 at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

"We are a veteran team and we are all trying to get ready for the playoffs," Marion said.

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