Knicks-Mavericks Recap

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Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
New York Knicks 128 at Dallas Mavericks 94

The way Saturday night transpired was not the way the Dallas Mavericks saw their 13-game winning streak coming to an end.

After handing the New York Knicks a 50-point loss on their home floor back on Jan. 24, the Mavericks knew that they would get New York's best effort in the second meeting. They certainly did. More importantly, the Mavericks entered the night with the opportunity to grab the NBA's longest winning streak of the season if they could add one more notch onto their 13-game victorious stretch. They didn't.

Instead the Knicks got even, torching the Mavericks on their home floor and ending Dallas' streak dead in its tracks with a 128-94 blowout loss.

(Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

"Obviously players in this league have a lot of pride. When we beat them by 50, they didn't forget it," forward Dirk Nowitzki said after the loss.

"We were poor defensively. And look, we were poor offensively, too," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle added. "It was a poor performance all around. We really didn't come close to winning a quarter. When you get thoroughly thrashed like that, it's something that's difficult. We've got work to do."

The night began with so much promise. Things seemed to be aligning for a Mavericks' victory before the game. It seemed only right that the Mavericks welcomed Puerto Rico native J.J. Barea back to the squad as they recognized the NBA's "Noche Latino." Barea returned to the court after missing a game with a sprained left ankle. With Barea back in action, "Los Mavs" took the hardwood not wearing their traditional green on St. Patrick's Day, but instead sporting their alternative royal uniforms with stitched-in insignia to honor Spanish Heritage Month.

Before the tip, Mexico native Eduardo Najera addressed the capacity crowd to make the Dallas faithful feel at home. But shortly afterwards, the Mavericks didn't feel quite at home themselves. The Knicks quickly jumped out to a 9-2 lead on the Mavs out of the gates. New York's early advantage was short-lived though. Behind Caron Butler and Nowitzki, the Mavericks rallied with an 11-2 run to briefly go in front. But in a quarter full of runs, not even point guard Jason Kidd's 140th made 3-pointer of the season, the most for a season in his illustrious career, was enough to keep the Knicks from taking a 30-25 lead at the end of one. The Knicks' 10-of-18 shooting bettered the Mavericks' 9-of-21 in the first quarter. New York also hit 3-for-3 from behind the 3-point arch, which would become a trend.

"We just didn't come out with energy tonight," Barea said. "I've got to give credit to the Knicks -- they came out to play, they made shots and they made the game a lot harder on us tonight."

"We obviously weren't close enough to them early in the game to knock them off their rhythm. They got going. They are a very potent offensive team," Carlisle said of the visiting squad.

Knicks reserve forward Al Harrington began the second stanza on a tear. With Harrington attacking the rim, the Mavericks fell behind as much as 13 in the second quarter. But the Mavericks stayed in contention with timely scoring from Barea and Nowitzki. Still, the Mavericks couldn't overcome five second quarter turnovers. Because of Dallas' miscues and giveaways, the Mavericks entered the half down 58-48.

"They came out, hit a lot of shots and got into a rhythm. That was the story all night," Butler said.

New York out-shot Dallas 52 percent to 45 percent in the half. The Knicks' 14 points off the Mavericks' eight first half turnovers was the formula for the double-digit advantage. Meanwhile, Harrington led all scorers at the midway point with 15 points. Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 12 points in the first 24 minutes of play.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Dallas defense continued to struggle to begin the third quarter, while the offense sputtered as well. With Tracy McGrady connecting on an array of jumpers, the Mavericks fell behind by as much as 25. New York outscored Dallas 33-18 in the third to enter the final period with a 91-66 advantage.

As Bill Walker scored with ease en route to a career night, New York's insurmountable lead reached as much as 37 in the fourth quarter, making a comeback attempt nearly impossible. The frustration on the Dallas bench was apparent when Nowitzki picked up a technical foul for arguing with the officials with 5:31 remaining.

"If you get embarrassed in your own gym, there's going to be some frustration," Nowitzki said.

The game was never in doubt the remainder of the way as both squads emptied their benches.

"The end result was really a lopsided game, to say the least...Over a 24-day period, when you don't lose a game, you're going to have teams gunning for you and you're going to have teams showing up that are going to get hot," Carlisle concluded. "If you don't have answers, it's going to be ugly. Tonight was ugly.

"I think this kind of night defines you to a certain degree. It's the adage about on a given night, anything can happen."

The table were completely flipped in comparison to the Mavericks' 128-78 shellacking of the Knicks back in January.

"It's not about what you did the last time against a team, it's about what you did tonight" Kidd said. "Unfortunately, we didn't get it done."

New York finished the night connecting on 56 percent of their shots from the field. Dallas meanwhile hit on just 43 percent at the other end. The Knicks also swished in 16-of-30 shots from behind the arch.

"They hit 16 threes. We knew they were a team that has been streaky from the 3-point line. They are capable of both making 10 or 15, or they are capable of having a lot of misses," the coach said.

But the Knicks weren't missing much of anything on this night. With a 46-36 edge in points in the paint and 19 points scored off Dallas' 15 total turnovers, the Knicks featured six scorers in double figures. Four of which scored 20-plus, led by Walker's career-high 23 points on 9-of-12 from the floor and 5-of-8 from 3-point range.

"They had a lot of answers tonight, and we played poorly," Carlisle said of New York's balanced scoring attack.

Despite a lackluster night at both ends of the floor, the Mavericks did have five players that scored in double figures. Nowitzki recorded his 15th double-double of the season, scoring 20 points on 5-of-13 shooting while also grabbing 12 rebounds. Kidd added 15 points, while Barea scored 14 in his return. Shawn Marion (14) and rookie Rodrigue Beaubois (13) also reached double figures, albeit in a loss.

Now the Mavericks try to get back on the winning track with two more matchups left on a four-game home stand.

"All good things come to an end. We'll just have to start another streak," Butler said.

The Mavericks welcome in the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, with the game airing locally on KTXA and HD NET at 7:30 p.m. CT. The Mavericks just escaped Chicago with a 122-116 road win on March 6.

"We've got a long three days before the next game, and we have a couple of practice days, Monday and Tuesday, where we're going to have to get some things done," Carlisle said while looking ahead.

The home stretch concludes with an 8 p.m. date with the Boston Celtics next Saturday. That game will also appear on KTXA. The Mavericks handed the Celtics a 99-90 home loss on Jan. 18 in the first meeting between the teams.

Tickets for both games are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Knicks-Mavericks Preview

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
New York Knicks (22-43) at Dallas Mavericks (45-21)

As the Dallas Mavericks celebrate St. Patrick's Day, they are hopeful that their luck doesn't stop at the number 13.

The Mavericks admit that their 50-point win against the New York Knicks earlier in the season had a little luck involved. Another fortunate opportunity against the lowly Knicks presents itself on Saturday night. But while the Mavericks' 128-78 win in New York on Jan. 24 was undoubtedly the most lopsided victory of the season, it isn't what is grabbing the headlines as the two teams meet for a second time. Instead, it is the Mavericks' 13-game winning streak that has the entire NBA talking. The victorious stretch is tied for the league's longest win streak of the season.

(Photo by Kerre Randel/NBAE via Getty Images)

Yet with the league chattering about the ball club from Big D, the Mavericks know that the Knicks enter the American Airlines Center with revenge on their minds.

"They lost by 50 the last time the Mavericks played them, so I'm sure they're going to be angry coming in here," newcomer Brendan Haywood said.

Just like the Mavericks, the Knicks have a different look to them these days. The squad from the Big Apple has added former All-Star Tracy McGrady into the fold. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle says that McGrady is more than capable of exploding for a big game.

"They're a different team. They made the big trade to bring in McGrady and he can score. We have to be ready," Carlisle said.

But the Mavericks can not have their full attention on McGrady, because big man David Lee is in the midst of his first All-Star season. The versatile, yet undersized, center has terrorized opposing defenses, averaging 20.2 points and 11.6 rebounds a game this season.

(Photo by Kerre Randel/NBAE via Getty Images)
"Lee is very good on the perimeter, so we will have to have our big guys ready to step out to defend him," Carlisle said.

"You just have to stay in front of him and make him take tough shots," Haywood added.

The job of containing Lee may fall on Haywood's shoulders, but he will have help. Both Haywood and big man Erick Dampier returned to action Wednesday night in Dallas' 96-87 home win over the New Jersey Nets. Haywood returned to the starting lineup after a two-game absence with lower back tightness. He finished with a double-double, scoring 11 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Dampier saw his first game action since dislocating his right middle finger on Feb. 16 in a 99-86 loss to Oklahoma City, though the 7-footer only played four minutes. Now with the two big bodies back on the floor, the Mavericks will have two formidable defenders to contend with the likes of Lee.

"It's great because I want to play big this game," the coach said of the strategy.

But offensively, the Mavs are faced with the challenge of playing with a bigger lineup while also looking to play at a quicker tempo. While the two true centers were out, the Mavericks used a "small ball" lineup to play to point guard Jason Kidd's strength, turning defensive rebounds into fast break offense.

"The strategy doesn't change, it's just different personnel," Carlisle said. "We still want to get defensive stops, get the ball into Jason Kidd's hands and get out and run."

The Mavericks will really be running once they get two of their best bench contributors back on the floor. One may be ready to go Saturday night. Reserve J.J. Barea participated in the team's morning shootaround, and he is officially listed as a game-time decision.

"I'm hoping to give it a go," Barea shouted as he exited the court during the pregame walk through.

Meanwhile, sixth man Jason Terry returned to full contact drills in the team's Friday practice. Terry underwent facial surgery last week, repairing injuries suffered from an elbow to his face in the Mavs' 112-109 win over Minnesota on March 3. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year will be wearing a protective mask whenever he returns to game action. As the team prepares to play the second contest of a four-game home stand, Terry eyes the final two matchups as he's likely return.

"I'm targeting next week. We got two games next week that I'm hoping to be ready for," Terry said.

Without Terry, the Mavericks go for an NBA-best 14th consecutive win as they welcome in the Knicks. The matchup will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. The home stretch continues with games against Chicago and Boston. Tickets for all three games are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks Practice Report (03/12/10)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
JET touches down at Mavs practice

The participation of sixth man Jason Terry was certainly a welcomed sight at the Dallas Mavericks' Friday morning practice. Even if his face was shielded.

Terry returned to the team after undergoing facial surgery last week to repair a broken cheek bone and other facial injuries to the left side of his face. The star has been sidelined since he took a shot from Corey Brewer's swinging elbow in the Mavericks' 112-109 March 3 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

"When it happened, I knew it was broken," Terry said of the injury. "Luckily I didn't get a broken nose, too."

"Any time he's on the court is a good thing. It was good to see him back out here," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of Terry's return to practice. "There's still no timetable for his return (to game time)."

After heading to the locker room briefly, the veteran reserve went on to finish that game, even knocking down key buckets down the stretch with simply his nose plugged to keep it from bleeding. Friday, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year went through the team's full contact drills while wearing a temporary protective mask until his custom-made face gear is ready. Terry's task now is to get used to playing with his new head wear. Day One was a rough start, the sharpshooter admitted.

"I didn't hit a shot. There were a few slip and falls," Terry said.

Terry's teammates and coaches enjoyed his competitiveness back on the floor, but they also exchanged a few jokes here and there about his adjustment to playing while wearing the mask.

"He went through full contact, and he had a temporary mask on, so there were collisions," Carlisle said.

"Hopefully he gets used to that mask fast, because that was ugly," forward Dirk Nowitzki added. "He's a warrior, and hopefully we'll get him back in the next couple of games."

But while Terry gets acclimated to his new situation, he is anxious to get back on the court with his team in a game scenario. The versatile guard added that the support of Dallas fans has pushed him during his time away from the hardwood.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
"The main thing for me was the many 'get well soon' letters I got from Mavs fans. That was encouraging," Terry said. "I'm proud of the guys for how they've played without me. We've just gone out and beat who is on our schedule. That's all we can do, beat who we're supposed to beat."

Even with their go-to bench scorer missing the last four contests, the Mavericks have continued to run their winning streak to 13 games. The Mavs have now tied the Cleveland Cavaliers for the longest winning streak in the NBA this season.

With the team hoping to continue its winning ways, preparing for the second of four games on its current home stand, Terry is hoping to make his return to the lineup within the next week.

"I'm targeting next week. We got two games next week that I'm hoping to be ready for," Terry said.

Continuing their home stretch while putting their win streak on the line, the Mavericks welcome in a Knicks squad that they beat 128-78 in New York on Jan. 24. The Knicks-Mavs matchup will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. The home stretch continues with games against Chicago and Boston. Tickets for all three games are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Nets-Mavericks Recap

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Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
New Jersey Nets 87 at Dallas Mavericks 96

For the most part, the Dallas Mavericks' play over the last 13 games has been a thrill to watch. But for 24 minutes on Wednesday night, everything the Mavericks had accomplished since the All-Star break was in jeopardy of coming to a screeching halt.

Playing against the New Jersey Nets, the team with the NBA's worst record, the Mavericks found themselves in a double-digit hole in the first half. But stellar defense and the play of Jason Kidd and Caron Butler erased that disadvantage in the third and fourth quarters. The result was a 96-87 victory to begin a four-game home stand. It is the team's 13th consecutive win, tying the league's best stretch by any team this season.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

"The difference tonight was when they were scoring, we weren't able to go back and score back on them, like we have been able to do in the last couple of games," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the win. "But the key is finding a way to win."

Injuries have riddled the Mavericks recently. But the team has played through their recent ailments, taking the NBA's longest active winning streak into their matchup with the Nets. Fortunately for the Mavericks, they took a step in the right direction on the injury front, as two 7-footers returned to the streaking Dallas squad. Despite losing reserve guard J.J. Barea (left ankle) in the Mavericks' 125-112 win over Minnesota on Monday night, the team was delighted to have big men Brendan Haywood and Erick Dampier back on the floor. Haywood returned to the starting lineup after missing two games with lower back tightness. Dampier saw his first game action since dislocating his right middle finger on Feb. 16 in a 99-86 loss to Oklahoma City.

But even with the two big bodies on the floor, the Mavericks were out of sink in the early going. The Nets jumped out to a 17-3 lead from the opening tip. The duo of former Mav Devin Harris and Nets center Brook Lopez dominated the Dallas defense in the opening quarter, lifting New Jersey to a 33-19 lead after one.

"The only thing we've down during this stretch is play good defense. We didn't do that in the first quarter," Haywood said.

The Nets shot lights-out in the first quarter, hitting on 14-of-21 shots from the field. Meanwhile, the Mavericks struggled to just 7-for-17 shooting.

"The first quarter was ugly and we played poorly. They shot a high percentage. Really what the game came down to was the defensive end. I believe they shot 32 percent the final three quarters, but them shooting 67 or 68 in the first quarter was not the right way to start," Carlisle said.

New Jersey continued to come at the Mavericks head-on in the second quarter, led by swingman Terrence Williams' attacking play. But after trailing by as much as 18, the Mavericks rallied behind rookie guard Rodrigue Beaubois. A 10-1 run was capped in spectacular fashion when Kidd dove into the crowd to save a loose ball, eventually leading to a transition dunk for Shawn Marion to cut Dallas' deficit to single digits. The game's intensity level picked up from that point. The last 7:26 of the second stanza, the Nets shot 2-for-10 and committed five turnovers. The Mavs outscored the visiting team 16-6 during that stretch. Still, the Mavs entered the half down 47-39.

New Jersey out-shot Dallas 53 percent to 36 percent in the first half. The Nets capitalized off of Dallas' seven first half turnovers, scoring 13 points on Maverick miscues. Harris led all scorers at the midway point with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Beaubois kept the Mavs close with his 11 points off the bench.

"They have some dynamic players. They are athletic, they're hungry. They came out and hit a bunch of shots and we weren't as good as we needed to be defensively. So, we got in a big hole. At halftime, basically, we felt like if we could have a 40-point defensive half, we'd be in position to win the game. That's exactly what we held them to," Carlisle said.

An angrily aggressive Dallas team came out of the locker room to start the second half. The Mavericks' 12-2 run knotted the game at 51-all at the 7:30-mark of the third. Dallas took its first lead of the night a short time later on a pair of Shawn Marion free throws. They never looked back. Outscoring the Nets 31-15 in the third, the Mavericks galloped into the final period with a 70-62 advantage.

"Our defensive disposition was stronger," Carlisle said. "We were more physical. We were more alert. We scored 31 that quarter. A lot of them came in transition off stops."

Beaubois and Kidd quickly put distance between the two teams, giving the Mavs a double-digit lead with sharp shooting from behind the 3-point arch. But the Nets were able to hang tough behind former Mav Kris Humphries and Jarvis Hayes. The Dallas offense looked for an answer with Dirk Nowitzki having a rare off night.

"Dirk wasn't playing extremely well, but we can't ask him to score 20 to 30 every night," Kidd said.

Things got even harder when Beaubois picked up his sixth foul, taking him out of the game with the Mavs up just 85-81 with 5:36 remaining. The Mavericks' lead shrunk to as little as two before Kidd and Butler elevated their games to push the Mavs to the victory. The future Hall of Fame point guard rained in a three to put his team up 90-85 with 2:43 left. Butler followed Kidd with a jumper of his own.

"Obviously, things are going to run through (Nowitzki)," Butler said. "But when things aren't going well, that's what we're here for -- a helping hand."

Butler even battled through a hit to the face while battling with Haywood for a rebound, making perhaps the play of the game when he found that same teammate that knocked him to the floor for a layup with 50.8 ticks left to put the Mavericks up seven.

"The assist to Haywood was the key play that probably put the game away," the coach said of the sequence.

The two-time All-Star then added a pair of free throws to seal the Mavericks' 13th straight win.

The streak continued despite the back-to-back Western Conference Player of the Week, Nowitzki, hitting just 3-of-16 shots and scoring 12 points in just over 40 minutes played.

"My jump shot was all over the place, just not in the middle," Nowitzki simply said.

"Dirk had an atypical night, but you're not going to play like the MVP every night," Carlisle said of the superstar's rough night. "I think he's earned the right to have an off night."

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
With Nowitzki struggling, Kidd stepped up with 20 points and nine assists. Butler added 18, while Beaubois posted 16 points off the bench before fouling out. In his return to the lineup, Haywood record a double-double, scoring 11 points and snatching 10 rebounds. But it was Marion's 14-point, 13-rebound night that had his coach raving.

"Shawn Marion has been Mr. Everything for us -- Mr. Whatever-we-need," Carlisle concluded.

Returning to Dallas, Harris scored a game-high 21 points after his 7-for-14 shooting. Williams pitched in 18 points off the bench, as six Nets scored in double figures including Humphries who finished with 13 points.

The Mavericks finished the night out-shooting the Nets 44 percent to 41 percent, even after Dallas' cold start. The Mavs also hit 6-of-13 from behind the arch. Losing the rebounding battle (44-40) and the points in the paint (40-38), the Mavericks' 25-11 advantage in fast break points was a telling stat.

The streaking squad from Big D will now take Thursday off. The Mavs will hit the practice court on Friday, and they'll look to extend their winning streak on Saturday night against the New York Knicks.

In the second of four games on their current home stand, the Mavericks welcome in a Knicks squad that they beat 128-78 in New York on Jan. 24. That Knicks-Mavs matchup will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. The home stretch continues with games against Chicago and Boston. Tickets for all three games are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

"We're not thinking about the streak. We just want to get better every game. We want to win every game," Kidd said.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Nets-Mavericks Preview

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
New Jersey Nets (7-56) at Dallas Mavericks (44-21)

It would be easy for the Dallas Mavericks to overlook Wednesday night's showdown with the New Jersey Nets. It's a game between the NBA's hottest team and the league's most abysmal squad.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

But with a chance to tie the best winning streak of any team this season at 13 straight, the Mavericks are not about to become overconfident. Instead of focusing on New Jersey's seven total wins, the Mavs are focused on what the Nets do well. They're also focused on the fact that New Jersey has played much-improved basketball of late, especially on the road. Starting a four-game home stand, the Mavericks are not about to overlook any challenger, that includes a team challenging for the worst record in league history.

"They're a professional team, and they're playing well right now," point guard Jason Kidd said of the Nets. "You don't look at the record. They've been in good games, they've won three of their last four on the road. They beat Boston in Boston...They're playing hard. They have young talented players, and we can't take anyone lightly."

But while the Mavericks focus on an opponent that has been in the cellars of the standings all season, they're also rejoicing at the possibility of having two 7-footers back in the lineup. Both Brendan Haywood (lower back) and Erick Dampier (dislocated right middle finger) went through the team's morning shootaround. The two larger-than-life bodies are game-time decisions, but the chance of having the two bigs on the court seems likely.

That's great news to Kidd, after the team scrambled through "small ball" lineup changes. The return of two true centers will help the Mavericks immediately, especially on the glass.

"I think it helps with our rebounding, that's for sure. We were playing small and being real creative on the defensive end and also on the offensive end. We weren't having a problem scoring the ball, it was just a matter of giving teams second and third opportunities. We've been out-rebounded the past couple of games, so that definitely helps," Kidd said.

"It's great to have two 7-footers that are healthy and available, assuming that they are available and healthy," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said.

Carlisle added that unfortunately reserve guard J.J. Barea has been ruled out of the game, after he twisted his left ankle in Dallas' 125-112 win over Minnesota on Monday night.

"We're hoping to have some fresh bodies, but we're going to be down one," the coach said. "J.J. will be out tonight, and then our big guys, we're hoping they'll be available, but we'll see."

(Photo by Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images)
While the Mavericks are certainly disappointed if Barea joins sixth man Jason Terry (facial surgery) on the shelf, they also know that they are fortunate to have possibly both Dampier and Haywood available to throw at New Jersey's second-year center Brook Lopez. Dallas will also have to slow down former Mav Devin Harris.

"We respect the guys that they have. They've got two All-Star caliber players in Harris and Lopez...We're going to have to be on our game. We're going to have to play well," Carlisle added.

If the Mavericks are going to continue to play well, keeping forward Shawn Marion involved will go a long way towards the team's ultimate success. Marion has moved from position to position in the Mavs' starting lineup, even playing center with Dampier and Haywood sidelined. The versatile forward is coming off of a season-high 29 points and 14 rebounds in the win over Minnesota.

"The last two games, (Marion) has had to play the five spot to start the game," Carlisle said. "If we get one or two of our big guys back, he'll be starting at three. There's a huge difference between playing three and five. Shawn's been a winner everywhere he's been. He's given up a lot to come here and to play in our system. We're asking him to do a lot of different things that he's never been asked to do before, and his attitude has been great about it."

Now Marion and the Mavericks try to keep their attitudes positive, going for their 13th straight victory. The Mavericks start a four-game home stand against the Nets, with the game airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. The home stretch continues with games against New York, Chicago and Boston. Tickets for all four games are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Timberwolves Recap

(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 125 at Minnesota Timberwolves 112

The last 12 games for the Dallas Mavericks have been an epic journey. The expedition continued on Monday night as the Mavericks traveling to Minnesota to tangle with the Timberwolves for a fourth and final time.

Riding an 11-game winning streak, the Mavs entered the Target Center having won their last seven games in Minnesota. But the Mavs were forced to face a little adversity early. Dallas dressed just nine players for the second straight game due to the absences of Jason Terry (facial surgery), Brendan Haywood (lower back) and Erick Dampier (dislocated right middle finger).

(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The short-handed Mavericks also had to battle through leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki's early foul trouble. But as has been the case during the NBA's second-longest winning streak of the season, another Mav picked up the slack. Shawn Marion's season-high 29-point, 14-rebound night led the way as the Mavs extended their dominant stretch with a 125-112 win.

"Everybody's been contributing. That's the sign of a great team...That's what we're doing, we're helping each other out on the floor," Marion said.

"It's been a true team. Somebody's down a little, somebody picks them up. Guys have stuck together," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "When you get on a roll like this those kinds of things have to happen."

Not at full strength, the Mavs knew that they would be in for a 48-minute war. Things got even harder when the Mavericks lost Nowitzki with two quick fouls at the 10:21-mark in the opening quarter. With the nine-time All-Star sidelined, the Mavericks found themselves down double digits as Wolves big man Al Jefferson returned from a two-game suspension and went to work. But the Mavericks responded with a 25-8 run to end the quarter, taking the lead off zone defense, points off turnovers, Marion's at-the-rim finishes and the play-making of point guard Jason Kidd. Dallas escaped the first quarter with a 34-27 lead.

(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Nowitzki quickly made up for lost time early in the second stanza, with patented one-leg jumpers. Still, it didn't take long for No. 41 to pick up his third foul. Things got testy when newcomer Stevenson and former Mav Ryan Hollins go into a scrum, earning Stevenson a technical foul with 9:11 left in the half. But the Mavericks got their revenge on the scoreboard, eventually leading by as much as 18. A late charge by Jefferson and the Wolves cut the Mavs' halftime advantage 71-61.

"The big thing was 71 points at halftime," Kidd said. "That was a big thing, especially being short-handed."

Jefferson's 17 first half points led all scorers through the first 24 minutes of play, while Marion's 16 paced the Mavericks. Dallas capitalized off of the Wolves' 15 turnovers, connecting on 56 percent from the field. Minnesota shot 51 percent in the half.

"(Turnovers) helped a lot. I mean, we weren't necessarily doing a great job of stopping them. Their field goal percentage was up over fifty for a lot of the night," Carlisle said.

The third quarter was all about Nowitzki, Marion and Caron Butler besting Jefferson's one-man effort. After Minnesota cut its deficit to single digits, the Mavericks' trio used inside-outside play to take a 97-84 edge into the final quarter.

As they had seemingly done all game long, Jefferson and Marion exchanged bucket for bucket early in the fourth. Yet it was Butler's back-to-back threes that put the Mavs ahead 106-90 with 8:26 left. After the Wolves responded to climb within 10, Hollins defused his team's momentum with a flagrant foul on Nowitzki with 3:48 remaining. While the Mavericks never looked back, they did receive a scare when J.J. Barea rolled his ankle in the final minutes. The reserve guard and fan favorite went to the locker room with 2:29 left, and never returned to the floor.

"We're not sure how bad it is yet. (Barea) is getting X-rays so hopefully he's not too bad," Carlisle said. "It was kind of a freak play. We'll get him to our doctors and try to get him back on the court."

Back on the court, Marion's rim-rocking transition dunk in the final minutes put a lid on the win.

With the victory, the Mavericks win the season series with the Wolves 3-1. The Mavericks claimed the victory despite the Wolves' 60 points in the paint and a 54-39 rebounding advantage on the boards. That's because Dallas forced 26 Minnesota turnovers, leading to 31 fast break points.

"When they're not getting shots, they're turning the ball over. That gives us opportunities at the other end to capitalize on it," Kidd said.

Behind Marion's best night as a Maverick, the streaking Dallas squad out-shot Minnesota 50 percent to 48 percent. Marion hit on 14-of-25 shots.

"I'm really glad (Marion) had a big game. He's sacrificed so much of his game this year -- to be one of the best defenders, to get rebounds, to be a screener and a movement-maker. Tonight he was a featured scorer, which he has been really the majority of his career. It's good for him, and every week I tell him how important he is to us, and how much as a coach I appreciate what he's done this year. He is the guy who's made the biggest adjustment of any of the new guys we got. It's showing up in wins and losses," the coach said praising Marion's adjustments to the Mavs.

"Obviously, we all have to make sacrifices on a good team," Nowitzki said. "We all know (Marion) can get a lot bigger numbers than what he's scoring. Ultimately, if you want to win the championship, the whole team has to make sacrifices."

Marion doesn't mind making the sacrifice, with the team making a title run.

"I want to win, man. At the end of the day, you've got to make sacrifices to win...Whatever it takes for me to do to help this team win, that's what I'm going to do. I want to win a championship. That's what it's about," Marion said.

Nowitzki added 24 points in just under 30 minutes, while Butler poured in 23 points on 9-of-19 from the floor and 3-of-6 from behind the arch. Rookie Rodrigue Beaubois followed up his career-high 24 points against Chicago Saturday night with 11 points.

"Everybody came here contributing, whether it was guarding somebody, hitting a couple of shots, making the extra pass or whatever," Marion added.

Meanwhile, Kidd was once again the engineer, scoring 12 while shelling out 10 assists for his 23rd double-double of the season.

Jefferson led six Wolves in double figures with a game-high 36 points.

Now the Mavericks return to Dallas for the start of a four-game home stand, hosting the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. The home stretch continues with games against New York, Chicago and Boston. Tickets for all four games are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

"You've got to stay hungry. We've won 12, now we're home for 13 days. We have a four-game stand in 13 days, so we just have to stay hungry...We can't just be satisfied with what we did in the past," Kidd concluded.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Timberwolves Preview

(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks (43-21) at Minnesota Timberwolves (14-49)

The state of Minnesota has been like a second home to the Dallas Mavericks. They've been able to kick their feet up in "The North Star State," claiming seven straight wins over the hometown Timberwolves on their home floor.

Monday night's road matchup with the Wolves could be just what the doctor ordered for the banged up, yet streaking Mavs. The Mavericks have won 11 consecutive games, including last Wednesday's 112-109 home win over Minnesota, making them the hottest team in the NBA. Recently the Mavericks have had to play through injuries that are seemingly piling up, losing center Erick Dampier (dislocated right middle finger), sixth man Jason Terry (facial surgery) and big man Brendan Haywood (lower back) over the course of the 12 games the team has played since the All-Star break. Still, the missing three didn't keep the Mavericks from leaving Chicago with a 122-116 victory on Saturday night, despite only having nine players in uniform.

"We're not really worried about other teams right now," point guard Jason Kidd said after the team's latest win. "We're just trying to focus on us getting better. The biggest they is for us to get healthy. We won short-handed (Saturday night), but that just shows how deep we are. Everybody is focused on one thing, that's winning."

And winning is what the Mavericks continue to do. While the Wolves have been slumping, dropping five straight games, the Mavericks haven't used anything as an excuse to keep from moving in an upward direction. Things will be interesting when the Southwest Division leaders meet the Western Conference's worst team.

(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Riding the league's longest active winning streak, the Mavericks are hoping that faces return to the lineup over time. Haywood is expected to be a game-time decision, after missing the last 1 1/2 games with tightness in his lower back. The Mavs could also have Terry and Dampier back in the next two weeks. Until then, players like rookie Rodrigue Beaubois and forward Eduardo Najera will have to continue to step up.

Beaubois has matched or set new career marks for scoring in the last three games. The Guadeloupe native is coming off of a career-high 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting in the win over Chicago. Beaubois went for 18 of his 24 in the third quarter of the victory.

"Jason Kidd pushed me saying, 'Just play, just play.' It was going in, so I kept pushing and it was good," Beaubois said of after the best performance of his young career.

"(Beaubois) is a talent," Kidd added. "He's going to be a special player in this league. He's a great student. He has all the tools to be successful. He's working extremely hard...He's a guy that people really don't know, but he can shoot, he has long arms to defend and you can't teach speed."

While Beaubois has filled Terry's void on the perimeter, Najera has helped the Mavericks both inside and out. Though he has been undersized compared to the bigs he's faced inside, Najera's tenacious defense in the interior has made up for the absence of two 7-footers. Offensively, the former Oklahoma standout is coming off of an 11-point night off the bench, with 3-of-6 shooting from behind the 3-point arch.

"I thought our guys off the bench played extremely important roles. Najera came in and hit some threes and was solid defensively," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said.

Najera will be counted upon again with Minnesota's Al Jefferson returning from a team suspension.

But now with Terry sidelined, ironically suffering facial injuries after an elbow from Wolves swingman Corey Brewer on Wednesday, the offense will flow through Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and newcomer Caron Butler when the game is on the line.

(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Kidd just tallied his 22nd double-double of the season, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 15 assists. He's the only player in the league to post 10-plus rebounds and double digit assists in a game this season. He's done it four times in 2009-10.

"I didn't have to score. My guys were knocking down shots," Kidd said.

Kidd's teammates were knocking down shots, indeed. Nowitzki racked up 27 points on 11-of-22 shooting. Butler's 24-point effort was his best scoring night since joining the Mavericks.

"Everything starts on this team with Kidd and Nowitzki," the coach explained. "It's going to go through Nowitzki, Butler and Kidd."

Now, leading the season series 2-1 over the Wolves, the Mavericks try to extend their win streak to a dozen. The Mavs and Wolves will meet for the fourth and final time, with the game airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7 p.m. CT.

The team then returns to Dallas for the start of a four-game home stand, hosting the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. The home stretch continues with games against New York, Chicago and Boston. Tickets for all four games are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.