Thunder-Mavericks Recap

(Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Advantage Thunder in I-35 shootout
Oklahoma City Thunder 121 at Dallas Mavericks 116

With playoff positioning at stake for the Dallas Mavericks and a postseason berth on the line for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Saturday night's contest between the offensively potent squads figured to be a 48-minute war.

It did not disappoint, but the Mavericks certainly were disappointed by game's end.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

For the Mavericks, an opportunity to grab the season series also presented itself, as Dallas entered the fourth and final regular season meeting between the two squads with a 2-1 edge. Instead, the Thunder got even, ending a nine-game winning streak that the Mavs held over the Thunder in Dallas. In a game with all the ingredients of a playoff series, the young Thunder squad looked more like the veteran ball club, leaving the Mavericks with a sour taste and a hurt ego. Despite a valiant effort in the fourth quarter, the Mavericks couldn't overcome a double-digit deficit, eventually falling 121-116 on the American Airlines Center floor.

"I love the way the group at the end of the game finished...Absolutely full capacity, making things happen," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the loss. "That's what it's going to take for us to get where we want to go. We didn't have that for long enough stretches during the 48 minutes."

"I thought we showed a lot of character, fought and clawed back. But we fell a little short," swingman Caron Butler said.

And at the end of the day, it is a loss, dropping the Mavericks into a four-way tie for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoff picture.

From the opening tip, the two teams each tried to land haymakers on their opponent. But the Mavericks got the upper hand early. Thanks to quick starts from Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion, offsetting Kevin Durant and Jeff Green's production, the Mavs grabbed a 37-35 edge at the end of the first quarter. In a high-scoring affair, the Mavs connected on 15-of-20 from the field, compared to 14-of-24 for Oklahoma City. The 37-point output was a season-high for opening quarters by Dallas.

"When you get in a groove offensively, you can't allow it to erode what you are trying to do defensively. We had an eight-point lead at one point in the first quarter and then we gave it up as the quarter came to a close," Carlisle said.

"We scored 37 in the first quarter. The problem is we gave up 35," Brendan Haywood added.

With a nagging injury for Marion (strained left oblique muscle) and early foul trouble for point guard Jason Kidd and center Erick Dampier, who got the start at the five spot, the Mavericks had plenty of obstacles to climb. And the Thunder feasted off the Mavs' misfortunes, with Nick Collison doing much of Oklahoma City's damage inside in the second quarter. That translated into a 67-59 Thunder advantage heading into the break.

"Good teams have got to be able to close out quarters and hold leads in those situations," Carlisle said. "We struggled to do it in the first quarter. And in the second, we got behind and were behind the rest of the night."

Durant posted 15 points at the midway point, while Nowitzki paced the Mavs with 14. The hot shooting continued throughout the first 24 minutes of play, with the Thunder out-shooting the Mavericks 55 percent to 52 percent. Oklahoma City also scored 16 points off of Dallas' seven first half turnovers.

"The turnovers were a huge part of our poor defense. The first half, seven turnovers for 16 points. Sixteen points that are undefendable because you give them the score," the coach explained.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
During the intermission, Marion was officially ruled out for the second half due to the injury. No. 0 is listed as day-to-day going forward. With the highflyer grounded, it didn't take long for the Mavericks to go down double figures. But with Kidd back out on the floor, the home squad attempted to rally. The veteran point guard and rookie Rodrigue Beaubois picked up the slack for Marion's absence, lending support to Nowitzki. But the Mavs continued to find themselves on the low side of the scoreboard, trailing by as much as 16 in the third before entering the final quarter down 94-85.

"We've been getting behind -- sometimes we come back, sometimes we don't. We can't expect to do that if we want to be a good team in the playoffs," Haywood said.

Things got worse before they got better for the Mavericks at the start of the fourth. But things definitely did get better. After falling behind by 19, eight unanswered points after back to back steals on the defensive end kept the Mavericks' heart ticking. The run turned into a 17-2 spurt, cutting the disadvantage to just four, 110-106, with 2:40 left. Thanks to hustle plays from J.J. Barea and Eduardo Najera, the Mavs continued to hang tough.

"Eddie (Najera) started it all. J.J. (Barea) and Eddie came in and really pressured full court. We should have done that a lot earlier," Nowitzki said.

"I think we became more aggressive. The sense of urgency was there...We were playing basketball," Najera added.

Timely turnovers by the Thunder certainly contributed to things. But the upstart Thunder recollected themselves, as Eric Maynor swished home a 3-pointer with 28.9 ticks remaining to give Oklahoma City a 116-109 lead. The Thunder were unable to close the door on the game after missing a few clutch free throws in the final seconds, leading to long range jumpers from Kidd and Najera to extend the game. Still, Kidd's missed three attempt with 3.9 seconds left put the cap on the Oklahoma City win.

After the lose, the Mavericks immediately looked ahead to a possible date with the Thunder in the postseason to settle things once and for all.

"It's disappointing, but maybe we'll see them again in the playoffs. You never know," sixth man Jason Terry predicted.

The Mavericks went down in defeat despite out-shooting the Thunder 53 percent to 52 percent, while winning the rebounding battle 39-34. Dallas also outscored its neighbor to the north 56-46 in the paint.

"We just couldn't get enough stops," Nowitzki said. "You figure if you shoot 53 percent and out-rebound the opponent at home, then you'll win."

But that was not the case.

Thirty-one points surrendered off Dallas' 18 turnovers was a big reason the Mavericks' offensive output was not enough.

"Our defense wasn't good but our offense was. The way we turned the ball over was a major problem," Carlisle concluded.

Nowitzki's 30-point, 13-rebound night came in a losing effort. As did Kidd's 24 points on 10-of-15 from the field. Najera (11) and Barea (10) were the only other Mavs to score in double figures.

Meanwhile, Durant led the Thunder with 23 points and Green finished with 22.

Now the Mavericks try to right the ship after back to back losses to begin a three-game home stand.

"You can't lose back to back games at home, especially a week or two before the playoffs," Nowitzki said.

The team will take the Easter holiday off before returning to the practice court in preparation for Wednesday night's home contest against the Southwest Division rival Memphis Grizzlies. Dallas leads the season series with Memphis 2-1. The Grizzlies-Mavericks matchup will air locally on KTXA and KTXA HD at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets 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.

Thunder-Mavericks Preview

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavs try to steal OKC's thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder (46-28) at Dallas Mavericks (50-26)

It seems that every game grows with intensity as the playoffs approach.

Saturday's matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder is no different, as both teams enter the game with a lot on the line. While the Southwest Division-leading Mavericks are out to continue holding the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference standings, the Thunder have an opportunity to grab a postseason berth. It all only adds fuel to the heated fire that figures to burn at the American Airlines Center, in a potential opening round playoff series preview.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

"They're all potential playoff matchups at this point," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said about all six games left on the schedule. "Look, (the Thunder) are going to be a playoff team. So, this game is important on many levels, and there's no need to overstate that."

"You can't worry about the playoffs right now. You have to play the games in front of you...Easily things could be reversed, because (seeds two through eight) are separated by a couple of games," sixth man Jason Terry explained.

But the Mavericks are well aware of the Thunder's sixth-seed spot in playoff positioning. It comes as no surprise to Carlisle, after watching the Thunder battle back from an abysmal start to the 2008-09 season before finishing with a 23-59 record.

"I think their struggles last season have only fueled them. They did a great job of battling back last year, and they've continued to battle this year," the coach said.

According to Terry, the Thunder came into this season with a purpose. That purpose was clear from the initial game: Make the playoffs.

"They've looked like they've been playing for something all season. You can't tell they are a young team," Terry said.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
Now the Mavericks come into the fourth and final regular season meeting against Oklahoma City with a purpose as well. Dallas wants to stop the upstart Thunder from making a statement on the Mavs' home floor. That starts with stopping superstar Kevin Durant.

The 21-year-old Durant is second in the NBA in scoring (29.7 ppg), sitting only behind reigning MVP LeBron James in a virtual dead heat for the scoring title. But Durant has averaged just 16.0 points per game in his five career visits to the AAC. The Mavs will once again make stopping the budding star top billing.

The Mavericks will also try to contain the Thunder's fast-break opportunities. That means limiting point guard Russell Westbrook's impact on the game. Westbrook, a second-year pro out of UCLA, may be the league's most improved player. Teamed with Durant, the duo will look to run. As will the Mavs.

"We definitely want to limit their transition baskets," Terry said. "Winning the battle of fast-break points is definitely a key to the game."

Dallas will be looking to rebound from a disappointing 97-82 home loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday night, in the first contest of a spaced out three-game home stand. The Mavs will also be out to take the season series with the Thunder, leading 2-1 in this season's meetings. The Thunder-Mavericks matchup will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets 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.

Magic-Mavericks Recap

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com (04/01/10)
Mavs' April Fool's Day frowns
Orlando Magic 97 at Dallas Mavericks 82

The Dallas Mavericks had no April Fool's jokes awaiting the Orlando Magic on Thursday night. Instead the joke was on the Mavericks, and it was no laughing matter.

Though the Mavericks entered the matchup with a three-game win streak and the psychological edge, after sneaking out of Orlando with a 95-85 road win on Feb. 19, the Magic was the team leaving the American Airlines Center floor with a smile and a 97-82 win the second time around. With the Mavericks coming off of a grueling 106-102 overtime win in Memphis the night before, Orlando was the fresher team. The Magic squad also stuck to what it does best, torching the Dallas defense from three-point range.

"We were in a dogfight last night. We gave our all, but Orlando was the better team tonight," point guard Jason Kidd said after the loss.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

The opening quarter was a test of wills, with both squads feeling each other out while looking for a weakness to attack. The Mavericks attempted to go right at All-Star center Dwight Howard on the offensive end. But the Mavs had their hands full with No. 12 inside at the other end of the court. The result was an 18-16 Magic edge at the end of one, in a low-scoring affair. Both teams struggled shooting early on, as the Magic hit on seven of 19 shots compared to the Mavs' 7-for-23 shooting.

"Some nights, it's going to be like that," forward Shawn Marion said. "It just felt like a lid was on the basket."

"The game was tight after the first quarter, and then they started hitting threes," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said.

The two squads remained pretty even in the second quarter, with Dirk Nowitzki pulling his team closer every time the Magic got breathing room. But with Nowitzki on the bench, the Magic ran off seven unanswered points to go comfortable in front. With Mickael Pietrus schooling understudy and fellow Guadeloupe native Rodrigue Beaubois, the Magic took a 43-36 advantage into the halftime break.

Behind Pietrus' 15 first half points in 12 minutes off the bench, the Magic out-shot the Mavs 38 percent to 35 percent in the half. Nowitzki's 12 points kept the Mavericks in contention at the midway point.

"We just weren't able to get anything going early," Nowitzki said. "We were a little flat."

"They are a very good defensive team, top two or three in the league. They are going to make it hard. Early on, Dirk is the only thing we were really able to get going and that made it tougher because then they were locking in on him," Carlisle explained.

But Nowitzki picked right back up where he left off to begin the third quarter. Still, the nine-time All-Star was unable to keep his squad from falling behind by double digits. The Mavs tried to find a spark plug in the play of reserve guard J.J. Barea, as the fan favorite returned from a two-game hiatus with a sore left ankle.

"I was just trying to be a spark in the second half. We needed to get something going," Barea explained.

But the quarter was all Orlando's, as the Magic dominated the Mavericks in the paint and on the perimeter. Deadly three-point shooting and the combination of Howard and former Mav Brandon Bass inside lifted Orlando to a 72-56 advantage heading into the fourth.

"We didn't execute our game plan at all," sixth man Jason Terry said.

"We couldn't make shots and we got frustrated," Kidd added. "It carried over to our defense."

Despite Barea's dribble-penetration and Terry's outside shooting off the bench, the Mavericks continued to trail by double figures early in the fourth.

"The second half, we were able to get some more guys involved," Carlisle said. "Barea came in and made some things happen. JET (Terry) got going and we had some better activity. But it was an uphill battle all night."

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
The duo did cut an 18-point deficit down to nine inside of the final two minutes of play. But the Mavericks never got any closer, after Pietrus closed the door on Dallas with back-to-back threes in the final minute.

In addition to out-shooting the Mavericks 49 percent to 38 percent, the Magic connected on 14-of-24 from behind the arch. That's a far difference from the 4-for-25 from deep that Orlando shot in the February meeting.

"The thing that killed us was the threes," the coach said. "The last two times we played these guys, this year and last year, we made a real effort to run them off the line. There were a lot of times they had shots they would normally knock down but they didn't make. And tonight, they were making them. There were times tonight when we didn't do a good job of finding shooters in transition."

"You take the threes out of the equation and we were right there. They were shooting just as bad as us," Marion said.

Dallas won the points in the paint battle (30-28) and were just slightly out-rebounded (43-42), even with Howard's 17-point, 20-rebound effort. What the Mavericks didn't prepare for was Pietrus' season-high 24 points off the bench on 7-of-8 shooting and 6-for-6 from behind the arch.

"Pietrus was on fire," Nowitzki simply said.

The Mavericks also didn't anticipate an off-night from the squad's starters with the exception of Nowitzki. Take away Nowitzki's 24 points on 9-of-22 from the field, and the four Dallas reserves that saw playing time (Barea, Beaubois, Terry and Erick Dampier) outscored the other four starters (Kidd, Caron Butler, Marion and Brendan Haywood) 38-20. Barea and Terry were the only other Mavs in double figures, scoring 16 points apiece.

"We want to get everybody playing well," Carlisle said. "The fact is, there are going to be nights when guys have some struggles. That's why you have a team, so you can try to find other guys who can help.

"Our first unit, a lot of it, we've got to be efficient, move and screen well. That's a group that plays a lot of basketball off the flow, not a lot of play calling. The recognition of one another has to be really good. That group's played some really fine basketball in some instances. We can do it, we just have to work to do it."

Now the Mavericks try to catch a convenient case of amnesia, putting this loss out of their minds so they can concentrate on Saturday's home matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Mavericks lead the season series 2-1 over Oklahoma City. The Thunder-Mavericks matchup will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

"It was not a good night, but we've got to move on. We've got an important one on Saturday," Barea said while looking ahead.

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

Magic-Mavericks Preview

(Photo by Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com (04/01/10)
Mavs seek magical fourth straight W
Orlando Magic (52-22) at Dallas Mavericks (50-25)

The Dallas Mavericks never fail to amaze.

With all odds against them, the Mavericks overcame a double-digit deficit with less than five minutes of game action remaining in the fourth quarter on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. Eventually the Mavs captured a 106-102 overtime victory, ending a three-game losing streak in FedExForum.

"This team doesn't have any quit in us," center Brendan Haywood said after the win. "We aren't going to give in. As long as we have a shot, we are going to continue to fight and play hard."

The win made the Mavericks just the fourth franchise ever and only the third since 1967, when NBA teams began playing 82-game regular seasons, to capture 50 wins in 10 consecutive seasons.

"(The decade of 50-win seasons) is a tribute to ownership -- the commitment that Mark Cuban has made to have good players, create a good environment and get a full building...It's very meaningful from that standpoint," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "You have to have guys that get it done on the floor. Not only playing, being able to finish games and deal with nights like (Wednesday night)."

Carlisle was speaking of players like Dirk Nowitzki.

Though No. 41 connected on just three of 11 shots in the first three quarters, the sharpshooter kept firing. The result was three clutch 3-pointers down the stretch, 28 points on 9-of-23 shooting and a victory for his team.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

"As a shooter, all you need is to see one go through. Sometimes it might be a free throw. Sometimes it might be a layup that gets you going. I was just happy that one went through and that I stuck with it. My teammates always support me and tell me to keep shooting. Obviously, I needed to step up and be there for my teammates," Nowitzki said.

"Dirk hit a lot of big shots down the stretch. He brought us home," Haywood added.

Now, after rookie Rodrigue Beaubois' 40-point game against Golden State, Nowitzki's second career triple-double against Denver and the instant classic comeback against Memphis, the Mavericks return to the place where they make amazing things happen. The squad will host the defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic Thursday night at the American Airlines Center.

With the quick turnaround, the Mavs will rely heavily on what they learned in a 95-85 road win in Orlando on Feb 19, in the only regular season meeting between the two squads this season.

(Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
In that game, the Mavericks learned that their bigs can not get into early foul trouble against All-Star center Dwight Howard. Quick fouls on Haywood had the 7-footer sidelined early on in the previous matchup, helping Howard to a 13-point, 8-rebound first half.

"When you have a guy 7-1 out there, it's going to change the geometry of the game, defensively. Guys are going to go in there, they're going to have to change their shots, they're going to see length and long arms up over the rim...(Haywood's) foul trouble is what got him out of the game early," Carlisle said.

"Dwight was just killing there in the first half," Nowitzki said. "He got whatever he wanted. He got to the basket, he got some dunks, he got right shoulder, left shoulder jump hooks. So, we wanted in the second half to just mix it up...We did a decent job of mixing it up on him."

While Howard did finish with a game-high 29 points, the Mavericks took away the Magic's perimeter shooting. That was lesson No. 2. In addition to holding Orlando to 41 percent shooting for the game, the Dallas defense also forced the Magic into 4-of-25 from 3-point range.

"Howard had a big night scoring, but they weren't able to get going from the 3-point line," the coach added. "We did a little bit of double-teaming, but for the most part, Brendan played him straight up (in the second half). It allows you to stay closer to the 3-point shooters, so it was a big key."

"Where they get you is with their 3-point shot. I thought we really stuck with their shooters," Nowitzki echoed.

Now the Mavericks look for a repeat performance, while also seeking their fourth straight win. Dallas will be playing in the second half of a back-to-back.

The Magic-Mavericks matchup will air nationally on TNT at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets 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-Grizzlies Recap

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com (03/31/10)
Dirk sparks epic comeback, completes decade of success
Dallas Mavericks 106 at Memphis Grizzlies 102 F/OT

The history books won't have to wait any longer to include the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA's annals for regular season success over the last decade.

The Mavericks sat just one victory shy of their 10th straight 50-win season entering Wednesday night's matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies. With a win, the squad would join the 1979-91 Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs, who are currently looking for their 11th season at the 50-win plateau, as the only franchises to accomplish the feat for at least 10 straight seasons since the NBA switched to 82-game schedules in 1967.

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Fittingly, the Mavericks celebrated a decade of regular season dominance with a vintage performance by the franchise's marquee name for the past 10 seasons. After struggling for the better part of three quarters, Dirk Nowitzki ignited a Mavericks' comeback in the final five minutes of regulation, eventually leading his squad to a 106-102 overtime win in the building that has tormented the team for two years. Not a bad followup for No. 41 after recording his second career triple-double in the team's last game.

"(The decade of 50-win seasons) is a tribute to ownership -- the commitment that Mark Cuban has made to have good players, create a good environment and get a full building...It's very meaningful from that standpoint," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "You have to have guys that get it done on the floor. Not only playing, being able to finish games and deal with nights like tonight. It's easy to pack it in, down 12 in the fourth.

"Getting into overtime and being able to win, and getting your 50th (win of the season) on a night like tonight is meaningful, because 50 wins are hard to get and this has been a very hard place for us to win games."

Something had to give. The Mavericks came into the contest on a three-game losing streak in FedExForum. Still, the Mavericks were in high spirits, coming off of back-to-back wins including the squad's 109-93 home win over Denver on Monday night. The Mavs also looked to begin a back-to-back by handing the Grizzlies their third straight loss.

Fortunately for the Mavs, they had their full compliment of players available for the Southwest Division matchup. Caron Butler was in his customary starting shooting guard spot after missing the team's morning shootaround with stomach trouble. But in the early minutes of the opening quarter, the Mavericks' offense flowed through center Brendan Haywood. Despite dunk after dunk from the 7-footer in the early minutes, the Mavs found themselves in a quick hole, as Memphis big man Zach Randolph did work from inside and out. After seeing their team fall behind by double digits, a pair of 3-pointers from point guard Jason Kidd and another triple from Eduardo Najera shot the Mavericks back into the game. Then it was Butler's turn, banking in a three to beat the buzzer and cut the Mavericks' deficit to 27-22 at the end of one.

The Dallas defense stepped up at the start of the second quarter. Meanwhile, the threes kept falling. Rookie Rodrigue Beaubois gave the Mavs their first lead of the night at 29-27 with another bomb from long range, as the ball club from Big D scored the first seven points of the period. The Mavs' miscues and turnovers allowed the home team to hang around. At the same time, the Grizzlies weren't allowing Nowitzki to get into the mix, throwing multiple double teams his way. But Kidd and sixth man Jason Terry righted the ship, as the two teams headed into the break knotted at 50-all.

"It was a frustrating game for 44 minutes," Carlisle said. "We were getting a lot of good looks. We were working hard, even though we weren't playing particularly well. In the first half, our undoing was turnovers and missed shots."

Terry led the Mavs with his 15 points of the bench in the first half, but Memphis' Mike Conley's 16 lead all scorers at the midway point. In addition to Dallas' 13 turnovers in the first 24 minutes of play, Memphis also out-shot the Mavericks 53 percent to 44 percent in the half. The Mavs did connect on 7-of-14 from three-point land.

Things looked bleak for the Mavericks at the start of the third quarter, as the Grizzlies began the second half on a 17-4 run. Coming out of the locker room, the Mavs also missed nine of their first 10 shots. With Nowitzki struggling and Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo heating up, Memphis built up a 13-point advantage. But Terry continued to muster up offense for Dallas. No. 31 did the job at both ends of the court, pulling his squad to within 73-67 entering the fourth quarter. Nowitzki was 3-of-14 through three quarters.

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
With J.J. Barea dressed but sidelined again due to his sore left ankle, Beaubois began the fourth in the backup point role. The first-year pro's penetration and perimeter defense was much needed, but the Grizzlies continued to hold a controlling edge. Once his team went down 12, Carlisle switched to a three-guard lineup of Kidd, Beaubois and Terry playing next to Nowitzki and Haywood. The unit was able to play at a quicker speed, putting a dent in Dallas' deficit by attacking the rim and getting to the foul line. After struggling all night, Nowitzki stepped up with back-to-back threes to knot the game at 88-all, completing a stretch of 13 unanswered Dallas points.

"Everybody kept battling and Dirk hit those two threes to tie it up. It really energized us and made it tough on them," the coach explained.

"I am just glad that I got going," Nowitzki said. "We really had nothing going for a long time in the fourth. JET (Terry) was really the only guy that kept us in the game. Then they made a run...At that point, it is either go for it or you take the (loss). We went for it."

After Conley and Nowitzki exchanged a pair of scores, the intensity picked up. The game then laid in the balance when Darrell Arthur won a jump ball over Kidd and Memphis called a timeout with 17.5 ticks reading on the clock. But Kidd got his revenge, forcing Mayo into a shot short of the rim as time expired, sending the game into the extra period. The Mavericks finished regulation on a 15-2 run, with the last eight points coming from Nowitzki.

"Energy was great, but we needed a little spark offensively. I was able to get going, so that was great," No. 41 added.

"This team doesn't have any quit in us," Haywood said. "We aren't going to give in. As long as we have a shot, we are going to continue to fight and play hard."

Defensive stops and fast-breaking offense was the story early in the extra five minutes for the Mavericks. Nowitzki became a willing facilitator as Terry continued his assault on the Grizzlies' defense. Still, Mayo would not allow his team to go away quietly, swishing in a three to keep Dallas' edge at one point. But Nowitzki may have put the Grizzlies to bed for the night, raining in a high-arching, fadeaway jumper with 24.0 seconds remaining to put the Mavericks up 101-98. After a pair of free throws from Randolph once again cut the lead to one, Nowitzki answered with a 2-for-2 trip of his own with 11.0 seconds still on the clock.

The Mavericks then intentionally fouled Randolph, keeping Memphis from tying the game with a three but earning Haywood his sixth and final foul of the night. Once again, the first-time All-Star hit both at the charity stripe. And once again, Nowitzki extended the lead with a pair of his own. With just 8.9 seconds remaining, Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins designed a play for Mayo to tie the game after inbounding the ball. The second-year pro got a good look, but bricked it off the iron. Forward Shawn Marion grabbed the rebound and finished the game off at the line, scoring his only two points of the night.

"We hung in. I don't know if stealing it is the right term or not. It would have been easy to cave. The guys were determined," Carlisle said.

In the fourth period and overtime, Nowitzki scored 19 of his 28 points. His team outscored the Grizzlies 39-29 during that stretch. After his early deficiencies, Nowitzki finished the night shooting 9-for-23 from the field and 3-for-6 from behind the arch.

"As a shooter, all you need is to see one go through. Sometimes it might be a free throw. Sometimes it might be a layup that gets you going. I was just happy that one went through and that I stuck with it. My teammates always support me and tell me to keep shooting. Obviously, I needed to step up and be there for my teammates," Nowitzki said.

"Dirk hit a lot of big shots down the stretch. He brought us home," Haywood said.

Terry finished with a game-high 29 points off the bench, connecting on 11-of-24 shots but just 1-for-8 from deep. Kidd, meanwhile, finished just shy of his 105th career triple-double, with 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Butler battled through his stomach illness to record his first double-double as a Mav, grabbing 13 rebounds to go with his 11 points. Haywood (11) and Beaubois (10) made it six Mavericks to score in double figures.

The Mavs needed everything from those six double-figure scorers, as Mayo scored 27, Conley added 25 and Randolph finished with 24.

Dallas did out-shoot Memphis 43 percent to 41 percent. The Mavs also held a 27-16 advantage in fast break points, overcoming 18 total turnovers and capitalizing off of Memphis' 17 giveaways. The Grizzlies finished with a slight edge on the glass, out-rebounding the Mavericks 49-47.

Now, on a quick turnaround, the Mavs return to Dallas to play host to the defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic on Thursday night at the American Airlines Center. The Mavs escaped with a 95-85 win in Orlando on Feb. 19 in the first meeting between the teams. That game will air nationally on TNT at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

"It's a great win, but we have to get out of here quick and get ready for the next one," Carlisle 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-Grizzlies Preview

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com (03/31/10)
Mavs eye historic 50th W in Memphis
Dallas Mavericks (49-25) at Memphis Grizzlies (38-35)

The Dallas Mavericks are on the verge of history, but their recent past is standing in the way.

With a win on Wednesday night, the Mavericks will become just the third franchise to collect 10 consecutive 50-win seasons since the NBA expanded its schedule to 82 games in the 1967-68 season. The Mavs would join the Los Angeles Lakers, who reached 50 wins 12 straight times from 1979 to 1991, and the San Antonio Spurs, who are currently looking to accomplish the feat for an 11th straight time this season.

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

But the Memphis Grizzlies don't want the Mavericks to join the exclusive fraternity at their expense. And Dallas' three-game losing streak at FedEx Forum says that recent history is on the Grizzlies' side. Starting a back-to-back that concludes Thursday night in Dallas against the Orlando Magic, the Mavericks say No. 50 is going to be a tough victory to come by.

"We haven't won in Memphis in a couple of years and Orlando may be the hottest team in the league right now, so it's going to be a tough week for us," forward Dirk Nowitzki said.

But if any team can do it, the Nowitzki-led Mavericks can.

The ball club from Big D is coming off of perhaps the biggest win of the regular season, downing the Denver Nuggets 109-93 on Monday night and remaining in the second slot of the Western Conference standings. Still, the team is continuing a business-as-usual approach.

"You won't go too far if you put labels on it like (the biggest win of the season)," point guard Jason Kidd said. "That's the way this league is...You move on when the horn sounds."

While the Mavericks couldn't stop and enjoy the win, they could at least sing the praises of Nowitzki, as the 7-footer recorded just his second career triple-double.

No. 41's performance may have been the best all-around game of his career, scoring 34 points, snatching down 10 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists to will his team to the victory. Nowitzki's only other triple-double came on February 6, 2008 against Milwaukee, when he finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists.

"Very balanced. Timely shotmaking. Terrific passing. He's a terrific rebounder, so that's no surprise. It was good that he could get the triple-double. They are very difficult to get," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of the nine-time All-Star's night.

"He did everything," Kidd said if his teammate.

Now the Mavericks will be calling on Nowitzki to do it again, in an arena that has haunted the squad of late. That includes a 98-82 road loss to the Grizzlies on Dec. 4.

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

"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."

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
Marion's role will be key. After defending Denver's Carmelo Anthony, holding the league's third-leading scorer to a season-low 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting, Marion will see plenty of time on the explosive Rudy Gay. The Mavs will also try to corral first-time All-Star Zach Randolph and budding star O.J Mayo.

"They've got three legit scorers in Randolph, Mayo and Gay, so they're a tough team," Nowitzki concluded.

Nowitzki, Marion and company will be looking to shut the Memphis trio down, while also going after their third straight win and 50th of the season. The Southwest Division-leading Mavs will also try to hand the Grizzlies a third straight loss.

In a divisional showdown, the Mavs and Grizzlies face off for the third of four matchups between the squads. The season series is knotted at 1-1, with each team winning on its home floor. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7 p.m. CT. The two teams meet for a final time at the American Airlines Center on April 7.

Just 24 hours after the tip against Memphis, Dallas plays host to the defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic on Thursday night at the American Airlines Center. The Mavs escaped with a 95-85 win in Orlando on Feb. 19 in the first meeting between the teams. That game will air nationally on TNT at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets 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.

Nuggets-Mavericks Recap

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dirk's triple-double downs Denver a mile deep
Denver Nuggets 93 at Dallas Mavericks 109 (03/29/10)

If the Dallas Mavericks were looking for a tuneup for the postseason, they definitely got one Monday night.

While playoff positioning wasn't finalized when the Mavericks hosted the Denver Nuggets at the American Airlines Center, there was still plenty on the line. The Mavericks proved that they are battle-tested and playoff-ready.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

In the third and final matchup between the two squads this regular season, the winner would not only claim the season series, they would also take charge of the second spot in the Western Conference playoff standings. While the Mavericks sent their deepest sentiments to Nuggets coach George Karl during his bout with throat cancer, the team did look to exert its will against a short-handed Denver squad playing without Karl and forward Kenyon Martin (knee). Mission accomplished. In one of Dirk Nowitzki's best all-around performances of his career, the Mavericks left the American Airlines Center floor with a 109-93 win. Nowitzki filled the stat sheet by recording just his second career triple-double in the victory.

"We needed the win. Obviously, that's the most important stat," Nowitzki said after the effort.

If No. 41 wasn't going to praise his own performance than his teammate Jason Kidd had the 7-footer covered.

"Dirk did everything," Kidd emphatically said.

The Mavericks were determined to be the victors from the initial jump ball, beginning the first quarter by outscoring the Nuggets 9-2. With Nowitzki's sweet shooting stroke, the Mavs' advantage reach as much as 11 in the opening quarter. While Nowitzki did his scoring from the perimeter, forward Shawn Marion preferred to do his damage at the rim. The two combined for 19 points in the first 12 minutes of play, lifting the Mavericks to a 31-23 advantage after one.

The Mavs went 13-of-22 from the field in the period, while the Nuggets connected on 10-of-23.

Things began to resemble last year's heated Western Conference semifinal playoff series between the teams in the second quarter. The emotions and physicality picked up, and cooler tempers did not prevail when Jason Terry was assessed a technical foul for sending a blow J.R. Smith's way at the 10:11-mark. But while the call ignited a Nuggets run that pulled them to within three, the Mavericks answered with back-to-back 3-pointers from Kidd and rookie Rodrigue Beaubois to spark an 8-0 run. The Mavs finished the half with a 55-46 advantage. The Dallas defense held the Nuggets without a made field goal for the final 4:30 of the half, as Denver missed on five straight shot attempts.

"Denver is a terrific team and you have to play really hard and really physical, but you have to have poise to beat them," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "You have to play well, and we did all of those things."

(Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)
Nowitzki and Marion led all scorers heading into the intermission with 12 points apiece. More importantly, Marion suffocated Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony to just three points on 1-of-8 shooting.

"The key to the game was the job that Shawn Marion did on Carmelo," Carlisle said. "(Anthony) is one of the toughest guys in the league to guard, and (Marion) took the challenge."

"I was just making him take hard, contested shots and making him work on defense, too," Marion said.

Smith led Denver off the bench with 11 point in the half. The Mavs' 49 percent shooting bettered Denver's 43 percent at the other end. Dallas also swished in 6-of-11 from behind the arch in the first half.

Marion continued his assault on the Denver defense to begin the second half. The former All-Star also continued to do the job defensively on Anthony in the third quarter, getting help from center Brendan Haywood as the 7-footer stepped outside of the paint to reject jump shots. The result was run-and-gun basketball, as the Mavericks turned defensive stops into transition scores with Marion and Nowitzki at the finishing end.

"It just goes to show where our team's head was at tonight. It was an extra-pass game. Guys were moving it and doing the right things at both ends," Carlisle said.

But after the Mavericks built up a 17-point lead, the Nuggets closed to within 79-69 entering the fourth.

It didn't take long for the Nuggets to cut their deficit to single digits in the final period. But timely threes from Nowitzki and Terry kept the Nuggets at a safe distance. Meanwhile, Nowitzki also operated as a playmaker, finding the open man out of double teams while tallying assist after assist.

"(Nowitzki) trusted his teammates and that's what he did all night," Terry said.

"We did a nice job of keeping a cushion and hitting timely shots," Nowitzki added.

No. 41's three from the top of the key with 6:45 remaining may have sent the knockout blow, lifting his squad to a 95-79 advantage. The nine-time All-Star followed it up with another bomb from long range to put his team up 19. Nowitzki then found Terry for a 16-footer with 2:15 left to record his 10th assist of the night. Just seven ticks later, Nowitzki exited the game to a standing ovation, leaving the court with a game-high 34 points (7-of-17 shooting, 4-for-5 from three-point range), 10 rebounds and those 10 helpers after just over 37 minutes of game time.

(Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

"Very balanced. Timely shotmaking. Terrific passing. He's a terrific rebounder, so that's no surprise. It was good that he could get the triple-double. They are very difficult to get," Carlisle said while praising his superstar's night.

Difficult to get is right. Nowitzki's only other triple-double came on February 6, 2008 against Milwaukee, when the future Hall of Famer finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and a career-best 12 assists.

But like his coach before him, it was Marion that Nowitzki wanted to talk about after the game. No, it wasn't Marion's 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting that had Nowitzki's attention after the game. It was the defense the versatile forward played on Anthony, holding the perennial All-Star to 10 points on 3-of-16 from the field.

"I thought the player of the game was Marion. He did a really fantastic job on Melo," Nowitzki concluded.

"This is a big win for us," Marion said. "We went out there and did what we had to do get this win."

In addition to Nowitzki and Marion, Terry (15), Haywood (10) and Caron Butler (10) also scored in double figures. Off the bench, Smith led Denver with 27 points on 10-of-16 from the floor.

Thanks to Nowitzki's overall output and Marion's scrambling defense, the Mavericks finished the night out-shooting the Nuggets 47 percent to 41 percent. The Mavericks also knocked down 12-for-22 from behind the arch, compared to the Nuggets' 6-for-20 from deep.

The two teams also played each other to a stalemate on the glass and in the interior, as Denver ended the game with a 43-42 rebounding edge and a 38-34 advantage in points in the paint. The Mavs did, however, convert 12 Denver turnovers into 17 points.

But now the Mavericks aren't taking another second to think about the monumental win. Instead, the team has immediately turned its attention to a tough back-to-back.

"That's the way this league is...You move on when the horn sounds," Kidd explained.

First the Mavericks head to Memphis on Wednesday night for a Southwest Division showdown with the Grizzlies. The Mavs have lost three straight games at FedEx Forum, but each team has won on its home floor to knot the season series at 1-1. The third of four matchups between the squads will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7 p.m. CT.

The Mavs then return home a day later, playing host to the defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic on Thursday night at the American Airlines Center. Dallas snatched a 95-85 win in Orlando on Feb. 19 in the first meeting between the teams. That game will air nationally on TNT at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

"We haven't won in Memphis in a couple of years and Orlando may be the hottest team in the league right now, so it's going to be a tough week for us," Nowitzki said while looking ahead.

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

Nuggets-Mavericks Preview

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
West's second seed at stake in Big D
Denver Nuggets (48-26) at Dallas Mavericks (48-25)

Conventional wisdom would lead you to believe that Monday night's matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets is the biggest game of the season for both teams.

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle begs to differ.

"With just nine games left, they're all important," Carlisle said.

(Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

Maybe the coach is just trying to psych us all out.

Monday's contest between the Mavs and Nuggets is more than just the rubber game in the season series, it is also crucial for playoff seeding. The two squads, both of which earned postseason berths with Memphis' 108-103 overtime loss to Milwaukee on Sunday, are separated by just one-half game in the Western Conference standings. Thanks to Denver's 103-97 loss in Orlando, the Mavericks currently sit in the two hole. It's a spot the Mavericks hope to remain in with a victory against the team that ended Dallas' season a year ago in the Western Conference semifinals.

"If we concentrate on playing well, then the seeding will take care of itself," Carlisle added.

Neither the Northwest or Southwest Division leaders have played their best recently, making this game even more important. Playing without coach George Karl (throat cancer) and Kenyon Martin (knee), Denver has dropped four of its last five games. Meanwhile, the Mavericks haven't won consecutive games since their 13-game win streak came to an end on March 13 with a 128-94 loss to the New York Knicks.

But the Mavericks have someone on the bench that is patiently waiting to change that.

One player that has certainly played well of late is Mavs rookie Rodrigue Beaubois. The former French League product is coming off of a 40-point explosion against Golden State in the team's 111-90 win on Saturday night. Beaubois finished just two points shy of Mark Aguirre's franchise rookie record of 42 points set on November 14, 1981. Instead Beaubois had to settle for being just the fourth Maverick to score 40-plus in a game during their rookie season.

"It was a good night for me," the Guadeloupe native said. "It was an even better night because our team got the win."

Most impressively, the young guard eclipsed his old career-best of 24 points in the first half of that game, scoring 26 points off the bench in the first 24 minutes of play. All of this after playing just 48 seconds in the Mavs' 101-89 loss to Portland last Thursday.

Beaubois' ability to score in bunches has certainly caught Carlisle's eye. The first-year pro's 9-of-11 from 3-point range against the Warriors also made the coach take another look at how he utilizes the budding star. Carlisle, who has used Beaubois at the shooting guard position next to point guard Jason Kidd, now also feels like he can trust the 22-year-old at the backup lead guard spot.

"He's played mostly at the two, but I wouldn't hesitate to use him at both positions...He's played well and he's earned the minutes he's gotten. We don't just give out minutes around here," the coach said of Beaubois' role with the team.

Meanwhile, nothing changes for Beaubois. It's still business as usual for the versatile 6-footer.

"I just have to be ready when Coach calls my name. And I have to take advantage of my opportunities and help the team win," Beaubois concluded.

Beaubois tries to put on an encore performance, as the Nuggets make their only regular season visit to the American Airlines Center. The Mavs and Nuggets have split the first two games of the season series, both in Denver. The third matchup between the two squads will air nationally on NBA TV and locally on KTXA and KTXA HD at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets 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.