Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 88 at Toronto Raptors 110
Beginning a long road trip with a win can ways provide a boost to a team on an extended stay away from home. The Dallas Mavericks won't have that luxury after the first matchup of a five-game road trip.
In an early tip-off on Sunday, the Mavericks began their trip away from home with the Western Conference's best road record. After claiming a 129-101 home win and shooting 62 percent against the Toronto Raptors in Dallas' second-best offensive showing of the season on Nov. 7, the Mavericks looked for a repeat performance north of the border in the Air Canada Centre. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, this time the Raptors were the offensively potent team in their matinee matchup. A dominate Raptors' second quarter helped Toronto split the season series and handed Dallas a 110-88 road loss.
"Our inability to sustain anything really consistent defensively was the problem for us," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of the loss. "When we get stops, we can get out in transition, we can get good shots.
"Every team in this league is looking for consistency. When we struggle with it, we're like every other team, we struggle. We have to play better. And give Toronto credit, they played extremely well."
(Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)
Dallas looked for leading-scorer Dirk Nowitzki early and often in the opening quarter, while the Raptors countered with big man Chris Bosh. With Jason Kidd passing Glen Rice for fifth on the all-time list for made 3-point field goals on a bomb from long range at the 2:40-mark, coupled with 10 first quarter points from Nowitzki, the Mavericks seized control early with a 23-20 lead after one. The early advantage broke an eight-game stretch of Dallas deficits at the end of the first quarter.
"The first quarter was a good quarter for us, based on the score," the coach said. "They didn't shoot well, I thought we had something to do with that. We didn't shoot particularly well either, but we had a lead. And then we went through a stretch where we turned it over, we were dry and weren't defending –- that's three bad things to have happening at once."
The Raptors rallied with an 8-2 run to start the second quarter and surged ahead on the scoreboard. With Nowitzki and the starters resting on the sidelines, the Mavericks' second unit struggled to find the bottom of the net.
"Our second unit comes in the game and we think it's just going to be easy," sixth man Jason Terry said. "Their second group came out there full of energy -- making shot after shot, making plays. We didn't bring it...You had guys playing uncharacteristically. There are certain things we have to get accomplished, especially with that second group. We don't have Dirk out there, so there's certain things we have to run. We have to stay discipline and we definitely have to defend. But on the offensive end, we have to know what we're looking for, and we didn't. We were searching out there."
When Nowitzki returned to the court, he deferred to Terry. Still Bosh and the Raptors were a determined bunch, outscoring the Mavs 34-18 in the second quarter and equaling their largest lead as they entered halftime with a 54-41 lead.
"The second quarter was our undoing. When they scored 34, we scored 18. Turnovers led to uncontested shots and we went through a drought. When you go through a drought, you have to stop them and we didn't do it. The end result is a loss," Carlisle said.
"It is frustrating especially with this long road trip we have got," forward Shawn Marion said. "I thought we started the game off pretty well and they made a run. It seemed like they made some changes."
Bosh's 17 points led all scorers at the half, while Nowitzki kept Dallas in the game with his 14. Toronto's 50 percent shooting from the field bettered the Mavericks' 43 percent, due in large part to easy scores off of Dallas' seven first half turnovers.
The Mavericks' comeback attempt in the third quarter began with an attacking Marion, as the former Raptor found success raining in floaters over the long arms of the Toronto defenders. Continuously keeping the Mavs at bay, the Raptors increased their advantage with an inside-outside game plan. The frustration began to get to the Mavericks, as Nowitzki picked up his fourth personal foul and a technical for arguing the call with 1:44 left in the period. Meanwhile, the margin grew to 19 before Toronto eventually took an 84-68 lead into the fourth.
"Our problem is not the officials or those kinds of things, our problem is staying on task and knowing what's important to help us win," Carlisle said. "Look, we have to keep hammering and hammering away on it, we have to keep pointing it out, have to keep showing film, we have to keep reminding them and we'll get better."
(Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)
The final period began with Carlisle shifting to a "small ball" lineup of rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, Terry, Josh Howard, Marion and Nowitzki. But while the unit played at a faster pace, it did little to impact the scoreboard. With Andrea Bargnani closing the Mavericks out with an array of shots midway through the period, both teams emptied their benches in the final minutes conceding a Raptors' win. Nowitzki finished with a team-high 19 points, while Terry led the reserve effort with 18. Marion's 15 points and Kidd's 12 made it four Mavericks who scored in double figures.
Bosh's game-high 23 points were just ahead of Bargnani's 22, as Toronto featured five double-figure scorers.
The Raptors finished the day out-shooting the Mavericks from the field, 49 percent to 45 percent, also winning the battle of the boards with a 45-41 rebounding edge. Toronto utilized 10 Dallas turnovers to push the tempo out to a 23-9 advantage in fast break points.
Though the play of the second unit is normally decisively in the Mavericks' favor, led by Jose Calderon's 15 points off the bench, Toronto's reserves outscored their Dallas counterparts 38-34.
"Our starters did an outstanding job. But for our second unit to come in and play the way that we did, it's embarrassing. I've challenged them. I've challenged myself. I'm a part of that group, so we have to come out and do a much better job," Terry said.
"We know going into a game, our bench can not come out and put up production like we did tonight. That's embarrassing."
Now the Mavericks look to get back on the winning track Monday, on the second night of a back-to-back, heading into Boston to battle the Atlantic Division-leading Celtics. The Mavericks-Celtics game will air nationally on TNT at 7 p.m. CT. It is the first meeting between the two teams this season, after Boston swept the two games last year.
"We're going to challenge each other to come out tomorrow night," Terry said. "It's another opportunity and get a win. Let's just flat out get a win."
Dallas returns home to host the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 26. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.
The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.
Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.
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