Bucks-Mavericks Recap

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Milwaukee Bucks 107 at Dallas Mavericks 108

Back on Nov. 16, the Dallas Mavericks needed overtime and a lucky roll on a buzzer-beating jumper from Dirk Nowitzki to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks.

Tuesday night, the Mavericks needed just 48 minutes to take down the Bucks, though they needed every bit of those 48 minutes to do so. And a little more luck didn't hurt.

With a strong defensive stand in the final seconds, the Mavericks escaped the American Airlines Center floor with a 108-107 win. Dating back to January of 2007, it is the team's 10th straight win in games decided by one point, which ties an NBA record. The achievement and the win prove to Mavs coach Rick Carlisle that his team is a clutch bunch.

"It says that we have guys that can keep cool in those situations," Carlisle said. "You've got to be able to execute at both ends to be able to have that kind of a run. My hat's off to (the players). I know this streak goes back now a couple of years. It's unusual. But to have a successful season, you have to be able to win close games and we've had a lot of them. We've won our share. The fact that we're experienced and have been here before certainly helps."

"In a close ball game we're not going to get rattled at all. We have a great team that understands what needs to be accomplished in a tight ball game," Jason Terry said of the historic streak.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

The night began with Nowitzki tying Brad Davis for most career games (883) played in a Maverick uniform. Dallas got point guard Jason Kidd (personal reasons) and center Erick Dampier (left knee effusion) back in the starting lineup after missing the franchise record-setting 128-78 win over the New York Knicks, the largest margin of victory in team history. With their starting lineup intact, including Terry at the starting shooting guard spot after being featured mostly as a sixth man, the Mavericks looked to keep the momentum going against an upstart Bucks squad. As forward Shawn Marion finished above the rim, the Mavs grabbed an early advantage. Despite Bucks rookie sensation Brandon Jennings' and big man Andrew Bogut's best efforts, the Mavericks held a 28-27 lead at the end of one. Bogut and Jennings combined to score 19 in the opening quarter.

"We had great energy when we came out," Terry said. "I didn't see too many mental breakdowns. Our effort was there, and that's all we can do. You can't control the score of the ball game."

The Mavericks turned to their own rookie, Rodrigue Beaubois, in the second quarter. The Guadeloupe product sped up the tempo and provided timely scoring from the outside, including a 3-pointer with 5:32 left in the half to give Dallas a 47-41 advantage. Meanwhile, Nowitzki and Marion continued to attack the basket, offsetting a monster first half from Bogut at the other end. Milwaukee's 7-footer wasn't enough to overcome a balanced Dallas attack early, as the Mavericks took a 59-53 edge into the halftime break.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Bogut's 20 first half points, on a perfect 9-for-9 shooting, led all scorers after 24 minutes of play.

"They have a great player. Andrew Bogut is an All-Star if you ask me," Terry said.

But Marion and Nowitzki each posted 10 points while Terry added nine to pace the Dallas attack. Milwaukee out-shot Dallas in the half, 55 percent to 52 percent, but the Mavericks held a decisive advantage on the glass with a 22-14 rebounding advantage. Dallas also got every one into the act, using 18 assists to get scoring from nine Mavs.

Bogut's perfection ended on the opening possession of the second half, as Dampier sent back his shot attempt with a block. Still, the Bucks' deadly 3-point shooting quickly erased Dallas' lead early in the third quarter, until a pair of threes from Kidd and Terry put an end to Milwaukee's momentum. But the third quarter was a duel between Nowitzki and Bogut, with Dallas' star and his teammates getting the upper hand and taking an 83-77 lead into the fourth period.

Milwaukee began the fourth on a 7-2 run, cutting the Dallas lead to 85-84. The Bucks continued to come, eventually tying the game at 93-all with 6:43 remaining. But down the stretch, the ball found its way into Nowitzki's and Terry's hands, and the two sharpshooters showed that they know what to do with it. After the duo combined to score 15 straight, Kidd stepped in and rained in a 3-pointer to put the Mavs up 108-101 with 2:07 left. On the next possession, the Bucks' Carlos Delfino answered Kidd with a three of his own. Delfino then connected on a 32-foot, rain-making three to beat the shot clock and cut the Dallas lead to one with just 27.6 ticks on the game clock.

"The shot (Delfino) hit to bring it to one, we're up four, we had that game under control and that was just an amazing shot," Terry said.

"Milwaukee is a persistent team," Carlisle said. "We had a chance when it was 108-104. If we had gotten a stop and a score, it would have helped us."

After a Dallas timeout, the team once again went to Nowitzki, but Luc Mbah a Moute picked No. 41's pocket, forcing a steal and calling timeout with 3.0 seconds remaining for Milwaukee's game-winning attempt.

"They hung right in, which they do...The play where Dirk had the ball, we wanted to go to him and try to get a shot as late in the clock as we could. They made a good play to knock it loose," the coach added.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles went back to Delfino, but the swingman's driving floater had to find a way over Dampier's outstretched hands. Luckily for the Mavericks, the shot hit off the back of the iron as time expired to secure the one-point win for Dallas.

"It came down to a scramble on that last play. Marion fell down, Damp had to take his guy. He did a good job of getting up and making the shot difficult for Delfino. It's an escape. We were able to do it by getting a stop at the end, which is great for us...Happy to win," Carlisle said.

The victory ties the best mark in league history set by the St. Louis Hawks, who won 10 straight one-point contests from 1959-1960.

"It just shows that we're a veteran ball club -- we're not going to panic," Kidd said. "We can win a game with a shot at the end, or if we needed our defense to step up and get a stop, like tonight, we did that.

"That shows that this is a little bit different team. You always look at the Mavs as being an offensive juggernaut, and it shows that we can play both sides. And when we have to, we can get stops."

The Mavericks captured the win despite a career-high 32 points, on 13-for-14 from the field, coming from Bogut.

"(Bogut) is very skilled," Nowitzki said of his Milwaukee counterpart. "There's not a lot of big guys that have a soft touch right and left. He really had it going."

Meanwhile, Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 28 points, getting 21 points of support from Terry. While Marion (12) and Howard (13) each scored in double figures, Kidd racked up his 13th double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 assists.

Delfino added 22 points, as the Bucks finished the night out-shooting the Mavericks 53 percent to 51 percent. But the Mavericks out-dueled Milwaukee from behind the arch, knocking down 10-of-18 threes compared to the Bucks' 9-of-18.

"We've been fortunate...You give up nine threes and 50 percent shooting from the 3-point line, and it's going to be tough to win," Carlisle said.

"Our offense wasn't bad today, we shot over 50 percent and we shot the ball well from three," Nowitzki added. "Sometimes when you can't get any stops, you have to find a way to win with offense and that's what we did tonight."

The Mavs, who just completed a five-game road trip, head back out of the road and touch down in Phoenix to battle the Suns on Thursday night. Fittingly, the Mavericks claimed a one-point victory, a 102-101 home win, over the Suns in their Dec. 8 meeting. The Mavericks-Suns matchup will air nationally on TNT at 9:30 p.m. CT.

"(The Suns) really spread the floor well," Nowitzki said. "It's going to be a chllenge."

Dallas returns home to host the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS. The game will air locally on TXA 21, TXA HD and HD NET at 8 p.m. CT. The Mavericks will be out to avenge an 85-81 home loss on Dec. 22.

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

Bucks-Mavericks Preview

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Milwaukee Bucks (18-24) at Dallas Mavericks (29-15)

There truly is no place like home for the Dallas Mavericks.

After being away from the American Airlines Center during a five-game East Coast road trip, the Mavericks return to the home court on Tuesday night. Going 3-2 on the extended stay away from Dallas, concluding in a franchise record 50-point win in New York, the Mavericks have already turned their attention to a Milwaukee Bucks squad that pushed Dallas to the limit in the first meeting between the two teams.

"(The win in New York) is in the past," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the team's Tuesday morning shootaround. "We've got to move on to this one, and (the Bucks) are a hard competing team. So, this is going to be another really good test for us. It's all about meeting the physicality, the persistence and the intensity. And against Milwaukee you have to compete on defense but you've also got to compete on offense, because they really challenge every inch on the floor."

The Mavericks found out first-hand how big of a challenge the Bucks present on Nov. 16, when Dallas escaped Milwaukee with a 115-113 overtime win on Dirk Nowitzki's game-winning, buzzer-beating jumper.

Carlisle expects nothing less than another closely contested game in the second meeting. But the coach would also like to see his team showcase a dominant performance on the home floor against a team that is just 5-17 on the road, as Dallas enters the game with a 13-7 record in front of the hometown faithful.

"We're in the middle of the pack in the whole league, in terms of home record. We know we have to get better. And tonight's another opportunity to take a step in that direction, but I don't expect it to be easy," Carlisle said.

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Duplicating a 50-point win is nearly impossible, but the production from unheralded players is something the team hopes traveled back with them from the Big Apple.

With starting point guard Jason Kidd (personal reasons) and first-team center Erick Dampier (left knee effusion) out against the Knicks, the Mavericks utilized their depth to capture the record-setting win. Players like Drew Gooden and Rodrigue Beaubois demonstrated that they are ready to perform at a high level should their numbers be called. Though Kidd and Dampier are expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday, Carlisle would still like to see his bench players continue to be ready for the "prime time moments."

"(The bench players) have to continue to do it. The job of our depth guys, our bench guys and our backup guys is to be ready to step forward when needed and perform big. Drew had a very good trip and played very well against New York. Roddy (Beaubois) did a terrific job for us, and now we just have to keep going with it."

Gooden already had a big game against Milwaukee, posting 22 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in the November meeting.

"I'm taking my time and just going out there and trying to approach the game the same way every night," Gooden said, fresh off of a 15-point, 18-rebound effort against the Knicks. "I feel like I've been doing that for awhile, and it's just starting to pay off now."

Dallas hopes Gooden's improved play continues against an upstart Bucks squad, though Carlisle's mind is more so fixed on shutting down the opposing team's 3-point shooting.

"They're a tough team to play," the coach said. "They hit 14 threes on us in that game, and we managed to survive that, but that's difficult to do. Limiting the number of threes made and open looks is a real key. We have to play a hard 48 (minutes) and we have to play well."

(Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

Atop the Mavericks' list of concerns on Tuesday night is stopping rookie Brandon Jennings, who scored 25 points against Dallas in a losing effort.

"(Jennings) is a great young player. He's dynamic, he's explosive...He shoots the three extremely well, which sets up his penetration. He presents a lot of challenges," the coach said.

But the Bucks also pose a threat on the inside, as big man Andrew Bogut has terrorized opposing defenses. Milwaukee is 10-2 when Bogut scores at least 19 points. Dallas held the 7-footer to just 13 in November.

"Bogut is having a great year," Carlisle added. "There's a strong correlation between him having big scoring games and them winning. So, we know that he is a guy we have to key in on."

The Bucks also have recently added former Mav Jerry Stackhouse into the fold, after the swingman spent five seasons in Dallas.

"(Stackhouse) can bring scoring, toughness, leadership, big game moxy and he's played well for them so far," Carlisle said.

Dallas tries to capture the season series over the Bucks when the two teams meet on Tuesday night. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT.

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

Mavericks-Bucks Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 115 at Milwaukee Bucks 113

In a battle headlined by the newly named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, the Dallas Mavericks entered Milwaukee hoping to end the Bucks' four-game winning streak and in the process finish 3-1 on their four-game road trip.

The two players lived up to the hype, as both teams' superstars elevated their teams in an overtime thriller. But by night's end, it would be Dallas' star that shined the brightest, as Dirk Nowitzki got the "shooter's roll" on a game-winning, buzzer-beater to give Dallas a 115-113 overtime win on the road.

(Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)


"We want to get the ball to Dirk in those situations any time we can," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the win. "(Jason Kidd) made a great pass. They were draped all over him. They played great defense and he just hit a better, more difficult shot. That's what great players do. They defended it as well as you can defend it."

"They actually played me tough up there all night and they were really into my stuff, and they didn’t give me a lot of room to operate," Nowitzki said.

For the second straight night, Dallas was starting a lineup of Jason Kidd, rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, Shawn Marion, Nowitzki and Drew Gooden. Nowitzki was named the player of the week for the Western Conference earlier on Monday, while Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings grabbed the honors for the Eastern Conference after his 55-point night against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.

The Mavs came out quick despite playing on the second night of a back-to-back, as Nowitzki and both teams' standout rookies looked to make an impact on the game early. But the quarter belonged to Gooden, as he once again filled in for center Erick Dampier (illness) and dominated the paint early with his scoring. Gooden's 12 points, on 5-of-5 shooting, in the first quarter powered Dallas to an early seven-point advantage before taking a 33-28 lead after one.

"I've been a starter pretty much my whole career," Gooden said. "From my pre-game routine, everything is focused on getting it going right away and I think that's why I got off to a great start."

The Mavs shot 13-of-20 (65 percent) in the period.

When Gooden went to the bench to start the second quarter, reserve guard J.J. Barea provided the scoring for Dallas with a 3-point assault from long range with three triples in the quarter. After Milwaukee's transition offense cut the Dallas lead to three, the Mavs countered with a three-guard lineup of Kidd, Barea (later Jason Terry) and Beaubois. Beaubois' highlight reel alley-oop finish off Kidd's feed, followed by Terry's three and a triple from Kidd with .6 seconds on the clock then paced Dallas to a 66-54 halftime advantage after finishing the second quarter on a 9-0 run.

Dallas shot a staggering 68 percent in the first half, while Milwaukee connected on 49 percent. The Mavs added the 3-pointer to their arsenal in first half, hitting 7-of-10 from behind the arch. Nowitzki and Gooden combined for 29 points in the half, while Barea added 11 points off the bench. Meanwhile, the Mavericks clamped down on Jennings, as the star rookie shot just 1-of-8 in the first half.

The Mavs did suffer one casualty in the half, losing Marion to a sprained left ankle after playing just 14 minutes. Quinton Ross replaced the forward to start the second half.

Behind the speedy Beaubois and Kidd's do-it-all ability, the Dallas lead expanded to 18 within the first three minutes of the third quarter. Milwaukee then battled back to within three with 3-point bombs and Jennings' play-making. The Bucks outscored the Mavericks 28-19 in the third, but Dallas continued to hold an 85-82 lead headed into the fourth quarter.

"The threes were raining in the third quarter like I've never seen before. We had to fight that off and keep plugging away. It was difficult. The building gets going -- it just makes it tough," Carlisle said.

"We kept battling and found a way, and that's the important thing."

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

With the Mavericks looking for offense as Nowitzki and Kidd sat, the Reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Terry, came alive to start the fourth quarter lifting Dallas to an eight-point lead. On the other end, Jennings began to assert himself against a tough Dallas defense, as the Bucks climbed to within two (95-93). Terry and Jennings then exchanged 3-pointers, as each tried to land a knock out punch late in the fourth.

Jennings' jumper at the 2:30 mark then tied the game at 98-all. After following behind briefly 101-100, Gooden's tip-in gave Dallas a one-point edge with 1:28 remaining. The Bucks rookie then tied the game at the foul line, before nailing a running left-handed floater in the lane with 45.6 seconds left after a costly Maverick turnover on a mishandling of an exchange between Kidd and Barea.

"They kept coming and kept making plays, and the crowd got into it and that really made it a ball game," Nowitzki said.

As he had the entire fourth period, Terry put the Mavs on his back, nailing a baseline jumper to tie the game with 32.2 seconds left on the clock. With the game knotted at 104-all, the Bucks rookie came up short on a 3-pointer to win it, sending the game into the extra period after a scrum for the rebound ended in a jump ball with .7 seconds left.

In the overtime period, Beaubois' defense on Jennings was vital in slowing his counterpart down. Meanwhile Nowitzki handled the scoring, nailing a jumper and 3-pointer to give the Mavs a 111-110 edge with 1:55 on the clock. After Ersan Ilyasova split a pair of free throws to tie the game (111-111), Milwaukee surged ahead at the charity stripe when Luc Richard Mbah a Moute calmly hit 2-of-2 at the line. Out of a Dallas timeout, the Mavs went back to Nowitzki, but his lay-in attempt rimmed out before being tipped in by Gooden to tie the game at 113-113 with 27.0 seconds left.

As expected, the Bucks came back with Jennings, as the two high-profile rookies matched up one-on-one with the game on the line. Jennings threw up a three over Beaubois' out-stretched arm, but Beaubois slightly deflected the shot and the ball landed in Kidd's hands leading to a Dallas timeout with 3.5 seconds left.

"That was a decisive play in the game," Carlisle said. "It gave us a chance to regain the lead and he (Beaubois) brings something different to our team. He's got a difficult type of athleticism and a different type of feel for the game. He's been doing some good things offensively and that play was a great defensive play."

After Milwaukee committed a foul to run the clock down to 3.1 seconds, Kidd inbounded the ball into Nowitzki, as the 7-footer took one dribble, turned and fadewaway and shot over Mbah a Moute as time expired, with the ball rolling off the rim, bouncing off the top of the glass and falling through the net to lift Dallas to the miraculous 115-113 win.

"Dirk got the ball in the position where he could get up a shot. It was not an easy shot, but he got up a shot and we got a fortunate bounce. We feel fortunate. Both teams played extremely hard. I thought we played hard enough to deserve to win the game, but I thought they did too. It's a tough loss for them. It's a great win for us," Carlisle said.

"Mbah a Moute played pretty good defense up there (the high post) all night but I figured if that’s where I’m going to get it I’m going to do a little move and turn around and just try to shoot over him," Nowitzki said of the shot. "I used my size advantage and got it up and when it left my hand I thought it was going straight in. The bounce was obviously lucky. We got a lucky bounce and we definitely needed it."

Nowitzki finished with a game-high 32 points (seven in overtime) and 11 rebounds. For the second straight night, Gooden provided a double-double from the five spot with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Terry added 19 points off the bench, while the rookie Beaubois added 12 points. Finishing just one point shy of a triple-double, Kidd scored nine points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 17 assists.

After the slow start, Jennings led Milwaukee with 25 points (8-of-22 from the floor), with eight assists and seven rebounds.

Dallas out-shot Milwaukee 51 to 44 percent, while both teams shot 50 percent or better from 3-point range. The Mavs overcame 16 turnovers in the win.



After winning three straight on the road, the Mavs return to the American Airlines Center on Wednesday night, when the Mavs host the San Antonio Spurs. The Mavericks get a chance at revenge after the Spurs handed Dallas a 92-83 loss last Wednesday night. The game will air locally on KTXA 21 and KTXA 21 HD and nationally on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

"We thought we should have won all of them on the road but of course we didn’t in San Antonio. This is a big win because it’s back-to-back," Kidd said. "We've given some away and it was kind of looking like that tonight but we stayed involved and guys made plays down the stretch."

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.

Mavericks-Bucks Preview

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks (7-3) at Milwaukee Bucks (5-2)

To say the Dallas Mavericks had an eventful Sunday night would be an understatement.

Playing the third game of a four-game road trip, the Mavericks found out just before tip that they would be without their starting center, Erick Dampier, against the Detroit Pistons. Dampier left the court and headed for the locker room just after pregame warm-ups with a sudden illness, before eventually leaving the arena and checking in at a local hospital for precautionary reasons accompanied by Head Athletic Trainer Casey Smith. Dampier didn't travel with the team to Milwaukee, staying in Detroit for further testing though his symptoms have subsided.

Already without swingman Josh Howard (left ankle), the Mavs once again inserted rookie Rodrigue Beaubois into the starting lineup along with Drew Gooden, who stepped in for Dampier in his first start of the season. The result was a career-high night from Beaubois (14 points on 6-of-6 shooting in just 19 minutes), a double-double from Gooden (11 points and 11 rebounds) and a 95-90 road win as all five starters scored in double figures.

(Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Beaubois-Jennings matchup is one to watch Monday night


Just a day later, the Mavs have to try to duplicate that success against an upstart Bucks squad headlined by rookie Brandon Jennings. Jennings leads all rookies in scoring at 25.6 points per game. The rookie is a threat every time he laces up a pair of sneakers, gaining the basketball world's attention with his 55-point night against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night in a 129-125 Milwaukee win. Jennings' "double-nickel" ranks fifth all-time in NBA history for scoring barrages by a rookie.

Now, the Mavs' rookie Beaubois and Jennings will go toe-to-toe on the big stage and something figures to give. Both young guards possess an uncanny ability to use explosive quickness to get anywhere on the court at will. While Jennings has led Milwaukee to four straight wins, Beaubois' presence in the Dallas starting lineup has lifted the Mavs to back-to-back wins on the road.

The two rookies met this past July in the NBA's Summer League, with Beaubois recording eight points on 4-of-9 shooting while dishing out two assists, compared to Jennings' 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting. The two have certainly come a long way since July.

Dallas and Milwaukee meet Monday night, with the game airing on FSN Southwest and NBA TV at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Oct. 18, when the Mavs host the San Antonio Spurs, after the Spurs handed Dallas a 92-83 road loss last Wednesday night. The game will air locally on KTXA 21 and KTXA 21 HD and nationally on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. CT. 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.