Mavericks-Suns Preview

(Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks (30-15) at Phoenix Suns (26-21)

In their past two games, the Dallas Mavericks have won by an average margin of victory of nearly 26 points per game.

The funny thing is, one of those wins was a franchise record for the largest margin of victory in team history, a 128-78 road win in New York, and the other was Dallas' 10th straight win in games decided by one point. After tying the best streak in NBA history for consecutive wins in one-point contest, with a 108-107 home win over Milwaukee, the Mavericks are just proud to say that they have collected back-to-back wins.

"Hey, a win is a win, whether you win by one or you win by 50," Mavs guard Jason Terry said.

Though the Mavericks would prefer a result closer to the ladder on a nightly basis.

Fittingly, the Mavericks claimed just a one-point victory, a 102-101 home win, over the Phoenix Suns in their Dec. 8 meeting. It was a game the Mavs had a stranglehold of, but the Suns refused to go away late behind clutch 3-point shooting from former Mav Steve Nash.

Dallas expects another tightly contested game when they enter Phoenix for the second matchup between the two teams. Thursday night, forward Dirk Nowitzki will set a new franchise mark for the most games played in a Maverick uniform. After seeing this Phoenix team once this season, Nowitzki says this Suns squad reminds him more of the rival that the Mavericks met seemingly every year in the playoffs earlier in the decade.

"They really spread the floor well. They really went back to the offense they used to run...It's going to be a challenge, but I think defensively we've been good pretty much all year," the 7-footer said.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

With Nash and big man Amar'e Stoudemire, the Suns feature two Western Conference All-Star starters. The two stars give any team a great deal of concern on the defensive end, and point guard Jason Kidd says the Mavericks are no different.

"(The Suns) can put up a lot of points in a hurry. They love the three-ball. Nash and Stoudemire are one of the top tandems in the league, so you've got your work cut out. They play extremely well at home, they just came off of a tough lost to Charlotte, so we've got our hands full," Kidd said.

Offensively, the Mavericks are riding the "jet stream" of having Terry in the starting lineup. The team is 3-1 since Terry took over the shooting guard spot in the first unit.

"We all know (Terry) can score, he defends and I think for him it's more of a comfort level starting...With JET (Terry) starting, I think his level of play has certainly risen. He's helped us a lot on getting off to a good start," Kidd said of his backcourt mate.

(Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

Terry, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, would like to stay a first-stringer after his 21-point night against Milwaukee.

"I've put my bid in and I think Coach knows going forward...I'm comfortable in that role and hopefully we can continue to get wins," Terry added.

For Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, the decision over who starts is a fluid concept. With Terry, Josh Howard, J.J. Barea and rookie Rodrigue Beaubois all seeing time this season at the two guard spot, the decision over who starts has only made the Dallas bench more explosive.

"The policy around here, we don't talk about lineups," Carlisle said. "Whoever is coming off the bench, whether it's JET or Barea or Josh or the combination of all of them, we expect all those guys to perform and perform well."

All of the Mavericks will have an opportunity to perform well on a national stage, as Thursday night's game will air nationally on TNT at 9:30 p.m. CT.

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.

Mavericks-Nets Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 117 at New Jersey Nets 101

Not all records are earned through achievement.

The Dallas Mavericks entered the IZOD Center with the New Jersey Nets hoping to avoid setting a dubious record for the worst start in NBA history. At New Jersey's expense, the Southwest Division-leading Mavericks claimed their second straight win and had no problem sending the Nets to an 0-18 start to the season, the worst in NBA history.

On a record-setting night for the Mavericks, recording franchise marks for points in the second quarter and shooting percentage in a half, the Mavs put an inescapable gap between themselves and the Nets en route to a 117-101 road win, inking New Jersey in the history books for the most dreadful of distinctions.

(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Mavs send Nets to NBA-worst 0-18 start


"Everybody was talking about their record. I don't think about this game or any game in terms of milestones, except for that this game is another game on the schedule," Mavs point guard and former Net Jason Kidd said. "We just took it like that and we wanted to find a way to get a win."

The Mavericks sent an early message to the Nets on the offensive end, as rookie Rodrigue Beaubois' play-making and above-the-rim finishes off of Kidd's alley-oop lob passes paced Dallas to a 19-11 lead midway through the first quarter. The Nets then surged ahead with an 11-0 run, before the two teams finished knotted at 28-all after one.

"The Nets are really aggressive and got after us and got some deflections," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "They made some stuff happen. The Nets are struggling but they are playing hard, I give them that."

Dallas shot an outstanding 12-of-17 in the first quarter, but foul trouble and six early turnovers helped the Nets hang around.

The hot shooting didn't cool off in the second quarter and it didn't take long for the Mavs to seize control, as Dallas pushed the tempo out to a double-digit edge. Eliminating their early turnover woes, the Mavericks outscored the Nets 49-22 in the period, taking a commanding 77-50 lead into the halftime intermission. The 49-point second quarter, on 17-of-19 shooting, was the best output by a Maverick team in the period.

"We had a nice little lead out there in the first quarter. We gave up a lot of turnovers and we weren't alert defensively," Dirk Nowitzki said. "Second quarter, we picked it up and found some defensive stops. When we get out on the fast break, we're pretty tough to stop. We just got some great shots that helped us open up the game."

"Our offense in the second quarter was great, the rest of the game it was good and bad, at times," Carlisle said.

Dallas shot a franchise record 80.6 percent in the first half, including 7-of-8 from 3-point range. The last team in the NBA to shoot at least 80 percent from the field in a half was Denver on April 4, 2006 against the Los Angeles Clippers, when the Nuggets shot 81.6 percent. The Mavericks got everyone into the act, shelling out 22 assists as five Mavs scored in double-figures after the first 24 minutes of play.

After leading by as much as 31, the Mavs gave up a little ground early in the third quarter with the Nets getting as close as 19. But the two squads played to a 28-28 stalemate in the period, with Dallas taking a 105-78 advantage into the fourth.

(Photo by Jeyhoun Allebaugh/NBAE via Getty Images)

As the Nets continued to play competitively, climbing to within 16 against the Dallas reserves, Carlisle went back to his main contributors, Nowitzki and Kidd, to keep the Nets at bay. The Dallas bench returned just minutes later, after the two future Hall-of-Famers put the Nets to bed for the night. Despite being outscored 23-12 in the fourth, the Mavericks already had their 14th win of the season in their pocket.

"You play the opponent, but you're also going up against the expectations you have for yourself. Again the fourth quarter, we had a stretch where I didn't want to put Dirk Nowitzki or Jason Kidd back in, but the Nets went on an eight or nine point run and we had to do it. You do what you have to do. For the most part we played well and played the way we needed to play," Carlisle said.

Dallas finished shooting just short of 59 percent, while holding New Jersey to 44 percent shooting. The Mavs also held a decisive edge on the glass, out-rebounding the Nets 42-28.

Six Mavericks scored in double-figures, led by Nowitzki who shared game-high scoring honors with New Jersey's Chris Douglas-Roberts with 24 points. No. 41 also added seven rebounds and eight assists. In his second game back on the court, Erick Dampier posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, Kidd finished just shy of a triple-double with 16 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Off the bench, sixth man Jason Terry scored 18 points off of 7-of-10 shooting.

"Personnel-wise they're young, they have some young talent over there and the future is bright for them. The big thing is we got a win to start this road trip," Kidd said.

The Mavs now continue on the road, touching down in Memphis on Friday night to play in the Grizzlies in a divisional matchup and the first game of a back-to-back. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7 p.m. CT.

Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Saturday night, when they play host to the Atlanta Hawks. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 8 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.

Mavericks-Nets Preview

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks (13-5) at New Jersey Nets (0-17)

Futility is a word rarely associated with an NBA ball club.

The New Jersey Nets are hoping that word doesn't become synonymous with their play on the basketball court. The 0-17 Nets are just one loss away from setting a new mark for the worst start in league history. That loss could, and by all accounts should come at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Devin Harris and the Nets try to avoid an NBA-worst 0-18 start

The Mavericks are a 13-5, Southwest Division leading team, so coming into New Jersey and handing the Nets one more defeat shouldn't be asking too much. Should it?

"Not at all," Mavs sixth man Jason Terry said fresh off his game-winning jumper in a 104-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. "Going in there, we're thinking about that."

"Throw the record out. The record isn't even going to matter. They're still going to play hard. I've watched them play. They've played hard, they just haven't gotten away with a win. We don't want to be the one (the first team to lose to the Nets)."

The Nets have been riddled with injuries all season long, including a groin injury for former Mav Devin Harris which kept the cat-quick point guard out of 10 games. Now with Harris back, the Mavericks say the Nets are everything but an 0-17 team, after witnessing a 41-point, 13-assist night from Harris a season ago.

"When we went in there last year, Devin Harris had one of the best games of his career," Terry said. "I don't want to say revenge is on our minds, but we definitely want to get that game."

"You know Devin is going to be fired up to do what he did last year, when he had 40 against us," Dirk Nowitzki said. "I think we would have rather seen them if they would have won one already, but it is what it is."

On the Mavs' end, Dallas is looking to score a knockout when they have an opponent staggering on the ropes. After getting out to big leads, the Mavs have not been unable to put teams into submission holds and force them to tap out, leading to many late-game heroics this season.

Dallas does not want that to be the case Wednesday night.

"We'll figure it out. I'm glad it's early on in the season. We're a much better team than what we're showing," Terry said. "We're just disappointed about the way we're finishing. It's no secret, that's definitely an area where this team has to get better, but we'll continue to work."

"To us at this point, no game is easy," Nowitzki said.

The Mavericks-Nets game will air Wednesday night, locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 6:30 p.m. CT.



Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Saturday night, when they play host to the Atlanta Hawks. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 8 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.

Mavericks-Rockets Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 130 at Houston Rockets 99

It's amazing how things can change in a 24-hour span.

The Dallas Mavericks lacked both energy and effort in their 111-103 loss to Golden State on Tuesday night. As with any team, the Mavs' energy level was directly correlated to their shooting just a night later, as Dallas shot lights-out against the Houston Rockets in the first matchup of a three-game road trip.

On a night in which Jason Kidd continued to cement his place in NBA immortality, the Mavericks shot a season-high 65.5 percent and showed just why they are so thankful for their depth and bench play this holiday season, as the Dallas reserves outscored their Houston counterparts 68-44 to lift Dallas to a 130-99 road win. With the victory, the Mavs have claimed the first two meetings of the season against the Southwest Division rival.

"Nights like last night are tough and tonight is what makes this league fantastic," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the win. "Our guys bounced back well. Our tempo was perfect. Last night, we played a very unintelligent game. We were much more aggressive tonight. Consistency with our effort and overall team play will be key for this team."

(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
Kidd moved into second place on the all-time assists list in the win

While the Mavs were snatching away the win from the Rockets' grasp, Kidd was dishing out assists as he has his entire career, moving past Mark Jackson into second on the all-time assists list.

"The big thing was we knew it was going to happen," Kidd said of the accomplishment. "The stats will take care of themselves and after my career is over I will reflect on them."

Dallas came into Houston hoping that the return of Shawn Marion would be just what the doctor ordered, as the high-flying forward returned to the court after a sprained left ankle kept him out of the last three contests. With Quinton Ross (lower back injury) not traveling with the team, Marion joined Kidd, rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, Dirk Nowitzki and Drew Gooden in the starting lineup.

But not even Marion was enough to inject life into the struggling Mavericks early, as Dallas quickly found themselves down 13 (17-4) in the first quarter as Chuck Hayes and Luis Scola dominated the paint at the onset.

"Houston scored on their first nine possessions of the game," Carlisle said. "Our start was horrendous. The rest of the game was great. We battled back and were very active defensively."

"Defensively, we couldn't get a stop to start the game and they came out hot," Nowitzki said. "Our bench was great and we stepped up on defense and that turned the game for us."

Behind Kidd and sixth man Jason Terry, the Mavs responded with outside shooting to end the quarter on a 32-8 run, taking a 36-25 lead at the end of one.

Terry's 13-point first quarter was instrumental, as the Mavs came back from a double-digit deficit much like the first meeting between the two squads, when Dallas overcame a 17-point deficit to win in a route.

(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
Thomas was a much-needed spark off the Mavs' bench Wednesday night


Behind newcomer Tim Thomas' touch from 3-point range and his ability to score in the paint, the Dallas advantage grew to 17 (46-29) in the early minutes of the second quarter. Nowitzki's face-up jumper with 3:17 left in the half put the Dallas lead at 18 (60-42), before the Mavericks closed the first half up 68-51.

"We had to get ourselves going after the way the game started," Thomas said. "We have guys on the bench that have been around and know how to play the game. I have a high confidence level and I’m trying to get a feel for everything."

"He (Thomas) brings a playoff mentality to our team. He has worked hard and has been impressive. He came here for a chance to win a championship and he took a substantial pay cut for this opportunity. I’m proud of him and the way he plays," Carlisle said.

Nowitzki, Terry and Thomas combined to score 43 of the Mavs' 68 first half points. Dallas shot a staggering 69 percent in the first half, while hitting 5-of-7 from behind the 3-point arch. Meanwhile, after the abysmal start, the Dallas defense held Houston to 44 percent shooting and just 4-of-13 from long range.

The Mavericks were hoping those trends continued in the second half, and continue they did.

At the 10:52-mark of the third quarter, the Mavericks were a part of history, as Kidd moved ahead of Jackson and just behind John Stockton on the assists charts with a beautiful alley-oop lob pass to Beaubois for the above-the-rim finish. As for the third quarter, it was just business as usual for the Mavs, leading by as much as 20 before taking a 91-77 advantage into the fourth.

"Some records are meant to stay where they are and the all-time assist number of John Stockton is going to stay there for a long time," Kidd said. "When you are talking about the all-time great guards you can’t omit John Stockton. He has to be up at the top of the list."

Dallas made quick work of the Rockets in the final period, leading by as much as 35 while outscoring Houston 39-22 in the period.

Terry led the way for Dallas with a game-high 27 points (on 10-of-11 shooting), adding 10 assists as well for the double-double. Meanwhile, Nowitzki (25), Thomas (23), Marion (12) and Gooden (10) made it five Mavericks in double-figures. Kidd finished with nine points and seven assists on the night, giving the point guard 10,337 dimes for his career.

In a losing effort, Carl Landry led Houston with 24 points.

In addition to the Mavs' hot shooting, the Dallas defense forced 17 turnovers and held the Rockets' sharpshooters to just 5-of-20 from 3-point range.

The Mavericks continue on their road trip, touching down in Indianapolis on Friday night to battle the Indiana Pacers. The Mavericks-Pacers matchup will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7 p.m. CT.

Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Nov. 30, when they play host to the Philadelphia 76ers. That game 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.

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.