Mavericks-Kings Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dirk, Kidd do it again
Dallas Mavericks 126 at Sacramento Kings 108

There are no more superlatives left to describe Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd. Saturday night, the two future Hall of Famers added to both of their legacies, letting their play speak for itself.

Just 24 hours after claiming the Southwest Division title for the third time in franchise history, the Dallas Mavericks galloped into Arco Arena for a joust with the Sacramento Kings. Coming off of a much-needed 83-77 win in Portland, where the Mavericks avoided a season sweep by the Trail Blazers, the squad from Big D tried to complete the last back-to-back of the season by concluding a 4-0 season series against the Kings. Dallas also sought its third consecutive win overall, while looking to take the second contest of a three-game West Coast road trip. A 126-108 blowout win accomplished all of the above.

"Different kind of game, different kind of team," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said when comparing the last two matchups. "It is the same kind of formula for success -- tough, hard-nosed defense, rebounding and being efficient on offense. It is a solid win for us. We need them all."

Having two superstars doesn't hurt, coach. Nowitzki followed up a 40-point night in Portland with 39 more, coupling with Kidd's 105th career triple-double to power the Mavericks to the rout.

"(The Mavericks are) a team that's playing their best basketball at the most important time of the year," Kings coach Paul Westphal said after watching the Dallas up close and personal. "They steamrolled us tonight, after they got Portland last night. We did hold Dirk to 39 -- he had 40 last night.

"It's beautiful to watch (Kidd) play. He fills up the stat sheet but he doesn't play for stats. He just plays for making the right play every time, and he gets them in the right situations... It's going to be an interesting playoff run. I think the Mavericks are poised to really do some damage."

And they certainly did a great amount of damage Saturday night.

Playing their third straight game without forward Shawn Marion (left oblique strain), the Mavs once again looked for someone to step forward to make up for No. 0's output. In the opening quarter, that someone was Kidd. After a 1-for-8 shooting night against the Blazers, Kidd aggressively looked for his own shot early.

"(Kidd) came out with such great urgency to begin the game. He came out and 'bang, bang,' hit two jump shots to start the game, and that set the tone for us," Carlisle said.

Meanwhile, Nowitzki picked up right where he left off against Portland. On the defensive end, inserted starter DeShawn Stevenson did his best to keep rookie sensation Tyreke Evans out of the lane. But it was an Eduardo Najera 3-pointer that gave the Mavs a double-digit advantage. The Dallas lead reached as much as 17 in the quarter, eventually going in front 35-24 at the end of one.

The Mavs connected on 12 of 20 shots in the quarter, compared to the Kings' 9-for-19 from the floor.

"I think we set the tone early on," Nowitzki said. "Kidd was pushing the ball for us. We were getting some stops and got an early lead. We carried it on through there."

Sacramento climbed back into the game with long-range shooting early in the second quarter. To the Mavs' misfortune, big man Brendan Haywood headed to the locker room after turning his right ankle. But the 7-footer returned to the bench in time to watch his team extend the lead with an active defense and timely scoring from Nowitzki. A 12-2 Dallas run and Caron Butler's assertiveness put the Mavs ahead by 18, before the Kings closed to within 65-53 entering the halftime intermission.

Behind Nowitzki's 15 first-half points, the Mavs out-shot the Kings 55 percent to 50 percent at the midway point. Carl Landry led Sacramento with his 14-point half. The Kings' 22-14 rebounding edge kept the home team in the game.

Coming out of the break, the Mavericks tried to make quick work off the Kings in the third quarter. Nowitzki did his best to make that happen, scoring on an array of shots early in the period to build up a 21-point lead. But a 10-1 Kings run keep Sacramento's heartbeat ticking.

"They made a couple runs and a few pushes at us, but we made some timely shots when we needed them and got some stops," Nowitzki explained.

Kidd quieted the comeback attempt, ending a stretch of seven straight Dallas misses with a three, before Jason Terry followed that up with a bomb of his own from behind the arch. That's when Nowitzki once again took over, scoring 13 straight Dallas points to end the quarter and lifting the Mavs to a 100-79 lead entering the final stanza.

"I was just being aggressive," Nowitzki said of the sequence. "If I'm open, shoot the ball or put it on the floor and get to the foul line. That always helps."

With Nowitzki resting on the bench, the story turned to Kidd in the fourth. The pass-first floor general not only pulled down his 10th rebound of the night at the 11:03-mark to collect his second triple-double of the season, he also found Terry in the corner for his 13th assist. The 10-time All-Star and his 11 points then headed to the bench for the night just a minute later, after being assessed a technical for kicking the ball.

"Kidd had a triple-double, which was phenomenal, in 31 minutes," Carlisle said.

Terry then took over the scoring, matching Omri Casspi basket for basket after the Kings cut into a 25-point deficit. Before exiting the game as well, Nowitzki added a couple more points at the foul line. With the game well in hand, the Dallas reserves finished off the Mavs' NBA-best tying 26th road win in the 80th game of the season.

Dallas finished the game out-shooting Sacramento 53 percent to 47 percent. The Mavs also connected on 13-of-21 from deep, overcoming the Kings' 41-36 rebounding advantage and 48-32 edge in points in the paint.

Nowitzki fell just short of the 40-point plateau, though he did nail 12 of 20 shots, 13-for-13 at the foul line and 2-of-2 from three-point range.

"If he's open, there is a good chance he is going to make the shot. He is that kind of a scorer and that kind of big shooter," Carlisle said.

Off the bench, Terry added 25 points on 8-for-14 from the floor. In addition to Kidd's output, Butler (15) and J.J. Barea (10) made it five Maverick scorers in double figures.

"We have a lot of guys that can score...If our guys are shooting the ball the way we were tonight, it makes everything a lot easier. It was definitely a good game," Nowitzki said.

Landry finished with a team-high 30 points, while Evans added 27.

Now, after the win and Denver's loss to San Antonio, the Mavericks have a full game lead in the race for the Western Conference's No. 2 seed in the playoff tree.

"It was definitely a good outing for us. Now we are going to try and get the second seed if we can," Nowitzki concluded.

"Each game has critical meaning in terms of the seeding. Our guys are focused in on what we need to do," Carlisle added.

The Mavericks conclude their road trip against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center on Monday night. Dallas can also sweep that season series, after winning the first two games against the Clippers. That game will air locally on KTXA and KTXA HD and nationally on NBA TV at 9:30 p.m. CT.

The team returns to the American Airlines Center for the final regular season game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. 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 www.twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Kings Preview

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavs try to sweep the Kings off their throne
Dallas Mavericks (52-27) at Sacramento Kings (25-54)

Clinching only the third Southwest Division crown in Dallas Mavericks franchise history was nice, but the team believes it has more on deck.

After the Mavericks escaped Portland with an 83-77 win on Friday night, coupled with San Antonio's loss to Memphis, Dallas once again seized the division title. Now it's time to turn their attention towards a possible No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoff picture.

Entering Saturday, the Mavs sit in the two hole, but the team is in a virtual dead heat with Denver for the spot. Fortunately for the Mavericks, they don't expect to give ground as they head into Sacramento to play a Kings squad that they've beaten three times this season.

"We'd love to finish second and have home-court (advantage in the playoffs) as long as we can," forward Dirk Nowitzki said.

Nowitzki certainly did his part Friday night, scoring 40 points and snatching down 10 rebounds for his 19th double-double of the season. The 7-footer connected on 11 of 24 shots, also swishing 17-of-17 from the free throw line. Just another day's work for the nine-time All-Star.

"Dirk's our guy," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of Nowitzki. "We play through him. He's going to make good things happen for us."

And good things certainly did happen. Not only did the Mavericks clinch the division, they also avoided a season sweep by the Blazers. In a game that resembled a playoff battle, the Mavericks served notice that they can match any team's intensity and physicality.

"It was a tough, physical game," Nowitzki said. "Both teams didn't give up a lot...The last time we played (in Portland), they were just way more physical and they were way more ready. They were more physical, they got every loose ball and we talked about that -- about how we had to be ready from the jump. And I think we did a better job staying with them and playing a more physical game. It was great."

"You play a game in the 70s, and you're looking at a playoff-type game. I love the way we battled. I love the way both teams battled. We really wanted this game (Friday night) and you can tell," Carlisle added.

Now the Mavericks look for that intensity to carry over in the second half of the team's final back-to-back of the regular season. But this time, the roles are reversed. The Kings are the ones trying to avoid a sweep.

While Nowitzki is the answer offensively, on the defensive end the Mavericks know that if they are to move to 4-0 against Sacramento it will be because they shut down rookie standout Tyreke Evans. The 6-foot-6 point guard is undoubtedly the hands-down favorite to win this season's Rookie of the Year Award. His 20.1 points per game season scoring average and 5.8 assists have been elevated against Dallas, averaging 21.0 points, 7.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds against the Mavericks, albeit in three losses.

"It's just going to be a matter of time, if (Evans) can get some minutes under his belt, until he's an elite player in this league," Jason Kidd said of his point guard counterpart.

"(Evans) is a terrific young player. He does a little bit of everything. We're going to have to have a lot of guys coming at him, and we're going to have to be ready to double-team him if we need to," Carlisle said is the strategy to stop the first-year sensation.

In all likelihood, the Mavericks will be without forward Shawn Marion, who has missed the last two games with a strained left oblique muscle. But the Mavs have won 21 of 26 meetings between the teams, including the last five matchups. Those are the type of stats to beware of, according to sixth man Jason Terry.

"They're scrappy. They're a scrappy bunch, and if you don't come out ready to play, it's going to be a grind-it-out game," Terry concluded.

Dallas will be looking for the sweep and their third consecutive win overall, as the squad heads into Arco Arena. The Mavericks-Kings matchup will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 9 p.m. CT.

NOTE: The Mavericks conclude their three-game road trip against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center on Monday night. Dallas can also sweep that season series, after winning the first two games against the Clippers. That game will air locally on KTXA and KTXA HD and nationally on NBA TV at 9:30 p.m. CT.

The team returns to the American Airlines Center for the final regular season game against the San Antonio Spurs on April 14. 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 www.twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Kings-Mavericks Recap

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Sacramento Kings 100 at Dallas Mavericks 108

On the bright side, the news coming from the Dallas Mavericks' front office Friday evening before their matchup with the Sacramento Kings could have been much worse.

The organization announced before the tip that guard Jason Terry would be out of action for 10-14 days, after the reigning Sixth Man of the Year underwent facial surgery to repair injuries sustained in the Mavs' 112-109 win over Minnesota on Wednesday night. Terry missed his first game of the season due to the procedure, after being the only Maverick to play in the team's first 62 games. As they began the journey without their top bench scorer, the Mavericks looked to run the NBA's longest current winning streak to 10 games.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

But Terry's surgery was just the beginning of an eventful Friday night. Also losing their head coach and starting center throughout the course of the night, the Mavericks never skipped a beat. A career night from rookie Rodrigue Beaubois and a clutch performance down the stretch from Dirk Nowitzki willed the Mavericks to a 108-100 home court win, continuing Dallas' longest win streak in two years.

"We found a way to win," Carlisle said. "There was some frustration, but it was all about holding it together, keeping the composure and bringing up the level of defensive energy.

"When you are thin like that, you just have to collectively find a way."

With two wins over the Kings already under the Mavericks' belt this season, the Dallas starters tried to make an early statement in the opening quarter before handing the game over to a Terry-less bench. But the first-stringers found themselves in an early hole. Kings guard Beno Udrih and big man Carl Landry gave the Dallas defense fits early. The Mavericks hung tough with point guard Jason Kidd, as the veteran returned from his one-game resting hiatus. Despite Kidd's early command of the game, the Kings held a 26-24 edge at the end of one.

The Kings' deadly 3-point shooting put some separation between the two squads early in the second quarter. Beaubois' deadly scoring ability kept the Mavs close, as he attempted to fill Terry's void by speeding up the tempo and slicing through the lane to the rim.

"Roddy (Beaubois) played great," point guard Jason Kidd said. "He got the running game going and he knocked down some shots."

But frustration began to set in for the Dallas sideline, as Carlisle drew an ejection after picking up back-to-back technicals for arguing with officials. It was the play-caller's second ejection of the season.

"I just thought there was contact that should have been called a foul on two or three occasions and I had an opinion on it. My opinion was noted, but when you go out on the court, sometimes you get one and sometimes you get two. So, I got two and that was it," the coach said of the ejection.

Without Terry, Carlisle and center Erick Dampier (dislocated right middle finger), the Mavericks became even more short-handed with big man Brendan Haywood ruled out in the second with lower back tightness.

"I would think (Haywood) would be day-to-day. But, he had some stiffness this morning and then he tweaked it on the jump ball, of all times. So, that wasn't a good start," Carlisle said.

With assistant coach Dwane Casey directing the squad, the Mavs battled through the distractions. Beaubois ignited the hometown crowd and the team, sparking a 17-5 run after the ejection to briefly lift the Mavericks in front.

"I don't take credit for (the run)," Carlisle said. "In those situations, you have to get playing better. Whether or not the coach getting thrown out contributes to that, that is up for debate. I doubt it. I think we were due to play better and finally started getting some stops."

"We had to make a stand at some point. When Coach got thrown out, we started to get some stops, make some shots and get the tempo in our favor. We made it a little bit closer than we should have," Kidd added.

Sacramento's late surge put the visitors ahead 53-52 at the half.

(Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)
Coming off of tying his career-high of 17 points in the win over Minnesota, Beaubois recorded 16 first half points. Meanwhile, Udrih led all scorers through the midway point with 17 points on 6-of-8 from the field and 3-for-3 from behind the arch. The Kings out-shot the Mavericks 48 percent to 47 percent in the first 24 minutes. Both teams protected the ball, as Dallas' two turnovers were just better than Sacramento's four giveaways.

The opening score of the third quarter was another highlight reel play from Beaubois, as Kidd connected with the rookie for an alley-oop and two-handed finish. The first-year pro continued to come strong in the period, with Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki lending helping hands. Even Barea and Marion got into the mix, as the Mavs took the third 33-19 before taking an 85-72 advantage heading into the final period.

The Kings didn't easily disappear in the fourth, as rookie sensation Tyreke Evans tried to will his squad back. Nowitzki said the fourth is when the team missed Terry the most.

"JET's usually money down the stretch, so it was a little bit different not seeing him. We better get used to it," Nowtzki said.

After Sacramento climbed to within four, Nowitzki put a brief halt to the Kings' momentum. But the visitors once again rallied, cutting Dallas' lead to 102-98 with Andres Nocioni's score with 2:16 remaining. Evans' finger roll just 40 seconds later made it a two-point game. That's when Caron Butler took over the game with two clutch steals on the defensive end in the final minute. Nowitzki cashed in off of Butler's thievery, calmly connecting on four timely free throws in the same span.

"Just trying to make it difficult for them...I did a good job sneaking back, getting into the passing lane, getting another stop and getting the ball to somebody that can knock down free throws," Butler said.

With a defensive stop and Kidd's finishing touches at the foul line, the Mavs ran their winning streak to double figures.

"We got to do a better job holding on to leads, but at least down the stretch we're finding ways to win. That's what its all about," Nowitzki said of the final moments.

Nowitzki finished leading the way with 31 points and 12 rebounds, posting 15 points in the fourth quarter. Beaubois rose to the occasion off the bench, finishing with a career-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting.

"Beaubois gave us a great lift off the bench," Carlisle said of the rookie.

Both Nowitzki and Beaubois benefited from Kidd's 12 assists, but the lead guard added 17 points for his 21th double-double. Butler and Marion added 12 points a piece.

Landry led the Kings with 21 points, while Udrih and Evans both went for 20.

The Mavericks' 49 percent shooting bested the Kings' 47 percent. But more importantly, the Mavericks capitalized off of second half turnovers, forcing 17 Kings' giveaways by night's end and turning the errors into 24 Dallas points. The Mavs also held a 26-8 advantage in fast break points.

On yet another quick turnaround, the Mavs touch down in Chicago for a battle with the Bulls on Saturday night. With an 11th win on the line, the Mavs meet the Bulls for the first time this season. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

"When you go on a streak like this,everyone is gunning for you," Carlisle continued. "Everybody wants to be the team to take you down. So, you are going to get everybody's best game. We've had some slow starts, but it is something we have been able to overcome many times. We are working on starting better, but hey, it is a 48-minute game for a reason. So, the streak is alive. We get on the plane tonight and head to Chicago and lace them up again. We just have to keep this going as long as we can."

"We've just got to get through this week," Nowitzki said. "Tough one tomorrow against an athletic team."

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

Kings-Mavericks Preview

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Sacramento Kings (21-40) at Dallas Mavericks (41-21)

Life without Jason Terry officially begins for the Dallas Mavericks.

(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

The reigning Sixth Man of the Year suffered facial injuries from an incidental elbow in the Mavericks' 112-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. As a result, Terry underwent a surgery Friday afternoon to repair any damage sustained from the incident. It is unclear when he'll return to the court, but it is clear that the Mavericks will have to move ahead without the versatile guard. Riding a nine-game winning streak, Friday night the Mavs welcome in a Sacramento Kings squad that Dallas has already beaten twice.

But without Terry's 17.0 points, 3.8 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game, the Mavericks are missing a big part of their team. While the sharpshooter has been a star in a sixth man role, Mavs Rick Carlisle thinks of him as a first-stringer.

"(Terry) is really a starter. What we've lost is our sixth starter. We'll look at it that way," Carlisle said.

As Terry battles his way back for the Mavs' stretch run, Carlisle will be looking for a committee of players to step in and fill No. 31's output. The list starts with rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, J.J. Barea and DeShawn Stevenson.

"There's a lot of guys that can fill that position...Stevenson is certainly going to play some there, Beaubois can play some there and J.J. can play some at that spot," the coach added. "The different guys that we have available all bring something a little different. Stevenson's a tough, physical defender who plays well in our system. Beaubois can bring us some athleticism and quickness. Barea brings some play-making. All those guys are going to be certainly involved in the thought process, and a lot of them will be playing quickly."

"We're going to miss a great player in JET (Terry)," Barea said. "He'll be back soon, he's a fighter. We can't wait to have him back -- a great off the bench player. He's one of the main guys on this team, so we've got a bunch of guys that's got to step up and play for him."

Still, it is important that the Dallas reserves not try to individually fill Terry's shoes.

"It's had to say that we need one guy off the bench to give us 20 a game. That's hard to do...That collective group is going to have to fill the void with JET out," Carlisle said.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
But while the Mavericks attempt to fill the void, the upset-minded Kings squad come in looking for retribution. Led by Rookie of the Year frontrunner Tyreke Evans, the Kings will be out to end the Mavs' streak dead in its tracks. Stopping Evans is priority No. 1 for the Mavs.

"(Evans) is a terrific young player. He does a little bit of everything. We're going to have to have a lot of guys coming at him, and we're going to have to be ready to double-team him if we need to," Carlisle concluded.

Fortunately for the Mavericks, while Terry will be out, point Jason Kidd will be back on the hardwood after sitting out a game to rest. The 36-year-old has been on a tare since making his 10th All-Star appearance.

"I think it was a great thing for me (to rest). The unfortunate thing was JET getting hit in the face, but that happens. But it was good watching from a different seat," Kidd said.

Now, with the Mavericks' 10th straight win in sight, Kidd and the Mavs look to remain hot while pedaling towards a postseason push. Kidd says the absence of Terry could be a blessing in disguise.

"It's something that we look forward to getting some guys some minutes, and look at it like JET gets some rest because he's been logging a lot of minutes, too," Kidd explained. "It's a two-way street, it gets the other guys an opportunity and it also gives JET a time to catch his breath and be ready to go once the playoffs start."

The Mavs try to run their winning streak to double digits, hosting the Kings on Friday night. The 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.

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-Kings Recap

(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 99 at Sacramento Kings 91

If the first game of 2010 is any indication, then the Dallas Mavericks have a lot to look forward to in the new year.

With a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers looming, the Mavericks entered the state of California focused not on the defending NBA champions but on beginning the new decade with a win against the upstart Sacramento Kings. Despite a late charge from the Kings, Dallas kept its focus on the task at hand and played the brand of basketball that has made the Mavericks one of the league's best road teams, downing Sacramento 99-91 in the middle game of a three-game road trip.

Having narrowly escaped with a 104-102 home win against the Kings on Nov. 20, Saturday night the Mavericks entered Arco Arena with full understanding that they could not look past a gritty Sacramento team in anticipation for Sunday's game against the Lakers. Dallas also looked to rebound from a disappointing end to 2009, falling 97-94 on New Year's Eve to Houston on the road. But it was just business as usual as the Mavericks snatched their 12th win away from home this season.

"The first half we had a lot of turnovers and then the second half we did a great job until the last couple of minutes," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle summed up the win. "Fortunately, we had built up a lead that stood up. It's a great win because these guys have been playing great and this is always a tough place to come.

"Every win in this league is a fight. There's no easy games. So any time you can get one, it's great."

Forward Shawn Marion may have expressed the sentiments for the Mavericks' veteran leadership the best.

"I'm a veteran player, I never look ahead to the next game. You can get beat by anybody, this is the NBA…You have to be ready to play every night and lace them up. You never overlook a team," Marion said.

(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Mavs looked to put the Houston loss out of their minds immediately. Despite getting a strong effort from combo guard J.J. Barea in the first quarter, the Mavericks found themselves in a back-and-forth game out of the gates with the Kings emerging at the end of the period with a 27-25 edge.

"(Barea) has been solid for us, really since he's been in the starting lineup. He got it going early for us and then as the game went on he made some plays to get other guys involved, too. Having that additional play-maker really helps," Carlisle said.

Battling through an early case of the turnover bug, the Mavericks capitalized off of hot shooting in the early minutes of the second quarter. Meanwhile Dallas' defensive intensity picked up, turning defensive stops into seamless transition offense.

"Teams that play defense, if you look in the past, they all won championships," point guard Jason Kidd said. "That's what we're trying to achieve...If we were going to have any chance to win tonight, we had to play defense and we did that."

With Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki resting on the sidelines, Jason Terry and the Mavs' second unit used fast-breaking offense to sprint out to a 13-0 run and a 42-31 lead at the 6:08-mark of the period. But after Kidd and Nowitzki returned and the Dallas lead grew to as much as 13, rookie sensation Tyreke Evans led the Kings to seven unanswered points. Evans' scoring and play-making cut into the Mavs' advantage, but Nowitzki lived at the foul line in the final minutes of the half to lift Dallas to a 55-48 lead at the intermission.

Dallas outscored Sacramento 30-21 in the second quarter, with the final eight Maverick points coming from Nowitzki.

Led by Barea's 13 first half points, the Mavericks used 57 percent shooting to overcome 10 turnovers in the first 24 minutes of play. At the other end of the court, Dallas forced the Kings into 13 giveaways while holding Sacramento to 45 percent shooting.

Early in the third period the Mavericks picked up where they left off at the end of the first half, calling Nowitzki's number relentlessly as Dallas built a 13-point lead. But after the Mavs' attack slowed, timely scoring from Kidd and big man Drew Gooden continued to keep Evans and the Kings at bay as Dallas took a 77-67 advantage into the fourth.

(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

An aggressive Josh Howard got the Mavericks started in the fourth quarter by attacking the rim. Dallas' lead began to balloon when Terry's layup put the Mavs up 87-73 with 5:37 remaining in the game. Nowitzki then began to assert himself, putting the Mavericks up 93-76 with a jumper before heading to the bench to rest the final three minutes of game time in preparation for the second night of the back-to-back.

With the Kings continuing to battle in the final minutes, using an 11-0 run to cut the Dallas lead to 93-87, Carlisle called a timeout with 30.1 ticks remaining to defuse Sacramento's momentum. Forced to put Nowitzki back in the game to preserve the win, Carlisle took a big sigh of relief when Howard nailed a pair of free throws with 28.9 seconds remaining and Dallas up eight. The Kings drew to within six on a jumper from Sergio Rodriguez, before the Mavericks continued to keep Sacramento's hopes alive when Howard's lob pass intended for Gooden sailed out of bounds with 8.7 seconds left. After forcing a turnover at the other end, Nowitzki calmly finished of the game at the charity stripe to lift Dallas to their 12th road win of the season.

"We knew they were going to play hard. They give themselves a chance to win every night, and we got a good win," Marion said.

Nowitzki finished with a game-high 25 points, while grabbing seven rebounds. Barea (17), Howard (16), Kidd (14) and Terry (11) all scored in double figures, as Gooden finished just short of a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Omri Casspi led the Kings with 22 points. After he scored 29 points and dished out 10 assists in the November meeting between the two squads, the Mavericks held Evans to 14 points on 6-of-18 shooting as the rookie returned after missing a game with a right ankle injury.

"It's just going to be a matter of time, if (Evans) can get some minutes under his belt, until he's an elite player in this league," Kidd said of the first-year lead guard.

Out-shooting the Kings 49 percent to 40 percent, the Mavericks dictated the pace of the game with a 24-9 edge in fast break points. The faster tempo allowed the Mavericks to capture the win despite committing 17 turnovers and losing the battle on the boards, as the Kings won the rebounding edge 42-36. Sacramento also outscored Dallas 44-38 in the paint.

"I thought we were really aggressive defensively and smart," Carlisle said. "You hold these guys to 40 percent, that's pretty good because they've been shooting the ball well and they average 108 points in this building. I liked our defensive effort, we rebounded it pretty well, so we're happy to get a win."

Now the Mavericks turn their focus to the Lakers, as the teams with the two best records in the Western Conference meet head-to-head for the second time this season.

"L.A.'s a great team. So, we'll turn our attention to them now," Carlisle said.

Sunday night the Mavericks head into L.A. to play the Lakers after defeating the defending champions 94-80 at the Staples Center on Oct. 30 in the only meeting between the two teams. That matchup will air on KTXA and KTXA HD at 8:30 p.m. CT. It is just another trip into an unfriendly environment for the Mavs, a setting where they've thrive at all season long.

"We've played really well on the road. It seems the more hostile the crowd is the better we play. I guess it kind of fuels us a little bit," Marion said.

Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Jan. 5 to host the Detroit Pistons. 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.

Mavericks-Kings Preview

(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks (22-10) at Sacramento Kings (14-18)

The calender marks a new day for the Dallas Mavericks, after 2009 came to a screeching end New Year's Eve night in Houston.

After winning back-to-back games, the Mavericks ended the '09 portion of their regular season with a heart-breaking 97-94 road loss to the division rival Rockets. Falling behind by double-digits early against Houston, a late comeback attempt from the Mavs ran out of gas during the stretch run on the last day of the year.

"We just couldn't come up with enough plays down the stretch. We had a couple of good looks…We had our chances down the stretch, but just didn't have enough to get over the hump," forward Dirk Nowitzki said of the loss.

Now the Mavericks begin the new year by heading to the sunny West Coast for a back-to-back with two Pacific Division challengers, leading the season series 1-0 against both teams. It is the conclusion of four consecutive road games.

Dallas is not looking ahead to Sunday's matchup with the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, knowing that they first have a formidable foe standing in their way in the Sacramento Kings. The Mavs squeaked out a 104-102 home win against the Kings on Nov. 20, needing a total team effort to hold off a furious charge in the final minute. Playing without center Erick Dampier (illness) and swingmen Josh Howard (surgically-repaired left ankle) and Shawn Marion (left ankle), the Mavericks' bench played a big role in Dallas getting the victory on that November night, as the Dallas reserves outscored their Sacramento counterparts 52-14 in bench scoring.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Mavericks also saw plenty of rookie sensation Tyreke Evans, as the former Memphis standout finished with a game-high 29 points, albeit in a loss. Evans and the Kings are certainly on the Mavericks' radar in the second meeting between the two teams.

"They have a great rookie point guard," sixth man Jason Terry said. "They're a scrappy bunch, and if you don't come out ready to play, it's going to be a grind-it-out game."

"All the games are hard, we know that," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "There are no breaks in the West. Even the teams with lesser records, they're all improving. They all play with a lot of energy and they're all very good on their home court."

The Kings will come in especially hunger after coming just short of a road victory in L.A. on New Year's Day, that was before Kobe Bryant's buzzer-beating three swished through the bottom of the net to give the Lakers a 109-108 win. Evans was out of the lineup in the loss to the Lakers, sidelined with a right ankle injury, but the combo guard says he will be ready to play with the Mavericks in town. Also well aware of what Bryant and the Lakers are capable of, the Mavericks know that they must claim momentum with a win over the Kings before entering the Staples Center for a second time.

"We want to build momentum. That's the idea. And we want to make sure we don't have letdowns," Carlisle said.

The Mavericks open up the new year by traveling to Sacramento to battled the Kings on Saturday night, with the game airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 9:00 p.m. CT.

Sunday night the Mavericks head into Los Angeles to play the Lakers for the second time this season, as that matchup will air on KTXA and KTXA HD at 8:30 p.m. CT. Dallas defeated the defending champion Lakers 94-80 at the Staples Center on Oct. 30 in the only meeting between the two teams.

Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Jan. 5 to host the Detroit Pistons. 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.

Mavericks-Kings Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Sacramento Kings 102 at Dallas Mavericks 104

The Dallas Mavericks haven't used their health situation as an excuse all season.

With Erick Dampier (illness), Josh Howard (surgically-repaired left ankle) and Shawn Marion (left ankle) all out for the team's matchup with the Sacramento Kings, the excuses didn't start on Friday night as the Mavericks hit the court looking for their fifth straight win. Behind gritty play and a 52-14 bench scoring edge, the Mavs squeaked out a 104-102 win on the home floor at the American Airlines Center.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

"We're going to have to get help from a lot of different guys," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the win. "To win games with some of your key guys out you've got to be a true team, so that's what we're attempting to do as best we can."

Though the win certainly couldn't be described as being pretty, it was another notch in the win column as Dallas moves to 10-3 on the young season.

"In this league, in doesn't really matter if you win ugly or pretty," Dirk Nowitzki said after the win. "Out of 13 games we've won 10 and that's pretty good, but we know we have work to do. We have a lot of ugly wins, so we know we have to get better from game to game, from month to month."

Starting a lineup of Jason Kidd, rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, Quinton Ross, Nowitzki and Drew Gooden, the Mavs looked to get off to a quick start against a .500 Kings squad. Dallas did just that, scoring the first seven points of the night. But with an opportunity to blow the game open early in the first quarter, the Mavs allowed Sacramento to stay close with countless missed layups despite getting to the rim at will. Influenced most by the blown "bunnies" at the rim was Gooden, who grabbed nine rebounds (five offensive) in the first quarter but shot just 1-of-8 in the period.

"Tonight he (Gooden) had a rough night with luck around the basket and getting the ball to go in," Carlisle said. "He had some good looks and the key is for him to just to keep doing what he's doing because he's making a great effort and bringing great energy to us."

As Dallas struggled to convert on easy scores, Sacramento surged ahead 24-22 at the end of one. The Mavs shot just 9-of-28 (32 percent) in the period, while the Kings hit on just under 55 percent of their shots.

Sacramento didn't let up to start the second quarter, as rookie standout Tyreke Evans and forward Andres Nocioni opened up a five-point (33-28) Kings' lead. Behind Nowitzki, Kidd, sixth man Jason Terry and reserve forward Kris Humphries, Dallas rallied to outscore Sacramento 25-18 in the quarter to take a 47-42 advantage into the half.

Humphries led all Mavericks in scoring at the half with 10 points, as Jason Thompson matched that output for the Kings. Dallas made up for a 40 percent shooting half by forcing 12 turnovers on the defensive end, keeping the Kings from capitalizing off of their 49 percent shooting.

Gooden had enough of the missed layups, so the big man decided to emphatically throw down a two-handed dunk, plus the foul, to open up the scoring at the start of the second half. It was the start of a seven-point third quarter for Gooden, as he rebounded from his ugly beginning to the night.

"I didn't care about going 1-for-10 (in the first half)," Gooden said. "I just stayed with it and was active trying to keep the ball alive. I had one of those nights where I was going to fight and do whatever it took to get to that ball."

Behind trapping defense on Evans and a scoring Kidd, who is normally reluctant to look for his own offense, the Mavs took a 68-65 lead into the fourth quarter.


The Mavs' advantage quickly ballooned to ten at the start of the fourth, as Humphries, Tim Thomas and J.J. Barea gave a big boost to the Dallas second unit.

"I think that's (the bench) an important part to this team," Humphries said. "When the bench is coming in strong, it helps the overall flow of what we're doing and kind of picks us up."

Sacramento then came back to within three, as Evans looked more like a veteran and less likely a first-year pro as he single-handily kept the Kings close in the last five minutes. Dallas countered with a heavy dose of Terry, as the reigning Sixth Man of the Year scored 10 of the Mavs' final 19 points over the final 4:15 of game time.

"I wanted to be aggressive," Terry said. "I was due. I wasn't going to stop shooting. Coach did a great job of calling my number, we got some stops and we just kept them at bay."

But Dallas' inability to protect the lead, coupled with Evans' determination to never quit, brought the Kings to within three, 102-99, on a 3-pointer from the Kings' rookie with 2.8 seconds left in the game. The two teams then played the free throw game and Terry calmly made the Kings pay at the charity stripe. Out of the woods and up by five, Omri Casspi's three at the buzzer was merely a minuet point, as Dallas wrapped up a hard fought two-point win. The Mavs hung on to win despite being outscored 37-36 in the fourth.

"We were doing okay until we gave up 37 in the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter and the way it ended, it's going to leave a bad taste for everybody. Some disappointment, but getting the win is important so we'll be glad for that and we'll work to get better," Carlisle said.

"We've got to do better than we did in the last minute. You give up three 3-pointers in 24 seconds, that's not acceptable. We need to get better -- we will do better."

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)


Nowitzki and Terry led the Mavs with team-high honors in scoring, as both stars posted 20 points. Kidd added a double-double with 15 points, on 5-of-9 from 3-point range, to go along with his 11 assists. Meanwhile, Gooden finished just one point shy of his fourth straight double-double with nine points and a season-high 16 rebounds. Off the bench, Humphries (15) and Thomas (11) saw season-high scoring nights.

"With what Humphries and Thomas did inside, they were a force. We're going to need those guys to continue to be consistent and continue to give us something," Terry said.

Evans finished with a game-high 29 points for the Kings.

The Kings out-shot the Mavericks 53 percent to 45 percent, but Dallas' defense caused 21 turnovers and forced 10 steals.

Now the Mavs will take three days away from game action before playing four games in five nights, starting with host the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. CT. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest. 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-Kings Preview

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Sacramento Kings (5-5) at Dallas Mavericks (9-3)

If the Dallas Mavericks are going to be a championship contender, they have to win games like the one they will find themselves in on Friday night.

Without 60 percent of their conventional starting lineup (with Erick Dampier, Josh Howard and Shawn Marion out), the Mavericks face a formidable foe in the Sacramento Kings led by rookie Tyreke Evans. Despite losing the league's leading scorer, Kevin Martin, the Kings have continued to play .500 basketball. But if an NBA title is in Dallas' future, they can't lose games to marginal opponents, even without some of their stars.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

"We're a confident bunch right now," Mavs sixth man Jason Terry said. "We still have a lot of guys injured or they have certain ailments right now, so we're just kind of trying to weather the storm, tough it out and win as many games as we can. That's all you can really do right now, and hope no one else goes down. Knock on wood for that."

In spite of their health situation, the Mavs come in Friday night riding a four-game winning wave. The Mavs hope they don't suffer a wipe-out against Sacramento.

Knowing the Kings are a quality ball club, Dallas will look to jump out early offensively on their home floor while trying to stifle the Kings' rookie sensation at the defensive end.

"Dangerous team. I think when Kevin Martin went out they ran off two or three straight games. They have a great rookie point guard. They're scrappy. They're a scrappy bunch, and if you don't come out ready to play, it's going to be a 'grind-it-out' game," Terry said.

"We're at home. We have to take advantage of being at home right now, even though we have guys out, and come out of here with another victory. This ain't a team you can overlook. You have to come out ready to play and don't let them get any confidence early."

The Mavs come in 4-1 at home, with the one loss coming in the season opener to the Washington Wizards. Visa versa, the Kings are only 1-3 on the road but they do hold a winning record against fellow Western Conference teams, sitting at 5-3 against the West. Still, Dallas expects for their winning streak to run to five, after showing an ability to win close games by notching back-to-back overtime wins.

"I like the momentum of winning games, but we don't want to lose any momentum," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "We just have to keep going here."

"We have a long ways to go to get where we really want to be."

The Mavs host the Kings on Friday night, with the game airing locally on FSN 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.