Mavericks-Cavaliers Recap

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Cleveland Cavaliers 95 at Dallas Mavericks 102

The Dallas Mavericks entered their meeting with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night knowing that the entire team would need to come together with leading-scorer Dirk Nowitzki on the sidelines in street clothes.

Nowitzki, inactive after suffering a deep laceration to his right elbow in the second quarter of a 116-108 overtime loss at home to the Houston Rockets on Friday night, tested the injury before the game but realized that he couldn't give it a go due to soreness.

In Nowitzki's stead, six Mavericks scored in double figures, led by Nowitzki's replacement, and the Mavericks grounded the reigning league MVP in the fourth quarter to capture a 102-95 win on the American Airlines Center floor.

"Today, I was going to try to step up and actually try to go a little bit and get a couple of jumpers up before the game, but I just couldn't get my elbow up, couldn't extend my elbow out, couldn't really bend it," Nowitzki said. "Looking at the game now, it was a great decision. We got the win and I got a little rest today, so it was great."

"It is a huge win," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "Any time you can win without a guy like Dirk, it just says a lot about the group of guys and the team. We are obviously happy with it."

With Tim Thomas inserted into Nowitzki's power forward spot in the starting lineup next to Jason Kidd, J.J. Barea, Shawn Marion and Erick Dampier, the Mavericks' top priority was to stop the NBA's third-leading scorer, LeBron James. Both teams found themselves turning to backup centers midway through the opening quarter, as Dampier and Shaquille O'Neal both picked up two quick fouls. Meanwhile, James' nine first quarter points, coming from inside and out, lifted the Cavaliers to a 26-25 edge after one. Cleveland shot 9-of-15 in the period, while holding Dallas to 9-of-22 at the other end.

With Dampier in early foul trouble, the Mavericks turned to Drew Gooden in the second quarter and the big man did not disappoint. After O'Neal picked up his third personal foul at the 3:06-mark in the second, the Mavericks attacked the rim with the 7-footer not available to contest shots. Dallas jumped out to an eight-point advantage before James and the Cavaliers closed to within 52-50 headed into the halftime break.

The combination of Thomas and Gooden, Nowitzki's stand-ins, collectively posted 19 points in the half and grabbed 12 rebounds (eight by Gooden). Dallas overcame 41 percent shooting with a 23-18 rebounding edge. James' 18 first half points, on 6-of-12 from the floor, led all scorers at that point as Cleveland shot 53 percent through the first two quarters.

"We made some mistakes in the first half and we corrected them at halftime," Thomas said. "LeBron was doing most of the scoring in the first half, so we just wanted to make the other guys beat us. The main thing was our rotations on defense and we all did what we had to do to win."

As the second half opened up with Thomas catching fire from the outside, the Mavericks sped up the pace and pushed the tempo out to a double-digit lead as large as 12 early in the third quarter.

"(Thomas) has just given us positive production any time he has been on the floor and people have to guard him because he is a great shooter," Carlisle said.

"Of course with Dirk being out, coach gave me the nod as far as being in the starting lineup and I just wanted to be aggressive with the minutes I was given tonight," Thomas said.

Cleveland responded by grinding the game into a half-court affair, as James, O'Neal and Mo Williams cut the deficit to as little as two. But after Jason Terry's floater with 12.9 ticks left in the period, the Mavericks took a 73-67 edge into the fourth.

James' above-the-rim finish off of a Delonte West all-oop feed energized the Cavalier roster with 8:56 left in the fourth quarter, but the superstar never scored again on the night. Marion, Josh Howard and Kidd then put the clamps on James the remainder of the game, fighting through Cleveland's one-three, screen-and-roll offensive sets to keep No. 23 from getting in the lane.

"With the one-three, pick-and-roll, we were getting screwed up on it and we had smaller guys in the game. We were trying to show and get shaped back up. When we got (Kidd) back in along with Marion, we were able to switch it because of (Kidd's) size, and that helps," Carlisle said of the defensive strategy on James in the fourth.

"I was just trying to make it hard for (James), make him take contested jump shots and keep him from getting to the basket." Marion said of the defense on James in the fourth.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Offensively, the Mavericks countered with an assertive Terry and Howard. The Dallas defense then turned up the intensity in the final five minutes, while Kidd took over the game late with his play-making and timely scoring. The point guard's 3-pointer with 3:57 remaining gave the Mavericks a 93-85 lead. Just over a minute later, Kidd found Terry in the corner for a three to give Dallas a 96-87 advantage. Cleveland stuck around by getting to the charity stripe in the last two minutes, putting points on the board without time coming off the clock. But Terry's falling floater with 10.9 seconds left secured the Dallas win.

"I thought both teams played particularly well," James said after his team took the loss. "I think the one that got a good spurt, got a good comfort level, a good feel on the offensive end was going to win the game. They drove the ball, they kicked out for threes, they really hurt us with some tough long jumpers."

Stepping in for Nowitzki, Thomas led the Mavericks with a team-high 22 points, doing so on 7-of-13 from the field.

"In a situation like this, when you lose a guy like Dirk that is such a great shooter, it is a real blessing to have a guy like Tim ready to go. The way he stepped in and not only played, but played really well," Carlisle said of the veteran forward.

Off the bench, Terry added 19 points while playing just under 35 minutes. It was a welcomed sight for the reigning Sixth man of the Year who has struggled offensively of late.

"The thing that was important for me offensively was to be aggressive and getting to the free throw line helped me early," Terry said. "I just need to stay on the attack."

Kidd secured a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists, while Howard (14), Gooden (12) and Marion (12) all reached double digits in scoring. Falling just short of a double-double while battling through foul trouble was Dampier, who finished with eight points and 10 boards.

"That's why they're one of the best teams in the West -- one of the best teams in the league," James said of the Mavericks squad. "They've got guys even without Dirk that are All-Stars on their team. Josh Howard, J-Kidd and Jason Terry, and the rest of those guys, Tim Thomas played great tonight. Guys stepped up."

James finished with a game-high 25 points (two in the fourth) on 9-of-23 shooting, while West added 18 points off of the Cavs' bench.

After a slow start, Dallas out-shot Cleveland 48 percent to 46 percent, making up for the Cavaliers' 43-39 rebounding advantage and their 13-4 edge in second chance points.

"We were a little better in the second half than we were in the first half, defensively," Carlisle said. "They were shooting 53 percent in the first half and we took them down significantly, so that was big."

"We've got a tough, savvy group of veterans in this locker room and if anyone goes down, regardless of who it is, I know we're all going to step up. But since it was Dirk, you could see it on all of our faces that we needed to come out and make a statement tonight, but we do miss him and hope he'll be back soon."

Though he is still listed as questionable, the Mavericks could have Nowitzki back in action as soon as Tuesday night, when the Mavericks play host to the Portland Trailblazers at the American Airlines Center for the third match of a four-game home stand. That game will air locally on TXA 21, TXA HD and HD NET 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-Cavaliers Preview

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Cleveland Cavaliers (20-7) at Dallas Mavericks (19-8)

The Dallas Mavericks are used to the odds being stacked up against them.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

After the basketball prognosticator overlooked and underestimated Dallas coming into this season, the Mavs have have proved the naysayers wrong by leading the Southwest Division through 27 games. When the critics said Dallas couldn't win when swingman Josh Howard sat out to rest his surgically-repaired left ankle, the Mavs won and won again. And now the Mavericks will try to prove the skeptics wrong yet again, with leading-scorer Dirk Nowitzki questionable for Sunday's matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers with a deep laceration to his right elbow.

"We obviously hope for the best, but we don't know what the timetable is going to be (for Nowitzki's return)," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "We have to have other guys ready. We've had a lot of guys play well this year and I expect them to do that in his absence."

Nowitzki sustained the injury early in the second quarter of a 116-108 overtime loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday night, colliding with Rockets forward Carl Landry at the 9:28-mark of the period. While Landry left the game missing a few teeth, Nowitzki sat in the home team's locker room, never returning after receiving stitches from the incident. Though x-rays were negative, the Mavs star remained at home, taking pain medications, while the team practiced on Saturday. No. 41's status is still up in the air going into the Mavs' game on Sunday.

But if the Mavericks are to be without the league's sixth leading-scorer for an extended period of time, a veteran core is prepared to pick up for the void left by Nowitzki's absence.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

That veteran leadership starts with point guard Jason Kidd and filters down to the reserve role players. The future Hall-of-Famer will be called upon to be both a vocal and on-court leader if Nowitzki is on the shelf.

"Kidd is great. He took a hard foul the other night, and he was making a point -- it's time to quite being soft and start playing harder and at a higher level. That helped us at that point and time," Carlisle said.

But it will take a total team effort to make up for No. 41's on-court production and intangibles.

"Obviously, (Nowitzki) is our go-to-guy on this team and the leader of this team," center Erick Dampier said. "But regardless of whether he's going to play or not, we still have to put five guys out on the floor. We have the talent to compete with anyone in this league, with Dirk or without him."

"We still have the talent to go out there and win. It doesn't matter who is out there. As long as we're playing together, having fun, sharing the ball and the things we've been doing the whole season, we're going to give ourselves a chance to win."

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
Stopping LeBron James is a must for Dallas to get a win Sunday

Now the Mavericks will need Kidd and the veteran core most of all if they are going to get back on the winning side against a perennial Eastern Conference power in Cleveland, led by reigning MVP LeBron James. The Mavs will be out to avenge a 111-95 loss in Cleveland on Nov. 28, when James put up 25 points and dished out 12 assists to outdo Nowitzki's 27-point night.

"They're an excellent team -- a lot weapons. LeBron James is a great, great player. (Shaquille O'Neal) is still a major force to deal with, and their guard-play is excellent, they shoot the three great. There's a lot of things you have to prepare for. But most of all, you have to play really hard and really efficiently, and that's what we'll have to do," Carlisle said.

James, the league's third leading-scorer, will once again play a prominent role in the Cavaliers' attack, both as a primary scorer and a play-making facilitator. With O'Neal and Mo Williams by his side, James has plenty of options to go to when the ball is in his hands.

"We know exactly what Cleveland is going to do coming in," Dampier said. "(James) is going to take his shots, he's going to make great passes to those guys and he's going to do what he's been doing the whole season to try to get a win. He's one of the best players in the league."

In a battle of division leaders, the Mavericks host the Cavaliers at the American Airlines Center on Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m. CT. That game will air locally on TXA 21 and TXA HD, and nationally on NBA TV. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS. It is the second game of a four-game home stand.

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 Practice Report (12/19/09)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavericks Practice Report (12/19/09)

Now is when the Dallas Mavericks know that they must rally around each other most of all.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

After losing the team's leading-scorer, Dirk Nowitzki, early in the second quarter of a 116-108 overtime loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday night, the Mavericks realized that each player is going to have to step up if the 7-footer is out for an extended period of time.

Nowitzki's collision with Rockets forward Carl Landry at the 9:28-mark of the second left Landry missing a few teeth and had Nowitzki in the locker room being stitched up after suffering a deep laceration to his right elbow. Though x-rays were negative, the Mavs star did stay home from practice on Saturday, getting a heavy dose of pain medication. Nowitzki is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Cleveland.

"We'll know more tomorrow, I suppose," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after Saturday's practice.

In a league were injuries can decide the course of a season, the Mavs know if Nowitzki does miss time, the show must go on.

"There's a lot of possibilities (of players seeing game action if Nowitzki misses time). Everybody is going to have to be ready to step up and pick up the slack. We have work ahead of us. We spent some time on some things today, we needed to do -- a lot of tough games coming up."

One benefit that the Mavs have at their disposal is an incredibly deep roster, including at the big positions. Adding veteran players like Tim Thomas and Drew Gooden this offseason, the Mavericks have players that have been in big moments and thrived. They may be asked to thrive again in Nowitzki's stead.

"Whoever is put in that situation is going to have to go out and be aggressive, as a starter or whatever the situation may be," Thomas said. "All and all, it's a team sport. (Nowitzki) is a big part of what we do, of course. The injury, it happened, and whoever coach puts in that void will just have to be aggressive and help the team in whatever fashion they can help."

"That's what you bring veteran guys in for. It's a long season, anything can happen and if something was to happen like that, you just have to rely on your veterans. That's why everybody has to stay ready."

But even as guys were stepping up, extending a tough Rockets team to overtime before falling in the extra period, the injury became just one of Dallas' concerns Friday night.

Drawing six technicals, two ejections and taking issues with controversial calls made by the crew officiating the game, the Mavericks are protesting the loss, citing "multiple misapplications of the rules by the officials."

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Center Erick Dampier, ejected for the first time in his career, was eventually joined by Carlisle in the locker room before the clock hit all zeroes in the extra period. Dampier received his second technical for allegedly throwing an elbow after a flagrant one was called on an Aaron Brooks foul on the Mavs center.

"I really didn't understand the play," Dampier said. "They say it looks like I threw an elbow but the way he pulled me, the momentum took me. It looked like I threw an elbow, which I really didn't."

"I've never been in that situation before where a player gets fouled and they give him a technical and then they eject him. I don't understand that. Okay, if you're going to eject me, can I shoot my two free throws? And then it was a flagrant."

But Dampier points out that the questionable calls didn't lose the Mavs the game, and the veteran says the team still has to find a way to win despite the calls and despite Nowitzki's injury. The Mavericks may be placed in the same situation on Sunday, as LeBron James and the Cavaliers head into Dallas.

The Mavs will be looking to get back in the win column when they host the Cavs Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m. CT. That game will air locally on TXA 21 and TXA HD, and nationally on NBA TV. 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

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Houston Rockets 116 at Dallas Mavericks 108 F/OT

Riding a five-game winning streak, the Dallas Mavericks welcomed the Houston Rockets, whom they had beaten twice already this season, with open arms to begin a four-game home stand on Friday night.

But by the middle of the night, that open embrace would turn into hatred. With Dallas' undisputed leader, Dirk Nowitzki, playing just ten minutes before going down with a deep laceration to his right elbow, the Mavericks fought and scrapped but walked away from their home floor bruised and battered. Even with six Mavs stepping up with double-figure scoring with Nowitzki out, Dallas' winning streak came to a screeching halt, falling in overtime 116-108.

In a game with seven technicals (six on Dallas), one flagrant, two ejections, and the absence of Nowitzki for the better part of three quarters, the Mavs' fight without their captain told the story. Dallas staged a late-game comeback even without their leading-scorer, just to force the game into an extra five-minute period. Still, the Mavs didn't have enough firepower on the court in the extra period.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

"It was a very physical game out there," forward Shawn Marion said. "A lot of things going on and it was a heated game. It was a game that we could have won, but hey, with the techs and all the scuffles, injuries, we went out fighting. That's all you can ask for."

"Their team battled," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the loss. "We got it to overtime. The odds were certainly stacked against us with a couple of minutes to go. I thought we battled to get to overtime. I didn't think we played well. Finding a way to get to overtime over pretty steep odds is positive. But the way we played from start to finish really wasn't what we were wanting to do. That's disappointing."

Already claiming two wins over the Rockets in blowout fashion, the Mavericks came into the third of four meetings knowing that they must improve on their play in the first half. In each of the first two games the Mavericks found themselves down by a double-digit deficit in the first 24 minutes of play.

Behind stellar team defense and the scoring of J.J. Barea, the inserted combo guard in the starting lineup that had sparked the winning streak, the Mavericks were the ones jumping out to a quick advantage. Dallas took a 24-19 lead after one, despite hitting just 10-of-29 shots.

"I think we started the game off pretty good, though. I think we came out very aggressive, but the game was just in a half-court grind," Marion said.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

In the second quarter, both teams received a scare as star players were injured on the same play. At the 9:28-mark, Dirk Nowitzki's right elbow met Carl Landry's mouth, causing the Mavs star to rush to the locker room to treat a laceration while the Rockets' key contributor left the game with three broken teeth. Before leaving the game with five points, Nowitzki hit 1-of-2 at the foul line, shooting left-handed.

"We didn't know if he was coming back or not. We just had to play," Marion said. "Things happen during the course of the game and you just have to adjust, and for the most part we did."

Meanwhile, with the Mavs' leading-scorer out, the Rockets surged ahead with an 18-5 run to take a 44-33 lead. Dallas closed to within 49-41 to end the half. Houston outscored Dallas 30-17 in the second quarter.

Led by Kyle Lowry's 13 first half points on 5-of-7 shooting, the Rockets out-shot the Mavs in the first half by hitting on 48 percent of their shots while holding Dallas to 32 percent shooting. Barea kept the Mavericks close with 10 point in the half.

With their leader still in the locker room receiving three stitches to start the second half, the Mavericks turned to Barea and Jason Kidd to spark a comeback in the third quarter. Kidd's play-making and Barea's scoring became the theme early in the period, while Erick Dampier's interior defense stabilized the team. But after clawing to within one, the Mavs hit a wall, and the Rockets pushed their lead back up to 73-65 headed into the fourth. At the same time, Nowitzki was officially being ruled out for the remainder of the game, though x-rays were negative.

"When a big star like Dirk is out everybody has to step up," Barea said. "I think we did a good job of that, we just had bad luck."

The fourth quarter began with an aggressive Josh Howard looking to pick up the slack in Nowitzki's stead. A 10-2 run brought Dallas to within one, 80-79, with 8:48 remaining in the game. Howard then got help from sixth man Jason Terry, as the Mavs briefly went in front before Aaron Brooks quieted the Dallas run with a 3-pointer. But the tide changed when Terry was called for a clear path foul on Lowry at the 7:37-mark. The tempers on the court began to boil as well, as Jason Kidd and David Andersen got into a scrum on the court, drawing a technical foul on Carlisle and a double-technical on Kidd and Andersen. Meanwhile, the points continued to rack up for the Rockets, even during a stretch were Dallas hit on eight consecutive field goal attempts.

But the Mavericks' relentlessness finally caught up with their offensive production down the stretch, as Dallas trimmed an eight-point deficit with 2:17 left to just two with one minute of game time remaining. After Brooks split a pair at the foul line, the Mavs found themselves down 100-97 with 19.1 ticks on the clock. After Carlisle's timeout, the ball found its way to Tim Thomas for a game-tying 3-pointer off of a Terry feed with just 10.5 seconds remaining in regulation.

"It was a great play that coach drew up," Thomas said. "Jet (Terry) and I have been talking about that two-man action since I got here. He draws a lot of attention, so it was a great play."

The Dallas defense then forced a turnover, as a driving Brooks fumbled the ball out of bounds. After a long officials' conference, they determined that the clock should read just 0.4 and the possession would be with the Mavericks. It is a decision that the Mavericks will have the league offices in New York review.

With Kidd inbounding, the play went to Shawn Marion, but the forward's desperation tip-shot attempt over Lowry came up short of the rim to send the game into the extra period. The Mavs outscored the Rockets 35-27 in the fourth.

"We were down and we were fighting," Kidd said. "We didn't give in. We had a great look there, at the end of the fourth quarter."

Marion made up for the missed late-game heroics at the defensive end in the overtime, sending a Shane Battier shot back into his face with a block early in the extra five minutes. But the Mavs got down six, on Brooks' jumper with 1:19 on the clock, and never recovered. Just 18 seconds later, a flagrant one was called on Brooks for a blow to Dampier's head. After another officials' review, the Mavs center was ejected for picking up his second technical foul after the crew determined that Dampier threw an elbow in retaliation.

"(The officials) indicated some things, but so it doesn't lead to further confusion, I won't repeat what they said. They'll get it right in New York."

"If they were wrong calls, the technicals will be rescinded. Whatever happens will happen."

Lowry's driving layup with 27.7 ticks left clinched the game for Houston and earned Carlisle his second technical of the night, giving the Mavs coach an exit as well. The Rockets padded their lead at the charity stripe to end the night.

"In overtime, we couldn't get the ball in the basket and they hit some difficult shots. It's a tough loss. We needed to have four or five guys to really play well tonight to get it done, and we never could quite get over the hump. It's disappointing," Carlisle said.

"We want to get stops, get in transition and flow as much as possible. We've got stuff that I thought we executed well and other stuff, not so well. We fought and put ourselves in position to make it a five-minute game and just couldn't win."

With multiple controversial calls handed down late, the Mavericks are planning to protest the loss, citing "multiple misapplications of the rules by the officials."

Still, now the Mavs have their eighth loss on the board and their star player on the mend.

Lowry finished with a game-high 26 points, while Brooks added 25.

Despite a near triple double-from Kidd (eight points, season-high 11 rebounds and 10 assists), 23 points from Barea and double figures from Marion (17), Howard (17), Terry (14) and Thomas (10), the Mavericks clearly missed their go-to scorer.

"We have so many weapons -- this team is deep," Kidd said. "We had our opportunities and we just couldn't get over the hump tonight."

Carlisle may have summed up the game best.

"We're a team, so if one guy goes out, everybody else has got to step forward," Carlisle said. "We made a good effort but the bottom line, when you shoot 42 percent and give up 46 percent shooting, 30 assists and eight 3-pointers -- those numbers add up to a loss. We needed to be better. Simple as that."

Nowitzki's status will be updated at a later date and he is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Cleveland.

"Knowing him, he'll be back sooner than later," Terry said.

Things don't get any easier for Dallas, as the Mavs continue on their four-game home stand when the Cleveland Cavaliers come to the American Airlines Center on Sunday evening. The game will air locally on TXA 21 and TXA HD, and nationally on NBA TV at 6:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

"It's not a one-man team," Kidd said. "That's the beauty of this team -- we have some many guys that put the ball in the basket and play. This is a great opportunity for everybody to pick up the slack or pick up what Dirk normally gives us."

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 Preview

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Houston Rockets (14-11) at Dallas Mavericks (19-7)

While a five-game winning streak is turning heads around the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks are keeping their excitement to a minimum.

The Mavericks are quietly confident as they sit atop the Southwest Division after 26 games, knowing that they have yet to play their best basketball. The team is more so focused on not becoming overconfident, with a lot of basketball left on the schedule.

"I think we've played well," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the team's morning shootaround Friday morning. "But we're always trying to play better. That continues to be the goal. There's always things when you study your games, even when you win games, there's things you can do better. We have to be careful not to accept things in victory that we wouldn't in defeat, and we'll keep working to get our team playing as well as we can play."

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Mavs didn't accept the way they played in their two previous meetings against the Houston Rockets, falling behind by double digits in the first half of both games before staging comebacks to win in routs. The average margin of victory in those two wins was just under 25 points per game, but the first half deficits stick out to the Mavs.

Friday night, with the Rockets in Dallas for the third of four meetings this regular season, the Mavericks know they must come out of the gates quickly to make an early statement to their cross-state rival.

"I think guys just haven't been alert and just not ready to play (in the first halves against the Rockets)," Mavs sixth man Jason Terry said. "But I don't think that's going to be the case tonight. We've put an emphasis on it, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how we come out and respond to the challenge."

The Mavericks will also try not to put the home crowd through so much suspense, after playing nail-biter after nail-biter at home. Though Dallas is 9-3 at the American Airlines Center, the Mavs admit that they have yet to play their best 48 minutes on the home floor. The Rockets are the perfect opponent to welcome to Dallas with some southern hospitality and home cooking.

"This is a team that is basically a division rival, and they're going to come out fired up. But it's our job, at home, to get this thing turned around. And it only takes one game to really turn it on at home to really get your confidence," Terry said.

Though the Rockets have gotten superstar Tracy McGrady back on the court for limited action, nine months after undergoing microfracture surgery on his left knee, the Dallas defense knows it must first attempt to slow down one of the league's quickest point guards in Aaron Brooks.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Brooks has tormented Dallas defenders in recent memory, but Mavs guard Jason Kidd says that will have to change if Dallas is going to run its winning streak to six.

"(Brooks) has had a great season up to this point, and so for us, it's just to make him work on the defensive end and just try to take the ball out of his hands on offense -- make him become a play-maker and not some much a guy who can score."

"(Brooks) is a priority," Carlisle said. "One of the reasons that he's so important is because he generates their tempo. He gets them playing fast -- which leads to transition buckets, transition threes, chances to drive and get in the paint. It's just important that we get everybody back and build walls so he can't be taking runs at us and getting open shots."

The team's defense-first mentality has been instrumental for the Mavericks during their recent streak, learning to win when shots aren't falling. Kidd says it is important that the Mavs don't lose their edge on the defensive end in an attempt to blow out the Rockets.

"For us, it's been about defense all year. We can't forget about playing defense. That's helped us win some ugly games and it's helped us win games where both teams were scoring and we got stops. If we're going to try to win a championship, we have to play defense," Kidd said.

Dallas will try to slow Brooks and the Rockets down, while also looking for their sixth straight win, as the Mavs start a four-game home stand on Friday night. The game will air locally on TXA 21 and TXA HD 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 Practice Report (12/17/09)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavericks Practice Report (12/17/09)

Any team would be confident while riding a five-game winning streak.

The Dallas Mavericks are not out to be just any team. After a 100-86 road win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Southwest Division-leading Mavericks returned to the practice court for a little fine-tuning. Though there was a little extra bounce in their steps, the Mavericks don't have a loosey-goosey state of mind right now and Mavs coach Rick Carlisle doesn't see one developing with the division rival Houston Rockets coming into Dallas on Friday night.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

"I don't think we're loose," Carlisle said after practice of Thursday. "I think we're playing better basketball, but we've been serious about the task at hand. And I think that's important. The thing about winning is it's great and it gets you energized, but you can't let complacency creep in."

"We want too have fun with this and we want to be a great basketball team, but we have to keep our eye on the ball and know who is coming down the line here."

The Mavericks know the team next in line very well, after falling behind by double digits in both of their two previous games against the Rockets. Dallas did however come back to win each game in blowout fashion, with an average margin of victory just under 25 points per game.

"We've played them twice now, actually played them three times because we played them in exhibition, and so we know all too well what they are capable of. Both regular season games, they hit us for big first half deficits. The first game we were down 17 in the first half and the second game we were down 15-2 to start the game, so we're obviously looking for a better start," Carlisle said.

Still the Mavericks know the Rockets have hung their hat on hard work, leaving behind bruised and outworked opponents in their wake. Dallas can't get outworked by the upstart Rockets at the onset of the game as in the previous meetings, forward Dirk Nowitzki said.

"They really play with a lot of energy," Nowitzki said. "They've got young guys that play hard at both ends of the floor, they compete. Sometimes I think with us being a little older team, a mature team, we sometimes seem to coast a little bit into games. That hurts us against young, athletic teams."

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Houston is particularly dangerous now that Tracy McGrady is back in the lineup, seeing limited action recently nearly nine months after undergoing microfracture surgery on his left knee.

Though the star is slowly working his way back, his All-Star talent has never been in question.

"(McGrady) is a great player," Carlisle said. "The more he plays, the better he's going to play. The more shots he's going to make, the bigger factor he's going to be. All of us know all too well what he can do. We don't want him to get going on us."

Carlisle is not a big believer that McGrady's return will hinder the Rockets' already balanced offense.

"If you have a great player and you get him back on the court, that's a good thing. He's going to play more and more as it goes along and we're going to have to be ready for him to be out there," Carlisle said.

(Photo by Larry W. Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)

Even if McGrady returns to form, the Mavs have shown an ability to shut down the NBA's best and brightest stars of later. In the Mavs win over the Thunder, Shawn Marion and Josh Howard held the league's third leading-scorer, Kevin Durant, to just 12 points. Meanwhile, Jason Kidd was stifling Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook to 6-of-19 shooting.

"We did a really good job on those guys," Carlisle said of shutting down Durant and Westbrook. "Shawn and Josh are two experienced, high level NBA defenders. They really took the challenge -- Durant is third in the league in scoring. Same thing with Kidd and Westbrook."

"We were solid with it, but now we have to move on to the next game. That one is over."

Defensive is becoming the Mavericks' calling card, which was a focus of the team before the season.

"I'm actually surprised by our defense, not only the past five games but the first 26," Nowitzki said. "Overall the consistency defensively has been pretty impressive. That was our goal coming into the season, to be a better defensive team -- compete harder and hold teams in the low 40s (shooting percentage). We did that a bunch of teams, so that's actually been impressive."

Looking for their sixth straight win, the Mavs start a four-game home stand on Friday night when the Rockets enter Dallas for a second time this season. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS. That game will air locally on TXA 21 and TXA HD at 7:30 p.m. CT.

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-Thunder Recap

(Photo by Larry W. Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 100 at Oklahoma City Thunder 86

Winners of four straight games, the Dallas Mavericks headed north up I-35 to battle the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night with a 9-4 road record.

In the first of four meetings, the Mavs hoped to earn their fifth straight win and tenth road win at the young Thunder's expense in a hostile environment. After taking the Thunder's best combination of blows and punches for three quarters, the Mavericks landed a 12th-round haymaker to score a knockout in the fourth quarter on their way to a 100-86 win.

"We knew what we were getting into," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the win. "We knew this was a very big game for (the Thunder), and it's a big game for us too, because they all count. We know they’re a strong-willed team and very, very much that way for a younger team. They're mature beyond their years competitively."

"You have to play them the right way and you have to play well. You have to hit some tough shots, because they're long and they get into you defensively."

(Photo by Larry W. Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)

Starting a lineup that had led Dallas to four consecutive victories (Jason Kidd, J.J. Barea, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki and Erick Dampier), Carlisle saw his team fall behind by nine within the first five minutes of the opening quarter. After a Carlisle timeout calmed the team down after early jitters, the Mavericks switched to a zone on the defensive end to negate the Thunder's athletic ability. The strategy worked, as Dallas slowed the Oklahoma City attack and capitalized on offense with Marion getting to the rim for easy buckets to help the Mavs knot the game at 24-all after one.

With Dallas missing on shots that are normally sure things, the Mavs had to battle through a so-so second quarter. Meanwhile, the Thunder weren't giving the Mavericks the night off, as Oklahoma City utilized its quickness with dribble-penetration to outscore Dallas 24-19 in the period, eventually taking a 48-43 edge into the halftime break.

Nowitzki and Marion kept the Mavs alive through the first 24 minutes of play, combining to score 21 of Dallas' 43 first half points. Nowitzki was particularly aggressive after a sub-par shooting performance, by his standards, in the Mavs' last game.

"I thought I never really found my rhythm two days ago," Nowitzki said. "Today I just wanted to start off good."

The job that Marion and Josh Howard did defensively may have been the most impressive aspect of the half, taking the league's third leading-scorer, Kevin Durant, out of the equation early.

"Shawn Marion and Josh Howard really took the challenge with (Durant) tonight, and we brought some help at times but played him straight up most of the time. Those guys just really worked hard to make it tough for him, not only to score but to catch the ball," Carlisle said.

But Oklahoma City out-shot Dallas 49 to 43 percent in the half, and the Thunder out-rebounded the Mavericks 24-19. Both teams had a case of the turnover bug, as Dallas committed seven giveaways in the half while forcing Oklahoma City into eight errors.

(Photo by Larry W. Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)

The third quarter was much more kind to the Mavericks, as Kidd caught fire from the outside while Nowitzki and Dampier took charge of the paint at both ends. A much needed boost off the Dallas bench came from Josh Howard, as the swingman helped Dallas build a 69-62 advantage before the Thunder closed to within 71-68 headed into the fourth.

"We have always been a defensive-minded team," Dampier said after the defense was on display in the third. "I think our defense leads to offense. We block shots and we are getting rebounds. We have weapons on both ends of the floor and we have guys that can get baskets."

But the Mavericks struggled to get baskets early in the fourth, going scoreless for the first four minutes of the quarter as the Thunder went on an 8-0 run to regain the lead. Dallas responded with six unanswered to go back ahead 77-75 after a Barea jumper at the 7:04-mark. With Kidd shutting down the Thunder's Russell Westbrook, Nowitzki and Howard both began to assert themselves at the offensive end while Dampier continued to dominate the painted area. Howard's 3-pointer, followed by a Nowitzki feed to Dampier for a layup gave the Mavs an 87-80 lead with 2:18 on the game clock. After a three from Nowitzki, Howard's layup on Kidd's ninth assist gave Dallas a 92-80 advantage with just 1:20 remaining. Dallas never looked back, clutching the game at the foul line to claim the 14-point win.

"I thought the difference in the game was in the fourth quarter -- the ball moved and multiple guys got involved," Carlisle said. "Dampier was making things happen at the rim. Josh Howard was able to drive it and get loose for open shots and make some plays. And he made some excellent passes."

"The things that sets it up is being able to guard them, and we were able to do that well enough in the second half."

The Mavericks outscored the Thunder 57-38 in the second half.

(Photo by Larry W. Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)

Coming off of a season-low 10 points against New Orleans, Nowitzki bounced back with a 35-point, 11-rebound night. No. 41 was 13-of-18 from the field, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range.

"I'm his teammate but also, while I'm playing with him, I'm a fan," Barea said of Nowitzki. "He comes out every night and performs. He struggled like the last two games, but he's so consistent. I think he's like the only consistent player like that in the NBA."

"Sometimes you can't always have it in 82 games," Nowitzki said of his struggles before Wednesday night. "Sometimes you feel like every shot goes in -- a leaner, a runner. Some nights you have a wide-open layup, you can't even make a layup or a free throw. It just happens in 82 games. But the challenge is in that game, if you don't feel well, you still have to perform and help your team."

Off the bench, Howard added 15 points (13 in the second half) while Marion's 12 and Dampier's 10 gave Dallas four scorers in double figures, helping the Mavs shoot 49 percent.

Despite losing the rebounding edge 45-40, the Dallas defense suffocated the Thunder in the second half, holding Oklahoma City to just 42 percent shooting on the night. Marion and Howard never let Durant get going, forcing the young star into 4-of-18 shooting for just 12 points. The former Texas standout committed four turnovers on the night as well. Westbrook led the Thunder with 16 points, though he did so while shooting 6-of-19.

Looking for their sixth straight win, the Mavs return home to the American Airlines Center for the start of a four-game home stand on Friday night, as the Southwest Division rival Houston Rockets enter Dallas for a second time this season. Dallas claimed a 121-103 win in the first meeting between the two squads on Nov. 10. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS. That game will air locally on TXA 21 and TXA HD at 7:30 p.m. CT.

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.