NBA: On The Mavs

2008-11-25T13:29:00.000-06:00

You guys ready for Mavs v. Pacers action tonight! A little something to be thankful for before the official holiday...

2008-10-30T13:36:00.001-05:00

Get out there and vote next Tuesday, November 4th, Mavs fans!

2008-10-20T12:36:00.000-05:00

Wow, cool surprise! I went to the Mavs official homepage and it's a sight for sore eyes!

Politics Everywhere

2008-09-23T13:52:00.000-05:00

Ha. This is funny.

2008-07-04T11:53:00.002-05:00

Gas prices are so high this week that I think I'll celebrate the 4th at home. You know how you can get videos of burning fires and put the TV in your fireplace? Can I do that with fireworks too? haha.

Hoops instead of hearts this year?

2008-02-14T09:52:00.002-06:00

It's Valentine's Day, which means sappy love poems, overpriced steak dinners, and yes... the Dallas Mavericks Hoop Camp! Mmm... so romantic. Why does it have to be limited to ages under 18? I'm still a kid too, you know. At least in my own mind.

Mavericks Games: a Whole New Kind of Show

2007-07-04T02:43:00.000-05:00

Okay... seriously? So this (see clip here) is really the Dallas Mavericks' intro vs. the Miami Heat? I haven't been to a game in a while, so I must be out of the loop... but I had no idea it was this theatrical. I kept expecting the team to come in doing some Michael Jackson Thriller choreography or something.

Stackhouse leaving the Mavericks?

2007-05-10T10:49:00.000-05:00

Great... from an article at Hoopsworld.com talking about Jerry Stackhouse's contract expiring:

"Stack will turn 33 in November, and his age is beginning to show. He appeared in only 67 games this season due to injuries associated with being a 33-year-old professional basketball player."

Seriously? Do I really have to hear that someone younger than me is starting to "show his age"? That's not cool. Anyway, he seems to want to come back to play for the Dallas Mavericks, so I hope he does.

2007-01-16T16:10:00.000-06:00

The Dallas Mavericks were lucky to beat the Raptors--final score was 97-96. It was really down to the wire!

Nipping at the heels

2006-12-20T13:58:00.000-06:00

The Dallas Mavericks, currently 2nd in the division at 18-7, just 1-1 behind the lead San Atonio has at 19-6, are looking good after winning the last 4 straight games. Mavs Fever, it seems, is making other teams feel rather ill. The Seattle Supersonics know this all to well after losing thier last 6 games against the Mavs. Tonight the Dallas Mavericks go for win number 7 as they travel to Key Arena in Seattle to battle the Supersonics. The Supersonics meanwhile, prepare to end a 5 game losing streak. They have home court advantage for the next 3 games but that doesn't help thier all-star, Ray Allen, who is questionable for play at the moment, get back in the game.

Outplayed

2006-12-13T12:41:00.000-06:00

Jerry Sloan got his 1,000th career win Monday night as the Utah Jazz beat The Dallas Mavericks Monday 101-79. It's not that Dallas wasn't trying on this particular night, they just got outplayed. Outplayed, outshot, out rebounded. When both teams have the same amount of turnovers, as in this game, it all comes down to who does what with the ball on those turnovers and with the Jazz shooting an average of 10 to 11% better than the Mavs, the win was inevitable. The loss of the game to The Utah Jazz isn't going to hurt thier record a whole lot yet, but the Dallas Mavericks have to keep morale high and play even higher when they Host the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, because lately those guy are on fire. Come on Dallas, do not let them walk out with victories over 2 seperate Texas teams in 2 days.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2006-12-06T12:15:00.000-06:00

The Dallas Mavericks, along with UPS stores, are teaming up with the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation. At all UPS stores customers can purchase 1 dollar donation cards with all proceeds going to help children in that direct area. The Mavericks have set up a donation location on the West Plaze of the American Airlines Center and encourage patrons to donate unwrapped toys or money at home games until the 15th. If you find yourself in the area of the game please donate anythign you can or any amount you feel comfortable with. Remember its for children. Poor children who do not nomrally receive presents.

On to the Dallas Mavericks!
First off, nice job Dallas in defeating the Sacramento Kings. 12 game winning streaks will put some confidence in you. Maybe a little too much though. The Mavs had 3 days off between the Kings and the Washington Wizards and that must have been what threw thier shooting off as well. Washington wanted this win after losing 2 weeks ago in the American Airlines Center but who knew they would be firing up shots with a 60% hit rate. The Wizards magically took a 31 point lead in the 3rd quarter. To give Dallas a little credit, they did come back in the 4th to within 7 points. Win streaks never last but they do not have to end by hitting a wall.

Eleven is Heaven

2006-11-30T17:02:00.000-06:00

The Dallas Mavericks took down the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday to take them to thier 11 straight victory. Dirk Nowitzki left the stadium during the first quarter complaining of blurry vision, something no one on a professional basketball court needs. He was checked out by the team specialist and declared able to return to all basketball related activities. With Dirk gone, the rest of the Mavs stepped their game up the way Nowitzki would have wanted. Both Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse scored over 20 points while Erick Dampier took down more rebounds than points. The Raptors saw an opportunity with Nowitzki out and brought their score within 5 points of Dallas. It was the closest they would get. The win over the Toronto Raptors put the team on thier 3rd longest winning streak ever at 11 consecutive games. We shall see if they can increase that number tommorow, December 1st against the Sacramento Kings at home in the American Airlines Center.

Nowitzki’s Player Power Rank

2006-10-31T17:05:00.000-06:00

SI.com has another stat for us NBA watchers: the NBA Player Power Rankings. It’s meant to evaluate players for their ability to put their teams over the top, which admittedly is easier to do with some NBA squads than others. SI’s Kelly Dwyer rates Dirk at #2, just below our old friend Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.

Well, that's preseason. Starting now, Dirk will be moving up.

Dallas Mavericks Have Great Combos

2006-10-26T18:28:00.000-05:00

Our Mavericks know teamwork, and we have the Lenovo Stats to prove it. If those are new to you as they were to me, what they represent is how much plus or minus different players or groups of players contributed to scoring when they were in the game (or by being out).

The Mavs dominated the 2005-06 list with best scores in combinations of two players, three players, and four players. Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard were, not surprisingly, part of each combo.

BTW, Miami's Dwyane Wade had the best individual score. Oh, yeah, we remember that guy.

Mavericks, Check Out the NHL Stars

2006-10-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

Seeing as the NBA Dallas Mavericks and the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars share the same space at the AA Center, could the Stars maybe leave some of their lucky rabbits' feet or whatever in the dressing rooms or something? Both teams are having streaks; The Stars are currently 5 and 0; unfortunately, the Mavs' streak is 0 and 3.

Still, I have faith that our Mavericks will finally get a win when they play the Houston Rockets tonight. We beat Houston in all four encounters last year, during the regular season.

Mavs Stung By New Orleans Hornets

2006-10-12T13:40:00.000-05:00

The Mavs felt a painful sting of a loss from the Hornets on Tuesday. The Mavs help back some of thier tops scorers including Jerry Stackhouse and Dirk Nowitzki. Tonight the boys from San Antonio face off against The Sacramento Kings but will be short Devin Harris once again due to his strained left hamstring. Austin Croshere, The Mavs new aquisition from Indiana, will be starting at forward. More rookie action!

Training camp

2006-10-06T13:53:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Mavericks are going away to get focused. They are training in Denton, Texas about an hour away from Dallas. Thier new training facility will allow them to run up to 4 additional baskets at any given time allowing for more practice time among all players.

NBA Live '07

2006-10-02T18:17:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki was selected to be featured on the cover of NBA Live 07, along with the Grizzlies’ Pau Gasol, the Spurs’ Tony Parker, the Suns’ Boris Diaw, and the Rockets’ Tracy McGrady. NBA Live 07 is a video game by EA Sports, and the 5 players above will form its All-Star squad. The selections for the cover are not surprising: EA clearly expects to boost its international marketing returns by featuring these players – Parker and Diaw will share cover placement in France, while Nowitzki will be featured on the covers of products sold in his native Germany and Gasol’s picture will adorn all units sold in Spain. Yet more evidence of the NBA’s continuing efforts to attract more international attention.

I couldn’t believe my eyes!

2006-06-25T22:53:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Mavericks are still my favorite team. I have never faltered as a fan and won’t succumb to the critics’ views that the Mavs just relied too much on the jump shot.

They were forced outside by the ludicrous calls they were getting anytime they got less than two inches from any Miami player anywhere in the paint. They fought hard against the oppressive rain of false penalties in the first two games but were slowly terrorized into a corner. The only way they could get any kind of momentum going was to take ill-advised shots for fear that anything more physical or daring would only draw them into the foul trap, good call or bad. It would have ended differently, I think if the officials had been as hard on the Heat – but they were not.

No matter what, in most games the officials are known to back off in the final minutes to make sure that superior play decides the winner of the game and not one call or another. Nothing the Mavs did in the final minutes of those games was flagrant and very few of the calls would hold up under review by unbiased parties. I am sure.

What I am not sure of is how can teams work to combat this scenario in the future. How can a team learn to play under such insulting and oppressively fearful circumstances? Who can explain why the referees chose not to call Miami’s obvious fouls? Why would they suspend Maverick players for offenses that never warrant more than a fine and for offenses they had already been punished for in an appropriate and fair manner?

I fully support Mark Cuban in his questioning of the NBA’s motives and agendas. We live in a crazy world where weirder things have happened and I think it is totally honorable of him to encourage people not to think the NBA is guilty of wrongdoing. He is right though to push for some sort of review or consideration that could allow us to speak rationally about the inconsistencies and unbalanced behavior everyone witnessed in this year’s NBA Finals. Really in the whole post-season. But I won’t blame him if he just accepts it and moves on. It is a hard call to make.

I am grateful to all the Dallas Mavericks for an awesome season. It was better than I could have hoped for and you all showed signs of growing and achieving throughout the long journey. Dirk the Warrior improved as a player and leader and as a facilitator of his fellow teammates’ glory and improvement as well. They could not have done it without him and he deserves our cheers for being a true gladiator and a titan in his field.

Avery Johnson is the best thing that ever happened to these players. He is the kind of coach they should be making movies about. Strong in his resolve to change these players careers, Avery has motivated his players to better themselves and play to each others strengths. The Mavericks of old lacked the camaraderie and chemistry that these new Mavericks have developed under the tutelage of an intelligent, creative, compassionate leader that maintains the players respect and trust by directing them in a manner that speaks to his respect and trust in their abilities and value. I believe it all comes down to love and encouragement.

A lot of people are still really sore about the outcome of the NBA Finals. Whether we got a fair shake or not, the Dallas Mavericks lost the series. Whether we were driven to play in fear or were too inexperienced to adapt and compensate for the handicaps that were imposed upon us, we still battled pretty well. When people asked if game 5 was our worst loss ever I got really mad. The Mavs lost that game by a few points and had the lead for a time. Worst-Losses tend to have greater score discrepancies and fewer powerful performances. Trashing a team for losing their first NBA Finals ever is just mean and uncalled for. We had just as good a chance to win as Miami and we rolled with the punches as well as we could.

I am proud of the Dallas Mavericks and believe that they will strive to fight just as hard next year. All I want for next season is to see them having fun on the court like they did this season. Thanks for the memories Dirk, Josh, Jason, Avery and especially Mark Cuban. Don’t let the man get you down! Make the world a better place any way you choose. You have given us more than we could ever have dreamed already. It would be nice to continue this relationship a long time. Cheers, E

Mavs, tonight it's do or die!

2006-06-20T16:05:00.000-05:00

How many different teams are showing up for the 2006 NBA finals? The uniforms say Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, but the performances have been so streaky that it makes you wonder. Were the Dallas Mavericks who were so dominating in Games 1 and 2 the same poor zombies of Game 4? Luckily, the other games were lots closer and thrilling to watch. Unluckily, they ended with Miami in the win column.
The one pattern that has held so far is: victory to the home team. I say, let's go with that -- tonight and Thursday!

I’ve got faith in the boys in blue!

2006-06-10T23:01:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Mavericks won game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat on Thursday night. I was so happy after that game. We were jumping around cheering and celebrating. It felt good to get over the stress of just wanting to come out strong and win this first crucial game.

I know we didn’t play our best game that night but we still managed to win by a nice margin. Dirk was not on his game but remember what he did after the last 11 point game he had. He came out and scored 50 points. I am confident that the Mavericks got all the information they needed in that first game to anticipate the Miami offense and battle their defense. We know what our good coverage strategies are now and we know the pace at which the Heat like to play.

Now it is time to play Maverick basketball and show the Miami Heat that Antoine Walker is not going to make a difference in this series, Shaq won’t be a big threat when we have three centers and that Dwyane Wade is no match for Josh Howard and Adrian Griffin. DJ Mbenga’s return will be a sweet homecoming.

If they can find the drive to play their game, the Dallas Mavericks will dominate the Miami Heat throughout this series.

MAVS SLAY THE DRAGON!!!

2006-05-24T16:06:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Mavericks have slayed the dragon! The San Antonio Spurs went down and we are now facing the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals. I am so excited but I don’t want to jinx anything. So all I will say is we haven’t done anything yet. We have at least eight games to go and maybe more. I sound like Avery don’t I.

Make no mistake I celebrated hard when we smashed the Spurs in overtime. It was a stressful game and I almost lost hope but Dirk came to the rescue once again. Go Dirk! Go Mavs.

As a side note a buddy of mine is having a baby boy and he’s naming him after the gentle German. Aiden Dirk Jennison. I like it! Congrats Man!

Mavs Rock and Spurs don’t!

2006-05-15T19:39:00.000-05:00

I know I haven’t written much since the Playoffs started but I just don’t want to jinx my team. I think it is safe to say that Dirk’s minor injury is not going to slow us down as evident in our win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. Josh Howard, Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse stepped up and all contributed to our win. Dirk was especially vital in the final minutes as he set us up for the win.

Manu Ginobli was a force to be reckoned with after Duncan’s exit, but we held tight and forced some nice errors and turnovers. San Antonio sent us to the line 13 times during the game and we made 11. Overall it was a smashing game that finished well. I can’t wait for our game tonight! Mavs rock!

Dallas Mavericks…One down and a few to go.

2006-04-24T18:26:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Mavericks took game one of their series against the Memphis Grizzlies last night. The final score was 103-93 and the Mavericks lead the Grizzlies by as much as 18 points during the game. Jason Terry was on his game and Dampier was all about the rebounds with 12. Dirk Nowitzki was the star, however, with 31 points and 11 rebounds. Go Mavs!

Predicting a Win Over the Denver Nuggets

2006-04-02T23:05:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Mavericks are currently suffering through the longest losing streak of the season. We lost to the Orlando Magic, Detroit pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers this week. The Magic played well for what seems to be the first time all season yet had no answer for Dirk Nowitzki who managed 38 points.

While it was hard to watch them lose to a sub-par team like the Magic, the Mavs are entitled to a few mistakes considering how spot on they have played all season. Now that we have key players returning from injury, this Mavericks team should break away from this run of bad luck and get back to winning.

Lesson: Don’t play hungry!

2006-03-10T12:44:00.000-06:00

Dallas Maverick Jerry Stackhouse was bitten by Robert Horry of the San Antonio Spurs during play at the AT&T Center. Horry bit Stackhouse while they were scuffling for the ball. Ref Dick Bevetta said he did not see the bite, which sent Stackhouse into a post-game tirade heavily laden with foul language directed at the veteran official. Horry got his just deserts in the form of a two game suspension for intentionally touching Dick Bevetta while arguing the call of a double technical that included him and Stackhouse.

Mavericks Players Honor Themselves and Avery Johnson

2006-02-10T17:51:00.000-06:00

The Dallas Mavericks are on a thirteen game winning streak and have one of the deepest benches in the NBA. They are playing with chemistry and benefiting from their expert leadership. The fact that Avery Johnson can bench a top player like Eric Dampier and have that player act honorably, not whiney like some, says a lot for the Mavericks as individuals and as a team. It was the right move and we have been winning ever since.

Everyone knows fun jobs are few and far between.

2006-01-30T10:35:00.000-06:00

The Dallas Mavericks just came off their best road trip in franchise history! 5-0! I have to give credit to Avery Johnson. The Little General has done a lot for this team. His encouragement has changed this Maverick team into a squad that has a lot of fun when they are on the court. It seems like a simple thing to have fun playing NBA Basketball, but it isn’t.

Dallas in Close Contention with Spurs

2006-01-21T23:38:00.000-06:00

The Dallas Mavericks have been on fire lately holding two of their last three opponents to under eighty points. We are still chasing San Antonio for that first seed in the upcoming playoffs and the Suns are sure to start snapping at our heels after the All-Star break when Amare Stoudemire returns.

Mavs Meet Nets after Loss to Spurs

2006-01-14T18:58:00.000-06:00

The Dallas Mavericks are about to meet Jason Kidd the New Jersey Nets for the first time this season. The Nets had a spotty record before their recent 10 game winning streak and they just lost to the San Antonio Spurs whom we have defeated once this season. The Mavericks have a great home record and this game will be played at the American Airlines Center.

On a local note the Mavericks have become the first Dallas advertiser to show up on hub caps. You can to see the Mavs ads on taxi cabs all over Dallas and the surrounding areas.

Dirk is the Man and You Know It

2006-01-07T19:22:00.000-06:00

Right after Avery Johnson was named Head Coach of the Month, Dirk Nowitzki got Western Conference Player of the Month. This is an honor he received twice last season and I feel it is important to recognize his great contribution to this team. We may have had a few mediocre games but our win loss record speaks for itself. We have beat some tough teams and lost to some not so good teams but all along the way Dirk has been there blocking shots, snagging rebounds and scoring the threes. Unfortunately we lost to Minnesota this week but Dirk and the Dallas Mavericks will bounce back and go on another winning streak.

Mavs Beat Pacers and not Lakers. Why?

2005-12-29T17:44:00.000-06:00

The Dallas Mavericks are on an impressive three game winning streak and have faced some formidable opponents. First of all we pulled off a win over the Indiana Pacers and they have been doing really well this season. We beat the Kings and Seattle on their own courts and have been consistently scoring over a hundred points per game for a while. With all this in mind I am very upset that we played so poorly against the Lakers. Kobe Bryant is carrying that team on his own and with Dirk and Stackhouse out there we had the answer. The Mavs just couldn’t get their confidence up all game and I don’t know why.

Stackhouse Appears on the Court Tonight

2005-12-23T19:24:00.000-06:00

Jerry Stackhouse, an integral part of the Dallas Mavericks, has been missing all season due to injury. Well he returns tonight and this fan can’t wait to see him play again. Unfortunately Josh Howard, who returned recently, has had a couple of games in which he performed poorly on offense. It seems like he is falling back into his bad habit of not passing the ball but he has been there for the rebounds. Hopefully Stackhouse can bring some fire with him to inspire these Mavericks to out perform their past few games. Losing to the Lakers hurt bad knowing we could have beaten them so easily if we had been on our game.

Howard Back in Action

2005-12-15T18:48:00.000-06:00

Josh Howard is back and things are looking exciting. He had a big game against the Phoenix Suns last night after the Mavs loss to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers the day before. Howard returned in full form taking on the leadership role he had left to Marquis Daniels and Dirk when he was injured. Josh looked very strong and had 18 points and played for 35 minutes. He only played 12 minutes in the recent game against the Lakers so one can hope Howard will be a driving force in beating them next week now that he’s in the lead.

The Three D’s and Defense

2005-12-08T19:02:00.000-06:00

DeSagana Diop, Dirk Nowitzki and Marquis Daniels are my absolute favorite D’s. These guys are the flash and bang of the Mavericks squad. They put up the points every game and are the realization of a defensive dream for the Mavs. It’s amazing that we’ve had a few great seasons but it is all the more satisfying this season with the Mavs beating teams like the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons. The combo of the three D’s on the court is magic and even when they are off the field we have great producers like, Devin Harris, Adrian Griffin and Josh Howard (when he’s not injured). In my opinion the D’s are going to take us far this season.

Howard’s Leadership Missed against the Bucks

2005-12-02T11:42:00.000-06:00

Josh Howard was sorely missed in the Dallas Mavericks' loss to the San Antonio Spurs. His absence was felt as our team failed to produce in the last few minutes of the game. As we all know, ankle injuries are very serious and often take players out for weeks and even full seasons. We need Josh Howard if we are going to perform better than we have in these past two games with the Spurs and Bucks. Marquis Daniels stepped up to help in Howard’s stead but it just wasn’t enough. Let’s hope we can get Josh Howard back soon as we are facing the Bulls, Pacers and Grizzlies in the days ahead.

Diop that Ball and Give it to Dirk

2005-11-25T12:39:00.000-06:00

The Dallas Mavericks faced the Houston Rockets this week and they won in true Mavs style. DeSagana Diop, Marquis Daniels and of course Dirk Nowitzki (31 points) were the stars of the game. Devin Harris played pretty fired up and Josh Howard was all over the ball with 11 rebounds. Before halftime Houston was ahead. Allowing the opponent to lead early in the game is the Mavericks’ signature method. They let the other team get worn out trying to maintain a small advantage and then speed the game up in the third and fourth, stealing the lead from their weary rival. This strategy keeps fans on the edge of their seats worrying whether they are witnessing complex tactics or the beginning of a loss. Let’s hope we have a good plan for beating the Heat and Grizzlies.

Like Jason Love Dirk

2005-11-15T14:05:00.000-06:00

The Dallas Mavericks have been winning against the Hornets since 1999 and shooting 51 percent is the way to do it. With Avery Johnson’s defensive influence on the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki’s new leadership role, they are shining bright early in the season. Their 109-103 win over the Hornets was a result of the Nowitzki-Terry combo. Dirk had 30 to Jason Terry’s 26 and Keith Van Horn was a big influence with 15 points. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry are becoming this team’s dynamic duo. Let’s hope they keep this up and extend this winning run.

Just Wondering

2005-06-06T16:21:00.000-05:00

Just wondering how many of you Dallas fans out there are true Maverick fans. How many of you fans jumped on the band wagon this season because of the Mavs playoff run.

And for those of you who followed this team all season, when did you become a Maverick fans? How did you become Maverick a fan? And why did you become a Maverick fan?

One or the Other

2005-05-30T13:04:00.000-05:00

Who is better Shaquille O’Neal or Wilt Chamberlin?

Now before anyone decides to answer this question, one should take time to think about it. To think about all the factors that comes into play.

For one I am not a big fan of Shaq but the man is very good at what he does and will some day join Wilt in the Basketball Hall of Fame.But consider it was two different eras and two different styles. It is almost like comparing Joe Montana to Brett Favre, both great players but two different eras. So what do you all think?

KG for Dirk?

2005-05-26T14:52:00.000-05:00

It was about this time last year that owner Mark Cuban had a decision to make. Steve Nash was a free agent and was offered a $66 million dollar deal by the Phoenix Suns. Nash didn’t want to leave Dallas and said he wanted to stay if Cuban matched the offer, but that didn’t happen and Nash left.

Now they are some rumors flying around that a possible trade could happen between the T’wolves and the Mavericks, the players being Dirk Nowitzki for Kevin Garnett. I just don’t know if that would be an improvement or not. Right now I am leaning towards it being a good idea, for one Nowitzki does really feel comfortable in Avery Johnson new style of play and secondly KG will be good on any team that he plays for. Hopefully this time Cuban will make the right decision.

Check Back

2005-05-23T12:14:00.000-05:00

You should be proud of your Dallas Mavericks. They seemed almost about to pull an upset, in what many experts said would be no contest against the offensive power house, the Phoenix Suns.

The Mavs were able to pull toe to toe with the Suns as the series was tied at 2-2. I think the Suns where the most surprised at of anyone, and the least surprised would be head coach Avery Johnson of the Mavericks.

It has been Johnson’s ‘Spurs’ like defensive that has kept the Mavs in Playoff contention. Keep up the good work Mavs for next season.

Against the Wall

2005-05-19T19:17:00.000-05:00

In 114-108 loss to the Suns, the Mavericks find themselves frustrated not being able to win with their 108 points. In the loss Jerry Stackhouse had 29 points and six rebounds. Stackhouse mustard out as much as he could, hitting 11-of-21 shots including 3-of-6 from the 3-point line. Dirk Nowitzki also had good game posting up 34 points and 10 boards in Game 5. Now with the Suns leading the series 3-2, we head back to Dallas for a game 6.

Good Hustle

2005-05-12T14:40:00.000-05:00

With the game nearing the end it was left in the hands of team captain Dirk Nowitzki. He finished with 23 points, but the most important points of them all were his last two. In his last effort to win, with just a few seconds left, Dirk shot a turnaround jumper to lift the Mavericks over the Suns 108-106.

The Mavs did a great job on the defensive side of the ball by holding the Suns to their lowest score since the Suns have been in the playoffs. The Mavs also forced the Suns to shot 41.6 percent when the club average is 51 percent. The series is now tied at 1-1 and game 3 will be held in Dallas this Friday.

A Little Disappointed

2005-05-11T12:39:00.000-05:00

``You're angry, you're disappointed. They scored 130 points (it was really 127) and they were laughing at us.''

It is a little obvious that Dirk Nowitzki is upset and embarrassed after game one against the Phoenix Suns. The Suns blasted the Mavs 102 – 127 and the assault was lead by Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire 40 point performance.

Dirk played his game well by leading his team with 28 points and 13 rebounds, although that is pretty much where the effort ended for the Mavs.

What Happened?

2005-04-27T18:25:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Mavericks are in hole, a 0-2 hole, and are looking to rebound out of it. No play on words there. Head Coach Johnson is trying got install a stronger 'D' and it seemed to be working in the last stretch of the regular season.

But one of the interstate rivals, the Houston Rockets, are putting a fight. A fight that most analyst said the outcome would be in the our fellow Mavs favor. Well it seems to be in the Rockets favor right now. Now the Mavs have to travel over to Houston to face the Rockets for a game 3.

Defensively Strong

2005-04-12T17:48:00.000-05:00

Yes, for the Dallas Mavericks it seems the defense will just continue to improve with new coach Avery Johnson at the reins. Under Johnson the Mavs are undefeated at home and 11-2 over all. Not to shabby for the x-Spur.

Dallas hosted the Memphis Grizzles on Monday night and won the contest with the final score being 110-89. This means that under Johnson the Mavs were able to pull off there longest home steak, making it 8 games strait at home.

"We don't have to score 30 points per quarter to win," well said Dirk. Nowitzki a vital part to the engine that runs the Mavs had 19 points and 8 boards. "Defense is the key to our success."

Defense is the key to success but also shooting 49 percents and out rebounding other teams sure helps as well.

Mavericks 95, Pistons 88

2005-03-30T12:59:00.000-06:00

by Associated Press, from Foxsports.com

When the Dallas Mavericks play the Detroit Pistons, a dominating defensive performance isn't a surprise.

Unless it comes from the Mavericks.

Dallas held Detroit to 23 points in the game's first 22 minutes and went on to beat the slumping Pistons 95-88 on Monday night.

"I'm not worried about how many points they have or what their shooting percentage was," new Dallas coach Avery Johnson said. "I'm happy with the fact that we are taking teams deeper into the shot clock and making them rush shots. Earlier in the season, that didn't happen - we were only playing defense for 12 or 14 seconds. To win, you have to play defense for the whole 24."

Shawn Bradley knows that tough defense hasn't always been the Mavericks' trademark.

"We know our offense is going to roll - we have All-World scorers out there," he said. "But the X factor for us is going to be maintaining a solid defense. Tonight, we beat Detroit with mental toughness. That's not something this team has exactly been known for."

The Mavericks have won six of seven, while the defending champions lost for the fourth time in five games.

"We definitely have to go back to what got us winning basketball games," said Tayshaun Prince. "I'm hoping we can regain our focus."

Josh Howard led Dallas with 24 points, while Dirk Nowitzki added 22 and Keith Van Horn had 17 off the bench.

"That was like a playoff game," Howard said. "It's good to beat the champs. I know they are in a slump, but they played a terrific game tonight."

Chauncey Billups led the Pistons with 26 and Richard Hamilton added 23, but the Pistons bench only managed a season-low two points. Detroit's top perimeter backups - Lindsey Hunter, Carlos Arroyo and Carlos Delfino - have gone scoreless in 41 combined minutes over the last two games.

"I thought our starters played hard, but we have to find a way to get some production from the bench," Pistons interim coach Gar Heard said. "We still have a lot of new guys that we are trying to work in, and we have not had a lot of time to practice."

Dallas led by 17 points with 90 seconds left in the first half, but Detroit went on a quick 8-0 run to pull within 42-33 at the intermission. The Pistons continued the rally after the break and went ahead 51-50 on Billups' three free throws midway through the third.

Dallas regained the lead late in the quarter, then saw Devin Harris beat Arroyo down the floor and hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give them a 70-65 edge.

"I thought that was the turning point of the game," Heard said. "It would have been easier to go into the fourth down two. We have to stop the ball there."

Billups hit three 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the fourth period, but Van Horn had two 3s and a short jumper to help the Mavericks stay ahead 80-74 with 9:20 to go.

Howard's three-point play with 6:07 remaining go made it 86-76 and the Pistons never threatened again. game. His return is still uncertain. The Pistons are 8-8 without Brown this year. ... The Pistons' bench got their only points on Darvin Ham's dunk in the last minute of the third quarter. The Dallas reserves, led by Van Horn, scored 26. ... Rasheed Wallace picked up a third-quarter technical, his eighth in the last 11 games. ... The road team won both games in the season series.

Mavericks 122, Kings 113

2005-02-25T15:55:00.000-06:00

Jaime Aron / Associated Press
The Sacramento Kings opened their first game without Chris Webber on a 10-0 run. When they got down by 12 in the second quarter, they hung tough and were up by nine in the fourth quarter.

Yet it wasn't enough to start a new era with a victory.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 17 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and Michael Finley hit two clutch 3-pointers in the closing minutes, helping the Dallas Mavericks pull out a 122-113 victory Thursday night in a matchup of teams left short-handed following the trade deadline.

Both teams played just eight players, but Dallas used its bench more and the fresh legs seemed to pay off in the end. The Mavericks used a 13-2 run to go ahead for good with 4:39 left and scored a season-best 40 points in the fourth quarter while the weary, emotionally drained Kings went nearly 4{ minutes without a field goal down the stretch.

Webber might have shaken things up with a dunk, a jumper or an assist. But he's now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers after being traded the night before, leaving his former teammates to spend all day talking about how their roles and the team's outlook have changed.

"It was obviously different without him," said center Brad Miller, who had 16 points and 15 rebounds. "He was playing real well for us and not having him out there took some time to get used to. He's the guy everyone would look to and it was up to the rest of us to step it up. We're going to have to fill his shoes and make adjustments."

The Mavericks' bench was thin because big men Alan Henderson and Calvin Booth were traded to Milwaukee for Keith Van Horn, and Jerry Stackhouse missed a fourth straight game with a groin injury. Then Devin Harris blindly ran into a pick by Miller late in the third quarter and was lost to a strained neck; Mavs coach Don Nelson was ejected for arguing that no foul was called on the play.

"I'm really proud of us gutting this win out," said assistant coach Avery Johnson, who took over for Nelson. "They handled a lot of adversity during the course of the game. ... Everybody that touched the court tonight contributed in some way."

Dallas trailed 98-89 with 9:02 left before its final surge. Nowitzki put them ahead for good on a short jumper and Josh Howard followed with a dunk in transition that turned into a three-point play. Finley stretched the lead to 112-107, then hit another 3 with 1:42 left to make it 117-110. Sacramento never got closer than four again.

Marquis Daniels had season-highs with 29 points and eight assists, plus nine rebounds in his first start since Dec. 6, and Finley added 22 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Mike Bibby and Cuttino Mobley each scored 26 for the Kings, and Darius Songaila got off to a good start in his increased role by posting a career-high 23 points and a season-high 12 rebounds.

The Kings dressed the league-minimum of eight players because Webber and two reserves were traded and their replacements hadn't arrived, plus Peja Stojakovic was out with a strained hamstring. They were good in stretches and led nearly all the third quarter, but couldn't keep it up.

"We bonded together and had a chance to win, we just got tired at the end," Sacramento coach Rick Adelman said.

Sacramento's reserves played a total of 29 minutes, with none logging more than 10. All three of Dallas' bench players logged at least 21 minutes.

The Kings lost for the third time in four games and seventh in nine. This loss made for a bad start to a six-game, nine-day road trip that continues Saturday - in Philadelphia, against Webber and the 76ers.

Playing at home for the first time in 16 days, Dallas maintained the momentum of its 5-0 road trip, a franchise best that included wins in Phoenix, Seattle and Sacramento.

Howard had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Harris added 11 points before getting hurt.

Dallas trailed 84-78 with 1:27 left in the third when Nelson was ejected. The non-foul on Miller was merely the last straw, as the Mavericks hadn't gone to the foul line since 2:47 of the first quarter - while the Kings had taken 25 free throws in that span - and several close calls had just gone against them. Nelson ran onto the court and had to be pushed away from official Kevin Fehr.

Dallas improved to 3-0 against Sacramento this season, giving the Mavs the tiebreaker if they finish with the same record. Dallas has won seven of the last eight regular-season meetings with Sacramento, although the Kings beat them 4-1 in last year's playoffs. a fifth straight game. ... Bibby has scored at least 20 in six straight games against the Mavs and nine of his last 10. ... Dallas activated rookie C Pavel Podkolzin to fill the roster spot created by the two-for-one trade.

Goaltending

2005-02-13T14:04:00.000-06:00

It was the Kings who where left begging for a goaltending call that was never called. That must have sucked. Personally, I feel Erick Dampier’s block was a block and not goaltending like the Kings say.

I would understand why Sacramento would feel that way. In a two point loss where the wining 3-point play came right after that, I would have argued that too.

Dallas went on to win 115-113, but it wasn’t like the Kings didn’t have a chance to win. Bibby missed an open 3 pointer at the buzzer, which is some what uncharacteristic of him.

O well, Go Mavs!

Preview Mavs/Heat

2005-02-01T19:58:00.000-06:00

STANDINGS:
Heat - 1st place, Southeast Division.
Mavericks 2nd place, 6 GB, Southwest Division.

SEASON SERIES:
Mavericks, 1-0.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS:
Heat - 16-8 on the road
Mavericks - 16-8 at home.

INJURIES:
Heat - F Malik Allen (back); F Jerome Beasley (back); G-F Wesley Person (knee); G-F Dorell Wright (abdominal strain).
Mavericks - G Tariq Abdul-Wahad (knee); G Marquis Daniels (ankle); C Pavel Podkolzin (knee)

Who's at fualt

2005-01-22T19:17:00.000-06:00

Bobcats went to the free throw line just 16 times against the Mavericks, while Dallas attempted 31 free throws in the 105-99 loss.

Times are tough, and when you are an expansion team they tend to get tougher as the season rolls on.

However, there might be a legitimate excuse for the Bobcats to actually complain about the way games have been called. Which obviously is not in there favor. Regardless of who is to blame, I feel the more the Bobcats complain the more fouls they will get called on them and less calls given to them.

3 in a Row

2005-01-03T15:01:00.000-06:00

It is the third win in a row for the Dallas Mavericks, who have seemed to control early in their last few games by pulling ahead in the first quater on more than one occasion.

The Mavericks made 47 of thier 89 field goals, which is pretty good. That means the team made an overall 53 percent of thier shots. Nowitzki alone shot 14-of-25 and Nowitzki scored 39 points to make it his 11th 30-point game of the season. Josh Howard scored 25 points in the fourth, while Jerry Stackhouse had 16 points coming off the bench.

The Mavs won 123-104 against the Bucks.

Mavericks-Hawks Preview

2004-12-22T16:27:00.000-06:00

by Associated Press, from Foxsports.com

STANDINGS: Mavericks - 2nd place, 3{ GB, Southwest Division. Hawks - 5th place, 14{ GB, Southeast Division.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Mavericks - F Howard, F Nowitzki, C Erick Dampier, G Finley, G Jason Terry. Hawks - F Al Harrington, F Walker, C Jason Collier, G Smith, G Boris Diaw.

TEAM LEADERS: Mavericks - Nowitzki, 26 ppg and 10.5 rpg; Armstrong, 4.1 apg. Hawks - Walker, 20.5 ppg and 9 rpg; Walker and Harrington, 3.3 apg.

SEASON SERIES: Mavericks, 1-0.

LAST MEETING: Dec. 18; Mavericks, 90-68. At Dallas, the Hawks missed 13 of their first 14 shots as they dropped their fifth straight.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Mavericks - 9-3 on the road; Hawks - 2-11 at home.

INJURIES: Mavericks - D.J. Mbenga (hamstring); G Tariq Abdul-Wahad (knee); C Pavel Podkolzin (knee). Hawks - G-F Donta Smith (back); F Chris Crawford (knee)

Mavericks 123, Knicks 94

2004-12-22T16:16:00.000-06:00

by Chris Sheridan / Associated Press, from Foxsports.com

Josh Howard had career highs of 26 points and 16 rebounds, and the Dallas Mavericks opened a 39-point halftime lead in a 123-94 demolition of the Knicks on Tuesday night.

"We really came out hard. We really want to set ourselves apart again with the best of the West," Dirk Nowitzki said.

Nowitzki scored 23 points, all in the first half, and Michael Finley added 21 in what was easily the Mavericks' most lopsided victory of the season.

On the eve of the one-year anniversary of Isiah Thomas taking over as team president, the Knicks were loudly booed off the court at the conclusion of the lopsided first half. Thomas watched the carnage unfold from his usual spot near the center-court tunnel, sticking around until the final seconds before chatting afterward with comedian Chris Rock.

The Knicks chose to shrug the loss off as an aberration following four wins in five games.

"There wasn't a lot of yelling, because we knew that was not us," Jamal Crawford said.

Still, it was a humiliating defeat for a Knicks team that was beginning to feel good about itself after moving two games above .500 for the first time in more than three years.

In many ways, it was a worse performance than a 34-point defeat against Boston in the home opener that led to the firing of coach Lenny Wilkens' top assistant, Dick Helm, the following day.

New York allowed Dallas to repeatedly score with ease on the inside, surrendering 100 points before the third quarter ended.

Howard, a second-year forward from Wake Forest, shot 7-for-17 from the field and 12-of-13 at the line with seven offensive rebounds and three steals. His previous career highs were 22 points and 14 rebounds.

"I knew I was playing hard, I didn't know career-best," Howard said. "Some of their guys weren't playing as hard as they could."

Nazr Mohammed led New York with 14 points, but he set the tone for what turned into a dreadful night by firing up airballs on the Knicks' first two possessions. A jump hook by Finley gave Dallas its first double-digit lead, 12-2, and the Mavericks made 13 of their first 17 attempts in opening a 31-17 lead.

The booing began in the second quarter when Howard gave the Mavericks their 10th and 11th second-chance points on a putback that made it 51-29. Kurt Thomas followed with an airball, and Nowitzki hit back-to-back 3-pointers to get the lead up to 26.

The Mavs' zone defense forced the Knicks to repeatedly throw up long jumpers, and Dallas often turned the ensuing long rebounds into fast breaks.

Howard dunked off a 3-on-1 break for the final points of the first half after Tim Thomas rushed up an ill-advised 3-pointer when the Knicks should have been holding for a last shot. The dunk made it 75-36 at the break.

The Mavs eventually went ahead by as many as 46 in defeating the Knicks for the seventh straight time and securing their fifth consecutive road win.

Dallas had 27 fast-break points and 21 second-chance points.

"There are a lot of things that go into having a good offensive night, but certainly the open court was good to us," coach Don Nelson said. "It got us into a rhythm and feeling good about ourselves, then we scored in our set offense almost every time in that first eight minutes of the game." Ilunga-Mbenga are the only members of the Dallas roster to have not been a starter this season. Stackhouse said he was "hopeful" to play Wednesday night at Atlanta. ... Jason Terry made his second consecutive start at point guard and had six points, seven assists and seven rebounds. ... The Mavericks have made a 3-pointer in 472 consecutive games.

Preview

2004-12-09T14:18:00.000-06:00

from Foxsports.com

GAME: Seattle SuperSonics (16-3) at Dallas Mavericks (13-7).

TIME: Thursday, 8:30 p.m. EST.

Even without All-Star Ray Allen playing at maximum effectiveness the last few weeks, the Seattle SuperSonics have surprisingly emerged as one of the top teams in the NBA.

With Allen rounding back into form, the Sonics hope to continue their hot start as they visit Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks.

On Nov. 27, Allen injured his left ankle after tumbling into Memphis forward Brian Cardinal. Though the injury didn't stop him from playing, it had been altering his shot.

With the exception of last week's 109-86 win over Utah, in which he scored 38 points, Allen had failed to make more than five shots from the perimeter in six games since tweaking his ankle.

"(Since) I twisted my ankle in that Memphis game, I've had to rework my shooting routine and get my rhythm back down because it has thrown me off as far as my balance." Allen said. "I've been getting good looks, but they are not going down."

Allen burst out of his shooting funk by scoring 29 points, including a pair of late 3-pointers, to help Seattle end San Antonio's 21-game home winning streak with a 102-96 victory on Wednesday night.

Allen made 9-of-19 shots, buried 5-of-9 3-pointers and hit all six of his free throws as the Sonics improved to an NBA-best 16-3. Having regained his touch, Allen will focus on helping the Sonics snap a five-game losing streak at Dallas.

The Mavericks will have a different look waiting for the Sonics.

Known for the smaller and quicker lineups he has employed for much of his coaching career in Milwaukee, Golden State, New York and Dallas, Mavericks coach Don Nelson featured his "big lineup" in Tuesday's 97-87 victory over Minnesota.

Based on the way 7-foot Nowitzki, 6-11 Erick Dampier and 6-9 Alan Henderson performed as a unit, it may be a while before Nelson is tempted to tinker with the rotation.

Nowitzki responded with 34 points, Henderson - making his third start in place of injured forward Marquis Daniels - had 11 points and 15 rebounds, while Dampier chipped in with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

"We went big, but it doesn't matter who we have out there as long as we win," said Dampier.

With Michael Finley, who has been out with an ankle injury, expected back in uniform Thursday, and Daniels close to returning, juggling playing time will be a challenge for Nelson.

The Mavericks are 1-4 at home against teams with winning records, with the lone victory coming against Sacramento in the season opener.

"I think we've had some tough opponents come in so far, and we haven't had our full complement of players," Nelson said.

STANDINGS: SuperSonics - 1st place, Northwest Division. Mavericks - 2nd place, 3 GB, Southwest Division.

PROBABLE STARTERS: SuperSonics - F Reggie Evans, F Rashard Lewis, C Jerome James, G Allen, G Luke Ridnour. Mavericks - F Henderson, F Nowitzki, C Dampier, G Josh Howard, G Darrell Armstrong.

TEAM LEADERS: SuperSonics - Allen, 24.1 ppg; Evans, 8.7 rpg; Ridnour, 6.1 apg. Mavericks - Nowitzki, 27.7 ppg and 10.8 rpg; Armstrong, 4.3 apg.

2003-04 SEASON SERIES: Mavericks, 3-1.

LAST MEETING: April 10; Supersonics, 119-99. At Seattle, Lewis scored 25 points as the Sonics avoided a season series sweep.

Spurs vs. Mavs

2004-11-30T16:26:00.000-06:00

from the official site of the Dallas Mavericks

Fresh off of a much-needed rest, the Mavericks will look to even the score against Southwest Division leading San Antonio Tuesday night (November 30 at 7:30pm CT) at American Airlines Center. Dallas capped off a six-game in nine day stretch with an impressive second-half showing in running away from Memphis with a 98-85 triumph Saturday night.

Sunday was an off-day for the Mavericks, but they got in a good practice session in anticipation of their second clash with Tim Duncan and company in the last six days. By the way, Michael Finley did not return to practice on Monday, so he will miss his 11th straight game Tuesday still recovering from the severely sprained right ankle he suffered November 9 in Orlando. Minus Mike, Dallas was drilled by the Spurs at SBC Center November 24, 94-80. The Mavs were held to a season-low 8 assists, hitting just 38% of their shots, scoring just 13 fourth quarter points on a 3-of-17 shooting frame in the setback. While Dallas has hit the 10-win mark in the season's opening mark at 10-5, it trails the Spurs (11-3) by a game and a half in the standings.

In my book this qualifies as a BIG GAME. The Mavericks have designs on battling San Antonio for division supremacy and one of the West's top three seeds looking to the playoffs. Should they fall on their home floor for a second loss to the Spurs in less than a week, not only will it drop them 2 and a half games off the pace but it would assure San Antonio no less than a 2-2 season series tie with Dallas. The Mavs want to let the club that's arguably the West's best know that they'll give no quarter in this rivalry. The time to deliver that message is Tuesday night.

In the first game between these two teams, Spurs point guard Tony Parker outplayed rookie Devin Harris as he controlled the game's tempo and got into the paint at will off the dribble to deliver a 15 point, 9 assist, 5 rebound masterpiece. Harris must do a better job staying in front of Parker in this game if the Mavericks are going to have defensive success.

The other immediate areas that come to mind off of that 14-point Dallas setback last Wednesday are the Mavericks lack of productivity in the middle and on the wings. Center Erick Dampier struggled to get much done on the interior with 1 point (0-4 from the floor, 1-6 from the line) and 4 rebounds. He'll be looking to make amends in this game against the Spurs tall tandem of center Rasho Nesterovic and power forward Tim Duncan.

Swing starters Marquis Daniels (6 points) and Josh Howard (7 points) will also look to be more involved at the offensive end of the floor to take some of the load off of Dirk Nowitzki, who did his part in the earlier meeting with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Tim Duncan's stats swelled as the night progressed in the first meeting with the Spurs as he wound up with 27 points and 13 boards. Should he post those numbers in this game it won't kill the Mavs unless they again surrender big numbers to Tony Parker at the point.

Don Nelson will hand the head coaching reins over to Avery Johnson in this game. No one knows the Spurs better than the Little General. A.J.'s fire and passion should be quite present in this Mavericks effort.

The Mavericks are a much better defensive team than they've been in years past (as Saturday's second half shutdown of the Grizzlies will attest) and I think that they match up fairly well with San Antonio. The keys in this game will come down to point guard play, rebounding and generating easy baskets. Jason Terry is close to having fully recovered from a right ankle sprain suffered two weeks ago. His late game leadership was instrumental in back-to-back wins over Portland and Memphis. If Devin Harris can bust out of his recent funk and start strong in this game DEFENSIVELY, the Mavs have the personnel to keep Parker in check.

After a slow start to the season on the boards, Dallas has thumped the past two foes on the glass by decisive margins. More of the same is ordered up here because the Mavs can ill-afford to allow second chances to a team whose half court offense is superb. The Spurs again come to Dallas as the league's premiere defensive outfit. Dallas must find ways to create easy scoring opportunities against San Antonio's lock-down approach. Whether those come in transition or early offense, the Mavericks must make it a night-long commitment to keep the Spurs on their heels defensively.

I love the way that Dirk Nowitzki's playing right now (averaging 26 ppg and 11 rpg). I believe that he's capable of leading this Mavericks squad to a big home-court victory on Tuesday night. Dallas is beginning to get healthy again and appears poised to take a good run at the Spurs in this game.

Mavs Finish Strong

2004-11-14T18:57:00.000-06:00

from NBA.com

In his first game back in the nation's capital, Jerry Stackhouse made the Washington Wizards pay with his clutch long-range shooting.

Stackhouse scored 28 points, including three 3-pointers in the closing minutes, to help the Dallas Mavericks to their third straight win, a 122-113 victory over Washington.

"When you get traded from a team, the logic is you want to tell them that they made a mistake, but we left on good terms," said Stackhouse, who was traded with Christian Laettner and rookie Devin Harris for Antawn Jamison, who won last season's Sixth Man Award. "The media didn't spin it like we left on good terms, but as far as Ernie (Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld) and Eddie (coach Eddie Jordan) and those guys in that locker room, it was mutual.

"We felt that it was a better situation for them having a younger player and a great situation for me going to a veteran team and a playoff team."

With the Wizards hanging close for much of the second half, Stackhouse buried a 3-pointer with 4:24 remaining, giving the Mavericks a 105-101 advantage. He added another from the left wing 98 seconds later to increase the lead to 111-104.

Stackhouse scored 11 points in the fourth quarter.

"People try to make it more than what it is," Stackhouse said. "I've got a lot of love for those guys over in that locker room and obviously at the end of the game you saw they had a lot of love for me despite everything that's gone on. I feel like I'm in a better place, a place where I'm supposed to be.

"I'm just happy and enjoying playing the way that I'm playing right now. I guess that's respect when every time you touch the ball you get booed. It was fun to quiet the crowd."

Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 of his 32 points in the second half and added 13 rebounds for Dallas, which went 3-1 on its road trip.

"He was balling yesterday," Nowitzki said of Stackhouse, who scored 28 points Saturday in a 94-78 victory at New Jersey. "He was on fire and making shots from everywhere. He's been giving us a big lift, especially now that Mike's (Finley) out (with a sprained right ankle). We need somebody who can come up and score for us and he was big in the last two games.

"I think he's going to be really good for us the whole season," Nowitzki said. "Sometimes you need somebody who can come in off the bench and flat-out score and he showed today and last night what he can do. I think he's going to win a lot of games for us this year."

Marquis Daniels and Jason Terry chipped in 13 points apiece for the Mavericks.

Former Maverick Jamison and Larry Hughes scored 23 points each for Washington, which absorbed its fourth loss in its last five games. The Wizards also got 20 points apiece from Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes.

The last time four Wizards scored 20 or more points in a game was February 6, 2004 in a 112-100 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Arenas added nine assists as Washington became the first team to score at least 100 points this season against the Mavericks. However, the Wizards dropped to 0-4 when allowing 100 or more points.

"It's pretty much unheard of for all of your starters to get double figures," Jamison said. "I'm not talking like 10, I'm talking like almost everyone had 20 points. That's a good sign. It shows you how we look for the open guy, we're unselfish, and that's the way basketball should be played. But there is also a second part of it. You have to find a way to do it on the other end."

Dirk’s Solid Work Carries Mavs

2004-11-01T10:59:00.000-06:00

From NBA.com

DALLAS, Oct. 28 (Ticker) -- In a dress rehearsal for the regular season opener, Dirk Nowitzki was nearly unstoppable.

Nowitzki scored 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting as the Dallas Mavericks wrapped up their preseason schedule with a 112-93 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Nowitzki, who came in shooting just 29 percent (17-of-59) from the floor in his last four games, combined with Devin Harris and Josh Howard to score 29 of the Mavericks' 31 points in the third quarter.

Harris, a rookie from Wisconsin, scored a preseason-high 24 points as he reached double figures for the fifth straight game. Howard added 21 points.

Erick Dampier added preseason highs of 15 points and 15 rebounds, helping Dallas (3-5) hold a 44-28 rebounding edge.

Sacramento's Bobby Jackson, who did not play in the first-round playoff series between the teams last spring due to a strained abdominal muscle, came off the bench to score 15 points. Maurice Evans and Matt Barnes added 13 each for the Kings (2-5).

Sacramento wraps up its preseason schedule against Phoenix on Friday before returning to Dallas to open its regular season Tuesday.

Just getting started

2004-08-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

Hey folks, I'm dedicating this blog to the Dallas Mavericks basketball team. I'm new at this so it may take a quick minute for me to get up and running, but I hope you'll come back and check it out!