The Dallas Morning News (Eddie Sefko) reports: The Mavericks are 16-5 since the first 17 days of the season. But that crummy start still mars their overall record. At 18-12, they are on pace to win 49 games – not too shabby, given the 2-7 start. They have shown they are a good road team, with 10 wins already. They have embraced coach Rick Carlisle’s everybody-plays style, and the offense has gotten more fluid as the season has progressed. But if there’s one stamp on the Mavericks that is a sure-fire measure of success, it’s their defense. Yes, their defense.
Category: Dallas Mavericks Blog
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Mavs beat Clippers 98-76 without Nowitzki
The AP reports: The Dallas Mavericks didn’t miss Dirk Nowitzki nearly as much as the Los Angeles Clippers missed Zach Randolph. Josh Howard had 29 points, nine rebounds and a career-best seven assists, leading Dallas to a 98-76 victory Sunday while Nowitzki served a one-game suspension… Despite the absence of Nowitzki and his 8.9 rebounds per game, the Mavericks held a 53-38 advantage on the glass. Five of their players had eight or more rebounds, including Erick Dampier, point guard Jason Kidd, James Singleton and reserve Brandon Bass… Marcus Camby returned to the Clippers’ lineup after missing the previous game due to his father’s death, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Al Thornton also had 16 points.
Dirk Nowitzki suspended one game
ESPN.com (Marc Stein) reports: Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki has received a one-game suspension for striking Utah’s Matt Harpring in the face with a backhanded swipe Friday night. The league announced the suspension three hours before the Mavericks’ 12:30 p.m. PT Sunday tipoff against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center. The Mavericks were not informed of Nowitzki’s enforced absence until Sunday morning. The league office began reviewing Nowitzki’s flagrant foul/penalty 2 on Harpring on Saturday. The foul resulted in Nowitzki’s ejection early in the fourth quarter of Dallas’ 97-88 defeat on Friday night… Nowitzki was ejected for swinging his arm in response to under-the-basket contact from Harpring. Video replays confirmed that although it was a backhanded swipe, Nowitzki made a closed-fist connection with Harpring’s face on his follow-through.
Dec 26: Jazz 97, Mavs 88
The AP reports: Running out of forwards and centers, the Utah Jazz turned to rookie Kosta Koufos and seldom-used Kyrylo Fesenko. Both came through with career high scoring nights and anchored a patchwork lineup as Utah beat the weary Dallas Mavericks 97-88 on Friday night. Koufos scored 18 points and Fesenko added eight points as the short-handed Jazz pulled ahead early and never gave up the lead, ending Dallas’ three-game winning streak… With Utah missing its top three scorers and rebounders in Carlos Boozer (quad), Paul Millsap (knee) and Mehmet Okur (back), Koufos made his sixth career start and had his best game since leaving Ohio State after his freshman year… Koufos was 8-for-11 and also had eight rebounds and the Jazz outscored the Mavericks 52-34 in the paint and topped his previous career high of 12 points… Reserve Jason Terry led Dallas with 26 points. Nowitzki had 17 points and eight rebounds before he was tossed for backhanding Matt Harpring with 9:48 left in the game after Fesenko scored on an offensive rebound.
Dec 25: Mavs 102, Blazers 94
The AP reports: Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 of his 30 points in the first half, and Jason Terry had 19 to help the surging Dallas Mavericks beat the Portland Trail Blazers 102-94 on Thursday night. Nowitzki was 12-of-18 from the field and scored on power moves and jumpers despite playing the second half in foul trouble. Josh Howard added 15 points for Dallas, 15-4 in its last 19 games after opening 2-7. Portland’s Brandon Roy had 22 points, but went scoreless in the fourth quarter. Steve Blake added 14 points and seven assists, Travis Outlaw and Rudy Fernandez had 13 points each, and LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 12… Josh Howard was ejected after picking up a flagrant foul and two technical fouls in the third quarter.
Dec 23: Mavs 100, Grizzlies 82
The AP reports: The Dallas Mavericks don’t need their ‘A’ game to beat the Memphis Grizzlies. Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points, Jason Terry added 17, and the Mavericks stretched their winning streak against the Grizzlies to 13 games with a 100-82 victory on Tuesday night. Josh Howard added 14 points, and Erick Dampier contributed 13 points and nine rebounds for the Mavericks, who have won 14 of 18… Hakim Warrick had 17 points, and Rudy Gay added 16 points and nine rebounds for Memphis. Kyle Lowry scored 15 points for the Grizzlies, coming off a nine-point home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
Dec 21: Mavs 97, Wizards 86
The AP reports: On a night when Jason Kidd took over the game in the fourth quarter, the Wizards again imploded in the fourth. Kidd had 11 assists—six in the game’s final 6:05 as Dallas sent Washington to its sixth straight loss, 97-86 Sunday night… Jason Terry scored 25 points and Dirk Nowitzki added 23. Kidd, who is averaging 9.3 points, missed all seven of his field goals and had just a single point, but as the Wizards languished in the fourth quarter for the fourth straight game, it was Kidd’s game… Antawn Jamison led the Wizards with 22 points—all in the first three periods—Butler had 18 and Mike James 17.
Dec 19: Nets 121, Mavs 97
The AP reports: The New Jersey fans who showed up to thank Jason Kidd at the beginning were thanking Mark Cuban by the end. Cuban signed off on the trade that sent Devin Harris to New Jersey—a deal that looks better for the Nets all the time. Harris dominated his former team with 41 points, helping the Nets ruin Kidd’s return with a 121-97 victory over the Mavericks on Friday night. Harris added a season-high 13 assists in thoroughly outplaying Kidd, who spent 6 1/2 years in New Jersey before the Nets dealt him to Dallas last February for a package highlighted by Harris, who had his second 40-point game during a breakout season… Vince Carter added 34 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Nets, who improved to just 5-8 at home. Yi Jianlian had 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Nets were 14-of-26 from 3-point range, with Harris hitting five and Carter making four… Dirk Nowitzki had 24 points and Jason Terry added 23 for the Mavs.
Jason Kidd visits the Nets tonight
Tonight in New Jersey the Nets host Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks. It’s Kidd’s first game in New Jersey since the team traded him to the Mavericks.
Kidd will be up against the point guard he was traded for, Devin Harris.
With 12 wins and 12 losses, the Nets are doing better than expected this season. And with averages of 23.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists, the super-quick Harris is turning out to be a better player than many thought.
Harris isn’t a pure point guard, though. He’s a combo guard. Or a scoring point guard. Whatever term you like, that’s him. But his playmaking ability is improving and he’s more comfortable running the show than he was when first coming to the team last year.
Kidd is still a do-it-all, true point guard who this season is averaging just 9.3 points but he continues to fill the rest of the stat-sheet, putting up a fantastic 6.4 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 2.42 steals per game.
Jason is also having his best season ever from three-point range, hitting 40.6% of his threes. His career average is 33.8%. And his best season ever was with Phoenix in 1996-07 when he nailed 40.0% from outside the arc.
Despite Kidd’s success, the Mavericks have 14 wins and 10 losses, and haven’t been as good as hoped. But, it’s still early. The Mavericks are under a new coach, using a new system, and relying on Kidd’s playmaking ability more this year than they did when first acquiring him. While early indications are that Dallas is good, sometimes very good, but not great, I’m going to reserve full judgment until probably early or mid January.
I was going to go cover the Nets-Mavericks game tonight but the massive snowstorm hitting the area right now may prevent me from making it. But if not, I’ll definitely catch it on TV tonight. Seeing Kidd and Harris go at it should be a treat.
–Jeff
Dec 17: Mavs 96, Raptors 86
The AP reports: Down by 12 points after one quarter, the Dallas Mavericks knew better than to panic. Instead, they waited for the struggling Toronto Raptors to crack. It didn’t take long. Dirk Nowitzki had 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Jason Terry also scored 27 points in the Mavericks’ 96-86 victory over the Raptors on Wednesday night… Josh Howard added 20 points for Dallas in his first start since Nov. 18. Howard, who came off the bench Monday night in a loss to Denver after missing 11 games because of a sprained ankle, scored Dallas’ first nine points and had 11 in the first quarter… Jermaine O’Neal scored 19 points for the Raptors, who have lost three straight and are 2-6 since Jay Triano replaced Sam Mitchell as head coach Dec. 3.