The AP reports: Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points and Jason Terry had 21, all coming in the second half. The duo scored 25 of Dallas’ 30 points in the fourth quarter. They had to step up because Josh Howard left in the third with a bruised right knee… Mehmet Okur had 19 points and 14 rebounds for Utah, while Deron Williams had 18 points and 12 assists. He was 7-of-16 after going 6-of-24 in his previous two games. Andrei Kirilenko had 15 points and Carlos Boozer only 10 points and five rebounds.
Category: Dallas Mavericks Blog
Mavericks blog – Dallas Mavericks blog. A great Mavs news blog
Cuban would like age minimum to be 22
Mark Cuban, on BlogMaverick, writes: “If it were up to me, I would raise the age limit to 22 or when your class graduates from college. Why ? It’s not because there are not 18 or 19 year olds who can’t play in the NBA. There always have been, and there always will be. Doing what is right for the NBA is about far more than basketball talent. My logic is simple. If a kid is NBA ready to play at 18 or 19, he will be NBA ready at 22. They don’t forget how to play basketball and they don’t get worse. What does change considerably between the ages of 18 and 22 is the maturity level of the kids. Ask any 22 year old in college if they are more “worldly” and better prepared to deal with life post college than they were when they were 18 or 19.”
Cuban continues: “From the perspective of an NBA owner, maturity is far harder to qualify than talent. Can he manage the personal side of his life ?When friends, relatives and hangers on are coming out of the woodwork asking for something. I know that when I first started making great money, it was difficult for me, in my late 20s to deal with who to say no to. How is a 19 year old going to say no to people who he has grown up around and are still his close friends ? How is he going to deal with the gold diggers ? A 1 or 2 week “Scared Straight” class by the NBA isn’t going to do the job.”
Cuban wants Sonics to stay in Seattle
The Tacoma News Tribune (Eric D. Williams) reports: He may be the only NBA owner who votes this way come April 18, but Dallas Mavericks owners Mark Cuban reiterated Tuesday evening before his team’s game against the Seattle SuperSonics that his preference is for the team to stay in Seattle. “My prejudice is against having a Dust Bowl division in this part of the country because I don’t think in the big picture that helps the NBA,” Cuban said. “I think the big market helps the NBA.” Seattle is in the 14th largest TV market in the country, while Oklahoma City is in the 45th largest TV market. If new information shows the Sonics’ move to Oklahoma City serves the league well, he could be swayed, Cuban said.
Apr. 8: Mavs 99, Sonics 83
The AP reports: After a rousing come-from-behind victory in their last game, the Dallas Mavericks avoided a misstep against the struggling Seattle SuperSonics. Jason Terry scored 22 points, Josh Howard added 17, and Dallas crept closer to a playoff berth with a 99-83 victory over Seattle on Tuesday night… Brandon Bass scored 13 off the bench for the Mavericks, and Dirk Nowitzki chipped in with 11 points and 12 rebounds in his fourth game since returning from knee and ankle injuries… Earl Watson had 22 points and eight assists for Seattle. Kevin Durant added 16 points, and Jeff Green and Nick Collison each had 11.
Avery Johnson wants Kidd to penetrate more
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Jeff Caplan) reports: Avery Johnson continues to emphasize the importance for Jason Kidd using dribble penetration to break down defenses. “He’s not programmed necessarily to do those things,” Johnson said. “But we keep prodding him, and we keep talking to him.” After Kidd failed to get off a shot in the second half of Friday’s 112-108 loss to the Lakers, he continued to attack in the decisive fourth quarter against the Suns. Twice he drove past Steve Nash, missing the first layup, but he finished a critical driving layup with 2:51 to play to put the Mavs up by six. Kidd, who Dirk Nowitzki called too unselfish at times, said Kidd’s getting more comfortable with creating for himself.
Apr. 6: Mavs 105, Suns 98
The AP reports: Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points and the Mavericks rallied from a 13 points down early in the fourth to stun the Phoenix Suns 105-98 on Sunday. Dallas outscored Phoenix 27-9 in the fourth quarter for the kind of gutsy victory against a strong opponent the Mavericks had sought since the trade that brought Kidd from New Jersey… Josh Howard added 24 points and Brandon Bass 19 for the Mavericks, who used a smothering defense in a 16-0 run that put them ahead for good in a game the Suns had led nearly throughout. Phoenix went scoreless for just under 8 minutes, missing 12 shots in the process… Amare Stoudemire had 31 points for the Suns but missed three of four free throws down the stretch. Nash had 14 points and 10 assists, but shot only 4-of-17 from the field.
Apr. 4: Lakers 112, Mavs 108
The AP reports: Lamar Odom scored a season-high 31 points against a subpar Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant added 25 points and 10 rebounds, and the Pacific Division-leading Lakers put a crimp in the Dallas Mavericks’ postseason push with a 112-108 victory on Friday night… Pau Gasol had 25 points and seven assists for Los Angeles, and Odom grabbed 10 rebounds. It was the sixth time this season that the Lakers have had three players with 20 or more points—all victories… Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavs with 27 points, Jason Terry scored 25 and Josh Howard added 23. Jason Kidd had 10 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. This was the Mavericks’ 10th loss that was decided by four points or less.
Apr. 2: Mavs 111, Warriors 86
The AP reports: Dirk Nowitzki was back, scoring 18 points in his unexpected start Wednesday night, and the Mavericks posted a 111-86 victory over the Golden State Warriors that could have big implications in a tight Western Conference playoff race… “There was already a sense of urgency. … And then seeing Dirk out there, it was very inspiring,” said Jason Terry, who matched a season-high with 31 points… Stephen Jackson had only two points on 1-of-11 shooting, and Al Harrington was 1-of-9 with six points. Monta Ellis led the Warriors with 27 points, while Baron Davis had 20… Josh Howard added 28 points for the Mavericks, while Kidd had a season-high 17 assists with 11 rebounds and five points.
Mar. 31: Mavs 93, Clippers 86
The AP reports: Jason Kidd scored 27 points, Josh Howard got 12 of his 25 in the fourth quarter, and the Dallas Mavericks held off the banged-up but stubborn Los Angeles Clippers 93-86 Monday night to complete a sweep of the four-game season series… Jason Terry had 20 points for Dallas, playing its fourth game since reigning MVP Dirk Nowitzki went down with knee and ankle injuries… Forward Jerry Stackhouse, whose buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave the Mavs a 95-94 win over the Clippers the last time they played them at Staples Center on Jan. 12, missed his second game with strained right groin. Rookie Al Thornton scored 26 points for the Clippers, who trailed throughout. They shot 36.8 percent and committed 23 turnovers against a Dallas defense that came in forcing a league-low 12.3 turnovers per game. Leading scorer Corey Maggette scored 23 points and was just 3-for-15 from the field.
J-Rich and Melo win Player of Week
The Charlotte Bobcats’ Jason Richardson and the Denver Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, March 24, through Sunday, March 30. More info here.
J-Rich is playing well but it’s too little, too late for the Bobcats, who need a miracle to make the playoffs and may be having issues with head coach Sam Vincent, who several newspapers recently reported may not be kept around next season.
As for Melo, all recent talk was that they might miss the playoffs, as they were sitting in 9th place in the West for a while, but as of today they’ve jumped up to 7th, but only by virtue of a tie-breaker with the Mavericks and Warriors. I think Denver may stay in there.
Anyway, the Western conference playoff race is awesome. Even if you’re a fan of an East squad, watch the West closely, because that’s where it’s at.