Dallas Mavericks Blog – Page 71 – NBA Blog

Thunder rally late to beat Mavericks 95-91

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s top trio struggled to make shots all night.

With one final flurry, they were still able to keep rolling at home.

Russell Westbrook scored 24 points, Kevin Durant added 22 and the Thunder scored the final eight points to escape with a 95-91 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night and run their home winning streak to 13 games.

Durant, Westbrook and top reserve James Harden went a combined 16 for 49 from the field as Oklahoma City managed to pull one out without needing to make a basket in the final 2 minutes.

“The thing is with us, we’ve just got to continue to just keep playing hard no matter if we’re making shots or not, and playing together on both ends,” said Durant, who missed 12 of his 18 shots.

“It was a sloppy game but I’m glad we came out on top.” …

Nowitzki finished with 27 points but didn’t touch the ball on a key possession when Dallas was down by two with 13 seconds left.

— Reported by Jeff Latzke of the Associated Press

Mavs recall Sean Williams from D-League

The Dallas Mavericks announced Sunday that they have recalled forward Sean Williams from the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League.Williams (6-10, 235) played three games with the Mavericks after signing on Dec. 21. In those appearances, he averaged 4.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 5.7 minutes while shooting .714 (5-7 FGs) from the field and 1.000 (4-4 FTs) from the free throw line.

On Jan. 6, Dallas assigned him to the Legends. He played 22 games with 21 starts for Texas and averaged 15.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.0 assist in 28.5 minutes while shooting .506 (124-245 FGs) from the field and .767 (79-103 FTs) from the free throw line.

Williams traveled with the team to Oklahoma City.

Rick Carlisle disappointed with Lamar Odom

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle expressed disappointment with Lamar Odom’s ongoing absence from the team and bluntly stated that the forward will face scrutiny upon his return, from owner Mark Cuban to the players in the locker room.

Odom will play Saturday night for the Mavs’ D-League affiliate in nearby Frisco and then is expected to re-join the Mavs for the first time since Feb. 20 when the team travels to Oklahoma City for Monday’s game, Carlisle said.

“When he comes back, we’re going to find out very quickly where things are at,” Carlisle said during his weekly appearance Friday on the ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM’s “Galloway & Co.” “He’s going to have to show us with his actions and attitude that he’s in.”

Odom left the Mavs on Feb. 22 to tend to a family matter and missed his fourth consecutive game Friday night when Dallas played New Orleans. He will also miss Saturday’s game against the Utah Jazz. Odom left the team to attend to his ill father in Los Angeles, sources told ESPNDallas.com.

— Reported by Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas

Mavericks assign Lamar Odom to D-League

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have assigned forward Lamar Odom to the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League.

Odom (6-10, 230) has played in 32 games with the Mavericks and is averaging 7.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 21.4 minutes. He is shooting .357 (89-249 FGs) from the field, .259 (22-85 3FGs) from 3-point range and .577 (45-78 FTs) from the free throw line. The 12-year pro has missed the last three games due to a family matter.

The Mavericks acquired Odom on Dec. 11, 2011 along with a 2012 second round pick and other second round considerations in 2013 from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a protected first round draft pick.

Odom is scheduled to be in uniform on Saturday, March 3 when Texas battles the Austin Toros on HP Court at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco at 7 pm.

Dirk Nowitzki discusses this NBA season’s crowded schedule

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowtizki is a member of the 2012 Western conference All-Star team. The NBA champion spoke with reporters in Orlando at NBA All-Star weekend about this season’s crowded schedule:

Question: With all the injuries in the NBA this year, how much do you attribute to the fact that there’s so many games coming so fast?

Dirk Nowitzki: Yeah, we knew that coming in that the schedule was a monster. It was everyone’s fault. It was the players’ fault, it was the NBA’s fault. We knew this was coming for two years and we didn’t do anything about it, so now we have to deal with this shortened season and just play a lot of games. We’ve got nine games in 12 games coming out of the break, which is a ridiculous number of games. But we’ve just got to deal with it and go from there. We’ve just got to fight through it. We knew coming in it was going to be bad, but you’ve just got to deal with it.

Question: Will we see more teams do what the Spurs did the other day and sit Parker and Duncan?

Nowitzki: We have obviously an older team, and we have a tough stretch coming up. We have games back to back to back, so I doubt J Kidd or some of those guys are going to play all nine games in 12 days. I don’t know if it’s going to happen. But we’ve got to fight through it, hopefully get some of our bodies back. I don’t know how Roddy is doing, hopefully get him back soon. I don’t know how long D-West is going to be out, but we’re going to need every healthy body and get through this tough stretch.

Lakers want Brendan Haywood foul on Pau Gasol reviewed

Pau Gasol

Finesse big-man

The Lakers would like the NBA to take a closer look at Brendan Haywood’s hard foul against Pau Gasol late in Thursday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. Haywood knocked Gasol to the court with a double forearm shiver to the head.

Brown said he believed it should have been ruled a flagrant foul, with Haywood perhaps drawing an ejection for thumping Gasol.

The officiating crew, led by veteran Mike Callahan, whistled Haywood for a shooting foul, however.

“After reviewing it on tape, I think the refs missed that,” Brown said. “I don’t know how anybody could think he was going for the ball. I don’t think it was intentional, but that’s not the definition of a flagrant foul.”

Brown said he expected a league review.

“That was definitely not a normal foul,” he said.

— Reported by Elliot Teaford of the LA Daily News

Kobe Bryant sarcastically praises Shawn Marion’s defense

Kobe Bryant

Not lacking in confidence

Shawn Marion is a good defender, but Kobe Bryant wasn’t about to give the Mavericks’ defensive anchor any credit.

After the Lakers’ shootaround, Bryant held court – pulling about 20 media members away from coach Mike Brown just as Brown was getting going with his interview scrum – and his best line came when he was asked about Marion and the Mavericks’ touting Marion as a defensive player of the year candidate.

“Oh, man, I agree,” Bryant said, sporting a grin. “I think tonight they should not double me at all or zone me. Just play one on one because he’s such a terrific defender, he doesn’t need any help.”

The sarcasm was dripping.

— Reported by Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News

Caron Butler gets his Mavs championship ring

The pregame ceremony was brief but heartfelt for Caron Butler , as well as for his former team, the Mavericks.

Butler received his NBA championship ring prior to Monday night’s game between the Mavericks and his current team, the Clippers.

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle took the public address microphone and reminded the American Airlines Center crowd of the “gruesome” patellar tendon injury in Milwaukee that sidelined Butler last January. Carlisle described how Butler pushed his kneecap back into place and hobbled off the court.

“At that moment, the guy was a legend for life, for me,” Carlisle told the crowd.

Carlisle then introduced Butler as “a Maverick for life” and handed him his ring. Butler was clearly emotional as he stared at the ring, kissed it and acknowledged the cheering crowd. Butler then hugged Carlisle and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

— Reported by Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News

Mark Cuban rips league over Chris Paul trade

Chris Paul

Was almost Kobe’s teammate

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who was vocal in his opposition to the proposed trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, still doesn’t think the NBA-owned New Orleans Hornets ended up with a decent deal.

The right deal, in Cuban’s opinion, would have been none at all, even if that meant losing Paul for nothing at the end of the season.

“You’re better off just taking the cap room, or whatever,” Cuban said.

Paul ended up being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, who visited the Mavericks at the American Airlines Center on Monday night.

“I don’t think it was about the Lakers, per se,” Cuban said before the game. “I think it was just the way they did the deal, which was ridiculous. I don’t think it was about which team. I think it was the fact that, even with the Clippers, we just went through this whole (collective bargaining agreement) and said the incumbent team still has the advantage and then the team the league owns (wimps) out. And look how it’s worked out for them.

“Bad management gets you bad results.”

— Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas

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Hawks sign center Erick Dampier to 10-day contract

Erick Dampier

Big and old. Can bump into people

The Atlanta Hawks can use some help up front and they’re willing to give veteran center Erick Dampier a 10-day audition.

The Hawks today signed the 15-year veteran to a 10-day contract, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund.

Selected 10th overall by Indiana in the 1996 NBA Draft, Dampier has played in 972 regular season games and 57 playoff contests with Indiana, Golden State, Dallas and Miami. He appeared in 51 games last season for the Heat, averaging 2.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 0.9 bpg (.584 FG%, .545 FT%).

He’s averaged 7.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg and 1.4 bpg over his career (.498 FG%, .626 FT%). With 6,980 career rebounds and 1,394 blocks, Dampier ranks 14th and 7th respectively on the NBA active career lists. His 2,713 offensive boards ranks 5th among active players.

Dampier will wear uniform no. 25.

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