Know this: The 101-91 final score of the Mavericks-Rockets game Monday night is deceiving.
A 10-1 Mavericks run that started with 2:43 left in the second quarter turned a contest that featured 12 lead changes and no leads greater than four for either team up to that point into a 52-45 advantage that tilted the Mavs’ way.
The challenge was to keep the momentum going after halftime, and the Mavs definitely re-emerged with the firepower in their court. The Mavs’ first double-digit lead came at 60-49 at the 8:49 mark of the third quarter, and the lead later ballooned to 18 points on several occasions during the third quarter. Caron Butler scored 13 of his 19 in the frame.
The advantage topped out at 22 when it was 95-73 after midway through the fourth. But a driving layup shot by Brendan Haywood with 4:39 to go would be the last time the Mavs found the basket. The Rockets scored the final 11 points of the game. If the Mavs weren’t already ahead by 21, that might have been a bigger deal.
Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion each had a double double of 20 and 14 points, respectively and 10 rebounds apiece.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Big Move to the Big East
The Horned Frog Nation will join the Big East after next season (July 1, 2012). The move will put the now BCS #3 Frogs in an automatic qualifying conference and provide better TV exposure on ESPN and CBS.
The Frogs will be the ninth football team in the now-16 team conference and will face teams such as West Virginia, Syracuse, Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Rutgers and USF.
The Frogs will be the ninth football team in the now-16 team conference and will face teams such as West Virginia, Syracuse, Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Rutgers and USF.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The Dirk Show: Mavericks 88 Pistons 84
Dirk Nowitzki scored a season- high 42 of the Mavericks 88 points, including 14 of those in the fourth quarter on the way to an 88-84 victory over the Pistons. Yeah. I think he's the reason we won the game - plain and simple. In a 32-point fourth quarter from the Mavs, Nowitzki finally got some help from Jason Terry, who had nine of his 16 points in the final minutes. Caron Butler also had seven of his 11 points in the fourth quarter.Saturday, November 20, 2010
Mavs Fight To Come Away With Victory: Mavericks 98 Hawks 93
Keys to the win:
- Offensive Support For Dirk: After scoring 36 on Friday against the Chicago Bulls, Dirk Nowitzki had top numbers again with 21, but the Mavericks benefitted from, 13 apiece from Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson.
- Shawn Marion tallied his first double double of the season, providing solid power off the bench with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
- After being grossly outrebounded in Friday's loss, the Mavs edged the Hawks on the boards 40-37. Centers Tyson Chandler and Brendon Haywood each contributed five boards.
- Nowitzki's free throw shot has been anything but automatic recently. After going 3 0f 6 from the line Friday, he was just 5 of 7 in Saturday's win.
- The Mavs did not look tired in their first back-to-back of the season.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
A Deflating Defeat: New Orleans 99 Mavericks 97
The Mavericks needed just one basket to finish a stunning victory a New Orleans. A Jason Kidd steal off a turnover gave them the chance. They threw the ball into their All-Star superstar. But in the fleeting seconds, Dirk Nowitzki lost his grip on the ball, and it was all over.
After trying valiantly to come back, the Mavericks lost 99-97 to the Hornets on Wednesday night in the second of back-to-back home and road contests between the Southwest Division rivals. The Mavericks won 98-95 on Monday in Dallas.
But things didn’t just unravel in the final seconds.
The third quarter by far was one of the Mavs’ worst efforts all season, both defensively and offensively. For the first seven minutes of the second half, the Hornets pummeled the Mavs, outscoring them 20-5. What was thought to be a fairly comfortable 52-42 halftime lead suddenly morphed into a 62-57 advantage for New Orleans, thanks to sparkling shooting and lackluster defending. Despite eventually scoring 17 points, the Hornets bucketed 33 and finished the quarter ahead by six, 75-69.
Of 58 quarters this quarter, the third quarter marked the first time that the Mavs allowed more than 30 points.
Nowitzki had 29 points and nine rebounds despite sitting at times due to two fouls in the first and third quarters.
The Mavs return home to meet the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
I am now on Twitter: www.twitter.com/InsideSports22.
After trying valiantly to come back, the Mavericks lost 99-97 to the Hornets on Wednesday night in the second of back-to-back home and road contests between the Southwest Division rivals. The Mavericks won 98-95 on Monday in Dallas.
But things didn’t just unravel in the final seconds.
The third quarter by far was one of the Mavs’ worst efforts all season, both defensively and offensively. For the first seven minutes of the second half, the Hornets pummeled the Mavs, outscoring them 20-5. What was thought to be a fairly comfortable 52-42 halftime lead suddenly morphed into a 62-57 advantage for New Orleans, thanks to sparkling shooting and lackluster defending. Despite eventually scoring 17 points, the Hornets bucketed 33 and finished the quarter ahead by six, 75-69.
Of 58 quarters this quarter, the third quarter marked the first time that the Mavs allowed more than 30 points.
Nowitzki had 29 points and nine rebounds despite sitting at times due to two fouls in the first and third quarters.
The Mavs return home to meet the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
I am now on Twitter: www.twitter.com/InsideSports22.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Comeback Mastery: Mavericks 98 Hornets 95
The undefeated New Orleans Hornets are no more thanks to the sharp shooting and defense of the Dallas Mavericks in the final minutes of the fourth quarter on Monday.
From 5:46 in the fourth quarter until 3:20 remained on the clock, the Mavericks went on a 5-0 run to tie the game at 90 on a Dirk Nowitzki 3-pointer that re-energized the team. The much-needed three-pointer erased an 11-point deficit. Jason Kidd landed another shot from long range 39 seconds later. But 3’s served as a staple of the quarter: the Mavs had six and the Hornets five shots.
With 34.9 seconds to go, a Jason Terry turnaround jump shot put the Mavericks up 97-95. Nowitzki went to the free throw line with 2.8 seconds left and the chance to make it a two possession game. Uncharacteristically, Dirk missed the second of two, but Terry “flew” in to retain possession of the ball until the clock ran down to 0.7 seconds.
Terry topped the Mavs’ list of scorers with 26 points, including three 3’s. Nowitzski scored 25 points with 10 rebounds for double-double numbers. Chris Paul carried the Hornets through the first three quarters but did not score in the fourth.
The Mavs improve to 7-2, and the Hornets drop to 8-1. The next game is at New Orleans on Wednesday.
From 5:46 in the fourth quarter until 3:20 remained on the clock, the Mavericks went on a 5-0 run to tie the game at 90 on a Dirk Nowitzki 3-pointer that re-energized the team. The much-needed three-pointer erased an 11-point deficit. Jason Kidd landed another shot from long range 39 seconds later. But 3’s served as a staple of the quarter: the Mavs had six and the Hornets five shots.
With 34.9 seconds to go, a Jason Terry turnaround jump shot put the Mavericks up 97-95. Nowitzki went to the free throw line with 2.8 seconds left and the chance to make it a two possession game. Uncharacteristically, Dirk missed the second of two, but Terry “flew” in to retain possession of the ball until the clock ran down to 0.7 seconds.
Terry topped the Mavs’ list of scorers with 26 points, including three 3’s. Nowitzski scored 25 points with 10 rebounds for double-double numbers. Chris Paul carried the Hornets through the first three quarters but did not score in the fourth.
The Mavs improve to 7-2, and the Hornets drop to 8-1. The next game is at New Orleans on Wednesday.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Barea Can Play Too: Mavericks 99 76ers 90
Despite his small size by NBA standards, J.J. Barea has been a large presence in the last three games for the Mavericks. After point totals of 11 and 10 in wins earlier this week versus Boston and Memphis, it already has been a good week.
But with 19 points in Friday’s 99-90 win over the now 2-7 76ers, he’s reached his highest point on the young season by leading the Mavericks in scoring. A dozen of Barea’s 19 came in the fourth quarter when the Mavs outscored Philadelphia 21-15 after allowing an eight-point halftime lead to dissipate.
Yes, Barea has seen more minutes recently because Caron Butler has missed the last two games due to back spasms. But he deserves them and has seized the opportunity. Shawn Marion went eight for 11 early to help the Mavs to their advantage.
Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry did not shoot well Friday, both going just five of 15 from the floor. Nowitzki and Terry tallied 16 and 13 points respectively.
Jason Kidd added eight more assists for the night. His first led to a Tyson Chandler dunk at 9:51 of the first quarter and marked the 11,000th assist of his career, officially placing him second all-time. Chandler put up double double numbers for the second straight game with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Seventeen of the Mavs’ 47 rebounds came courtesy of Brendan Haywood as the Mavs outrebounded the 76ers by five.
But with 19 points in Friday’s 99-90 win over the now 2-7 76ers, he’s reached his highest point on the young season by leading the Mavericks in scoring. A dozen of Barea’s 19 came in the fourth quarter when the Mavs outscored Philadelphia 21-15 after allowing an eight-point halftime lead to dissipate.
Yes, Barea has seen more minutes recently because Caron Butler has missed the last two games due to back spasms. But he deserves them and has seized the opportunity. Shawn Marion went eight for 11 early to help the Mavs to their advantage.
Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry did not shoot well Friday, both going just five of 15 from the floor. Nowitzki and Terry tallied 16 and 13 points respectively.
Jason Kidd added eight more assists for the night. His first led to a Tyson Chandler dunk at 9:51 of the first quarter and marked the 11,000th assist of his career, officially placing him second all-time. Chandler put up double double numbers for the second straight game with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Seventeen of the Mavs’ 47 rebounds came courtesy of Brendan Haywood as the Mavs outrebounded the 76ers by five.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Nowitzki, Terry Huge When It Counts: Mavericks 89 Celtics 87
Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry rewrote their fourth quarter scripts Monday night against last season’s Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics in a hard-fought 89-87 Mavericks victory.
Terry had four of his 17 points in the fourth, most of which on an all-important three-point shot with 1:13 to go to tie the game at 87. The pass came from Jason Kidd, who tallied 10 assists on the night. While Terry evened the score, Dirk Nowitzki, who had 10 of his game-high 25 in the final quarter, jammed the winning bucket in over two Celtic defenders with 17.9 seconds remaining.
Terry did not start for the first time in six games this season. Rick Carlisle was trying to get more power from the bench and reward DeShawn Stevenson, who played a total of two minutes before Monday for his work ethic.
It worked as Stevenson landed two three-pointers in the first half and two blocks for the game, and Terry, a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, had no issues with the bench role.
New Maverick center Tyson Chandler put down his best game thus far with a double double of 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Terry had four of his 17 points in the fourth, most of which on an all-important three-point shot with 1:13 to go to tie the game at 87. The pass came from Jason Kidd, who tallied 10 assists on the night. While Terry evened the score, Dirk Nowitzki, who had 10 of his game-high 25 in the final quarter, jammed the winning bucket in over two Celtic defenders with 17.9 seconds remaining.
Terry did not start for the first time in six games this season. Rick Carlisle was trying to get more power from the bench and reward DeShawn Stevenson, who played a total of two minutes before Monday for his work ethic.
It worked as Stevenson landed two three-pointers in the first half and two blocks for the game, and Terry, a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, had no issues with the bench role.
New Maverick center Tyson Chandler put down his best game thus far with a double double of 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Low-Scoring 4th Quarter Dooms Mavs: Nuggets 103 Mavericks 92
Now that the Rangers’ World Series experience is complete, it’s time to cover the Mavericks again.
And it didn’t take long to watch a game that illustrated one of core principles of the NBA: the fourth quarter is everything, Well, at least most of the time.
Tied at 79 at the end of the third quarter with the Nuggets at home on Saturday night, the Mavericks were outscored 24-13 during the last 12 minutes, leading to the 11-point deficit in the final score. Jason Terry, with 26 points and Dirk Nowitzki, with 23 points, led the Mavericks’ offense. But the duo only tallied one point in the fourth (on a Terry free throw.) Nowitzki went 0 for 4 shooting in the fourth quarter.
Another problem is that the Mavericks allowed the Nuggets to go 13 for 21 on 3-point shots, while the Mavericks made just four of 15 attempts from long range.
And it didn’t take long to watch a game that illustrated one of core principles of the NBA: the fourth quarter is everything, Well, at least most of the time.
Tied at 79 at the end of the third quarter with the Nuggets at home on Saturday night, the Mavericks were outscored 24-13 during the last 12 minutes, leading to the 11-point deficit in the final score. Jason Terry, with 26 points and Dirk Nowitzki, with 23 points, led the Mavericks’ offense. But the duo only tallied one point in the fourth (on a Terry free throw.) Nowitzki went 0 for 4 shooting in the fourth quarter.
Another problem is that the Mavericks allowed the Nuggets to go 13 for 21 on 3-point shots, while the Mavericks made just four of 15 attempts from long range.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Lack of Offense, Giants Pitching Spell End To Rangers’ Season: Giants 3 Rangers 1
With one pitch to Edgar Renteria with two runners on in the seventh inning, the Rangers only had nine outs to save their season.
The three-run homer surrendered by Rangers’ ace Cliff Lee, turned a scoreless tie in Game 5 of the World Series into a 3-0 lead for the Giants. Lee only gave up six hits but two of them were singles leading up to the home run. The struggling Rangers offense could not recover, despite a one-out long ball by Nelson Cruz in the bottom of the inning, as Tim Lincecum pitched an eight-inning three-hit gem.
Singles by Michael Young in the fourth and Mitch Moreland in the sixth accounted for the only other Rangers’ hits. Moreland, whose postseason batting average and World Series average of .462, may have cemented his long-term role at first base. Giants’ pitching found an answer to hold down the cornerstones of the Rangers lineup, Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero.
The three-run homer surrendered by Rangers’ ace Cliff Lee, turned a scoreless tie in Game 5 of the World Series into a 3-0 lead for the Giants. Lee only gave up six hits but two of them were singles leading up to the home run. The struggling Rangers offense could not recover, despite a one-out long ball by Nelson Cruz in the bottom of the inning, as Tim Lincecum pitched an eight-inning three-hit gem.
Singles by Michael Young in the fourth and Mitch Moreland in the sixth accounted for the only other Rangers’ hits. Moreland, whose postseason batting average and World Series average of .462, may have cemented his long-term role at first base. Giants’ pitching found an answer to hold down the cornerstones of the Rangers lineup, Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero.
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