Mavs Much More Jazzy: Mavericks 118 Jazz 99

One could say that Peja Stojakovic sealed the game for the Mavericks in their first contest since the All-Star Break. While he tallied a healthy 18 points for the game, it was his two 3’s in the latter half of the third quarter that turned the game from a close-knit affair to the Mavericks’ largest blowout victory of the season.

Stojakovic’s first long range make of the third quarter came at the 6:51 mark to give the Mavs a 70-63 lead, which at the time was tied for the biggest advantage for either squad. After field goals by Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap sliced the lead down to four, Rodrique Beaubois hit a 3 to take the lead back to seven points. With his second three in roughly two minutes, Stojakovic gave the Mavs their first double-digit lead at 77-67.

At that point, the Mavericks officially returned to the pre-All-Star Break level that helped them win 14 of 15. The Mavs finished the third quarter carrying an 88-77 lead and outscored the struggling Jazz 30-22 in the fourth quarter and 59-44 during the second half. Shawn Marion, one of seven Mavs in double figures, had nine of his 16 points in the fourth. Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs’ only All-Star representative, watched from the bench for the second half of the fourth quarter after scoring 23 points.

Utah has lost four consecutive games following the sudden resignation of their iconic coach Jerry Sloan two weeks ago, and on Wednesday morning star point guard Deron Williams was traded to the Nets for former Maverick Devin Harris.

Notes

• Brendan Haywood recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds and was 4 of 9 from the line in 25:55 minutes.
• The Mavs also beat the Jazz in rebounds 43-32. Tyson Chandler also had 10 boards.

Baseball Nuggets from the Weekend

• Michael Young reported to Spring Training and told his teammates he wouldn't be a distraction, as expected
• The first full squad workout took place Sunday, despite the rainy weath.er in the Arizona desert.
• The #1-ranked TCU baseball team won 2 out of 3 in their weekend series with Big 12 foe Kansas to open the season. The Horned Frog victories were dominating at 8-2 and one-hit 7-1 win for Kyle Winker, but leaving 16 men on base in a 14-inning Sunday finale, kept the Frogs from a sweep. Kansas won 4-3.
• Matt Purke, Kyle Winkler and Steven Maxwell will compete for the best Division I weekend rotation in the country.

Spring Training: The Beginning of the Defense

With 45 days to go until Opening Day of the 2011 baseball season, Rangers’ pitchers and catchers officially reported to Surprise, Arizona today where they will prepare to defend their first-ever American League pennant.

Currently, the Rangers have 23 pitchers and four catchers on the roster and expected to be in camp, including Mike Napoli. That number will be trimmed to 1 or 13 pitchers and two catchers. Mike Napoli can catch but will likely act as a utility player on the Opening Day.

The first workout for members of the battery is Thursday.

All other position players, including Michael Young, will arrive Saturday. Owners Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan and General Manager Jon Daniels see Young as a valuable part of the future of the Rangers.

3-Point Power: Mavericks 116 Kings 100

With the game tied at 70 at the 6:24 mark of the third quarter, everything changed. On the shoulders of Jason Kidd, the Mavericks had a reality check and snapped back into gear, eventually beating the Sacramento Kings 116-100.

After going into halftime with a 61-48 advantage following a 36-point second quarter, the Mavs’ lead shrunk after the Kings made 8 of 10 shots early in the third to knot the contest at both 68 and 70.

Kidd scored 17 of his 20 points in just over nine minutes in the third quarter on five 3’s and a jump shot. During that stretch, Rodrique Beaubois grabbed an assist and a 3-pointer of this own, two aspects of his game that really show that he might be Kidd’s protégé. In his first NBA activity in 10 months due to a broken foot and a long recovery, Beaubois handled the hype, scoring 13 points and tallying six assists in 20:56 minutes.

The Mavs started the third quarter with a 13-point lead, saw it evaporate with 7:23 to go in the quarter and successfully opened up a 96-74 advantage with less than a minute remaining in that same quarter, a frame in which the team scored 35. Peja Stojakovic contributed seven points in the quarter.

Eight players finished in double figures for the Mavs for the first time since April 6, 1993. (Thanks @mavstats). The two guys with double-doubles: Brendan Haywood with a season-high 12 points to go with 10 rebounds after a DNP against the Rockets on Saturday, and J.J. Barea, who at one point was expected to miss the game with flu-like symptoms and a mild groin strain. He compiled 11 points and 10 assists.

Mavs Capture A Win By Doing It Right Late: Mavericks 106 Rockets 102

The only thing the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets have in common is the state in which the teams are based.

But somehow, despite the fact that the Mavs are 22 games above .500 and the Rockets five below, they play close contests. Just like the matchup in late January, Saturday’s game followed the pattern of being close at the beginning, the Mavs taking charge and then the Rockets orchestrating a comeback to take the game to single digits but the Mavs pulling it out in the end.

This one carried a final score of 106-102, a product of the scoring a lot and also giving up a bunch and the near disappearances of the fourth-quarter defense the Mavs have built a reputation on this season. The Rockets sit fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 104.9 points per game. They are also 24th in opponent scoring, allowing 104.8 points per game.

The Rockets worried Mavs fans and coaches as they systemically carved a 16-point advantage down to three over a span of 8:40 minutes as time ticked away. The Rockets scored 35 in the quarter compared to the Mavericks’ 23. Veterans Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry scored all the rest of the Mavs’ points. A Nowitzki jump shot and a Kidd layup, both assisted by Terry, helped the Mavs expand the lead and secure the victory.

Peja Stojakovic led the Mavs in scoring much of the way Saturday with 22 through three quarters, including 11 in the third quarter and eight in the first. He connected on three shots from long range in the third quarter and was 4 for 6 for the game. Stojakovic’s good night allowed ahead on the all-time 3-pointers made list. Nowitzki matched the 22-point mark in the fourth quarter.

The Mavs bench, which now includes Terry, Shawn Marion and J.J. Barea, scored 39 compared to 27 for their Rockets counterparts. But that seemed like child's play following a record 72-point output in Thursday’s 121-120 last-second loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Michael Young More Than A Player

Most people are still trying to digest the situation with veteran All-Star Michael Young. It's complicated, and both the team and Young could have responded differently.

Evan Grant had some insight into the situation.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/texas-rangers/headlines/20110210-grant-feeling-of-betrayal-behind-rangers-vs.-michael-young-mess.ece?action=reregister

More to come...

Strong Finish Outlasts Cavs: Mavericks 99 Cavilers 96

The Dallas Mavericks probably had to fight a little harder than expected to top the Cleveland Cavaliers, who now carry a 25-game losing streak, the worst in league history.

The Mavs escaped with a 99-96 victory after Anthony Parker missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the game. Antawn Jamison got the rebound but threw his hands up in disgust after the veteran former Maverick couldn’t put up another shot before the buzzer. The Cavilers most recent three losses have been by single digits.

After Cleveland tied the game at 79 on a J.J. Hickson slam dunk with 9:59 to go in the fourth, Ian Mahinmi and Jason Terry scored all but two of the Mavericks points over the next 5:04 to create a 93-83 cushion. Mahinmi succeeded in breaking through the Cavs defense and getting opportunities at the basket. Mahinmi finished with 11 points, five of those down the stretch in 20:33 minutes. For Terry’s part, he had a team-high 23 points and 10 in the fourth quarter.

With the arrival of Peja Stojakovic to the lineup, it allowed Terry, Shawn Marion and J.J. Barea all to come off the bench with a shot of power. The Mavs bench amassed 60 points. Marion compiled 14 first half points and ended up with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Starting center Tyson Chandler continued his double-double streak with 11 boards and 10 points.

Stojakovic went 1 for 6 from long range in his Mavs debut. He is in fourth place behind Jason Kidd on the all-time made 3’s list. It was a Barea 3 that gave the Mavs a 29-28 lead after one, a quarter in which the Cavilers shot 59 percent for much of the time.

Notes

• Dirk Nowitzki jammed his wrist at the end of the first quarter, and it seemed to bother them throughout the game.

A Veteran Presence: Mavericks 101 Celtics 97

Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki have a combined 28 years of NBA experience.

It all paid off on a Friday night at TD Garden in Boston, where the Mavericks beat the Celtics, the reigning Eastern conference champions 101-97. Trailing 97-96 with just seconds to go, Dirk Nowitzki passed the ball to Jason Kidd, who made sure his toes were behind the line as he set up for the 3-pointer that gave the Mavs their 99-97 lead. After a 20-second timeout called by the Celtics. Nowitzki, a career 87.6 percent free throw shooter, immediately took a hit from Kevin Garnett and went to the line. The free throws resulted in a two-possession contest that a Ray Allen 3 couldn’t save.

Allen netted three second half 3’s and needs six more long range shots to overtake Reggie Miller for the most 3’s made in a NBA career. Miller currently sits at 2,555 and needs to pass the 2,560 mark.

Another pair of Nowitzki free throws helped the Mavs to regain some confidence and head into the fourth quarter tied at 77. Both teams have track records of playing very well in the final quarter of close games. That’s why they are two of the top teams in the league. The Mavs outscored the storied Celtics 24-20, handing them a rare home defeat.

At the 5:36 mark of the third quarter on a jump shot, Jason Terry reached 15,000 career points. Tyson Chandler compiled 14 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double.

The Mavs toil with the Charlotte Bobcats, the only NBA squad they are yet to lose to, on Saturday.

Mavs Start the Road Wars With A Bang: Mavericks 113 Knicks 97

Madison Square Garden might be becoming one of the Mavericks’ favorite road venues.

In early 2010, the Mavs beat the Knicks at the Garden by a historic 50 points.

Wednesday’s victory didn’t quite meet those proportions, but the 113-97 win was the highest quality win the Mavs have experienced since Dirk Nowitzki’s return from a knee injury. Nowitzki finished with 29 points and 11 rebounds, and Tyson Chandler put together another 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Nowitzki scored 10 points in the third quarter when the Mavs executed a 21-1 run to transform a 56-52 lead into a 82-58 game. Maybe the Knicks smelled a touch of déjà vu and didn’t like it because they would go on their own 13-0 run. But after being at both ends of the scoring spectrum, the Mavs saw 86-73 going to the fourth quarter.

Jason Terry scored 8 of his 12 points in the fourth, and the Knicks never inched closer than 11.

Notes

• J.J. Barea and DeShawn Stevenson each connected on three 3’s.
• Before the Mavs took over, the game had nine lead changes and eight ties.
• The Mavs made 18 of 21 free throws after struggling from the line in the previous game.