Mavericks 120 Jazz 102: Game 2 Recap

Headline
A balanced, spectacular offensive performance leads the Mavs to their first win of the year in the home opener.

Box Score

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Nowitzki, Parsons, 21
Rebounds: Aminu, 10
Assists: Ellis, 6
+-: Harris, Jefferson, +19

Jazz
Points: Favors, 17
Rebounds: Favors, 11
Assists: Burke, 7
+-: Burke, +1

Game Ball
Chandler Parsons
21 points, 7 rebounds, 8-16 FG

X-Factor
Al-Farouq Aminu
16 points, 10 rebounds, 6-7 FG

Goat Horns
Rodney Hood
0 points, 0-7 FG, 0-3 3PT

Play of the Game
Take your choice of any one of the three first quarter alley-oops to Tyson Chandler. It could be Nelson to Chandler, Parsons to Chandler or Nelson to Chandler again. 

Stat of the Game
The Mavericks made their first 8 shots of the game on their way to a 69 point first half. They would end up shooting 55% for the game.

Of Note

• After going 9-13 from the field while scoring 21 points, Dirk is now 16-24 from the field in the first two games.
• After starting 1-7 from the field, Chandler Parsons made 7 of his last 9 shots.
• The Mavs center combo of Chandler and Brandan Wright combined to go 11-12 from the field.
• J.J. Barea played 19 minutes in his return to the Mavs totaling 4 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
• No Mav played more than 30 minutes and 7 different players scored in double-digits.
• Trevor Booker made 3 threes for the Jazz. He entered the game with one made three for his entire career. 
• Charlie Villanueva made his Mavs debut in garbage time.

Mavs Grades
Nowitzki: A
Parsons: A
Chandler: A
Ellis: A- 
Nelson: B+
Aminu: A+
Harris: A-
Wright: A
Barea: B+
Jefferson: B-
Crowder: C+

Quote of Note
“People are going to look at him and say this is one of the best young players in the league.”
Rick Carlisle on Chandler Parsons

They Tweeted It

Dirk giddy about having Tyson Chandler/J.J. Barea back. "I’m gonna call Peja & bring Brian Cardinal back and see if they can move somehow."
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) October 31, 2014

Next Up
The Mavs (1-1) travel to the Big Easy Saturday for a meeting with budding superstar Anthony Davis and the Pelicans (1-0) at 6:00.
 

Mavericks vs. Jazz: Game 2 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (0-1) vs. Utah Jazz (0-1)
Oct. 30, 7:30 at the AAC
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Mavs by 10.5

2013-14 Matchups

Nov. 22 at Dallas
Mavs 103 Jazz 93
Feb. 7 at Dallas
Mavs 103 Jazz 81
Mar. 12 at Utah
Mavs 108 Jazz 101
Apr. 8 at Utah
Mavs 95 Jazz 83

All-Time Series
Jazz 89 Mavs 66

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 8th (115.5)
Defense: 22nd (116.6)
Jazz
Offense: 15th (105.4)
Defense: 24th (117.8)

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Chandler Parsons
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Tyson Chandler
Jazz
PG: Trey Burke
SG: Alec Burks
SF: Gordon Hayward
PF: Derrick Favors
C: Eenes Kanter

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 26.0
RPG: Chandler, 10.0
APG: Ellis, 6.0
PER: Ellis, 28.3
Jazz
PPG: Burks, 18.0
RPG: Hayward, 8.0
APG: Hayward, 7.0
PER: Favors, 37.6

Of Note
The Mavs have won 5 in a row and 12 out of 15 against the Jazz, including sweeping the season series last year. Richard Jefferson played in all 82 games last for the Jazz, scoring 10.1 points per game and shooting .409% on threes. The Mavs begin a strech of 7 out of 9 games against teams that did not make the playoffs last season. Utah, led by new coach Quinn Snyder, has 11 players age 25 of younger. They dropped their opener at home to Houston last night 104-93. This is the 7th time the Mavs have faced the Jazz in their home opener, the most of any team. They are 3-3 in the six previous contests.

Mavs Sign Barea, Waive Mekel

The Mavericks made it official today, J.J. Barea is back with the Mavericks. The Puerto Rican guard who spent his first five seasons with Dallas, signed after clearing waivers this afternoon. He was waived on Monday by Minnesota after three years with the Timberwolves. To make room for Barea, the Mavs have waived  guard Gal Mekel, who was on the second year of a three year deal. Barea will wear number 5, because his old number 11 is taken by Monta Ellis.

Spurs 101 Mavericks 100: Game 1 Recap

Headline
Mavs fight hard against defending champs on their ring night, but come up one point short after fourth quarter rally.

Box Score

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Ellis, 26
Rebounds: Chandler, 10
Assists: Ellis, 6
+-: Wright, +6

Spurs
Points: Parker, 23
Rebounds: Duncan, 13
Assists: Ginobili, Diaw, 6
+-: Belinelli, +13

Game Ball
Monta Ellis
26 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 11-21 FG

X-Factor
Tyson Chandler
8 points, 10 rebounds, 4-8 FG

Goat Horns
Chandler Parsons
5 points, 2-10 FG

Play of the Game
With the Mavs in possession down one with time running down they move the ball around the perimeter from Dirk to Harris to Parsons, but Parsons' attempt at a game-winning three comes up short.

Stat of the Game
This might come as a shock, but the Spurs are really good at shooting threes. They went 14-28 tonight, with Tony Parker going 4-4 including the eventual game-winning shot with just over a minute to go.

Of Note

• The loss was the 10th straight in the regular season to the Spurs for the Mavs.
• Dirk had a great shooting game going 7-11 from the field.
• The Spurs were without Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and Tiago Splitter, it never seems to matter with them who they are without.
• The Mavs played 11 players, with only Gal Mekel and Charlie Villanueva not seeing action.
• The Spurs are now an amazing 17-1 in season openers with the Popovich and Duncan combination.

Mavs Grades
Nowitzki: B+
Parsons: D
Chandler: B+
Ellis: A-
Nelson: B
Harris: B
Wright: B-
Crowder: B
Jefferson: B

Quote of Note
 “I’ll take that shot any day at the end of the game, and I just have to step up and knock it down next time."
Chandler Parsons

They Tweeted It

The Mavs are going to be great by the way. Not as good as San Antonio, but they're only human.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) October 29, 2014

Next Up
The Mavs return home for the home opener against a lot easier opponent, the Utah Jazz, Thursday at 7:30.
 

Mavericks at Spurs: Game 1 Preview

Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs
Oct. 28, 7:00 at the AT&T Center
TV: TNT
Line: Spurs by 4.5

2013-14 Matchups
Regular Season
Dec. 26 at Dallas
Spurs 116 Mavs 107
Jan. 8 at San Antonio
Spurs 112 Mavs 90
Mar. 2 at San Antonio
Spurs 112 Mavs 106
Apr. 10 at Dallas
Spurs 109 Mavs 100

Playoffs (WCQF)
Game 1: Spurs 90 Mavs 85
Game 2: Mavs 113 Spurs 92
Game 3: Mavs 109 Spurs 108
Game 4: Spurs 93 Mavs 89
Game 5: Spurs 109 Mavs 103
Game 6: Mavs 113 Spurs 111
Game 7: Spurs 119 Mavs 96

All-Time Series
Spurs 96 Mavs 64

2013-14 Team Records
Mavs: 49-33 (3-4 playoffs)
Spurs: 62-20 (16-7 playoffs)

2013-14 Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 3rd (111.2)
Defense: 22nd (108.7)
Spurs
Offense: 7th (110.5)
Defense: 3rd (102.4)

Projected Starters

Mavs
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Chandler Parsons
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Tyson Chandler
Spurs
PG: Tony Parker
SG: Marco Belinelli
SF: Danny Green
PF: Tim Duncan
C: Boris Diaw

2013-14 Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Nowitzki, 21.7
RPG: Dalembert, 6.8
APG: Ellis, 5.7
PER: Nowitzki, 23.6
Spurs
PPG: Parker, 16.7
RPG: Duncan, 9.7
APG: Parker, 5.7
PER: Duncan, 21.3

Of Note
The season kicks off for the Mavs where last season ended, after they took the eventual champion Spurs to a game seven in the first round of the playoffs. The roster looks very different for Dallas however with eight new players, most notably Tyson Chandler and Chandler Parsons. The Spurs return essentially the same team, adding only rookie Kyle Anderson. The Mavs will be almost fully healthy with only Raymond Felton out of the lineup with a high ankle sprain. The Spurs however, will probably be without Kawhi Leonard (eye infection) and Tiago Splitter (strained right soleus). The Mavs have lost 9 straight regular season games to the Spurs. The Spurs of course will be receiving their championship rings and raising their 5th championship banner, it will up to the Mavs to spoil the rest of the evening for the home team and their fans.
Update: Leonard and Splitter have been ruled out by the Spurs.

Mavs Bringing Back Barea?

According to Marc Stein, former Mavs guard J.J. Barea is finalizing a buyout of his contract with the Timberwolves. He is also reporting that the Mavericks are planning on signing Barea after he clears waivers.
In order to sign Barea the Mavs must clear a roster spot, which would probably mean trading or releasing Gal Mekel.
Barea played the first five years of his career for the Mavs, which culminated with him playing a key role on the 2011 championship team. He signed a four year deal after the 2011 lockout with the Wolves, with this being the final year of that contract.
No word yet on if Brian Cardinal is also planning on a return to the Mavs.

Mavs Set 15 Man Roster

With the last preseason game in the books, the Mavericks has determined  the 15 players that will open the season on the roster. Charlie Villanueva who has a non-guaranteed contract has made the final roster, while the team has waived Bernard James, Ivan Johnson and Doron Lamb. James, who had spent the last two seasons with the Mavs, did have a guaranteed deal. Any of those who were released could end up on the Texas Legends if they clear waivers.

Mvericks 117 Magic 92: Preseason Game 8 Recap

Headline
Mavs look regular season ready in preseason finale as they dominate homecoming night for Nelson and Parsons.

Photo from the AP.

Box Score

Leaders
Mavericks
Points: Parsons, 24
Rebounds: Chandler, 5
Assists: Nelson, Harris, 7
+-: Nelson, +20

Magic
Points: Harris, 14
Rebounds: Vucevic, 13
Assists: Payton, 5
+-: Marble, 0

Game Ball
Chandler Parsons
24 points, 4 rebounds, 8-13 FG, 6-6 FT

X-Factor
Al-Farouq Aminu
13 points, 4 rebounds, 5-8 FG, 3-5 3PT

Goat Horns
Mo Harkless
2 points, 1-5 FG, 26 minutes

Play of the Game
Dirk passes from the post to Parsons at the three point line, who fakes the shot and takes it all the way to the hole for a ferocious dunk to put the Mavs up 55-44 with 1:05 left until halftime.

Stat of the Game
The Mavericks force a whopping 26 turnovers by the Magic.

Of Note

• The Mavericks finished preseason with a 4-4 record, but were 4-0 in games that Dirk played.
• Dirk scored all 16 points of his points in the first half, including hitting 4 threes.
• Parsons, who is from the Orlando area, scored 15 of his 24 points in the third quarter. He was the first Mav to score 20 in a preseason game this year.
• Jameer Nelson had 4 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds in his return to Orlando after playing 10 seasons with the Magic. A video tribute was played during one of the timeouts.
• A 14-0 run in the second quarter erased a 6 point deficit to give the Mavs a lead they would never relinquish. 

Quote of Note
“We’re all here for the same thing. There’s no egos, no hidden agendas. We’re here, we’re here to win big.”
Chandler Parsons

They Tweeted It

AND NOW THE REAL FUN BEGINS.!! HELLO NBA SEASON LET IT BE A GREAT ONE.!!! #MAVSNATION
— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) October 25, 2014

Next Up
It starts for real Tuesday in San Antonio, where the Mavericks will look spoil the ring night celebration for the champion Spurs. The game will televised nationally by TNT at 7:00.

Mavs Season Preview

Month-by-Month Look
 
October-November
Games of Note: Oct. 28 at San Antonio, Nov. 22 at Houston
Predicted Record: 13-5

December
Games of Note: Dec. 16 at New York, Dec. 28 vs. OKC
Predicted Record: 10-5

January
Games of Note: Jan. 4 at Cleveland, Jan. 30 at Miami
Predicted Record: 10-6

February
Games of Note: Feb. 4 at Golden St., Feb. 9 vs. LA Clippers
Predicted Record: 8-4

March
Games of Note: Mar. 10 vs. Cleveland, Mar. 24 and 27 vs. San Antonio
Predicted Record: 8-5

April
Games of Note: Apr. 1 at OKC, Apr. 15 vs. Portland
Predicted Record: 5-3

Final Record: 54-28, 3rd in the West

Projected Team Leaders
PPG: Nowitzki, 20.2
RPG: Chandler, 10.1
APG: Ellis, 6.0
SPG: Ellis, 1.83
BPG: Chandler, 1.25
FG%: Wright, .658, (Nowitzki, .501)
3PT: Nowitzki,.407
FT: Nowitzki ,.908
MPG: Ellis, 36.4

Projected Team Ranks
Offensive Rank: 3rd
Defensive Rank: 15th

Pelicans 88 Mavericks 85: Preseason Game 7 Recap

Headline
Mavs predictably struggle offensively as their top seven players sit out, but fight to the end against the Pelicans full roster.

(photo from the Shreveport Times)
 
Box Score                                 

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Mekel, 17
Rebounds: James, 10
Assists: Mekel, 8
+-: Johnson, +4

Pelicans
Points: Evans, 14
Rebounds: Evans, Asik, 7
Assists: Smith, 4
+-: Evans, +15

Game Ball
Gal Mekel
17 points, 8 assists, 7-13 FG, 42 minutes

X-Factor
Bernard James
6 points, 10 rebounds, 3-6 FG

Goat Horns
Richard Jefferson
0-7 FG, 1 point

Play of the Game
Ivan Johnson gets a three point play to pull the Mavs within one with 30.5 seconds left. After that the Mavs get a stop but a no-call on a loose ball foul leads to a Patric Young dunk with 2.6 seconds left. Ricky Ledo then missed a three at the buzzer that would have sent the game into overtime.

Stat of the Game
Both teams had a brutal shooting game. The Mavs shot 39% from the field and 4-23 on threes, including missing their first 17. The Pelicans shot 37%, were 6-27 on threes and 18-32 from the line.

Of Note

• The Mavs sat their top 7 players (Nowitzki, Parsons,Chandler, Ellis, Nelson, Harris and Wright) on the first night of a back-to-back.
• The game was played in Bossier City, Louisiana with plenty of Mavs fans in attendence.
• Ivan Johnson scored 11 points in 10 fourth quarter minutes.
• Anthony Davis had a 5 point possesion midway through the third quarter. He scored and was fouled on a layup, got his own rebound on his missed free throw, and again scored and was fouled, this time making the free throw.
• The Mavs had a horrendous offensive first quarter scoring only 10 points on 4-16 shooting and committing 7 turnovers.

Quote of Note
“[Mekel] has continued to progress. He’s gotten a great opportunity these last two games and he’s shooting the ball better. His decision-making has gotten better and he’s adjusted to the league, so he’s done a good job.”
Rick Carlisle on Gal Mekel

They Tweeted It

Baskeball is being set back decades in the first quarter at Bossier City, La. Less than 4 minutes left in the first and Mavs have 4 points.
— Eddie Sefko (@ESefko) October 24, 2014

Next Up
The Mavs finish up their preseason schedule in Orlando against the Magic at 6:00 tomorrow. The game will be treated as a dress rehearsal of sorts with Jameer Nelson returing to Orlando after playing 10 seasons with the Magic.

2014-15 NBA Predictions

West
1. Spurs
2. Clippers
3. Mavericks
4. Thunder
5. Warriors
6. Rockets
7. Grizzlies
8. Blazers
9. Pelicans
10. Suns
11. Nuggets
12. Timberwolves
13. Kings
14. Jazz
15. Lakers

East
1. Cavaliers
2. Bulls
3. Raptors
4. Wizards
5. Hornets
6. Hawks
7. Heat
8. Pistons
9. Nets
10. Knicks
11. Pacers
12. Celtics
13. Bucks
14. Magic
15. 76ers

Conference Finals
Spurs over Clippers
Cavaliers over Bulls

NBA Finals
Spurs over Cavaliers

Awards
MVP: LeBron James
Rookie of the Year: Jabari Parker
Coach of the Year: Rick Carlisle
Defensive Player of the Year: Serge Ibaka
Sixth Man: Isaiah Thomas
Most Improved: Klay Thompson

All-NBA
First Team
F: LeBron James
F: Blake Griffin
C: Dwight Howard
G: Chris Paul
G: Stephen Curry
Second Team
F: Kevin Durant
F: Kevin Love
C: Marc Gasol
G: Russell Westbrook
G: James Harden
Third Team
F: Dirk Nowitzki
F: Anthony Davis
C: Joakim Noah
G: Kyrie Irving
G: Damian Lillard

All-Rookie Team

Jabari Parker
Andrew Wiggins
Nerlens Noel
Marcus Smart
Julius Randle

All-Defensive Team
F: LeBron James 
F: Serge Ibaka
C: Dwight Howard
G: Chris Paul
G: Tony Allen

Mavericks Waive Griffin, Togashi

The Mavericks announced today they have requested waivers on forward Eric Griffin and guard Yuki Togashi. Griffin played in 2 preseason games scoring 1 point. Togashi didn't see any preseason action. Both players played for the Mavs summer league team and are both expected to end up playing for the Mavs D-League affialite, the Texas Legends. The Mavs now have 18 players on their roster and have to get down to 15 by the start of the regular season.

Mavericks 108 Grizzlies 103: Preseason Game 6 Recap

Headline
Mavs extreme balance on offense leads to a great warmup performance against one of the league's best defenses.

Box Score

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Chandler, Ellis: 14
Rebounds: Chandler, 8
Assists: Nelson, 6
+-: Ellis, +14

Grizzlies
Points: Pondexter, 18
Rebounds: Gasol, Whiteside, 7
Assists: Conley, 4
+: Christopher, +11

Game Ball
Tyson Chandler
14 points, 8 rebounds, 6-8 FG

X-Factors
Richard Jefferson and Al-Farouq Aminu
Combined 25 points, 9-13 FG, in 14 minutes each

Goat Horns
Zach Randolph
6 points, 2-7 FG

Play of the Game
Richard Jefferson goes up high to throw down Devin Harris' alley-oop pass to put the Mavs up by a game-high 19 with 3.8 seconds left in the third.

Stat of the Game
Mavs had 7 players score between 10-14 points. That included all 5 starters plus Jefferson and Aminu.

Of Note
Vince Carter made his first appearance in Dallas since signing with Memphis in the off-season. He has 3 points, 2 rebounds and a block of Dirk in 8 minutes.
All Mavericks regulars played except Raymond Felton who is still recovering from a high ankle sprain.
Despite the tremendous size of the Memphis frontline, the Mavs outrebounded the Grizzlies 49-43.
Dallas had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 29-12.
This was the last preseason home game for the Mavs. They have two road games left Thursday and Friday before they start the regular season in San Antonio next Tuesday.

Quote of Note
"They are a top three team in the West, that’s the facts."
Grizzlies Coach Dave Joerger on the Mavs

They Tweeted It

Dirk on Vince Carter's block of his dunk attempt: "I told him it was a flagrant 2."
— Earl K. Sneed (@EarlKSneed) October 21, 2014

Next Up
The Mavs play their only neutral site game of the preseason Thursday in Shrevport, against Anthony Davis and the Pelicans at 7.

Pacers 98 Mavericks 93: Preseason Game 5 Recap

Headline
Despite sitting their top six players, Mavs play well for three quarters but can't handle the Pacers in the final frame.

Box Score

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Jefferson, Mekel, 19
Rebounds: Aminu, 12
Assists: Mekel, 9
+-: Jefferson, +9

Pacers
Points: Copeland, 22
Rebounds: Hill, 9
Assists: Hill, 6
+-: Rudez, +16

Game Ball
Gal Mekel
19 points, 9 assists, 7-14 FG, 4-4 FT

X-Factor
Richard Jefferson
19 points, 5 rebounds, 7-11 FG, 2-2 3PT

Goat Horns
Ivan Johnson
6 minutes, 0 points, 0-3 FG, 5 fouls

Play of the Game
Gal Mekel hits a tough turnaround jumper to tie the game with 37 seconds left.

Stat of the Game
Mekel had more assists (7) in the first half than the entire Pacers team (6).

Additional Notes
The Mavs rested Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons, Tyson Chandler, Monta Ellis, Jameer Nelson and Devin Harris on the second night of a back-to-back.
David West left the game and had to be helped off the court  in the third period after sustaining a sprained ankle.
Dallas carried a 13 point lead heading into the fourth but were outscored 37-19 in the final stanza as the Pacers made 12-16 shots from the field.
As the only available true point guard Mekel played 43 minutes.

Quote of Note
“We wanted to win. It’s one of those games that you feel bad that you had the lead the whole game and lose in the end, but we had a lot of good stuff and we can take a lot of good things from this game moving on.”
Gal Mekel

They Tweeted It
 

"@jtyoung18: @coopmavs Mekel is getting a lot of praise from the Pacer's broadcast." He's getting a lot of praise from us too
— Chuck Cooperstein (@coopmavs) October 19, 2014

Next Up
The Mavs come home for their last preseason home game when they face the Grizzlies, Monday at 7:30.

Mavs 108 Cavs 102: Preseason Game 4 Recap

Headline
In their first appearance together the starting five lights up the scoreboard leading to a road win over LeBron and company.

 

Box Score

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Parsons, Nelson, 19
Rebounds: Nowitzki, 9
Assists: Ellis, 8
+-: Ellis, +19

Cavs
Points: Irving, 23
Rebounds: Thompson, 11
Assists: Irving, 5
+-: four were +5

Game Ball
Jameer Nelson
19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 7-9 FG, 4-6 3PT

X-Factor
Brandan Wright
11 points, 5-6 FG in 12 minutes

Goat Horns
Dion Waiters
14 points, 4-15 FG, 4 TO

Play of the Game
Parsons takes a feed from a Nelson and drives to the cup for a ferocious dunk to give the Mavs a 32-22 lead with 3:46 left in the first quarter.

Stat of the Game
The Mavs did most of their damage in the first and third periods, scoring 37 points in the first and 32 in the third led mainly by the starters. In total they outscore Cleveland 69-49 in those two quarters.

Additional Notes
6 Mavs scored in double figures. Nelson and Parsons led the way with 19, Dirk had 16, Ellis and Harris has 13 apiece and Wright had 11.
LeBron James was not looking for his shot most of the night finishing with only 6 attempts from the field in 26 minutes on his way to 12 points.
Both teams did well from shooting from long distance. The Mavs were 14-34 (41.2%), while the Cavs were 15-37 (40.5%).
The Cavs sat both Kevin Love and Shawn Marion to give them some rest while Raymond Felton was the only Mav to sit out due to his high ankle sprain.
The two teams won't meet in the regular season until Jan. 4 in Cleveland. The Cavs come to Dallas on March 10.

Quote of Note
 “You know, we did a lot of experimentation, going zone pretty much 95 percent of the game. And that was the first time I think in my whole career playing zone pretty much the whole game.”
Brandan Wright on the heavy use of zone defense by the Mavs.

They Tweeted It

Appropriate preseason caveats apply, but the Dallas offense looks unstoppable tonight.
— Kevin Pelton (@kpelton) October 18, 2014

Next Up
Count on many key players sitting out the second night of a road back-to-back when the Mavs face the Pacers for the second time in three games, tomorrow night at 6:00.

Mavs Sign Yuki Togashi to Play for Legends

The Mavericks announced today that they have signed 5-7 Japanese point guard Yuki Togashi to a free agent contract that will enable him to spend the year with the Texas Legends in the D-League.
The 21 year old Togashi  played for the Mavs Summer League where he averaged 5.3 points in 4 games. He has played professionally in Japan and attended high school at Montrose Christian in Maryland, the alma mater of Kevin Durant.

Mavericks 106 Pacers 98: Preseason Game 3 Recap

Headline
Dirk's 16 first half points and Villanueva's hot fourth quarter leads to Mavs first preseason win.

Box Score

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Nowitzki, Villanueva, 16
Rebounds: Parsons, Aminu, Ledo, 7
Assists: Nelson, 10
+-: Villanueva, +13
Pacers
Points: Miles, 19
Rebounds: Allen, 8
Assists: Rudez, 6
+-: Miles, Copeland, +6

Game Ball
Charlie Villanueva
16 points, 6-8 FG, 4-6 3PT, all in the 4th quarter

X-Factor
Gal Mekel
11 points, 5 assists, 4-7 FG

Play of the Game
Richard Jefferson goes baseline for the jam midway through the 3rd quarter.

Stat of the Game
Mavs made 6 threes, 4 by Charlie Villanueva on their way to a 37 point fourth quarter to pull away from the Pacers.

Additional Notes
Dirk Nowitzki scored 16 points in 19 first half minutes in his first preseason game. He went 7-11 from the field and made both of his threes.
The Mavs played without Monta Ellis (sprained knee) and Raymond Felton (high ankle sprain). Ellis is expected back for the Mavs next game on Friday.
The Pacers rested starters Roy Hibbert and George Hill.
The Mavs were only 12-26 from the line.

Quote of Note
"It is unbelievable. It is very humbling and at the same time, I'm excited. Getting to be in a situation like this on a team that has a winning tradition makes me glad to be a part of it."
Charlie Villanueva on being a Maverick

They Tweeted It

Charlie Villanueva's doing his damnedest to make it tough for Rick Carlisle and Donnie Nelson to leave him off the final 15-man roster.
— Bryan Gutierrez (@BallinWithBryan) October 13, 2014

Next Up
The Mavs have four days off before they travel to Cleveland Friday to face LeBron James and the Cavaliers at 6:30.

Thunder 118 Mavericks 109: Preseason Game 2 Recap

Headline
Mavs drop another foul-plagued affair without Dirk and Monta.

Box Score

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Aminu, Crowder, 14
Rebounds: Parsons, Chandler, 6
Assists: Harris, 8
+-: Jefferson, +11
Thunder
Points: Morrow, 21
Rebounds: Lamb, 11
Assists: Jenkins, 5
+-: Adams, +12

Game Ball
Al-Farouq Aminu
14 points, 3-7 FG, 7-7 FT

X-Factor
Richard Jefferson
13 points, 4-10 FG, 2-4 3PT

Play of the Game
The two Chandlers connect on an alley-oop dunk (Parsons to Tyson), midway through the first quarter.

Stat of the Game
85 free throws (Mavs 32-45, OKC 30-40) were taken between the two teams. In total 68 fouls were called with 32 on the Mavs and 36 on the Thunder. Through two preseason games there have been 194 free throws taken and 149 fouls called in the Mavs' games.

Additional Notes
Dirk Nowitzki (hip) and Monta Ellis (knee) sat out for the Mavs. Dirk is expected back on Sunday with Monta returning for the next game.
Raymond Felton left with a sprained ankle late in the first quarter.
Chandler Parsons had 9 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in 20 minutes.
The Mavs went 11-36 on threes.
Kevin Durant (12 points) and Russell Westbrook (13 points) played 18 minutes each, all in the first half.

Quote of Note
"Parsons looked tired out there tonight to me, and his shot was short He's working on losing some weight. He's a little heavier than he's been. He's up over 230 and we would like to see him get down to at least 225. That's a work in progress. Tonight's one of those nights where I think the extra weight was a hinderance."
Rick Carlisle calling on Chandler Parsons to lose some weight.

They Tweeted It

On Mavs broadcast, @swish41 just told story of how OKC's Andre Roberson informed him last season that Dirk played with his FATHER in Germany
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) October 11, 2014

Next Up
The Mavs remain at home to face the Indiana Pacers, Sunday at 6:30.

Ellis to Miss Two Games

According to Rick Carlisle, Monta Ellis has a sprained left knee and will miss the next two preseason games. The injury is not believed to be serious. Also Dirk Nowitzki participated in shootaround today and should play in Sunday's game vs. Indiana.

Rockets 111 Mavericks 108: Preseason Game 1 Review

A FOUL BEGINNING 
Mavs and Rockets combine for 81 fouls and 109 free throws as Mavs drop preaseason opener.

Box Score

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Parsons, 14
Rebounds: Aminu, 11
Assists: Ellis, 3
+-: Harris, +18
Rockets
Points: Motiejunas, 18
Rebounds: Howard, Papnikolaou, 6
Assists: Beverley, 4
+-: Jones, +6

Game Ball
Chandler Parsons
14 points, 3-7 FG, 2-4 3PT, 6-6 FT in first game versus his old team.

X-Factor
Charlie Villenueva
13 points, 4-8 FG, 3-6 3PT

Play of the Game
Jae Crowder is callled for a phantom foul of Kostas Papanikolaou on a 3 pointer with 0.2 left and the scored tied. The Rockets rookie made all 3 free throws to decide the game.

Stat of the Game
Fouls, fouls and more fouls. 81 in total, 45 on Houston and 36 against the Mavs. Dallas goes 47-64 from the line while the Rockets go 29-45. The game takes 2:55 minutes to play.

Additional Notes
Dirk Nowitzki missed the game with an injured hip that is not believed to be serious.
Nelson, Ellis, Parsons, Aminu and Chandler started for Dallas.
Besides Dirk, Eric Griffin and Doron Lamb were the only Mavs who didn't see action.
Gal Mekel tied the game with a three with 6.9 seconds to go.
Dwight Howard fouled out with 6:29 to go in the third quarter.

Quote of Note
"Whether it was the correct call or the right call at the end, it saved all of us five minutes of basketball agony."
Rick Carlisle on the game deciding foul call.

They Tweeted It

“@D_Harris17: Great game for the Mavs but that was a bad call on my lil bro @CJC9BOSS” I THINK THE REFS WANTED TO GO HOME BRODIE..
— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) October 8, 2014

Next Up
The Mavs remain at home to face Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder in preseason game number two, Friday at 7:30.