Mavericks vs. Timberwolves: Game 18 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (10-7) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-9)
Nov. 30, 7:30 at the AAC
TV: FSSW, NBALP

2013-14 Matchups
Nov. 8 at Minnesota
Wolves 116 Mavs 108

All-Time Series
Mavs 57 Wolves 42

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 5th (108.3)
Defense: 23rd (106.3)
Wolves
Offense: 10th (106.2)
Defense: 7th (101.5)

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Wolves
PG: Ricky Rubio
SG: Kevin Martin
SF: Corey Brewer
PF: Kevin Love
C: Nikola Pekovic

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 21.7
RPG: Blair, 7.8
APG: Ellis, 5.5
PER: Nowitzki, 22.4
Wolves
PPG: Love, 24.3
RPG: Love, 13.9
APG: Rubio, 8.7
PER: Love, 26.3

Notes
Jose Calderon hopes to play tonight, after spraining his ankle in last night's loss to Atlanta. Monta Ellis has gone 2 consecutive games without attempting a free throw. Minnesota has lost 5 of their last 6 games, after starting the season 7-4. The The Timberwolves play the 2nd fastest pace in the league, averaging 98.9 possessions per 48 minutes.

Mavericks at Hawks: Game 17 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (10-6) at Atlanta Hawks (8-8)
Nov. 29, 6:30 at Philips Arena
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Mavs by 1

2013-14 Matchups
Oct. 30 at Dallas
Mavs 118 Hawks 109

All-Time Series
Hawks 33 Mavs 32

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 5th (109.1)
Defense: 25th (106.9)
Hawks
Offense: 16th (103.9)
Defense: 13th (104.5)

Projected Starters
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Hawks
PG: Jeff Teague
SG: Kyle Korver
SF: Demarre Carroll
PF: Paul Millsap
C: Al Horford


Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 22.3
RPG: Marion, 7.3
APG: Ellis, 5.6
PER: Nowitzki, 22.9
Hawks
PPG: Horford, 17.1
RPG: Horford, 8.1
APG: Teague, 8.4
PER: Horford, 21.4

Notes
Monta Ellis scored 32 points in the Mavs 118-109 opening night victory over the Hawks, the most ever by a player in his Mavericks debut.  The Mavericks are shooting 81% from the line this season, good for second in the NBA behind Minnesota at 81.4%. Dirk leads the league shooting 94% from the line. Atlanta is 3rd in the NBA in assists per game averaging 24.6 dimes per contest. Kyle Korver, who is questionable with a rib injury, is one game shy of tying the NBA record for consecutive games with a made 3-pointer of 89 set by Dana Barros.

Mavericks 103 Warriors 99: Game 16 Review

Hoping to shake off back-to-back losses to the Nuggets and re-establish home dominance, the Mavs knew they would have to play near their best to beat a very dangerous Warriors squad. For 3 1/2 quarters they did exactly that by building a lead that reached 17 points at 99-82. A 13-0 Warriors run followed, but Dallas re-found its rhythm just in time to escape to a 103-99 victory.

The Mavericks were dialed in from the start taking advantage of a sloppy Warriors early effort to build a double-digit lead for a good portion of the second quarter. Dirk was dialed in early, hitting 6 of his first 7 shots and the team took excellent care of the ball, not turning the ball over until midway through the 2nd quarter.

The Mavs were able to maintain a healthy margin during the 3rd period, and still had an 11 point lead entering the 3rd thanks to a buzzer-beater by Shane Larkin. After building the lead up, the Warriors got back in it late thanks to maybe the best shooting backcourt of  all-time of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Thankfully a Sam Dalembert dunk off a nice find from Monta Ellis and a Dirk jumper helped ice the game and make sure the lead never got below 4.

Dirk led the way for the Mavs, scoring 22 points all on 2 point shots. Monta Ellis, had his first real rough shooting game as a Mav, scoring only 4 points on 2-16 shooting. Despite the fact that he was held below 18 points for the first time all year, he distributed the ball well, handing out 10 assists. The bench was excellent, outscoring the Warriors reserves 43-13. Jae Crowder played his best game in a while scoring 12 and hitting 3 threes. Dejuan Blair was his usual tenacious self with 11 points and 9 rebounds, 7 on the offensive end. After barely playing in the last matchup against Denver, Larkin responded with the best game of his young career with 7 points, 6 assists and 0 turnovers, and showed what a energetic force he can be on both ends of the court.

Curry led Golden St. with 29 on 6 3s while Klay Thompson (20 points, 10 rebounds) and David Lee (20 points, 12 rebounds) had 20 and 10 games. The big difference in the game was the turnover margin. The Warriors turned it over on 18 occasions to only 6 for the Mavs.

For the Mavs it was extremely productive night, beating one of the West's better teams by controlling the action on both ends of the floor most of the night. They showed needed improvement on defense by holding the Warriors under 100 points and kept amazing streak of now 28 games of scoring over 100 points against the Warriors in Dallas. A streak that dates back to Dirk's rookie season of 1999.

Mavs Leaders
Points: Nowitzki, 22
Rebounds: Blair, 9
Assists: Ellis, 10
+-: Crowder, +19

Mavs Player of the Game: Dirk

Play of the Game: Larkin running shot that beat the third quarter buzzer.

Stat of the Game: Turnovers: Mavs 6, Warriors, 18

Quote of Note: “Of all the games we’ve played this year, tonight was the night we really needed the bench to step up and be big – really at both ends of the court – and they were. “We’ve got some younger guys we’re developing and really, they all stepped up.” Rick Carlisle

Next Up: The Mavs make a quick one game road trip for the second and final matchup of the year with the Atlanta Hawks, Friday at 6:30.

Mavericks vs. Warriors: Game 16 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (9-6) vs. Golden State Warriors (9-6)
Nov. 27, 7:30 at the AAC
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Mavs by 4.5

2012-13 Matchups
Nov. 19 at Dallas
Warriors 105 Mavs 101 (OT)
Jan. 31 at Oakland
Warriors 100 Mavs 97
Feb. 9 at Dallas
Mavs 116 Warriors 91

All-Time Series
Mavs 77 Warriors 59

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 5th (109.3)
Defense: 27th (107.2)
Warriors
Offense: 12th (105.2)
Defense: 5th (100.8)

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Warriors
PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Klay Thompson
SF: Harrison Barnes
PF: David Lee
C: Andrew Bogut

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 23.5
RPG: Marion, 7.5
APG: Ellis, 5.3
Warriors
PPG: Thompson, 21.2
RPG: Bogut, 9.4
APG: Curry, 8.9

Notes
Monta Ellis played the first 6 1/2 seasons of his career with the Warriors averaging 19.6 PPG. He was traded to Milwaukee for Warriors starting center Andrew Bogut. Dejaun Blair leads the NBA in offensive rebound percentage, securing 17.6% of available rebounds on the offensive glass. The Warriors remain without swingman Andre Iguodala, who is out indefinitely with a strained hamstring. Golden State is shooting .440% on 3s, which would break the NBA single-season record set by the 96-97 Charlotte Hornets at .428%. That Hornet team had one Dell Curry shooting plenty of those threes, the father of Warriors star Stephen Curry.

Nuggets 110 Mavericks 96: Game 15 Review

Coming off the Mavericks 102-100 loss to Denver last Saturday, the team although disappointed by the loss, could take some solace in that they had gone down to the wire in a tough environment on the second night of a back-to-back. The chances for payback seemed to look good entering last night's return game with the Nuggets, but instead the Mavs got beat a lot worse on their home floor, falling for the first time at the AAC by a 110-96 score.

Things got off to a great start for Dallas, as they made 9 of their first 10 shots en route to an early 19-8 lead. Unfortunately things only went downhill from there. The Nuggets caught fire on offense and eventually opened up a double-figure lead by early in the 2nd quarter. The Mavs did trim the margin to 5 at halftime, but they could never wrestle much momentum away Denver all night, as the Nuggets were able to get to the rim at will, on there way shooting nearly 55% from the field. The fourth quarter saw no change as Denver continued to hit timely shots as they kept there lead over 10 much of the quarter.

The Mavs got good games from their starting lineup from the most part. Monta Ellis led the team with 22 points on 8-15 shooting. Dirk scored 18 and passed Kevin Garnett for 14th on the all-time scoring list and Shawn Marion contributed a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. On the flip side the bench struggled again led by another poor shooting night by Vince Carter who was only 3-13 from the field.

The Mavs defense was the most troubling aspect of the game however as Denver carved them up all night led by J.J. Hickson's 22 points on 8-11 shooting and Ty Lawson double-double of 19 points and 11 assists.  To close things out Nate Robinson scored 11 straight points in the 4th quarer to finish off the Mavs for good.

For the Mavericks to become a true contender in the West they must find a way to play better on the defensive end. Though they might not have the best personnel on that end of the floor, they must avoid efforts like last that will get you beat most times against good team like Denver, that will be their competition for playoff spots. Another high powered offense comes to town Wednesday with Golden State, and for the Mavs to win they must be able to slow teams down just enough so that their offense at least has a chance to win them games.

Team Leaders
Points: Ellis, 22
Rebounds: Marion, 12
Assists: Ellis, Calderon and Marion, 4

Mavs Player of the Game: Marion

Play of the Game: Dirk's 2 free throws in the 2nd quarter that passed Garnett.

Stat of the Game: Denver goes 41-75 (.547%) from the field for the game.

Quote of Note: ''We didn't have much competitive energy tonight, and the guys on the bench are the guys that have got to give it to us." Rick Carlisle

Next Up: The Mavericks (9-6) welcome Stephen Curry and the Golden St. Warriors (8-6) to town Wednesday at 7:30.

Mavericks vs. Nuggets: Game 15 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (9-5) vs. Denver Nuggets (6-6)
Nov. 25, 7:30 at the AAC
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Mavs by 5.5

2013-14 Matchups
Nov. 23 at Denver
Nuggets 102 Mavs 100

All-Time Series
Mavs 79 Nuggets 73

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 5th (109.5)
Defense: 21st (106.2)
Nuggets
Offense: 10th (105.4)
Defense: 19th (105.4)

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Nuggets
PG: Ty Lawson
SG: Randy Foye
SF: Wilson Chandler
PF: Kenneth Faried
C: J.J. Hickson


Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 23.6
RPG: Dalembert, 7.5
APG: Ellis, 5.4
Nuggets
PPG: Lawson, 20.8
RPG: Faried, 9.6
APG: Lawson, 8.5

Notes
The Mavs look to go 8-0 at home by splitting the home-and-home with the Nuggets after losing in Denver Saturday night. With 10 points Dirk Nowitzki will move pass the still-active Kevin Garnett for 14th on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 25,353 career points. Monta Ellis' 7.4 FTA per game, would be the most by a Mav player since Dirk averaged the same amount in the 05-06 season. Denver features two DISD alums on their roster: Darrell Arthur (South Oak Cliff) and Anthony Randolph (Woodrow Wilson).

Nuggets 102 Mavericks 100: Game 14 Review

After giving away much of a big lead against Utah Friday night, on Saturday it was the Mavericks  this time storming back from a 17 point deficit in Denver. Although they had chances to win the game or force overtime late, they ultimately came up 2 points short in their comeback attempt, falling to the Nuggets by a 102-100 score.

The Mavericks got off to a sluggish start, as Denver was able to pick apart the Mavs' zone defense and led Dallas 35-22 after the first quarter. Things did not get a whole lot better in the second period and Rick Carlisle had clearly seen enough. Carlisle was ejected midway through the period on back-to-back technical fouls, upset that a flagrant foul call was not made against Denver on Monta Ellis.

The Mavs were able to get back in the game in the third quarter, thanks to Vince Carter emerging from a shooting slump to hit several big threes. Meanwhile Denver began to go cold from the field after hitting 9 first half threes they would only hit 2 after the break.

The Mavericks were able to stay within striking distance in the fourth, and led by 9 points in the quarter by Dirk Nowitzki were able to take a 100-98 lead after consecutive Dirk jumpers with just over 2 minutes to go. The lead was short lived however as Randy Foye's 3 gave the Nuggets the lead back with 1:11 to go. After a Dirk miss, Kenneth Faried split a pair of three throws to put Denver up 2 with 14.7 seconds to go. The Mavericks had 2 tries in the final seconds to force overtime but a Ellis  driving layup and a Dirk jumper were no good.

What Carlisle called the Mavs "big three" on offense, were just that, scoring 68 of the team's 100 points. Dirk has a game-high 27 points to go along with 9 rebounds. Ellis had another strong game, scoring 25 points while going 8-14 from the field. Meanwhile Carter had one of his best games of the young season, hitting 4-5 threes on his way to 16 points.

Hurting the Mavs was Ty Lawson, as the speedy guard led Denver with 20 points and 9 assists.  Faried was at his energetic best grabbing 14 rebounds to go along with his 17 points. In addition to hitting the game's biggest shot Foye hurt the Mavericks with his outside shooting, with 15 of his 17 points coming on threes.

The good thing is despite the tough loss there a lot of positives the Mavs can take away from this game. Getting down big on a second night of a back-to-back in a tough place to play, they showed a  lot getting back in the game and eventually taking a lead. With Denver coming to town Monday night, the Mavs should like their chance to get some payback in their home building.

Team Leaders
Points: Nowitzki, 27
Rebounds: Blair, 10
Assists: Calderon, 5

Player of the Game: Dirk (9-22 FG, 9-9 FT)

Play of the Game: Foye's go-ahead 3

Stat of the Game: Mavericks not named Nowitzki, Ellis, Carter or Calderon go 7-28 from the field.

Quote of Note: “I know Coach was very mad about it .That’s why we fought so hard to get back into the game, because he did a lot to get thrown out, so I think we owed that to him. Even though we weren’t playing good ball, when he did that I think we got a spark and got back in the game.” Monta on Carlisle's ejection

Next Up: The Mavericks (9-5) face-off again with the Nuggets (6-6) on Monday, this time in Big D at 7:30.

Mavericks at Nuggets: Game 14 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (9-4) at Denver Nuggets (5-6)
Nov. 23, 8:00 at the Pepsi Center
TV: FSSW, NBALP

2012-13 Matchups
Dec. 28 at Dallas
Nuggets 106 Mavs 85
Apr. 4 at Denver
Nuggets 95 Mavs 94
Apr. 12 at Dallas
Mavs 108 Nuggets 105 (OT)

All-Time Series
Mavs 79 Nuggets 72

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 110.2 (3rd)
Defense: 106.5 (22nd)
Nuggets
Offense: 105.6 (10th)
Defense: 105.8 (20th)

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Nuggets
PG: Ty Lawson
SG: Randy Foye
SF: Wilson Chandler
PF: Kenneth Faried
C: J.J. Hickson

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 23.5
RPG: Dalembert, 7.8
APG: Ellis, 5.7
Nuggets
PPG: Lawson, 20.9
RPG: Faried, Hickson, 9.2
APG: Lawson, 8.5

Notes
The Mavs look for their 5th straight win, which would surpass any winning streak the team had last year. Samuel Dalembert has 3 straight double digit rebound games and after having none in the first 10 games. The Mavs are one of the few teams to have success in Denver recently, winning three of their last 5 games there, with the 2 losses coming by one point each. The Nuggets have already lost 2 home games this year, after losing only 3 at home all last season. They have however won 4 in a row at the Pepsi Center.

Mavericks 103 Jazz 93: Game 13 Review

What started out as a route against the NBA's worst team, became a lead that was too close for comfort in the fourth quarter. It was then that the Mavericks did what good teams should do when inferior teams make a run against them. They closed out the game by pushing the lead back into double figures and improved their home unbeaten streak to 7 to begin the season, with a 103-93 victory over the Utah Jazz.

The Mavs wanted to avoid the lackluster start they got off too when they played a inferior Philly squad on Monday, and boy did they. They dominated the game on both ends of the floor in the first half building a lead that reached 28 in the second quarter. As they entered the locker room 58-34 at halftime they probably thought it would be an easy second half from there, with the starters getting a lot of rest. To Utah's credit they fought back and started making just about every shot from the field, and closed the lead to only 5 with less than 5 minutes to go. A Jose Calderon 3 and Dirk Nowitzki 3 point play helped turn the tide back in the Mavs favor, and although they spent more energy they would have liked, they were able to put their 4th straight game overall in the win column.

Once again leading the offensive charge was Monta Ellis who with 26 points, extended his streak of 18+ scoring games to begin the season to 13. Dirk added 18 points despite only shooting 5-14 from the field although he did make all seven of his free throws. The big difference for the Mavericks came at the center position where the duo of Samuel Dalembert and Dejuan Blair combined for 29 points and 21 rebounds, going 13-17 from the field. Dalembert played his best game as a Mav, making all 8 of his shots on his way to a line of 18 points, 12 boards and 2 blocks. Shawn Marion also reached double figures with 10 points.

Utah was able to get back in the game due to its strong bench play as they shot nearly 60 percent in the 2nd half. Marvin Williams led the Jazz in scoring with 19, but Utah got outstanding play from the unheralded combo of Diante Garrett (7 pts., 8 ast., 3-3 FG) and former dunk contest winner Jeremy Evans (14 points, 7-7 FG).

Sure the game got a lot closer than it should of been, but that can happen in the NBA even against the worst teams in the league. The Mavs hopefully will be able to put away teams easier in the future, but that is a good problem to have. In the last two games the Mavs have shown they come back from a big deficit and get out to a big lead. If they can improve on that and play a more complete 48 minutes, watch out.

Team Leaders
Points: Ellis, 26
Rebounds: Dalembert, 12
Assists: Ellis, 6

Player of the Game: Dalmebert

Play of the Game: Calderon 3 that gave the Mavs an 8 point lead with 4 1/2 minutes to go.

Stat of the Game: Samuel Dalembert (8-8) and Jeremy Evans (7-7) go perfect from the field.

Quote of Note:  ''Those guys have been doing good things all year. I am not shocked by it.''
Rick Carlisle on his center combo of Dalembert and Blair

Next Up: The Mavericks (9-4) travel to Denver (5-6) Saturday, to play the road end of a home-and-home with the Nuggets at 8:00.

Mavericks vs. Jazz: Game 13 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (8-4) vs. Utah Jazz (1-12)
Nov. 22, 7:30 at the AAC
TV: FSSW, NBALP

2012-13 Matchups
Oct. 31 at Utah
Jazz 113 Mavs 94
Jan. 7 at Utah
Jazz 100 Mavs 94
Mar. 24 at Dallas
Mavs 113 Jazz 108

All-Time Series
Jazz 89 Mavs 62

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 5th (109.7)
Defense: 22nd (106.7)
Jazz
Offense: 30th (96.0)
Defense: 29th (108.0)

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Jazz
PG: John Lucas
SG: Gordon Hayward
SF: Richard Jefferson
PF: Derrick Favors
C: Enes Kanter

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 23.3
RPG: Marion, 7.7
APG: Ellis, 5.7
Jazz
PPG: Hayward, 18.2
RPG: Favors, 10.4
APG: Hayward, 4.9

Notes
Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis are the third highest scoring pair of teammates (43.9 PPG) in the league this season behind  OKC's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and Minnesota's Kevin Love and Kevin Martin. The Jazz are off to horrific 1-12 start that finds Utah ranking last in the league in offensive efficiency and next to last in defensive efficiency. They did get good news when their first round pick, Trey Burke, last season's college player of the year at Michigan, made his NBA debut Wednesday night in New Orleans, scoring 11 points in 12 minutes. The Mavericks look to start the season by going 7-0 at home for only the third time in franchise history.

Mavericks 123 Rockets 120: Game 12 Review

Although the Mavericks had gotten off to a promising 7-4 start entering Wednesday night's tilt with the Rockets, they still had yet to get what would be called a signature win over one of the league's elite teams. Through 3 quarters it looked like that signature win would have to wait for another night as they faced a 14 point deficit. But thanks to a fourth quarter that saw the Mavs finally able to get stops on the defensive end as well as make just about every shot from the field, the Mavs got that big win by 123-120 margin, in a most entertaining way.

The game started with both teams doing whatever they wanted on offense, but it was the Rockets who could just not be stopped scoring 40 points in the first period. The Mavericks were able to hang in the game thanks to brilliant work from Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki. The pair who finished with 37 and 35 respectively shooting a combined 26-42 from the field, became the first Mavericks teammates to finish with 35 or more in the same game since Jason Kidd and Jamal Mashburn did it in 1995 also against Houston. On top of that Dirk passed Reggie Miller for 15th on the NBA's all-time scoring list with a 2nd quarter free throw. He  now has a career total of 25, 298 points.

Despite the strong offensive showing the Mavs seemed powerless to stop the Rockets trio of James Harden, Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons. Howard was especially locked in making his first 11 shots from the field and even making a decent amount of his free throws.

The Mavs began to fight back in the fourth spurred on by a zone defense that seemed to fluster the Rockets. A Maverick run cut the lead to 3 midway through the fourth only to see back-to-back threes from Patrick Beverley and Harden push the lead back up to 9. The Mavs kept at it however and were finally able to take the lead when Ellis was able to find Shawn Marion for a corner three that put Dallas up 2 with 47 seconds to go. Harden had a chance to tie the game at the line with 9 seconds to go but missed the second of two free throws. After two Jose Calderon foul shots, Harden's tying three attempt was offline the Mavs got a thrilling victory.

While Dirk and Monta carried the scoring load for the Mavs, Calderon and Marion scored 13 apiece both making huge shots down the strech to contribute to the win. In only his second NBA game Shane Larkin was able to provide a spark off the bench contributing 8 big points and a lot of hustle.  For Houston Howard scored a season high 33 while Harden added 23 and Parsons played a great all-around game with 21 points and 11 assists.

Both teams shot outstanding from the field with the Mavs at 58% and Houston at 55%. However in the fourth it was the Mavs going 14-19 from the field while the Rockets were only 5-19.

For the Mavericks this was a win they can definitely build upon. By fighting back from a large deficit against what is supposed to be one of the West's elite teams they showed a fight and determination along with clutch crunch time play that wasn't there for last year's team. What a difference a having a healthy Dirk to go along with a backcourt of Ellis and Calderon can make.

Team Leaders
Points: Ellis, 37
Rebounds: Dalembert, 10
Assists: Ellis, 8

Players of the Game: Dirk and Monta

Play of the Game: Marion go ahead 3 off Ellis dish

Stat of the Game: Mavericks (58%) and Rockets (55%) combine for best shooting game of the NBA season

Quote of Note: “If me and Dirk are going like that, you know, the other teams have a problem. And not just because we’re going like that, but because that means they’re going to pay so much attention to us that it opens it up for Vince [Carter], Jose, Shawn and guys like that. It was good that we had the game that we had tonight, but it was a team effort. We had to grind, grind, grind and keep grinding to the last buzzer, and we came out with the win.” Monta Ellis

Next Up: The 8-4 Mavericks finish up their three game homestand Friday, when they host the Utah Jazz, owners of the NBA's worst record at 1-12,  at 7:30

Mavericks vs. Rockets: Game 12 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (7-4) vs. Houston Rockets (8-4)
Nov. 20, 8:30 at the AAC
TV: FSSW, ESPN

Previous Matchups
Nov.1 at Houston
Rockets 113 Mavs 105

All-Time Series
Rockets 80 Mavs 76

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 6th (107.8)
Defense: 16th (104.8)
Rockets
Offense: 4th (108.8)
Defense: 12th (104.4)

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Rockets
PG: Patrick Beverley
SG: James Harden
SF: Chandler Parsons
PF: Terrence Jones
C: Dwight Howard

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 22.1
RPG: Marion, 8.0
APG: Calderon, 5.6
Rockets
PPG: Harden, 24.3
RPG: Howard, 13.9
APG: Harden, 5.2

Notes
Despite the earlier loss to the Rockets this year, the Mavs have dominated the Rockets in recent years winning 10 of the last 12 matchups, including 6 straight at home. After starting the season shooting 13-19 on threes, Jae Crowder has gone only 1-14 from deep since. Rockets center Omer Asik has been in Kevin Mchale's doghouse since requesting a trade from the team, playing only 11 minutes over the last 4 games including 2 DNP- coaches decisions. Shawn Marion has made 9 threes in 21 attempts (.429%), in 11 games this season. That would shatter his previous Mavericks highs in those categories of 23 makes and 73 attempts (.315) set last season.

Mavericks 97 76ers 94: Game 11 Review

Over the course of 82 games even good teams are going to win games in a ugly fashion or when they don't particularly well for a good portion of the contest. But in this league you can't afford to be picky, and the Mavericks will gladly take all the wins they can get, even if their 97-94 win over the 76ers was not a basketball masterwork.

After changing their starting lineup for the first time all year, by inserting Jae Crowder for Samuel Dalembert, the Mavs got off to a terrible start unable to a hit a shot from the field. Crowder especially struggled going 1-8 for the game, causing  Rick Carlisle after the game to admit the lineup change was a mistake. The Mavericks righted the ship some but could not take the lead against the feisty Sixers until the third period. It was in that 3rd quarter where Monta Ellis exploded after a quiet first half, scoring 13 of his game hight 24 points to go along with 10 assists to give the Mavs a three point lead entering the fourth that they wouldn't surrender.

The Mavs also got strong games by Dirk Nowitzki with 20 points and 10 rebounds and from Shawn Marion who also scored 20. Dalembert responded well of the bench, grabbing 14 rebounds and blocking 3 shots. Dallas also got a shot in the arm from the debut of rookie guard Shane Larkin who contributed 3 points, 3 assists and 3 steals in less than 9 minutes of action.

Despite better play in the second half the Mavs couldn't quite shake the 76ers until the final couple minutes of action. Evan Turner and Tony Wroten were particularly thorns in the Mavs side scoring 26 and 19 respectively.  Dallas was able to overcome a lot of its sloppy play which included 20 turnovers by the Sixers poor shooting, as the young Philly squad only shot 38% from the field and a putrid 12-22 from the line.

The Mavericks will definitely take the win, no matter how ugly it might have appeared and move on knowing they can play much better. If nothing else it shows they can gut out a win when a lot of things go wrong, which is very important considering how competitive the Western Conference playoff race should be.

Team Leaders
Points: Ellis, 24
Rebounds: Dalember, 14
Assists: Ellis, 10

Player of the Game: Ellis

Stat of the Game: Mavs 20-26 FT, 76ers 12-22 FT

Quote of Note: “He’s so quick. He’s always attacking. If you relax one second, one quick dribble, one quick step, and he’s at the rim laying it in. He’s just constantly looking to attack and if it’s not there, find the shooters or find the rollers. He’s been great scoring and making plays for his teammates.”
Dirk on Monta

Next Up: The Mavericks (7-4) face off for the 2nd time this year against the Houston Rockets (7-4), Wednesday at 8:30 at the AAC. The Mavericks lost 113-105 in Houston to the Rockets on November 1.

Mavericks vs. 76ers: Game 11 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (6-4) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (5-6)
Nov. 18 at 7:30 at the AAC
TV: FFSW, NBALP

2012-13 Matchups
Nov. 27 at Philadelphia
76ers 100 Mavs 98
Dec. 18 at Dallas
Mavs 107 76ers 100

All-Time Series
76ers 33 Mavs 30

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
76ers
PG: Tony Wroten
SG: James Anderson
SF: Evan Turner
PF: Thaddeus Young
C: Spencer Hawes

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 21.9
RPG: Marion, 8.1
APG: Calderon, 5.8
76ers
PPG: Turner, 21.6
RPG: Hawes, 10.1
APG: Carter-Williams, 7.6

Notes
The Mavericks have won 11 of their 14 games against the Sixers, including 7 in a row at home. Philadelphia rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams will tonight's game with a left foot arch bruise. Mavericks center Samuel Dalembert spent the first 8 years of his career in Philly, mainly as the team's starting center. The 76ers have played at the league's highest pace this season averaging 99.5 possessions per game. The Mavs are 6th in league in pace at 97.9 possessions per game

Mavericks 108 Magic 100: Game 10 Review

Early on his career DeJuan Blair seemed to be a future cornerstone of the Spurs. A 2nd round steal out of Pitt, Blair was a big contributor that looked to be part of a young core that would surround the old stalwarts for years to come. Then  for whatever reason he fell out of the favor with Gregg Popovich and the organization, to the point that he was relegated to garbage time duty in last year's playoffs. He signed a one year deal with the Mavericks this off-season, hoping to re-establish his value in the league and once again contribute to a winning team. Through ten games Blair has definitely done that, if not much more.

Blair's 18 points on 7-9 shooting keyed the Mavs 108-100 road victory over the Orlando Magic. Blair was among 6 Mavs in double figures in a strong offensive performance as the team 51% from the field and went 10-27 from three point range. Although the Magic also shot over 50% they turned it over 19 times to the Mavericks 10, a vast improvement from the night before when the Mavs turned it over 24 times in Miami.

The Mavericks took a 31-24 lead after the first, a lead they would never relinquish. They pushed the lead to 13 at the half, and though Orlando made a second push cutting the lead to 4 at one point, the Mavs always had the answer.

Monta Ellis led Dallas in scoring with 19 points and chipped in 8 assists continuing his strong play to start the season. Dirk had 18 points, and had his second straight excellent shooting game going 6-12 from the floor and 4-6 on threes and hitting a key 3 point dagger to make it a 9 point game with less than 3 minutes to go. Jose Calderon played a strong all-round game as well scoring 11 points but more importantly adding 9 assists to zero turnovers. Vince Carter gave the Mavs 12 points off the bench, while Shawn Marion scored 11 including hitting 2 threes.

Arron Afflalo led Orlando with 25 points, followed by Nikola Vuvevic's 16 points and Jameer Nelson's 15. Curiously Nelson sat out the entire fourth quarter, replaced at the point by promising rookie Victor Oladipo who committed 9 turnovers.

At 6-4 through 10 games the Mavs should feel good about where they are considering the tough road games and numerous back-to-backs they have had to play. A big part of that start has been the play of Blair, a undersized big man who makes up for his lack of height with a lot of tenacity and toughness.

Team Leaders
Points: Ellis, 19
Rebounds: Marion, 8
Assists: Calderon, 9

Player of the Game: Blair

Stat of the Game: 3 Point FGs: Mavs 10-27, Magic 4-15

Quote of Note: "They gave me the confidence just to come in and play my game. I accepted my role, every responsibility I have. I try to play up to the best of my ability. I try to keep the faith and know that I can still play in this game. I think I'm showing it. I've just got to be consistent with it."
DeJuan Blair


Next Up: The Mavericks (6-4) return home to begin a three game homestand when they face the surprising Philadelphia 76ers (5-6) Monday at 7:30.

Mavericks at Magic: Game 10 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (5-4) at Orlando Magic (4-5)
Nov. 16, 6:00 at the Amway Center
TV: FSSW, NBALP

2012-13 Matchups
Jan. 20 at Orlando
Mavs 111 Magic 105
Feb. 20 at Dallas
Mavs 111 Magic 96
All-Time Series
Mavs 26 Magic 23

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowtizki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Magic
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Arron Afflalo
SF: Maurice Harkless
PF: Jason Maxiell
C: Nikola Vucevic

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 22.2
RPG: Marion, 8.1
APG: Calderon, 5.4
Magic
PPG: Afflalo, 21.3
RPG: Vucevic, 11.8
APG: Nelson, 6.2

Notes
The Mavericks have won 7 consecutive games in Orlando, their longest active streak against any team. The Mavs rank in the top 5 in the league in offensive efficiency (4th), points per game (5th) and pace (5th). Nikola Vucevic has put up five 20 points, 20 rebounds games in 86 career games with the Magic. Mavericks injured rookie guard Shane Larkin grew up in and atteneded Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando.

Heat 110 Mavericks 104: Game 9 Review

Returning to the scene of his greatest triumph 2011 Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki played his best game of the young season, scoring 28 points on only 12 shot attempts. Unfortunately 2012 and 2013 NBA Finals MVP LeBron James played his best game of the season, scoring 39 points on only 18 shot attempts leading his Heat to a 110-104 victory over Dirk's Mavericks.

Both teams started out well in an entertaining first quarter. Dirk hit 3 threes in the first 5 minutes of the game as the Mavs took a 32-31 lead after one. The 2nd period told a different story as repeated Mavs turnovers, a problem all night, gave the Heat a double digit lead at one point that was 8 at the half.

The third quarter found the Mavericks fighting back and briefly taking a lead, but again the Heat responded and Miami took a 86-78 lead into fourth. The final period saw the Mavs pull close repeatedly only to have the brilliant play of James (14-18 FG, 10-11 FT) and costly turnovers be their undoing. In all the Mavs turned it over 24 times, 19 of which were steals for Miami, 8 from Dwyane Wade alone to go along with his 17 points.

Besides Dirk Dallas also got 20+ points efforts from Vince Carter (21) and Monta Ellis (20). On the other side Miami got good play off the bench from Norris Cole and the ghost of Rashard Lewis who had 11 points each. Cole's contributions were especially important considering the ejection of starting point guard Mario Chalmers for a flagrant foul 2 elbow to Dirk in the fourth period.

Even they though they got the loss, there were a lot of things to be encouraged about for the Mavs. Despite the catastrophic turnover number they were able to hang right in there with the two time defending champions. If they can get the turnover problems cleaned up, which should happen as the team gets more comfortable playing together, they might be able to compete with any team in the league on a more consistent basis.

Team Leaders
Points: Nowitzki, 28
Rebounds: Dalembert, 9
Assists: Calderon, Blair, 5

Player of the Game: Dirk (8-12 FG, 3-5 3PT, 9-10 FT)

Stat of the Game: 24 Mavericks turnovers and 19 Heat steals

Quote of Note: ''If we go out and compete every night at this high level and turn our turnovers down, we can beat anybody in this league,'' Monta Ellis

Next Up: The Mavericks (5-4)  finish over their Florida back-to-back when they face the Orlando Magic (4-5) at 6:00 Saturday night.

Mavericks at Heat: Game 9 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (5-3) at Miami Heat (5-3)
Nov. 15, 6:30 at the American Airlines Arena
TV: FSSW

2012-13 Matchups
Dec. 20 at Dallas
Heat 110 Mavs 95
Jan. 2 at Miami
Heat 119 Mavs 109 (OT)
All-Time Series
Mavs 29 Heat 24

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Heat
PG: Mario Chalmers
SG: Dwyane Wade
SF: LeBron James
PF: Shane Battier
C: Chris Bosh

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 22.5
RPG: Marion, 8.6
APG: Calderon, 5.5
Heat
PPG: James, 25.5
RPG: Bosh, 6.4
APG: James, 7.3

Notes
The Mavericks have lost four games in a row to Miami since beating the Heat in the 2011 Finals. Before than the Mavs had won 14 straight regular season games against the Heat. Monta Ellis has scored at least 18 points in all 8 games this season. LeBron James in regular season matchups against the Mavs has averaged 27.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 6.3 APG  with a 10-10 record. Of course his numbers in the 2011 Finals were not quite as good. Injured Mavericks rookie guard Shane Larkin played his college ball at the University of Miami where he was the 2013 ACC Player of the Year.

Mavericks 105 Wizards 95: Game 8 Review

When you pass the man who's silhouette is the NBA logo you know you've had a legendary career ,and the career of Dirk Nowitzki has certainly been that. As the years go by the legend grows and the man wearing the 41 for the Mavericks continues to produce and help his team rack up victories. Tuesday night was no expection as Dirk's 19 points help lead the Mavs to a 105-95 win over the Wizards.

The game began with both teams scoring at will, the Mavs led by a strong start from Samuel
Dalembert who scored 11 of his 15 points in the first quarter. The key possession of the quarter netted Dallas 7 points and turned what was a 29-23 deficit into a 30-29 lead. Free throws were missed on and one opportunities by Jae Crowder and Dejuan Blair but both rebounds were controlled by the Mavs and the possession was closed on a Vince Carter 3.

The Mavs dominated the 2nd period outscoring Washington 28-15 in route to a 12 point halftime lead. Once again the Mavericks reserves were able to take advantage against their opponents suspect bench led by Carter's 16 points and Blair's 9 points and 11 rebounds.

Late in the third period Dirk hit back-to-back threes that put him ahead of Jerry West for 16th on the NBA's all-time scoring list., finishing the evening with 25, 197 points. The Wizards however were able to hang around for a good portion of the second half led by Trevor Ariza who scored 27 points and hit 5-11 on threes.

In the fourth after a quiet first three quarters Monta Ellis got hot hitting four shots in a row, to give the Mavs a double-digit cushion that they would ride home to victory. In all Ellis ended up scoring 10 of his 19 points the fourth.

After a rocky defensive start Dallas held Washington to only 61 points in last 3 periods including 16 in the 4th. The Wizards dynamic young backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal was kept in check combining for only 23 points. Beal who was coming off a career-high 34 point effort against Oklahoma City really couldn't find his rhythm scoring only 9 points on 2-10 shooting.

The win gave the Mavs a 4-0 record at home to start the season for the first time since 2007. Now more road tests await as the team travels to Florida for a back-to-back against Miami and Orlando over the weekend.

We know we definitely see a lot more milestones reached in the career of Dirk Nowitzki. If the Mavs continue their domination at home and can hold their own away from the AAC hopefully more playoff basketball will be in the cards as well.

Team Leaders
Points: Nowitzki, Ellis, 19
Rebounds: Blair, 11
Assists:7

Player of the Game: Despite shooting only 8-19 to get his 19 points, its hard to go against Dirk on a night where he surpasses a true NBA icon like Jerry West.

Quote of Note:  "He was obviously a little before my time, but I love the history of the game. I've watched plenty of games and watched him shoot and he's really the first guy to have a pure jump shot like that. He's the man. He's the logo." Dirk on Jerry West

Next Up: The 5-3 Mavs open up their two game Florida back-to-back when they return to the site where they clinched the 2011 championship, Miami's American Airlines Arena, to face the 5-3 Heat at 6:30.

Mavericks vs. Wizards: Game 8 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (4-3) vs. Washington Wizards (2-4)
Nov. 12, 7:30 at the AAC
TV: FSSW

2012-13 Matchups
Nov. 14 at Dallas: Mavs 107 Wizards 101
Jan. 1 at Washington: Mavs 103 Wizards 94
All-Time Series: Mavs 33 Wizards 30

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Wizards
PG: John Wall
SG: Bradley Beal
SF: Trevor Ariza
PF: Nene
C: Marcin Gortat

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 23.0
RPG: Marion, 8.6
APG: Calderon, 5.7
Wizards
PPG: Beal, 21.0
RPG: Gortat, 9.8
APG: Wall, 9.0

Notes
The Mavericks try to run their unbeaten streak at home to start the season to 4 games. The Wizards are coming off blowing a 10 point lead with 3 minutes to go in an overtime loss in Oklahoma City on Sunday night. Wizards coach Randy Wittman was a Mavericks assistant coach during the lowly 93-94 season. Recently acquired Washington center Marcin Gortat was signed by the Mavs to an offer sheet in the 2009 off-season that was surprisingly matched by Orlando. The Mavericks have won 6 games in a row against the Wizards. The last Washington victory over Dallas came on opening day of the 2009-10 season by a 102-91 margin. Future Mavs Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and Deshawn Stevenson played for the Wizards in that game.

Mavericks Power Ranking Roundup

Since it is Monday lets take a look at where the Mavericks rank among the various weekly NBA Power Rankings done by prominent national NBA writers. There seems to be a strong consensus of where the Mavs are relative to rest of the league.

Marc Stein- ESPN.com: 11. "The Mavs don't expect to win many games barely cracking 90 points and were doubly relieved to get out of Milwaukee with a W because road games have been such a problem, too. They know the reality: Success will mostly ride on the highs that Dirk-and-Monta-driven offense can generate."

John Schuhmann- NBA.com: 12. " It's still too early to know what to make of the Mavs. Last week, they won an offensive game, lost ugly, lost an offensive game, and won ugly. The ups and downs of Monta Ellis - 19-for-33 on Tuesday and Wednesday, 15-for-38 on Friday and Saturday - make them more unpredictable. You do have to like that he leads the league in drives per game and that he has a career-high free throw rate."

Marc J. Spears- Yahoo Sports: 13. "Newcomer Monta Ellis, not Dirk Nowitzki, is currently the Mavs' leading scorer, averaging 23 points. Nowitzki is averaging 18.1 points but just 14.2 in the past four games."

Kurt Helin- NBCsports.com: 11. " Monta Ellis is a little up and down in Dallas so far (big shock) but it should be noted is playing much more efficient basketball — his 23 points a game are coming on 47.9 percent shooting (up 6.3 percent from last season). The key is he is shooting 48.3 percent from the midrange."

Matt Moore- CBSsports.com: 10.  "Have to love what this team is giving you night to night right now, even going .500 last week. Rick Carlisle is doing his wizard thing again."

Mavericks 91 Bucks 83: Game 7 Review

It's impossible to call the seventh game of the season a must win game. And there's a reason for that as there is still a large majority of the season to go. There are games however that a potential playoff team needs to win, especially when it has dropped its first three games on the road. Saturday's game in Milwaukee was one of those games the Mavs needed to take, and they did as Dallas capped off a 4 games in 5 night stretch with 91-83 victory over the Bucks.

The Mavericks played a great first half against an inferior and injury-plagued opponent. They shot the ball extremely well and played good defense to build a 15 point lead at both the end of the first period and at halftime. Jose Calderon hit three first quarter 3s that accounted for all nine points he scored in the game. Monta Ellis played a very good first half in his return to Milwaukee scoring 14 of his 18 points.
The third quarter was a different story however as the Mavs began to look like a team playing the fourth game in five nights. They only managed 13 points and saw their lead of 15 be cut to only 4.
Thankfully the Mavs turned things around in the 4th by out-executing the Bucks in the team's first true crunch time action of the year. A key jumper from Dirk, who was only 5-15 from the field for 16 points, extended the lead to 6 with less than 2 minutes to go and the Mavs were able to get enough defensive stops from there.
The Mavs got a double-double from Shawn Marion (14 points and 10 rebounds) and another strong game off the bench from Dejuan Blair who besides scoring 7 points had 11 rebounds and 3 steals. Vince Carter came back from his one game suspension to add 13 points off the bench.
The Mavericks definitely played one of their best defensive games of the year holding Milwaukee to only 83 points on 38% shooting. Former Mav O.J. Mayo led the bucks with 28 points but committed 5 key fourth quarter turnovers and reminded Mavs fans of his struggles in crunch time last season.
It might not have been an artistic masterpiece, especially in the second half, but the Mavs got their much needed road win, and won the type of game they will need to win all year. By beating lesser teams, especially on the road the Mavs will make it much easier on themselves as they try to make the playoffs in a tough Western Conference.

Team Leaders
Points: Ellis, 18
Rebounds: Blair, 11
Assists: Ellis,5
Player of the Game: Ellis

Stat of the Game: The Mavs won their second game of the year when shooting less than 45% from the field. They were only 3-29 when that happened last year.

Quote of Note: ''When I laced up here, I did everything I could to help this team win. The fans, they're going to feel the way they feel anyway.'' Monta Ellis on getting booed by the Milwaukee fans.

Up next: The Mavericks (4-3) get two much needed days off before returning to action Tuesday night at the AAC against John Wall and the Washington Wizards (2-3).

Mavericks at Bucks: Game 7 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (3-3) at Milwaukee Bucks (2-2)
Nov. 9, 7:30 at the Bradley Center
TV: FSSW

2012-13 Matchups
Feb. 26 at Dallas: Bucks 95 Mavs 90
Mar. 12 at Milwaukee: Mavs 115 Bucks 108
All-Time Series: Bucks 37 Mavs 26

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Bucks
PG: Nate Wolters
SG: O.J. Mayo
SF: Caron Butler
PF: John Henson
C: Zaza Pachulia

Team Leaders

Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 23.5
RPG: Marion, 8.3
APG: Calderon, 6.2
Bucks
PPG: Mayo, 16.3
RPG: Pachulia, 8.5
APG: Wolters, 6.5

Notes
The Mavericks one again look for their first road win as they have dropped their first three road decisions. Bucks starters Brandon Knight, Ersan Ilyasova and Larry Sanders all missed the team's last game due to various injuries. Their status for tonight's game is uncertain. Former Bucks Monta Ellis and Samuel Dalembert make their return to Milwaukee where they will face off against former Mav O.J. Mayo. Also playing for the Bucks is another former Mav, Wisconsin native Caron Butler. Jae Crowder played his home games for Marquette at the Bradley Center. The Mavericks are only 7-24 all-time in Miwaukee but have won 2 of the last three meetings.

Timberwolves 116 Mavericks 108: Game 6 Review

The old joke was that the team name was the Allas Mavericks but because they had no D. During the Don Nelson era of Mavericks basketball the team was frequently a high-scoring squad who won games on offense but struggled at the other end of the court. Avery Johnson began to change things when he became coach and the defensive change culminated in  the winning of the 2011 championship by playing at times shutdown defense on Lebron James and a potent Miami squad.

That Mavericks defense unfortunately is a thing of the past as Dallas struggles again to stop one of the NBA's better offenses falling 116-108 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Mavs had no answer for Kevin Love who dominated the game from the start at finished with a spectacular 32 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists. The Mavs also couldn't keep Kevin Martin in check, who also finished with 32. Minnesota dominated on the offensive glass, grabbing 16 offensive rebounds that led to numerous second chance points.
The Mavericks 108 points and 49% shooting should have been enough to win but it wasn't. Dallas' strongest offensive performance came from Jose Calderon who had 21 points and 6-8 on threes. Monta Ellis had 23 points but shot only 9-24 from the floor. Dirk was pretty quiet as he finished with only 14 points, attempting only 11 shots from the field.
The Mavericks were able to keep it close throughout and even lead by one at halftime, by their dominance in the battle of the benches. They outscored Minnesota's second unit 36-14 and got strong games from Jae Crowder, DeJuan Blair and Gal Mekel. Unfortunately the Mavs starters were dominated by the Wolves starters, which besides the standout showings from Love and Martin, also included strong outings from  Corey Brewer and Nikola Pekovic who scored 17 and 15 respectively.
It is now on to Milwaukee tomorrow night as the Mavs will still look for their first road win of the season. They should be able to defeat a mediocre Bucks team but they will have to show better on the defensive end. We know the defensive personnel isn't great. Besides Shawn Marion there aren't a lot of stoppers on the roster. If the defense is to improve as it must, it will have to be a group effort. The Mavs need 5 guys out on the court committed to getting stops, so far through 6 games the stops have been few and far away.

Team Leaders
Points: Ellis, 23
Rebounds: Blair, 9
Assists: Calderon, 7
Player of the Game: Calderon

Quote of Note: ''We couldn't get a stop. But it wasn't just the last three or four minutes, it was kind of the full fourth quarter we were just trading baskets with them. We couldn't get two in a row or three in a row.'' Jose Calderon

Next Up: The Mavericks (3-3) finish off their three game road trip in Milwaukee as they look for that elusive road win against the 2-2 Bucks at 7:30.

Carter Suspended One Game

The NBA has suspended Mavericks guard Vince Carter one game for his retaliatory elbow to the head of Oklahoma City rookie Steven Adams in Wednesday night's game. He will miss tonight's game against the Timberwolves.
Carter was given a flagrant 2 foul for the elbow and was ejected in the third quarter against the

Thunder. He was responding to an elbow given to him by Adams while the Thunder big man was protecting the ball. After the game Carter apologized for his actions.
"More than anything, there's a lot of people watching the game of basketball and they want to clean that stuff up because it's not needed," Carter said. "You hate to see it. That's why I wanted to apologize to all fans and all the people watching.
"It was just a reaction. It was just one of those things where you get caught in the moment playing in a big game, in a battle. It does happen, but sometimes when you do something like that, you just wish you can take it back."

Mavericks at Timberwolves: Game 6 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (3-2) at Minnesota Timberwolves (3-2)
Nov. 8, 7:00 at the Target Center
TV: FSSW

2012-13 Matchups

Nov. 12 at Dallas: Wolves 90 Mavs 82
Dec. 15 at Minnesota: Wolves 114 Mavs 106 (OT)
Jan. 14 at Dallas: Mavs 113 Wolves 98
Mar. 10 at Minnesota: Mavs 100 Wolves 77
All-Time Series: Mavs 57 Wolves 41

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Wolves
PG: Ricky Rubio
SG: Kevin Martin
SF: Corey Brewer
PF: Kevin Love
C: Nikola Pekovic

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 24.0
RPG: Marion, 8.6
APG: Calderon, 6.0
Wolves
PPG: Love, 26.2
RPG: Love, 14.6
APG: Rubio, 8.6

Notes
The Mavericks look for their first road win of the year after having lost in both Houston and Oklahoma City. Minnesota star Kevin Love missed all four of last year's meetings against Mavs in an injury plagued season that saw him appear in only 18 games. Timberwolves guard J.J. Barea played five seasons for the Mavericks including playing a key part in the team's 2011 championship run. Corey Brewer also was a member of the 2011 champion Mavericks. Dallas guard Wayne Ellington was a first round of Minnesota in 2009 and played the first three years of his career there.

Thunder 107 Mavericks 93: Game 5 Review

In the 2011 Western Conference Finals it was the veteran and experienced Mavericks who outplayed and out executed the young and inexperienced Thunder, knocking off Oklahoma City 4 games to 1. Since then when the two teams have faced off it has been the Thunder who have dominated the series and imposed their will. Last night's 107-93 Oklahoma City continued that trend as the Thunder won their 11th straight game over the Mavs.
For most of the first half the Mavs hung right in their with the Thunder. Oklahoma City though

pushed the lead to 6 at halftime and scored the first 6 points of the 3rd quarter to push their lead to 12 and the Mavs never seriously threatened afterwards. Turnovers doomed Dallas as their 21 giveaways led to numerous fast break baskets for the Thunder. The Mavs were visibly frustrated and Vince Carter let his frustration get the best of him as was ejected for flagrant 2  retaliatory elbow to Oklahoma City rookie Steven Adams. Russell Westbrook showed no rust in his 2nd game after knee surgery as he exploded the the basket numerous times on his way to 22 points and led a Thunder offense that shot over 54% from the field. Kevin Durant has a quiet for him 23 points but was able to pass the ball well all night finishing with 10 assists.
For the Mavs Monta Ellis showed the same level of aggressiveness we have seen all year, scoring 20 points but in the negative column had 7 turnovers. Shawn Marion had 17 points and Dirk had 16 despite only attempting 12 shots. Jae Crowder continued his lights-out shooting going 6-8 from the field and 3-5 on threes and finishing with 17 points. If Crowder can continue to shoot the ball this well you can be sure that rotation spot will be solidified.
Through the first 5 games, the Mavericks have played really well in three wins at home, but have struggled against two of the West's best on the road. I think we will see better road play when they face  lesser opponents away from home, but as of now it is tough sledding whenever the Mavs play of the league's elite teams on the road. With games on the road trip left at Minnesota and Milwaukee we will see what the Mavs can due against one team that seems to be at their level and another that they are better than.
We know for sure that since 2011 the Mavs have not been up to the same level as the Thunder, but then again very few teams have been.

Team Leaders
Points: Ellis, 20
Rebounds: Dalembert, 9
Assists: 4 with 3
Player of the Game: Crowder

Quote of Note:  "They are a good team, and to win this game in this atmosphere, you really have got to be right and really have to be functioning well on all levels. And it just wasn't there for us tonight." Rick Carlisle

Next Up: The Mavericks (3-2) travel to Minnesota Friday night to take on the 3-2 Timberwolves at 7:00, in the middle game of the 3 game road trip.

Mavericks at Thunder: Game 5 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (3-1) at Oklahoma City Thunder (2-1)
Nov. 6, 8:30 at Chesapeake Energy Arena
TV: FSSW, ESPN

2012-13 Matchups

Dec. 17 at OKC: Thunder 111 Mavs 105 (OT)
Jan. 18 at Dallas: Thunder 117 Mavs 114 (OT)
Feb. 4 at OKC: Thunder 112 Mavs 91
Mar. 17 at Dallas: Thunder 107 Mavs 101
All-Time Series: Sonics/Thunder 71 Mavs 65

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Thunder
PG: Russell Westbrook
SG: Thabo Sefolosha
SF: Kevin Durant
PF: Serge Ibaka
C: Kendrick Perkins

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 25.0
RPG: Marion, 9.8
APG: Calderon, 6.8
Thunder
PPG: Durant, 29.3
RPG: Ibaka, 9.7
APG: Westbrook, 7.0

Notes
Thunder all-star Russell Westbrook will play in his second game of the season after returning weeks earlier than expected from knee surgery. He totaled 21 points and 7 assists in a 103-96 win over Phoenix. Dallas has dropped 10 in a row in to the Thunder including a 4 game sweep in the 2012 playoffs. However many of the losses have been extremely close and either decided on the final play of the game or in overtime. For his career Kevin Durant has averaged 24.1 points and 7.1 rebounds against Dallas in 21 games. His career .423  FG% against the Mavs is his lowest vs. any opponent.

Mavericks 123 Lakers 104: Game 4 Review

"I'm gonna play Monta-ball. "
When Monta Ellis uttered those words the first day of training camp tnobody could be faulted to look at them with a healthy dose of skepticism. After all "Monta-ball" has been associated with poor shot-selection and decision making that frustrated many fans, teammates and coaches, especially during his stay in Milwaukee.

The "Monta-ball" we saw in Tuesday nights' 123-104 drubbing of the Lakers though was something completely different  than the reputation that proceeded Ellis to Dallas.
This Monta was super-efficient going 11-14 from the field and 8-8 from the line. His decision making was near-perfect with an assist to turnover ratio of 9-1. While we might not see box score lines that amazing from Ellis every night, what we have seen through four games is the player the Mavs hoped they were getting when they inked Ellis to a three year deal this summer. A perfect pick-and-roll partner for Dirk who can attack the rim like few Mavericks have ever been able to do, along with an underrated playmaking ability that  sets up teammates for many open looks.
And the Mavericks got plenty of those open looks against a porous Lakers defense that couldn't blame all of their problems on the absence of Kobe Bryant.
The Mavs had their way from the start scoring at will and growing a lead that would eventually grow to 30. The game became such a thorough beatdown that it began to resemble the Game 4 "Mother's Day Massacre" in the 2011 West Semifinals. At least this time we thankfully weren't treated to a cheap-shotting and shirtless Andrew Bynum.
Contributions came up and down the roster but special praise should go to DeJuan Blair (10 points, 8 rebounds and 5 steals) and Gal Mekel (9 points, 6 assists), who were able to run a potent two-man-game of their own in the second period.
Things went so well that a big game was not needed from Dirk, who did not score until the second period and finished with 11 points. In all 7 Mavs finished in double figures including a career-high 18 points from Jae Crowder, who remained read hot from long distance, going 4-6. Jose Calderon showed that his poor shooting from the first two games are definitely a thing of the past going 4-6 from behind the arc.
Since the game was decided so early no player had to play any significant number of minutes, which is of quite importance considering the Mavs will face Oklahoma City on the back end of a back-to-back Wednesday and then face Minnesota and Milwaukee for another back-to-back situation on the road Friday and Saturday.
Through 4 games we have seen the promise that this Mavericks team can possibly be an offensive juggernaut led by a catalyst who has shown that efficiency is something that is not totally foreign to his game. If this continues "Monta-ball" can have a totally different meaning than it has in the past.

Team Leaders
Points: Ellis, 30
Rebounds: Nowitzki, Blair, 8
Assists: Ellis, 9
Player of the Game: Ellis

Quote of Note: ''The lane was wide open, so I just attacked, and when they came over, I passed the ball and that's what we wanted. Me being aggressive opened everything else up.'' Monta Ellis

Next Up: The 3-1 Mavs travel to Oklahoma City Wednesday for their first matchup of the year with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the rival Thunder (2-1) at 8:30.

Mavericks vs. Lakers: Game 4 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (2-1) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (2-2)
Nov. 5, 7:30 at the AAC
TV: FSSW, NBATV

2012-13 Matchups
Oct. 30 at LA: Mavs 99 Lakers 91
Nov. 24 at Dallas: Lakers 115 Mavs 89
Feb. 24 at Dallas: Lakers 103 Mavs 99
Apr. 2 at LA: Lakers 101 Mavs 81
All-Time Series: Lakers 104 Mavs 32

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Lakers
PG: Steve Nash
SG: Steve Blake
SF: Xavier Henry
PF: Shawne Williams
C: Pau Gasol

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Nowitzki, Ellis, 23.3
RPG: Marion, 10.7
APG: Calderon, 7.3
Lakers
PPG: Gasol, 15.8
RPG: Gasol, 11.0
APG: Nash, Blake, 5.3

Notes
Lakers star Kobe Bryant is still out while recovering from a torn achillies tendon suffered on April 12. Since sweeping the Lakers 4-0 in the 2011 West Semifnals the Mavericks have dropped 7 of 8 to the Lakers including all 4 games at home. Lakers center Chris Kaman played last season for Dallas, averaging 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. The Mavericks .235 winning percentage all-time against the Lakers is by fair their worst versus any opponent. Their second worse percentage is against San Antonio at .410%.

To Tank or not to Tank?

A topic of much discussion this year in the NBA has been tanking. Many teams unloaded their rosters in the hope of being bad enough to secure a high draft pick in what is supposed to be a loaded draft class led by Kansas' Andrew Wiggins. Shockingly the team who was supposed the worst of all the tankers, the Philadelphia 76ers, have gotten off to a 3-0 start.

One team who is definitely not tanking however is the Dallas Mavericks. After losings out on  big ticket free-agents Deron Williams and Dwight Howard the last two years, the Mavs decided their best course of action was to put together as good a roster as possible this year by signing the likes of Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon to long term deals.
Was this the best course of action for the franchise or should the Mavs have gotten in on the tankapalooza and sold off their best assets including even Dirk Nowitzki?
I believe the organization made the right decision with their off-season moves for a number of reasons. The biggest reason not to tank is the presence of Dirk. Unlike teams like the 76ers or the Suns they already have a franchise player, albeit an aging one. Despite his age the Mavs believe and so do I that Dirk has a number of good years left in him, and the key should be to maximize those years while you can. With Dirk being a free-agent at the end of this year they will also be able to sign him to a lesser contract, which he says is willing to do, so they will still be able to be aggressive in the free-agent and trade market. That will enable the front office to put together a roster that while still having Dirk as a focal point, will put less of a burden on him to have to carry the team as he gets even further up in years
While this year's Mavericks roster is probably not a championship contender it can be a playoff team and by adding even more pieces next offseason maybe become more of a contender.  If you were to commit yourself in the other direction and chase more ping pong balls you might get lucky and get a franchise changing player but more likely than not you won't get a Wiggins type player and even if you do he still will need good players to surround him, and most likely you will be back in that same situation year after year. You can look at the Mavericks of the 90's for an example of that scenario.

Which gets me into another reason not to tank that Mark Cuban himself has brought as a reason he is against tanking. Since Cuban has owned the team and with Dirk as its star player, the Mavs have developed a winning culture that has cultivated  sustained success for a long period of time. If the team reached the bottom of the standing a different culture would start to take over, a culture that would be indifferent to losing and a culture that looked more for quick fixes and easy solutions. Who knows how long it would take to overcome that type of losing attitude? We saw a whole decade of truly terrible basketball in this city in the 90's and I for one don't want to return to those losing ways. The Mavericks front office led by Cuban and Donnie Nelson have truly developed an organization that is first class and considered one the best in the entire league. Although they haven't been able to lure in a big name free agent it does not mean they can't once again put together a championship contender hopefully with Dirk still playing a big part of it.
While tanking might be the best course of action for other franchises the Mavs are still in a position that with a few  moves that work out right they can once again reach the league's elite level. When Dallas traded for Tyson Chandler no one thought he would the piece that would put the Mavs over the top into a championship team. But that's exactly what happened. You don't know when the next Tyson Chandler or Jason Terry will fall into your lap, so you keep at adding quality pieces such as Ellis and Calderon but also hopefully setting your self up for future success. You might fail in the long run, but I believe the path the Mavericks on is the right one for everybody involved, and hope that sometime in the near future we will once again see the Mavs playing deep into the postseason.