Mavericks 107 Kings 103: Game 48 Review

Headline
Behind Dirk's third straight game of at least 28 points, Mavs overcome double-digit third quarter deficit.

Leaders
Mavs

Points: Nowitzki, 34
Rebounds: Wright, 10
Assists: Calderon, 7
+-: Nowitzki, Carter, +8
Kings
Points: Gay, 35
Rebounds: Gay, 12
Assists: Gay, Thomas, 6
+-: Thompson, +11

Player of the Game
Dirk Nowitzki
34 pts., 11-19 FG, 11-11 FT

X-Factor
Monta Ellis
20 pts., 6-10, 8-9 FT, 0 TO

Goat
Derrick Williams
5 pts., 1-6 FG

Play of the Game
Vince Carter finds Monta for a layup and the foul, to give Dallas a 5 point lead with 12 seconds to go.

Stat of the Game
Mavs commit only 4 turnovers. 0 in the 2nd half.

Additional Notes
The Mavs trailed by as many as 14 points in the 3rd quarter.
Brandan Wright (10 pts., 10 rbs.) recorded his first double-double of the season.
Dallas won its 19th straight home game vs. Sacramento.
Shane Larkin was sent to the Texas Legends of the D-League after the game.

Quote of Note
Dirk on the short sleeve All-Star jerseys
"It's really nice and snug, so it should really bring out my physique nicely."

Next Up
The Mavericks (27-21) finish their 4 game homestand when they face the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers (16-30), Monday at 7:30

Marion out with Shoulder Soreness

Shawn Marion is out of tonight's game vs. the Kings due to soreness in his right shoulder. Jae Crowder will start in his place. Marion missed 4 games after hurting his shoulder in the Jan.7 game against the Lakers.

Mavericks vs. Kings: Game 48 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (26-21) vs. Sacramento Kings (15-30)
Jan. 31, 7:30 at the AAC
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Mavericks by 9

2013-14 Matchups
Dec. 9 at Sacramento
Kings 112 Mavs 97

All-Time Series
Mavs 83 Kings 62

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 6th (109.7)
Defense: 23rd (108.2)
Kings
Offense: 12th (106.7)
Defense: 30th (109.6)

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalemert

Kings
PG: Isaiah Thomas
SG: Marcus Thornton
SF: Rudy Gay
PF: Jason Thompson
C: Demarcus Cousins or Aaron Gray

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Nowitzki, 21.6
RPG: Marion, 6.9
APG: Ellis, 5.9
PER: Nowitzki, 23.8
Kings
PPG: Cousins, 22.6
RPG: Cousins, 11.6
APG: Thomas, 6.3
PER: Cousins, 26.5

Notes
Kings center DeMarcus Cousins is questionable with a sprained left ankle. The Mavs have won 18 straight home games against the Kings. Sacramento's last win in Dallas came on 2-27-03. While Dirk Nowitzki has made 12 of the last 13 all-star games, the Kings haven't had an all-star since Peja Stojakovic and Brad Miller in 2004. Rudy Gay is averaging 20.3 PPG on 52.8% shooting in 22 games since being traded to the Kings from Toronto.

Dirk Selected as West All-Star

After a one-year absence, Dirk Nowitzki is back as a Western Conference All-Star for the 12 time in his career.
Nowitzki was selected by the conference's head coaches as one of 7 reserves players for the West team in this year's All-Star Game, which will be held in New Orleans on Feb. 16.
Dirk made 11 appearances in a row (2002-12), but failed to make last year's squad after missing significant time after knee surgery.

Mavericks vs. Rockets: Game 47 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (26-20) vs. Houston Rockets (30-17)
Jan. 29, 7:30 at the AAC
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Mavs by 2

2013-14 Matchups
Nov. 1 at Houston
Rockets 113 Mavs 105
Nov. 20 at Dallas
Mavs 123 Rockets 120
Dec. 23 at Houston
Mavs 111 Rockets 104

All-Time Series
Rockets 80 Mavs 78

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 6th (109.5)
Defense: 21st (108.0)
Rockets
Offense: 7th (109.1)
Defense: 15th (105.6)

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 or Jeremy Lin
SF: Chandler Parsons
PF: Terrence Jones
C: Dwight Howard

Team Leaders

Mavs
PPG: Nowitzki, 21.2
RPG: Marion, 6.9
APG: Ellis, 5.9
PER: Nowitzki, 23.2
Rockets
PPG: Harden, 23.7
RPG: Howard, 12.5
APG: Harden, 5.5
PER: Howard, 21.3

Notes
James Harden missed Tuesday's Rockets win over the Spurs with a sprained right thumb. His status for Wednesday's game is uncertain. The Mavs have dominated the Rockets of late, winning 12 of their last 14 games against their cross-state rivals. This will be the final game between Dallas and Houston this season, unless they meet in the playoffs.

My All-Star Reserves

West                             PPG RPG APG SPG BPG     Pos.
Dirk Nowitzki             21.2   6.0     2.9     1.0   0.7      FC
LaMarcus Aldridge     24.3  11.5    2.8     0.9   1.0      FC
Dwight Howard           18.0  12.5   1.8     0.9   1.8       FC
Anthony Davis             20.1  10.5   1.3    1.6    3.1      FC
Chris Paul                    19.6   4.6    11.2   2.4    0.1       G
James Harden              23.7   4.9     5.5    1.3    0.6       G
Tony Parker                 18.1   2.4     6.3    0.6    0.1       G
Damian Lillard            20.7   3.6     5.6    0.7    0.4       G


East                             PPG  RPG  APG  SPG BPG     Pos.
Roy Hibbert                11.9   7.8     1.3     0.4    2.6       FC
Chris Bosh                  16.8   6.7     1.1     0.8    1.0       FC
Paul Millsap                17.8   8.2    3.0     1.7     1.2       FC
Joakim Noah               11.7   11.4   4.1     1.2    1.3       FC
John Wall                    20.0    4.3    8.5     1.9    0.4        G
Kyle Lowry                 16.4   4.3    7.5      1.6    0.2        G
Arron Afflalo              20.4    4.4    3.8     0.6    0.0        G

Mavericks at Nets: Game 45 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (25-19) at Brooklyn Nets (18-22)
Fri.  Jan. 24, 6:30 CST at the Barclays Center
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Nets by 2

2012-13 Matchups
Mar. 1 at Brooklyn
Mavs 98 Nets 90
Mar. 20 at Dallas
Nets 113 Mavs 96

All-Time Series
Mavs 38 Nets 26

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 7th (109.1)
Defense: 20th (107.7)
Nets
Offense: 18th (105.3)
Defense: 25th (108.3)

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Nets
PG: Shaun Livingston
SG: Joe Johnson
SF: Alan Anderson
PF: Paul Pierce
C: Kevin Garnett

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Nowitzki, 21.1
RPG: Marion, 6.9
APG: Ellis, 6.0
PER: Nowitzki, 23.2
Nets
PPG: Johnson, 16.3
RPG: Garnett, 6.8
APG: Williams, 6.8
PER: Blatche, 19.7

Notes
Dirk will return to action after missing the Raptors game due to rest. The Nets have been red hot of late, winning 8 out of their last 9 games. The Mavs will be reunited with two of the greatest players in team history, who were also key players for the 2010-11 championship team. Jason Kidd is in his first year as a NBA coach, and Jason Terry is a backup guard for Brooklyn. Meanwhile the Mavs feature former Nets all-stars Vince Carter and Devin Harris. The Mavericks have won 6 of their last 8 games against the Nets.

Raptors 93 Mavericks 85: Game 44 Review

Headline
With Dirk sitting out, Mavs blow another big lead in falling to the Raptors.

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Ellis, 21
Rebounds: Dalembert, Blair, 7
Assists: Ellis, 6
+-: Dalembert, +5
Raptors
Points: DeRozan, 40
Rebounds: Valanciunas, 10
Assists: Vasquez, 7
+-: Vasquez, +21

Players of the Game
Mavs
Monta Ellis
21 pts., 6 ast., but 8 turnovers
Raptors
DeMar DeRozan
career high 40 pts., 15-22 FG

X-Factor
Greivis Vasquez
17 pts., 7 ast., 3 stl.

Goat
Shawn Marion
6 pts., 4 rbs., 3-11 FG

Play of the Game
DeRozan's fast break dunk off another Mavs turnover that gave the Raptors a 7 point lead with 1:47 to go.

Stat of the Game
21 Dallas turnovers including 9 in a 12 point 4th quarter.

Additional Notes
Dirk Nowitzki was given the night off for rest purposes.
After scoring 34 points in first, the Mavs scored 51 in the last 3 quarters.
Dallas was swpet by Toronto in the season series for the first time since 96-97.
All-Star candidate Kyle Lowry was 0-10 from the field for the Raptors.

Quote of  Note
 ''It was just the right thing to do, the right thing for him, for the organization,'' Carlisle said. ''He needed a day to rest.''
Rick Carlisle on sitting Dirk

Up Next
The Mavericks (25-19) finish off their 3 game Eastern swing when they face the surging Brooklyn Nets (18-22), Friday at 6:30 Central.

Dalembert to Play; Ledo Called Back Up

Samuel Dalembert, who strained his left shoulder in Monday's game against Cleveland, participatedin today's shootaround and plans to play in tonight's game against Toronto.

In other news the Mavs recalled Ricky Ledo from the Texas Legends of the D-League. Ledo who has had two stints with the Legends this year, will be available for tonight's game.

Mavericks at Raptors: Game 44 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (25-18) at Toronto Raptors (20-20)
Wed. Jan. 22, 6:00 CST at the Air Canada Centre
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Raptors by 1 1/2

2013-14 Matchups
Dec. 20 at Dallas
Raptors 109 Mavs 108 (OT)

All-Time Series
Mavs 22 Raptors 12

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 6th (109.4)
Defense: 22nd (107.8)
Raptors
Offense: 15th (105.8)
Defense: 6th (103.4)


Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert or DeJuan Blair
Raptors
PG: Kyle Lowry
SG: DeMar DeRozan
SF: Terrence Ross
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Jonas Valanciunas

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Nowitzki, 21.1
RPG: Marion, 6.9
APG: Ellis, 6.0
PER: Nowitzki, 23.2
Raptors
PPG: DeRozan, 21.3
RPG: Valanciunas, 8.4
APG: Lowry, 7.4
PER: Lowry, 20.0

Notes
Jose Calderon returns to Toronto, where he spent the first 7 1/2 years of his career. Samuel Dalembert's status is in doubt after he left Monday's game with a strained left shoulder. Toronto is 14-8 since trading Rudy Gay to Sacramento for 4 players. At 20-20 they amazingly lead the pathetic Atlantic Division. The Mavericks blew a 19 point lead in December 20th's overtime loss to the Raptors.

NBA Mid-Season Awards

MVP
1. Kevin Durant
Hasn't taken the best player in the world title from LeBron, but has been the best this season
2. LeBron James
You know you're pretty good when you put up the numbers he's put up and some people think you're coasting.
3. Paul George
Has become one of the NBA's best on both ends of the court.
4. LaMarcus Aldridge
Has been a great player for a while. Now his team is successful as well.
5. Chris Paul
The NBA's best point guard is currently out of action with a separated shoulder.


Rookie of the Year
1. Michael Carter-Williams
The best of a poor bunch has been much better offensively than anyone expected.
2. Victor Oladipo
Explosive athlete shows potential, but has had trouble playing efficiently. 
3. Trey Burke
Utah has been a totally different team since he entered the lineup.



Defense Player of the Year
1. Roy Hibbert
The anchor of the league's best defense.
2. Paul George
The perimeter stopper of the league's best defense.
3. Joakim Noah
Best defender on a team that's all about defense.




Coach of the Year
1. Jeff Hornacek
Has taken a team that was supposed to be among the worst in the league into a potential playoff team.
2. Terry Stotts
Mastermind of the NBA's top offense and one of its biggest surprises.
3. Frank Vogel
His teams seems to take giant leaps forward every season.




Sixth Man of the Year
1. Manu Ginobili
He's not quite done yet.
2. Taj Gibson
Solid player on both ends of the court.
3. Markieff Morris
Part of the reasons the Suns have surprised everyone.



Most Improved Player
1. Anthony Davis
Has taken the expected leap into superstar status.
2. Lance Stephenson
Could a Pacer win this award two years in a row?
3. Eric Bledsoe
Had only gotten better with move to full-time status before knee injury.

All-NBA Teams

First Team
F: Kevin Durant
F: LeBron James
C: Dwight Howard
G: Chris Paul
G: Stephen Curry

Second Team
F: Paul George
F: LaMarcus Aldridge
C: Roy Hibbert
G: James Harden
G: Tony Parker

Third Team
F: Kevin Love
F: Dirk Nowitzki
C: DeMarcus Cousins
G: Damian Lillard
G: Dwyane Wade

Mavericks 102 Cavaliers 97: Game 43 Review

Headline
Mavs blow most of 24 point lead, make enough plays down the stretch to hang on.

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Ellis, 22
Rebounds: Nowitzki, 10
Assists: Ellis, 8
+-: Nowitzki, +19
Cavs
Points: Irving, 26
Rebounds: Varejao, 21
Assists: Irving, 9
+-: Varejao, +12

Player of the Game
Monta Ellis
22 pts., 8 ast., 8-16 FG

X-Factor
DeJuan Blair
13 pts., 5 rbs., 5-7 FG

Goat
Dion Waiters
17 scoreless minutes, 0-4 FG

Play of the Game
Mavs led by Brandan Wright's on-the-ball defense, force a 5 second violation on Cleveland, with 3 seconds left in a 3 point game.

Stat of the Game
Dallas bench outscores the Cavs bench, 33-8.

Additional Notes
Samuel Dalembert left the game and did not return early in the 3rd quarter because of a strained left shoulder.
The Mavs have won 7 out of 9 road games, and evened their record away from home at 11-11.
The Mavericks are 11-4 against the East this year, and face East teams in their next 3 games.
Cleveland's struggling rookie Anthony Bennett, the first pick in this year's draft, was a DNP- Coaches Decision.

Quote of Note
"This was a big bounce-back win from an embarrassing loss the other day. We'll be a great team if we continue to play like that with our back against the wall when we face adversity."
Monta Ellis

Next Up
The Mavericks (25-18) head north of the border to face the Toronto Raptors (20-20), Wednesday at 6:00 CST.

Mavericks at Cavaliers: Game 43 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (24-18) at Cleveland Cavaliers (15-25)
Mon. Jan. 20, 12:00 at the Quicken Loans Arena
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Mavs by 1 1/2

2012-13 Matchups
Nov. 17 at Cleveland
Mavs 103 Cavs 95
Mar. 15 at Dallas
Mavs 96 Cavs 86

All-Time Series
Cavs 34 Mavs 29

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 4th (109.4)
Defense: 22nd (107.9)
Cavs
Offense: 25th (101.2)
Defense: 19th (106.8)

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Cavs
G: Kyrie Irving
SG: C.J. Miles
SF: Luol Deng
PF: Tristan Thompson
C: Anderson Varejao

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Nowitzki, 21.2
RPG: Marion, 7.0
APG: Ellis, 5.9
PER: Nowitzki, 23.5
Cavs
PPG: Irving, 21.5
RPG: Varejao, 10.2
APG: Irving, 6.0
PER: Irving, 19.9

Notes
The Mavs have won 5 out of 6 against Cleveland, after having lost 4 in a row. The difference: some guy named LeBron.  Dallas has scored at least 107 points in 6 straight games. Cleveland's rookie forward Anthony Bennett, the first pick in last June's draft, has been a extreme disappointment so far. He is only averaging 2.4 points per game and is shooting a meager .269% from the field. The Mavs have won 6 out of 8 away from home.

Blazers 127 Mavericks 111: Game 42 Review

Headline
Mavs fall way behind, can't recover against one of the West's best teams.

Leaders

Mavs
Points: Nowitzki, 18
Rebounds: Dalembert, 6
Assists: Larkin, 4
+-: Crowder, +20
Blazers
Points: Aldridge, 30
Rebounds: Aldridge, Lopez, 12
Assists: Lillard, 10
+-: Aldridge, +40

Players of the Game
Mavs
Jae Crowder
13 pts., 5-8 FG, 3-6 3PT
Blazers
LaMarcus Aldridge
30 pts., 13 rbs., 11-18 FG

X-Factor
Robin Lopez
16 pts., 12 rbs., 7-13 FG

Goats
Mavs starters who were outscored 91-43.

Play of the Game
Vince Carter's and-one dunk in the 2nd quarter.

Stat of the Game
Portland outrebounds Mavs 55-30.

Additional Notes
Devin  Harris scored 6 points in 17 minutes in his season debut.
Wayne Ellington had made 15 of his last 24 shots, including 7-11 on threes.
The Mavs fell behind by as many as 38 points before making the score more respectable in the 4th quarter.

Quote of Note
"The first three quarters were beyond embarrassing."
Rick Carlisle

Next Up
The Mavericks (24-18) travel east for a MLK day matinee against the Cleveland Cavaliers (15-25), Monday at noon.

Mavericks vs. Blazers: Game 42 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (24-17) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (30-9)
Sat. Jan. 18, 7:30 at the AAC
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Blazers by 1 1/2

2013-14 Matchups
Dec. 7 at Portland
Mavs 108 Blazers 106

All-Time Series
Blazers 74 Mavs 63

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 5th (109.4)
Defense: 21st (107.5)
Blazers
Offense: 1st (113.8)
Defense: 20st (107.2)

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Blazers
PG: Damian Lillard
SG: Wesley Matthews
SF: Nicolas Batum
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge
C: Robin Lopez

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Nowitzki, 21.3
RPG: Marion, 7.1
APG: Ellis, 6.0
PER: Nowitzki, 23.6
Blazers
PPG: Aldridge, 23.9
RPG: Aldridge, 11.2
APG: Lillard, Batum 5.7
PER: Aldridge, 22.9

Notes
Devin Harris is expected to possibly make his season debut after after having off-season toe surgery. This is the only home game for the Mavs in a strech when they place 5 out of 6 on the road. The Mavs have won 3 in a row and 5 out of 6 against Portland. The Blazers have won 4 in a row including beating the Spurs in San Antonio 109-100 last night.

Mavericks 110 Suns 107: Game 41 Review

Headline
With Calderon hurt, Larkin takes control to lead Mavs to crucial bounce-back win.

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Ellis, 24
Rebounds: Marion, Carter, Dalembert, 7
Assists: Ellis, 7
+-: Marion, +11

Suns
Points: Dragic, 28
Rebounds: Markeiff Morris, 12
Assists: Dragic, 7
+-: Markieff Morris, +14

Player of the Game
Shane Larkin
18 pts., 5 ast., 6-8 FG

X-Factor
Shawn Marion
16 pts., 7 rbs., 3-5 3PT

Goat
Gerald Green
4-13 FG, 3 TO, 2 2nd half points

Play of the Game
Larkin's runner that put the Mavs up 10 with 2:42 to go.

Stat of the Game
Mavs hold Suns to 7-22 on 3s after Phoenix was 15-30 in last meeting.

Additional Notes
Jose Calderon left the game early in 3rd quarter with a right knee contusion.
Larkin became the first Mav to score at least 18 and have at least 5 assists as a 21-year-old since Dirk in 99-00.
The win put the Mavs 24-17 at the halfway point of the season good for 7th place in the West. Last year they were 17-24 after 41 games.
P.J. Tucker's last second shot that rimmed out would have only been a 2 pointer and therefore would not have tied the game.
The Suns debuted their horrendous Orange sleeved jerseys.

Quote of Note:
"That's why we drafted him. We felt like he could have this kind of impact."
Rick Carlisle on Larkin

Next Up
The Mavericks (24-17) make a brief stop home when they face the Portland Trail Blazers (30-9) tonight at 7:30.

Mekel Out After Knee Surgery

Mavericks rookie point guard Gal Mekel is out indefinitely according to the team after undergoing surgery for a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. Mekel was splitting backup point guard minutes with fellow rookie Shane Larkin. Fortunately Devin Harris is expected back as early as Saturday's game against Portland to help solidify the backcourt.  

Mavericks at Suns: Game 41 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (23-17) at Phoenix Suns (22-16)
Friday Jan. 17, 8:00 CST at the US Airways Center
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Mavs by 1

2013-14 Matchups
Dec. 21 at Phoenix
Suns 123 Mavs 108

All-Time Series
Suns 74 Mavs 64

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 5th (109.3)
Defense: 21st (107.4)
Suns
Offense: 10th (107.7)
Defense: 13th (105.1)

 Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Suns
PG: Goran Dragic
SG: Gerald Green
SF: P.J. Tucker
PF: Channing Frye
C: Miles Plumlee

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Nowitzki, 21.3
RPG: Marion, 7.1
APG: Ellis, 6.0
PER: Nowitzki, 23.6
Suns
PPG: Dragic, 19.3
RPG: Plumlee, 9.0
APG: Dragic, 6.0
PER: Dragic, 20.5

Notes
The Suns lead the Mavs by percentage points for 7th place in the West. Tonight's game marks the halfway point of the season for the Mavs. They were 17-24 last year through 41 games. Eric Bledsoe is out indefinitely for Phoenix after knee surgery. Dallas has lost two straight to the Suns. Before that they had won 11 out of 12 vs. Phoenix. Since they only play 3 times this year a Suns win would give them the season series win and any potential tiebreaker for playoff positioning.

Clippers 129 Mavericks 127: Game 40 Review

Headline
Mavs blow 17 point 4th quarter lead, lose in crushing fashion.

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Nowitzki, 27
Rebounds: Nowitzki, 8
Assists: Ellis, 13
+-: Carter, +19
Clippers
Points: Redick, 33
Rebounds: Jordan, 13
Assists: Collison, 10
+-: Redick,+19

Players of the Game
Mavs
Dirk Nowitzki
27 pts., 8 rbs.
Clippers
J.J. Redick
33 pts., 10-14 FG, 7-9 3PT

X-Factor
Samuel Dalembert
20 pts., 9-13 FG

Play of the Game
J.J. Redick's 3 with 34 seconds to go that cut the Mavs' lead to one.

Stat of the Game
Clippers go on 23-4 run in the last 5 minutes of the game, culminating with 2 Jamal Crawford free throws that gave LA the lead with 11 seconds to go.

Additional Notes
Monta Ellis sets Mavericks season high with 13 assists.
Dalembert's 20 points are a season high.
Mavs outside of Dirk shoot 5-13 from the line.

Quote of Note
''There's no way we should lose this game. We've got to do a better job of protecting a lead. We made some bad decisions and gave up some 3s.''
Dirk Nowitzki

Next Up
Seventh place in the West is on the line when the Mavericks (23-17) face the Suns (22-16) in Phoenix, Friday at 8 PM Central Time.

Dirk and the 50/40/90 Club

After an injured knee forced him to miss 29 games in the 2012-13 season, some wondered that at age 35, Dirk Nowitzki's days as an NBA superstar might be over . This past summer in ESPN's rankings of all NBA players Dirk came in as only the 26th best player in the league.

So far Dirk has proved those critics who thought time had past him by were dead wrong. He currently ranks 14th in the league in scoring at 21.2 points per game, and has the 7th best Player Efficiency Ranking at 23.7. Maybe most impressively his shooting percentages of .487 FG, .411 3PT and .903 FT, put him within striking distance of his 2nd career 50/40/90 season. In his MVP season of 06-07 Dirk put up a shooting line of .502/.416/.904.

This would make Dirk just the third player to put up multiple 50/40/90 seasons joining Steve Nash (4 times) and Larry Bird. Dirk would also tie Nash for being the oldest player to be a member of this illustrious shooting club. Pretty good for a player who some said "father time" had caught up to.

            All-Time 50/40/90 Season (source: basketball-reference.com)

Player Season ▴ Tm FG% 3P% FT% PTS Larry Bird* 1986-87 BOS .525 .400 .910 28.1 Larry Bird* 1987-88 BOS .527 .414 .916 29.9 Mark Price 1988-89 CLE .526 .441 .901 18.9 Reggie Miller* 1993-94 IND .503 .421 .908 19.9 Steve Nash 2005-06 PHO .512 .439 .921 18.8 Dirk Nowitzki 2006-07 DAL .502 .416 .904 24.6 Steve Nash 2007-08 PHO .504 .470 .906 16.9 Steve Nash 2008-09 PHO .503 .439 .933 15.7 Steve Nash 2009-10 PHO .507 .426 .938 16.5 Kevin Durant 2012-13 OKC .510 .416 .905 28.1

Mavericks at Clippers: Game 40 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (23-16) at Los Angeles Clippers (26-13)
Jan. 15, 9:30 at the Staples Center
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Clippers by 5

2013-14 Matchups

Jan. 3 at Dallas
Clippers 119 Mavs 112

All-Time Series
Mavs 85 Clippers 50

Team Rankings
Mavs
Offense: 7th (108.8)
Defense: 19th (106.7)
Clippers
Offense: 6th (108.8)
Defense: 6th (102.7)

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Samuel Dalembert
Clippers
PG: Darren Collison
SG: J.J. Redick
SF: Jared Dudley
PF: Blake Griffin
C: DeAndre Jordan


Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Nowitzki, 21.2
RPG: Marion, 7.2
APG: Ellis, 5.8
PER: Nowitzki, 23.7
Clippers
PPG: Griffin, 22.3
RPG: Jordan, 13.4
APG: Paul, 11.2
PER: Paul, 27.4


Injuries
Mavs
Shawn Marion will return to action after missing 4 games to a bruised shoulder.
Shane Larkin is questionable with a sprained ankle.
Clippers
Chris Paul is out with a separated shoulder he injured against the Mavs.


Notes
The Mavs will try to equal their season high with their fourth straight win. They will also look for their first win in LA over the Clippers since 3-30-11. They have lost 3 in a row at Staples Center to the Clippers since. The Clippers have been off since defeating the Lakers 123-87 last Friday. Since Paul's injury former Mav Darren Collison has averaged 18 points per game in  5 games.

Mavericks News and Notes

• Shawn Marion said at practice today he will back in  the lineup for tomorrow night's games in Los Angeles against the Clippers. Marion has missed the last 4 games due to a bruised right shoulder he suffered after taking a hard fall in last Tuesday's game against the Lakers.

• In other injury news, Devin Harris participated in his first full practice since suffering a setback in his recovery from toe surgery last month. Although we won't play on the upcomming roadtrip, he could be back on the court as soon as Saturday night's contest against Portland.

• The Mavs D-league affiliate, the Texas Legend acquired former North Carolina guard P.J. Hairston through the league's player selection process. Hairston was declared ineligible by the NCAA due to rule violations, and decided he would play this season in the D-league to help raise his stock for this year's NBA Draft. Because Hairston is not eligible for the draft until June he is ineligible to called up to the NBA by the Mavs or any other team. Hairston is seen as a possible late first-round draft pick as of now.

Mavericks 107 Magic 88: Game 39 Review

Headline
Mavs take care of business and dominate struggling and undermanned Magic.

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Ellis, 21
Rebounds: Blair, 7
Assists: Mekel, 7
+-: Carter, +20
Magic
Points: Nelson, 21
Rebounds: Davis, 8
Assists: Nelson, 7
+-: Nicholson, 0

Player of the Game
Vince Carter
17 pts., 6-10 FG, 3-4 3pt

X-Factor
Wayne Ellington
12 pts., 6 rbs., 5-8 FG

Goat
Victor Oladipo
4-11 FG, 2 ast., 4 TO

Play of the Game
Brandan Wright's transition dunk off a nice feed from Jae Crowder that put Dallas up 15 with 4 minutes to go.

Stat of the Game
Mavericks shoot 13-27 on threes.

Additional Notes
The win puts the Mavs 7 games over .500 for the first time all season.
The victory coupled with a Phoenix loss also put Dallas in sole possession of 7th place in the West.
Shawn Marion missed his 4th straight game with a bruised shoulder.
The loss was the 8th in a row for an Orlando team that is missing Arron Afflalo and Nikola Vucevic.

Quote of Note
"It's better than seven under, which last year we definitely were. That's why we had those bad beards."
Dirk on being 7 games above .500

Next Up
The Mavs (23-16) begin a crucial two game road trip when they face off with the Clippers (26-13), Wednesday at 9:30.

Mavericks 40+ Point Games since 98-99 (source: basketball-reference.com)

	Player			Date ▴			Opp				FG	FGA					3P	3PA		FT	FTA										PTS
	Dirk Nowitzki			2001-05-14*			SAS				14	24					0	1		14	18										42
	Dirk Nowitzki			2002-01-15			ATL				12	22					6	15		10	13										40
	Michael Finley			2002-11-27			DET				13	28					1	6		15	17										42
	Dirk Nowitzki			2002-12-30			MIL				12	25					2	6		14	16										40
	Dirk Nowitzki			2003-04-19*			POR				16	27					4	5		10	11										46
	Dirk Nowitzki			2003-04-25*			POR				15	20					5	6		7	9										42
	Nick Van Exel			2003-05-10*			SAC				14	26					6	12		6	7										40
	Dirk Nowitzki			2004-01-27			SEA				16	22					8	11		3	5										43
	Dirk Nowitzki			2004-02-07			DET				15	24					3	4		7	8										40
	Dirk Nowitzki			2004-11-11			MIA				12	24					4	7		13	13										41
	Dirk Nowitzki			2004-12-02			HOU				15	32					2	5		21	22										53
	Dirk Nowitzki			2006-03-23			GSW				16	24					3	4		16	17										51
	Dirk Nowitzki			2006-06-01*			PHO				14	26					5	6		17	18										50
	Dirk Nowitzki			2007-01-12			IND				13	24					2	4		15	18										43
	Josh Howard			2007-12-08			UTA				14	19					4	5		15	17										47
	Dirk Nowitzki			2008-12-13			OKC				17	30					2	4		10	10										46
	Dirk Nowitzki			2009-01-13			DEN				15	26					2	6		12	12										44
	Dirk Nowitzki			2009-02-07			CHI				16	34					1	2		11	11										44
	Dirk Nowitzki			2009-02-27			OKC				16	30					1	3		8	10										41
	Dirk Nowitzki			2009-05-11*			DEN				14	25					0	0		16	17										44
	Dirk Nowitzki			2009-11-03			UTA				12	22					1	3		15	16										40
	Dirk Nowitzki			2009-11-18			SAS				15	29					1	1		10	12										41
	Rodrigue Beaubois			2010-03-27			GSW				15	22					9	11		1	1										40
	Dirk Nowitzki			2010-04-09			POR				11	24					1	2		17	17										40
	Dirk Nowitzki			2010-11-23			DET				13	23					3	3		13	16										42
	Dirk Nowitzki			2011-05-17*			OKC				12	15					0	0		24	24										48
	Dirk Nowitzki			2011-05-23*			OKC				12	20					2	3		14	15										40
	Dirk Nowitzki			2012-03-03			UTA				14	21					3	8		9	10										40
	Dirk Nowitzki			2012-04-16			UTA				13	26					2	7		12	12										40
	O.J. Mayo			2012-12-08			HOU				15	26					6	9		4	4										40
	Dirk Nowitzki			2014-01-11			NOP				10	20					5	9		15	16										40