DALLAS -- Dirk Nowitzki had to give Jason Kidd a hard time after glancing at the box score.
Glenn James/NBAE/Getty ImagesWith the Mavs opening a big lead over the Pacers, Roddy Beaubois saw his first action since the All-Star break.The Mavs' 91-82 win over the Indiana Pacers wasn't pretty, but it was comfortable enough for Kidd to rest the entire fourth quarter while rookie Rodrigue Beaubois got valuable on-the-job experience running the point.
Beaubois, who hadn't played since the All-Star break, finished with six points on 2-of-8 shooting, three rebounds, two assists and no turnovers. Rick Carlisle, who wasn't in a great mood after the game, complimented Beaubois' energy.
"He came in and was ready to play," Jason Terry said. "He pushed the ball, pushed the tempo. He still made some rookie mistakes, but that's to be expected."
Beaubois' development is a long-term issue. Managing Kidd's minutes is a more pressing concern at the moment, especially with the 36-year-old playing 40-plus minutes the previous three games. Kidd has logged more minutes this season than any other point guard in the league.
"It helps tremendously," Carlisle said. "Jason has really been willing our team to some of these victories. He just has driven himself hard. He’s driving our team hard. Every minute he plays, he’s playing at a higher octane than most guys."
Every minute Kidd rests might pay dividends down the stretch this season.
Tim MacMahon
ESPNDallas.com- Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009
- Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks
- Worked at Dallas Morning News for six years
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Jeff Caplan
Jeff Caplan joined ESPNDallas.com in December 2009. Jeff covers the Mavericks, Rangers and colleges. He has a wealth of experience in the area, covering multiple beats in his 11-plus years with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Tim MacMahon
Tim MacMahon joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. Tim covers the Cowboys and Mavericks. He has covered the local sports scene from high schools to colleges to pros during his six-year tenure at The Dallas Morning News. MacMahon is a graduate of UNT.
Marc Stein
Marc Stein began writing for ESPN.com in 2000 and signed on full-time in 2002 as Senior NBA Writer. He also makes regular appearances on "SportsCenter," "NBA Shootaround," "NBA Fastbreak," "NBA Coast To Coast," ESPNEWS, ESPN "First Take" and ESPN Radio.
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Jeff Wade joined ESPNDallas.com in November 2009. He is one half of "The Ben & Skin Show," heard weekdays from 9a-12p on 103.3 FM ESPN, and also works as sideline analyst for the TV broadcast of all Maverick home games.
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TEAM LEADERS
| POINTS | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Dirk Nowitzki
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| OTHER LEADERS | ||||||||||||
| Rebounds | S. Marion | 7.4 | ||||||||||
| Assists | J. Kidd | 5.5 | ||||||||||
| Steals | J. Kidd | 1.7 | ||||||||||
| Blocks | B. Wright | 1.3 | ||||||||||
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