Mavericks: Oklahoma City Thunder
Could Nate Robinson be a match for Mavs?
May, 8, 2013
May 8
1:08
PM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
It’s probably painful for the Mavericks’ front office to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder during these playoffs.
Derek Fisher is essentially doing exactly what they envisioned when they signed the five-time champion point guard to a veteran minimum deal early in the season. He’s knocking down open jumpers at a ridiculous rate (61.3 percent from 3-point range), drawing charges and doing all sorts of savvy type of dirty work and serving as a plus-minus monster (plus-21 per 48 minutes).
Of course, the Mavs had no control over Fisher’s decision to leave Dallas. And Mark Cuban’s hard feelings have been well chronicled regarding Fisher’s late-season change of heart over the value of family time once a contender called.
Nevertheless, a strong argument can be made that the Mavs would have at least extended their playoff streak if Fisher would have stuck around. But he’s not even the best point guard playing for the minimum in these playoffs.
Imagine if Nate Robinson would have been on the Mavs’ roster.
Lil’ Nate is the buzz of the Eastern Conference playoffs right now – having just dropped 27 points and nine assists despite getting 10 stitches in his lip during Chicago’s Game 1 upset of the Miami Heat – but he was a journeyman desperate for a job in the offseason. He accepted a partially guaranteed minimum deal to join the Bulls.
Robinson, the 5-foot-9 former slam dunk champion, has always had a Jason Terry-like borderline irrational type of confidence. And that hasn’t always gone over well, which is part of the reason he’s played for five teams in the last four seasons.
But Robinson has the game of a hyperathletic J.J. Barea. He’s got the ability to score in bunches – as a 3-pointer shooter, off the dribble, as a pick-and-roll initiator. It’s certainly intriguing to think about how he’d fit as an off-the-bench sparkplug playing with Dirk Nowitzki.
There didn’t seem to be a fit for Robinson in Dallas last summer, when Delonte West was on the roster to back up Darren Collison and provide what the Mavs hoped would be a healthy edge. (Yeah, so much for that.)
Might the Mavs and Robinson be a match this summer? His game would definitely work in Dallas, but his playoff performance could be putting him out of the Mavs’ price range for a backup point guard.
| PODCAST |
|---|
| Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle gives his take on the contrasting styles of the Pacers and Knicks, Carmelo Anthony, Bulls-Heat, Tom Thibodeau, the state of the West and more. Listen  |
Of course, the Mavs had no control over Fisher’s decision to leave Dallas. And Mark Cuban’s hard feelings have been well chronicled regarding Fisher’s late-season change of heart over the value of family time once a contender called.
Nevertheless, a strong argument can be made that the Mavs would have at least extended their playoff streak if Fisher would have stuck around. But he’s not even the best point guard playing for the minimum in these playoffs.
Imagine if Nate Robinson would have been on the Mavs’ roster.
Lil’ Nate is the buzz of the Eastern Conference playoffs right now – having just dropped 27 points and nine assists despite getting 10 stitches in his lip during Chicago’s Game 1 upset of the Miami Heat – but he was a journeyman desperate for a job in the offseason. He accepted a partially guaranteed minimum deal to join the Bulls.
Robinson, the 5-foot-9 former slam dunk champion, has always had a Jason Terry-like borderline irrational type of confidence. And that hasn’t always gone over well, which is part of the reason he’s played for five teams in the last four seasons.
But Robinson has the game of a hyperathletic J.J. Barea. He’s got the ability to score in bunches – as a 3-pointer shooter, off the dribble, as a pick-and-roll initiator. It’s certainly intriguing to think about how he’d fit as an off-the-bench sparkplug playing with Dirk Nowitzki.
There didn’t seem to be a fit for Robinson in Dallas last summer, when Delonte West was on the roster to back up Darren Collison and provide what the Mavs hoped would be a healthy edge. (Yeah, so much for that.)
Might the Mavs and Robinson be a match this summer? His game would definitely work in Dallas, but his playoff performance could be putting him out of the Mavs’ price range for a backup point guard.
Rick Carlisle's best work? Nothing tops title run
April, 1, 2013
Apr 1
12:20
PM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
DALLAS -- There is a school of thought that this season represents Rick Carlisle’s best work during his five-year coaching tenure in Dallas.
No question Carlisle deserves credit for a job well done. After all, the Mavericks were essentially left for dead when they were 10 games under .500 in mid-January and many times since then.
The Mavs managed to pull themselves back into the playoff picture, thanks in large part to Carlisle pressing buttons to try to squeeze every bit of potential out of this patchwork roster.
“We’re under .500,” Carlisle said dismissively, “so we haven’t done that good of a job.”
That’s humility for the sake of staying in the moment. Carlisle has done a heck of a job to keep this flawed team fighting while constantly fidgeting with the lineup and rotation to give the Mavs the best possible chance of winning.
But a better job than the 2011 title run? C’mon, man.
“Winning a championship is always the best coaching job,” Mark Cuban said. “Period, end of story.”
Maybe that’s simplifying things too much, but that was a historically excellent coaching job that Carlisle and his staff did during the 2011 postseason, which started with nobody taking the Mavs seriously as contenders and ended with a championship parade in downtown Dallas.
Think about the gauntlet the Mavs had to get through to win that title. They beat Kobe Bryant’s two-time defending champion Lakers, sweeping arguably the best coach in pro sports history into retirement. They gave Kevin Durant’s Thunder a clutch clinic to delay what could be a decade of Western Conference dominance for OKC. And they beat LeBron James’ Heat, a feat that might not be accomplished in a playoff series for quite some time, if ever, depending on whether the NBA’s premier player opts to stay in Miami for the rest of his career.
That’s a miraculous run by a lone-star team that was a popular first-round upset pick.
There were plenty of examples of coaching genius by Carlisle and his staff – headlined by two assistants, defensive coordinator Dwane Casey and offensive coordinator Terry Stotts, who were hired away as head coaches.
Start with the psychological wisdom of owning the Mavs’ 23-point collapse after Game 4 in Portland. This wasn’t just an empty it’s-always-the-coach’s-fault declaration. Carlisle made a point to fall on the sword for failing to make adjustments to get the ball out of Brandon Roy’s hands during the Blazers guard’s spectacular fourth quarter, an admission that reinforced a tone of accountability in the Mavs’ locker room and prevented a potentially catastrophic meltdown from having a carryover effect.
That was the last time during those playoffs that Carlisle’s strategy was questioned. Heck, the Mavs lost only three more games during that run.
How about the decision to dust off Corey Brewer when Game 1 in Los Angeles seemed to be getting away from the Mavs? Brewer, a benchwarmer on that team, earned every penny Cuban paid him during his high-energy, high-impact eight minutes that turned around that game and changed that series against the Lakers.
One of the primary reasons the Mavs were able to sweep a team practically nobody gave them a chance of beating was because of their success with an unconventional lineup. With Brendan Haywood serving as the defensive backbone in this particular lineup, Dirk Nowitzki and a few second-unit scoring threats (Jason Terry, J.J. Barea and Peja Stojakovic) lit up the Lakers. Phil Jackson never figured out a way to slow down the Barea/Nowitzki high pick-and-pop with Terry and Stojakovic spacing the floor with scorching 3-point shooting.
The defensive game plan that turned James, the NBA’s most dominant force, into a confused, timid player in the Finals was just as genius. Part of that was the bold move of starting Barea at shooting guard after the Heat took a 2-1 series lead, a decision that ensured that DeShawn Stevenson could come off the bench with fresh legs and ferocity to spell Shawn Marion as head of the snake against James.
We could go on and on. Suffice to say it’s silly to think that a fight for .500 – no matter how flawed the team, no matter that a Coach of the Year case can be made for Carlisle if the Mavs make the playoffs – is more impressive than one of the greatest coaching jobs in NBA history.
| PODCAST |
|---|
| Rick Carlisle joins Galloway & Company to discuss getting Dirk Nowitzki more involved in the Mavericks' game plan and much more. Listen |
The Mavs managed to pull themselves back into the playoff picture, thanks in large part to Carlisle pressing buttons to try to squeeze every bit of potential out of this patchwork roster.
“We’re under .500,” Carlisle said dismissively, “so we haven’t done that good of a job.”
That’s humility for the sake of staying in the moment. Carlisle has done a heck of a job to keep this flawed team fighting while constantly fidgeting with the lineup and rotation to give the Mavs the best possible chance of winning.
But a better job than the 2011 title run? C’mon, man.
“Winning a championship is always the best coaching job,” Mark Cuban said. “Period, end of story.”
Maybe that’s simplifying things too much, but that was a historically excellent coaching job that Carlisle and his staff did during the 2011 postseason, which started with nobody taking the Mavs seriously as contenders and ended with a championship parade in downtown Dallas.
Think about the gauntlet the Mavs had to get through to win that title. They beat Kobe Bryant’s two-time defending champion Lakers, sweeping arguably the best coach in pro sports history into retirement. They gave Kevin Durant’s Thunder a clutch clinic to delay what could be a decade of Western Conference dominance for OKC. And they beat LeBron James’ Heat, a feat that might not be accomplished in a playoff series for quite some time, if ever, depending on whether the NBA’s premier player opts to stay in Miami for the rest of his career.
That’s a miraculous run by a lone-star team that was a popular first-round upset pick.
There were plenty of examples of coaching genius by Carlisle and his staff – headlined by two assistants, defensive coordinator Dwane Casey and offensive coordinator Terry Stotts, who were hired away as head coaches.
Start with the psychological wisdom of owning the Mavs’ 23-point collapse after Game 4 in Portland. This wasn’t just an empty it’s-always-the-coach’s-fault declaration. Carlisle made a point to fall on the sword for failing to make adjustments to get the ball out of Brandon Roy’s hands during the Blazers guard’s spectacular fourth quarter, an admission that reinforced a tone of accountability in the Mavs’ locker room and prevented a potentially catastrophic meltdown from having a carryover effect.
That was the last time during those playoffs that Carlisle’s strategy was questioned. Heck, the Mavs lost only three more games during that run.
How about the decision to dust off Corey Brewer when Game 1 in Los Angeles seemed to be getting away from the Mavs? Brewer, a benchwarmer on that team, earned every penny Cuban paid him during his high-energy, high-impact eight minutes that turned around that game and changed that series against the Lakers.
One of the primary reasons the Mavs were able to sweep a team practically nobody gave them a chance of beating was because of their success with an unconventional lineup. With Brendan Haywood serving as the defensive backbone in this particular lineup, Dirk Nowitzki and a few second-unit scoring threats (Jason Terry, J.J. Barea and Peja Stojakovic) lit up the Lakers. Phil Jackson never figured out a way to slow down the Barea/Nowitzki high pick-and-pop with Terry and Stojakovic spacing the floor with scorching 3-point shooting.
The defensive game plan that turned James, the NBA’s most dominant force, into a confused, timid player in the Finals was just as genius. Part of that was the bold move of starting Barea at shooting guard after the Heat took a 2-1 series lead, a decision that ensured that DeShawn Stevenson could come off the bench with fresh legs and ferocity to spell Shawn Marion as head of the snake against James.
We could go on and on. Suffice to say it’s silly to think that a fight for .500 – no matter how flawed the team, no matter that a Coach of the Year case can be made for Carlisle if the Mavs make the playoffs – is more impressive than one of the greatest coaching jobs in NBA history.
Mike James: Mavs 'dangerous' if they make playoffs
March, 28, 2013
Mar 28
3:46
PM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
DALLAS – Mike James has every reason to believe that the Dallas Mavericks are a playoff-caliber team.
| PODCAST |
|---|
| Galloway & Company discuss the latest with the Mavericks, including them closing in on .500 and getting to shave their beards. Listen |
“Maybe I’m the rabbit’s foot,” James joked after Thursday’s shootaround.
James is completely serious when he discusses Dallas’ opportunity to earn the right to play in the postseason and the potential to do some damage if they get there.
“We know we’re a playoff team,” James said. “But because of our record and how slow we started, especially before I got here, we’ve had to dig ourselves out of a hole. Let’s just say if the season started in January and you take away the first half of the season and just talk about what we’ve done from January to now, we’re one of the better teams in the NBA.”
That’s not an exaggeration.
James’ first game with the Mavs was Jan. 9, when he played five seconds in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers that dropped the Mavs to 10 games under .500 for the first time in a dozen years. The Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Indiana Pacers are the only teams that have a better record since then.
“Were we a playoff team early? No,” James said. “But are we a team that could really make a lot of noise in the playoffs? Yes. I believe that if we get in, we’re going to be dangerous for any team to play against because we’re going to be playing our best basketball.”
Mavs try to end misery vs. West's best
March, 26, 2013
Mar 26
1:01
PM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
DALLAS – There’s no nice way to put it: The Mavericks have been miserable against the West’s best.
Dallas has lost 13 of 14 games against the conference’s top five teams, including 0-11 against the top four seeds. Six of those losses came by double figures, five by 20-plus points.
That’s a trend the Mavs have an opportunity to end with the 48-22 Los Angeles Clippers in town tonight.
“It’s time,” Shawn Marion said. “We’ve been right there scratching at the door of a lot of these best teams in the Western Conference. It’s time. We’re starting to get our continuity a little better and our defensive principles down. Gotta make it happen.”
Marion makes a legitimate point. The Mavs’ two meetings with elite West teams this month could have gone either way. Vince Carter’s 3-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out in a 92-91 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The score was tied with a minute remaining in a 107-101 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
But close doesn’t count for a team fighting to get into the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season. For the Mavs to beat the odds and punch their postseason ticket, they must have some success against the West’s best, considering the 12 games left on the schedule include tonight’s meeting with the Clippers, home and road games against the Denver Nuggets and a home game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
“We can be playing a college team – we need the win,” Carter said. “I think records really at this point go out the window because whether they’re the best team or the worst team, we have to win. We have to find a way.
“We have, what, 12 games? It’s a small window. The games are so important. It can’t matter what it says on the opponent’s jersey.”
The Mavs have kept their playoff hopes alive by going 21-13 since being a dozen-year-low of 10 games under .500. That’s the fifth-best record in the West during that span. After eight wins in 11 games, the Mavs find themselves only a game and a half behind the eighth-place Los Angeles Lakers, losers of three in a row.
Coach Rick Carlisle acknowledges the Mavs’ lack of success against the West’s best, but it doesn’t do him any good to think about what’s already happened. He’d rather discuss the two days of meticulous preparation for the Clippers, focusing on details such as ball security and boxing out against their freakishly athletic foe.
“Right now, we need to win one game,” Carlisle said, “and that’s tonight. “
| PODCAST |
|---|
| DeAndre Jordan of the L.A. Clippers joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to talk about the Mavericks, why Dirk Nowitzki was one of his favorite players growing up and how he enjoyed the success of his Texas A&M Aggies on the football field. Listen |
That’s a trend the Mavs have an opportunity to end with the 48-22 Los Angeles Clippers in town tonight.
“It’s time,” Shawn Marion said. “We’ve been right there scratching at the door of a lot of these best teams in the Western Conference. It’s time. We’re starting to get our continuity a little better and our defensive principles down. Gotta make it happen.”
Marion makes a legitimate point. The Mavs’ two meetings with elite West teams this month could have gone either way. Vince Carter’s 3-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out in a 92-91 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The score was tied with a minute remaining in a 107-101 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
But close doesn’t count for a team fighting to get into the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season. For the Mavs to beat the odds and punch their postseason ticket, they must have some success against the West’s best, considering the 12 games left on the schedule include tonight’s meeting with the Clippers, home and road games against the Denver Nuggets and a home game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
“We can be playing a college team – we need the win,” Carter said. “I think records really at this point go out the window because whether they’re the best team or the worst team, we have to win. We have to find a way.
“We have, what, 12 games? It’s a small window. The games are so important. It can’t matter what it says on the opponent’s jersey.”
The Mavs have kept their playoff hopes alive by going 21-13 since being a dozen-year-low of 10 games under .500. That’s the fifth-best record in the West during that span. After eight wins in 11 games, the Mavs find themselves only a game and a half behind the eighth-place Los Angeles Lakers, losers of three in a row.
Coach Rick Carlisle acknowledges the Mavs’ lack of success against the West’s best, but it doesn’t do him any good to think about what’s already happened. He’d rather discuss the two days of meticulous preparation for the Clippers, focusing on details such as ball security and boxing out against their freakishly athletic foe.
“Right now, we need to win one game,” Carlisle said, “and that’s tonight. “
Fraud Lamar Odom finally faces Mavs fans again
March, 26, 2013
Mar 26
9:03
AM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
DALLAS – Lamar Odom, whose one-year stint with the Mavericks was one of the biggest disgraces in Dallas sports history, returns to the scene of the crime Tuesday night.
The court of public opinion has found Odom guilty of first-degree basketball fraud for his antics last season, when his out-of-shape body went through the motions with the Mavericks while he left his heart and mind in Los Angeles.
Khloe’s little Lam Lam was acquitted on one count of attempted murder on the Mavs’ soul. After all, Odom can’t be reasonably accused of trying during his four months of failure in Dallas.
“It was like going to war with wet gunpowder,” Donnie Nelson said after the Mavs parted ways with the veteran in April, summing up the Lamar Odom saga in Dallas.
Alas, the punishment for Odom’s hoops felony is pretty light. Other than a permanently stained reputation for the former reality show star, all Odom has to deal with is the wrath of the American Airlines Center crowd during the Los Angeles Clippers’ lone visit this season.
It’s safe to assume that Mark Cuban will join a sellout crowd in giving Odom a cold welcome. Cuban admits to muttering bad things about Odom under his breath during the Mavs’ two road losses to the Clippers earlier this season. The boo-every-time-he-touches-the-ball treatment would be appropriate.
You can’t blame Cuban for still being furious about Odom’s fraud. Forget what seemed like a steal of a deal backfiring in the Mavs front office’s face. Odom made Cuban look like a fool for having his back over and over again to the point of being perceived as an enabler, especially during Odom’s bizarre post-All-Star-break sabbatical, when the owner met with Odom at the W Hotel to talk him into rejoining the team while the rest of the Mavs were in the midst of the lockout-compressed season’s most grueling stretch of games.
Cuban finally had his fill of Odom’s bull by April 7, well after home fans had started booing him. After seeing Odom loaf through four first-half minutes in Memphis that night, Cuban angrily confronted him in the locker room, repeatedly asking if he was “in or out.” Odom’s response of “stop playing games” didn’t satisfy the owner, who decided to send Odom home for the rest of the season, paying him to just go away.
Oh, and the Mavs aren’t done paying for the Odom ordeal.
Dallas still has to give up a first-round pick to complete the Odom trade. It’s now the property of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who acquired it in the James Harden deal from the Houston Rockets, who acquired it from the Lakers along with Derek Fisher (how fitting) for Jordan Hill.
The pick is top-20 protected through 2017, so the worst-case scenario is that the OKC gets a lottery gift from its Interstate 35 rival in 2018, just before Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook turn 30.
Maybe the Odom deal, which was made possible by the trade exception created in the sign-and-trade that sent Tyson Chandler to the New York Knicks, was the basketball gods’ way of punishing Cuban for breaking up a team coming off an NBA title.
The basketball gods certainly didn’t enact any vengeance on Odom. He landed back in Los Angeles with the contending Clippers, making the full $8.2 million salary in the final season of his contract to serve as a role player on arguably the NBA’s best bench. (The fact that Dallas was able to trade Odom for essentially nothing instead of having to pay his $2.4 million buyout was considered a minor win for the Mavs.)
Odom hasn’t exactly regained his Sixth Man of the Year from 2010-11. In fact, he’s averaging a career-low 4.1 points per game while shooting an unsightly 38.8 percent from the floor, numbers that are a continuation of his drastic offensive decline last season. However, Odom has been a contributor for the Clippers since getting in reasonably decent shape, averaging 5.8 rebounds in 20.4 minutes and playing good defense.
“He’s in a situation that’s really perfect for him,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said, taking the diplomatic route. “He’s a defender, rebounder and can play off of other people. He’s having a really good year for them.”
Mavs fans have every right to interrupt that “really good year” by making Odom miserable for one night.
| PODCAST |
|---|
| DeAndre Jordan of the L.A. Clippers joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to talk about the Mavericks, why Dirk Nowitzki was one of his favorite players growing up and how he enjoyed the success of his Texas A&M Aggies on the football field. Listen |
Khloe’s little Lam Lam was acquitted on one count of attempted murder on the Mavs’ soul. After all, Odom can’t be reasonably accused of trying during his four months of failure in Dallas.
“It was like going to war with wet gunpowder,” Donnie Nelson said after the Mavs parted ways with the veteran in April, summing up the Lamar Odom saga in Dallas.
Alas, the punishment for Odom’s hoops felony is pretty light. Other than a permanently stained reputation for the former reality show star, all Odom has to deal with is the wrath of the American Airlines Center crowd during the Los Angeles Clippers’ lone visit this season.
It’s safe to assume that Mark Cuban will join a sellout crowd in giving Odom a cold welcome. Cuban admits to muttering bad things about Odom under his breath during the Mavs’ two road losses to the Clippers earlier this season. The boo-every-time-he-touches-the-ball treatment would be appropriate.
You can’t blame Cuban for still being furious about Odom’s fraud. Forget what seemed like a steal of a deal backfiring in the Mavs front office’s face. Odom made Cuban look like a fool for having his back over and over again to the point of being perceived as an enabler, especially during Odom’s bizarre post-All-Star-break sabbatical, when the owner met with Odom at the W Hotel to talk him into rejoining the team while the rest of the Mavs were in the midst of the lockout-compressed season’s most grueling stretch of games.
Cuban finally had his fill of Odom’s bull by April 7, well after home fans had started booing him. After seeing Odom loaf through four first-half minutes in Memphis that night, Cuban angrily confronted him in the locker room, repeatedly asking if he was “in or out.” Odom’s response of “stop playing games” didn’t satisfy the owner, who decided to send Odom home for the rest of the season, paying him to just go away.
Oh, and the Mavs aren’t done paying for the Odom ordeal.
Dallas still has to give up a first-round pick to complete the Odom trade. It’s now the property of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who acquired it in the James Harden deal from the Houston Rockets, who acquired it from the Lakers along with Derek Fisher (how fitting) for Jordan Hill.
The pick is top-20 protected through 2017, so the worst-case scenario is that the OKC gets a lottery gift from its Interstate 35 rival in 2018, just before Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook turn 30.
Maybe the Odom deal, which was made possible by the trade exception created in the sign-and-trade that sent Tyson Chandler to the New York Knicks, was the basketball gods’ way of punishing Cuban for breaking up a team coming off an NBA title.
The basketball gods certainly didn’t enact any vengeance on Odom. He landed back in Los Angeles with the contending Clippers, making the full $8.2 million salary in the final season of his contract to serve as a role player on arguably the NBA’s best bench. (The fact that Dallas was able to trade Odom for essentially nothing instead of having to pay his $2.4 million buyout was considered a minor win for the Mavs.)
Odom hasn’t exactly regained his Sixth Man of the Year from 2010-11. In fact, he’s averaging a career-low 4.1 points per game while shooting an unsightly 38.8 percent from the floor, numbers that are a continuation of his drastic offensive decline last season. However, Odom has been a contributor for the Clippers since getting in reasonably decent shape, averaging 5.8 rebounds in 20.4 minutes and playing good defense.
“He’s in a situation that’s really perfect for him,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said, taking the diplomatic route. “He’s a defender, rebounder and can play off of other people. He’s having a really good year for them.”
Mavs fans have every right to interrupt that “really good year” by making Odom miserable for one night.
3-pointer: O.J. Mayo's woes vs. West's best continue
March, 18, 2013
Mar 18
9:00
AM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
DALLAS – O.J. Mayo has been at his worst against the West’s best.
Not coincidentally, so have the Mavs.
Dallas is 1-12 against the Western Conference’s top four seeds this season after Sunday’s loss completed the Oklahoma City Thunder’s sweep of the season series. The San Antonio Spurs also swept the Mavs, who have lost both of their meetings with the Los Angeles Clippers and are 1-2 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Mayo is leading the Mavs with an efficient 16.8 points per game this season, but his production has fallen off a cliff against the conference’s top four contenders. Mayo is averaging only 10.6 points in those 13 games, shooting .352 from the floor and .146 from 3-point range, as opposed to .461 and .414 overall this season.
The Mavs have been outscored by 128 points with Mayo on the floor in those 13 games. He’s a plus-21 for the rest of the season.
Why has Mayo struggled so much against the conference’s elite?
“I don’t know,” Mayo said after scoring nine points on 4-of-10 shooting Sunday. “Couldn’t tell you.”
Fortunately, Mayo’s neighbor in the Mavs’ locker room offered a much more elaborate answer.
“The good teams obviously do a good job on him, like they used to do on Jet,” Dirk Nowitzki said, referring to his former scoring sidekick Jason Terry. “They know he’s a very, very big part. When he scores high, we usually have a good chance of winning. He’s a very good shooter, so most of them don’t leave him. They get into him. Off the screen-and-roll, they quick-trap him.
“He’s just got to keep on working. Keep coming off down screens and looking for his shot. He got to the basket a couple of times. I guess he’s got to just keep attacking. Keep attacking and look for what’s there.”
Coach Rick Carlisle has preached the importance of patience and discipline to Mayo, stressing that it’s especially important not to try to do too much against good defensive teams. Mayo didn’t feel like he had a chance to make an impact in Sunday’s loss, mentioning that he “was pretty much just spotted up in the corner.”
“I just got to have an opportunity to be aggressive,” said Mayo, who has been the Mavs’ third offensive option this month with Vince Carter getting hot. “We’ve got a moving type of offense. You don’t want to be ball chasing or really forcing the issue because that looks bad. You’ve got to just take what they give you and have an opportunity to knock down some shots.”
When Mayo has had those opportunities against the West’s best, he hasn’t knocked them down nearly often enough.
That’s a concern with the Clippers on the schedule next week and one more game remaining against the Grizzlies. It’s also a concern for the future if Mayo returns to Dallas next season.
“He’s got to pick up his game against those (teams),” owner Mark Cuban said before Sunday’s game. “Juice and I have talked about it. He knows he does. There’s nobody who’s more aware of it than O.J. is. O.J. works hard. That’s part of the progression of being 25.”
A few more notes from the Mavs’ second gut-wrenching loss to a contender in their last three games:
1. Bad break for Roddy B.: Rodrigue Beaubois’ season might be over after he fractured the second metacarpal in his left hand during Sunday’s second quarter.
“I don’t know what to say,” Carlisle said. “I just feel very bad for him. He had put the work in. He had been playing well and this was a game we needed him. He’s had some bad luck with injuries. We just hope he can get back. I don’t know if he’s going to be able to this year or not.”
The injury bug first hit Beaubois in the summer after his promising rookie season, when he broke his foot while practicing with the French national team. That injury required two operations to repair and limited him to 22 games his second season.
Beaubois has dealt with various nagging injuries over the last two years and has failed to develop into a solid rotation player, much less a star. But he earned his way back into the rotation with two solid performances last week, including an 18-point, five-assist outing to key the Mavs’ Friday win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It’s now uncertain whether Beaubois, who was unavailable for comment after the game, will ever play for the Mavs again. His rookie contract expires at the end of the season.
“I feel bad for the kid,” Nowitzki said. “It’s just sad. Just so many injuries. He’s been here for four years and has missed a lot of action. … It’s tough. We feel bad for him. But he’s a good kid.
“He’ll stick around. The good thing is when you break your hand, you can still work out and run and stay in decent shape, because this is obviously a big summer for him. He’s a free agent and he obviously wants to stay in the league and have a long career. Hopefully he can get healthy and we’ll see where he lands.”
2. Center switch: The Mavs’ starter at center is back to being a mystery that will be solved when starting lineups are announced 16 minutes before tipoff.
Elton Brand started for the first time since Feb. 1, scoring four points and grabbing four rebounds in 21 minutes.
“The starting center doesn’t play too many minutes usually,” Brand said, half-kidding. “I was hoping that wasn’t me, so I was trying to make a difference out there.”
Chris Kaman, who had started the previous five games, had two points and three rebounds in 4:32 off the bench. It was the third time in the last four games that Kaman played six or fewer minutes.
Brandan Wright, who saw some time at power forward, got the most minutes among the big men. Wright had eight points and seven rebounds, but he was only 4-of-12 from the floor, far less efficient than he’d been recently.
Rookie Bernard James, the starting center for most of February, got a DNP-CD for the seventh time in the last 10 games.
3. On to ATL: The Mavs finish up a dreaded four-games-in-five-nights stretch on the road Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks. With the Mavs clinging to slim playoff hopes, they’ll need to muster energy to perform in what’s pretty much a must-win game.
“We have to dig deep,” Brand said. “This is a game that can make or break our season.”
Not coincidentally, so have the Mavs.
[+] Enlarge
Glenn James/NBAE/Getty ImagesO.J. Mayo, who had nine points against the Thunder, has seen his production drop against the West's top teams.
Glenn James/NBAE/Getty ImagesO.J. Mayo, who had nine points against the Thunder, has seen his production drop against the West's top teams.Mayo is leading the Mavs with an efficient 16.8 points per game this season, but his production has fallen off a cliff against the conference’s top four contenders. Mayo is averaging only 10.6 points in those 13 games, shooting .352 from the floor and .146 from 3-point range, as opposed to .461 and .414 overall this season.
The Mavs have been outscored by 128 points with Mayo on the floor in those 13 games. He’s a plus-21 for the rest of the season.
Why has Mayo struggled so much against the conference’s elite?
“I don’t know,” Mayo said after scoring nine points on 4-of-10 shooting Sunday. “Couldn’t tell you.”
Fortunately, Mayo’s neighbor in the Mavs’ locker room offered a much more elaborate answer.
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“He’s just got to keep on working. Keep coming off down screens and looking for his shot. He got to the basket a couple of times. I guess he’s got to just keep attacking. Keep attacking and look for what’s there.”
Coach Rick Carlisle has preached the importance of patience and discipline to Mayo, stressing that it’s especially important not to try to do too much against good defensive teams. Mayo didn’t feel like he had a chance to make an impact in Sunday’s loss, mentioning that he “was pretty much just spotted up in the corner.”
“I just got to have an opportunity to be aggressive,” said Mayo, who has been the Mavs’ third offensive option this month with Vince Carter getting hot. “We’ve got a moving type of offense. You don’t want to be ball chasing or really forcing the issue because that looks bad. You’ve got to just take what they give you and have an opportunity to knock down some shots.”
When Mayo has had those opportunities against the West’s best, he hasn’t knocked them down nearly often enough.
That’s a concern with the Clippers on the schedule next week and one more game remaining against the Grizzlies. It’s also a concern for the future if Mayo returns to Dallas next season.
“He’s got to pick up his game against those (teams),” owner Mark Cuban said before Sunday’s game. “Juice and I have talked about it. He knows he does. There’s nobody who’s more aware of it than O.J. is. O.J. works hard. That’s part of the progression of being 25.”
A few more notes from the Mavs’ second gut-wrenching loss to a contender in their last three games:
1. Bad break for Roddy B.: Rodrigue Beaubois’ season might be over after he fractured the second metacarpal in his left hand during Sunday’s second quarter.
“I don’t know what to say,” Carlisle said. “I just feel very bad for him. He had put the work in. He had been playing well and this was a game we needed him. He’s had some bad luck with injuries. We just hope he can get back. I don’t know if he’s going to be able to this year or not.”
The injury bug first hit Beaubois in the summer after his promising rookie season, when he broke his foot while practicing with the French national team. That injury required two operations to repair and limited him to 22 games his second season.
Beaubois has dealt with various nagging injuries over the last two years and has failed to develop into a solid rotation player, much less a star. But he earned his way back into the rotation with two solid performances last week, including an 18-point, five-assist outing to key the Mavs’ Friday win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It’s now uncertain whether Beaubois, who was unavailable for comment after the game, will ever play for the Mavs again. His rookie contract expires at the end of the season.
“I feel bad for the kid,” Nowitzki said. “It’s just sad. Just so many injuries. He’s been here for four years and has missed a lot of action. … It’s tough. We feel bad for him. But he’s a good kid.
“He’ll stick around. The good thing is when you break your hand, you can still work out and run and stay in decent shape, because this is obviously a big summer for him. He’s a free agent and he obviously wants to stay in the league and have a long career. Hopefully he can get healthy and we’ll see where he lands.”
2. Center switch: The Mavs’ starter at center is back to being a mystery that will be solved when starting lineups are announced 16 minutes before tipoff.
Elton Brand started for the first time since Feb. 1, scoring four points and grabbing four rebounds in 21 minutes.
“The starting center doesn’t play too many minutes usually,” Brand said, half-kidding. “I was hoping that wasn’t me, so I was trying to make a difference out there.”
Chris Kaman, who had started the previous five games, had two points and three rebounds in 4:32 off the bench. It was the third time in the last four games that Kaman played six or fewer minutes.
Brandan Wright, who saw some time at power forward, got the most minutes among the big men. Wright had eight points and seven rebounds, but he was only 4-of-12 from the floor, far less efficient than he’d been recently.
Rookie Bernard James, the starting center for most of February, got a DNP-CD for the seventh time in the last 10 games.
3. On to ATL: The Mavs finish up a dreaded four-games-in-five-nights stretch on the road Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks. With the Mavs clinging to slim playoff hopes, they’ll need to muster energy to perform in what’s pretty much a must-win game.
“We have to dig deep,” Brand said. “This is a game that can make or break our season.”
Kevin Durant took over; Dirk Nowitzki served as decoy
March, 17, 2013
Mar 17
10:55
PM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
DALLAS – While Kevin Durant dominated, Dirk Nowitzki couldn’t even get the ball.
Just look at the startling contrast between the two superstars’ lines during the fourth quarter of the Dallas Mavericks’ 107-101 loss Sunday night that further damaged Dallas’ dim playoff hopes.
Durant went 7-of-11 from the floor in the final frame, torching the Mavs for 19 of his 31 points. Nowitzki was held to four points -- all on free throws, not even attempting a field goal attempt -- despite being 8-of-10 from the floor in the first three quarters.
That illustrates the difference between two of the most unique, effective offensive weapons in NBA history at this point of their careers. The 24-year-old Durant is capable of taking over a game at any moment. The 34-year-old Nowitzki needs help to be put in position to dominate.
“The guards kind of have to be able to get the ball to Dirk,” Mavs big man Elton Brand said. “With Durant, he’s dribbling the ball up.”
Durant’s 17-point flurry in a span of 5:13 in the fourth quarter did indeed feature a pull-up 3-pointer. If he wasn’t bringing the ball up the floor, Durant could go as far out as necessary to catch it before attacking.
Jae Crowder and Vince Carter combined to keep Durant relatively quiet for three-plus quarters with Mavs defensive stopper Shawn Marion (calf) wearing street clothes and watching from the bench. But the dam broke for Durant early in the fourth.
“When he made that first shot in the fourth quarter, just the basket was big for him,” said Nowitzki, who finished with 23 points. “He made shots going left, going right, pull-up [3-pointers], got to the basket, he was shooting one-leggers. He had the whole full arsenal going. That’s tough.”
It’s tough for Nowitzki to create shots for himself these days. While he never possessed anything near Durant’s remarkable athleticism, Nowitzki now ranks 18th among the NBA’s all-time leading scorers in large part because of his ability to face up and feast against opposing power forwards and centers.
Dirk isolations, often with him catching the ball just above the elbow, used to make up the meat of the Mavs’ playbook. Those plays are now endangered species in Dallas, partially because of the physical toll it takes for a 7-footer to repeatedly have to create for himself, especially one who missed the first 27 games of the season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.
“We know that a lot of teams are loading up and really making me work and pushing me out on the catches and denying me and just making it hard,” said Nowitzki, whose scoring average (16.2 points) is the lowest since his rookie season in 1998-99. “We feel like it’s easier with screen-and-rolls, keep attacking and keep moving. It’s a fun offense to play if everybody’s touching and moving the ball. That’s how we’ve been winning. We’re not a pound-it, iso team.”
In this case, Nowitzki felt no need to force the issue. He pointed out that the Mavs, who put up 29 points in the fourth quarter, weren’t having a problem scoring.
Nevertheless, it’d be nice to see the Mavs keep feeding Nowitzki after he hits his first eight shots from the floor. He seemed headed for a huge game after a personal 8-2 run early in the third quarter, when he drilled two 3s and a 21-footer in a span of 83 seconds.
Nowitzki got a grand total of two more shots from the floor -- and no more buckets -- in the next 20 minutes.
“They didn’t leave me anymore,” Nowitzki said. “Obviously in transition, they ran right to me. Even when we had some stuff happening on the strong side, they were just hugging me on the weak side and basically saying, ‘We don’t even want him to catch the ball.’ That’s an adjustment a lot of teams make.
“I still think we were right there. I don’t think that’s why we lost the game. We were scoring enough there in the fourth. We just couldn’t get stops anymore. That’s what hurt us.”
Of course, Durant had a lot to do with that. He was demanding the ball while Dirk was in decoy mode.
“I just told [Thunder coach Scott Brooks], ‘Let me see the ball and I’ll try to make the right play,’” Durant said. “And he trusted me enough to give it to me. … Fourth quarter, coach always tells me, is my time, I just got to come through.”
The fourth quarter used to be Nowitzki’s time, as the Thunder knows all too well, having been victimized by Dirk’s clutch dominance over and over again in the 2011 Western Conference finals.
Those nights are no longer the norm for Nowitzki. For the Mavs to make a miraculous playoff push, they need to be, although the reward might be an unhealthy dose of Durant.
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Durant went 7-of-11 from the floor in the final frame, torching the Mavs for 19 of his 31 points. Nowitzki was held to four points -- all on free throws, not even attempting a field goal attempt -- despite being 8-of-10 from the floor in the first three quarters.
That illustrates the difference between two of the most unique, effective offensive weapons in NBA history at this point of their careers. The 24-year-old Durant is capable of taking over a game at any moment. The 34-year-old Nowitzki needs help to be put in position to dominate.
“The guards kind of have to be able to get the ball to Dirk,” Mavs big man Elton Brand said. “With Durant, he’s dribbling the ball up.”
Durant’s 17-point flurry in a span of 5:13 in the fourth quarter did indeed feature a pull-up 3-pointer. If he wasn’t bringing the ball up the floor, Durant could go as far out as necessary to catch it before attacking.
Jae Crowder and Vince Carter combined to keep Durant relatively quiet for three-plus quarters with Mavs defensive stopper Shawn Marion (calf) wearing street clothes and watching from the bench. But the dam broke for Durant early in the fourth.
“When he made that first shot in the fourth quarter, just the basket was big for him,” said Nowitzki, who finished with 23 points. “He made shots going left, going right, pull-up [3-pointers], got to the basket, he was shooting one-leggers. He had the whole full arsenal going. That’s tough.”
It’s tough for Nowitzki to create shots for himself these days. While he never possessed anything near Durant’s remarkable athleticism, Nowitzki now ranks 18th among the NBA’s all-time leading scorers in large part because of his ability to face up and feast against opposing power forwards and centers.
Dirk isolations, often with him catching the ball just above the elbow, used to make up the meat of the Mavs’ playbook. Those plays are now endangered species in Dallas, partially because of the physical toll it takes for a 7-footer to repeatedly have to create for himself, especially one who missed the first 27 games of the season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.
“We know that a lot of teams are loading up and really making me work and pushing me out on the catches and denying me and just making it hard,” said Nowitzki, whose scoring average (16.2 points) is the lowest since his rookie season in 1998-99. “We feel like it’s easier with screen-and-rolls, keep attacking and keep moving. It’s a fun offense to play if everybody’s touching and moving the ball. That’s how we’ve been winning. We’re not a pound-it, iso team.”
In this case, Nowitzki felt no need to force the issue. He pointed out that the Mavs, who put up 29 points in the fourth quarter, weren’t having a problem scoring.
Nevertheless, it’d be nice to see the Mavs keep feeding Nowitzki after he hits his first eight shots from the floor. He seemed headed for a huge game after a personal 8-2 run early in the third quarter, when he drilled two 3s and a 21-footer in a span of 83 seconds.
Nowitzki got a grand total of two more shots from the floor -- and no more buckets -- in the next 20 minutes.
“They didn’t leave me anymore,” Nowitzki said. “Obviously in transition, they ran right to me. Even when we had some stuff happening on the strong side, they were just hugging me on the weak side and basically saying, ‘We don’t even want him to catch the ball.’ That’s an adjustment a lot of teams make.
“I still think we were right there. I don’t think that’s why we lost the game. We were scoring enough there in the fourth. We just couldn’t get stops anymore. That’s what hurt us.”
Of course, Durant had a lot to do with that. He was demanding the ball while Dirk was in decoy mode.
“I just told [Thunder coach Scott Brooks], ‘Let me see the ball and I’ll try to make the right play,’” Durant said. “And he trusted me enough to give it to me. … Fourth quarter, coach always tells me, is my time, I just got to come through.”
The fourth quarter used to be Nowitzki’s time, as the Thunder knows all too well, having been victimized by Dirk’s clutch dominance over and over again in the 2011 Western Conference finals.
Those nights are no longer the norm for Nowitzki. For the Mavs to make a miraculous playoff push, they need to be, although the reward might be an unhealthy dose of Durant.
Rapid Reaction: Thunder 107, Mavericks 101
March, 17, 2013
Mar 17
9:01
PM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
How it happened: The Dallas Mavericks survived a Kevin Durant scoring flurry, but they still couldn’t find a way to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The NBA’s leading scorer lit up the Mavs for 17 of his 31 points during a span of just more than five minutes in the fourth quarter, putting on a shot-creating clinic and pumping the Thunder’s lead up to six points with 4:15 remaining. The Mavs fought back to tie it up again, but Russell Westbrook’s pull-up jumper at the 1:00 mark gave OKC the lead for good.
The Mavs, who were missing defensive stopper Shawn Marion (calf) for the second consecutive game, did a terrific job defending Durant for the first three-plus quarters. But Durant dominated for a chunk of the fourth quarter.
Durant's go-ahead jumper with 9:28 remaining was his first basket of the second half. That started a scoring flurry over the next 5:13 that featured an and-1 drive, a contested 3, another drive for a layup, a floater in the lane, a pull-up 3 and a Dirk-esque, off-the-dribble, one-legged fadeaway.
Meanwhile, Dirk Nowitzki didn’t get a shot from the floor in the fourth quarter, despite 8-of-10 shooting in the first three frames. Nowitzki finished with 23 points, including the free throws that tied it up with a little more than a minute remaining.
Westbrook, who finished with 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting and six assists, carried Oklahoma City for most of the game.
The Mavs got 18 points from sixth man Vince Carter, including seven in the fourth quarter while the Mavs couldn’t figure out how to get their superstar the ball.
What it means: The Mavs fell to 31-35, putting them four games behind the eighth-place Los Angeles Lakers after L.A.'s win Sunday over the Sacramento Kings. The Mavs were swept in the season series by the Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, the two teams fighting for the West’s top seed, one of which would be waiting if the Mavs somehow manage to sneak into the playoffs. The Mavs will have to reach deep to muster energy Monday night, when they’ll be in Atlanta for their fourth game in five nights.
Play of the game: Phenomenal displays of athleticism on both ends of the floor in the matter of four seconds seconds gave the Thunder the lead in the final minute of the first half. Serge Ibaka swatted Darren Collison’s layup attempt off the glass to spark a fast break that Westbrook finished with an emphatic two-handed slam off a feed from Thabo Sefolosha.
Stat of the night: The Mavs are 1-11 against the Thunder since beating Oklahoma City in the 2011 Western Conference finals, including last season’s sweep in the first round of the playoffs. The Mavs have lost their last 10 games against the Thunder.
The NBA’s leading scorer lit up the Mavs for 17 of his 31 points during a span of just more than five minutes in the fourth quarter, putting on a shot-creating clinic and pumping the Thunder’s lead up to six points with 4:15 remaining. The Mavs fought back to tie it up again, but Russell Westbrook’s pull-up jumper at the 1:00 mark gave OKC the lead for good.
The Mavs, who were missing defensive stopper Shawn Marion (calf) for the second consecutive game, did a terrific job defending Durant for the first three-plus quarters. But Durant dominated for a chunk of the fourth quarter.
Durant's go-ahead jumper with 9:28 remaining was his first basket of the second half. That started a scoring flurry over the next 5:13 that featured an and-1 drive, a contested 3, another drive for a layup, a floater in the lane, a pull-up 3 and a Dirk-esque, off-the-dribble, one-legged fadeaway.
Meanwhile, Dirk Nowitzki didn’t get a shot from the floor in the fourth quarter, despite 8-of-10 shooting in the first three frames. Nowitzki finished with 23 points, including the free throws that tied it up with a little more than a minute remaining.
Westbrook, who finished with 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting and six assists, carried Oklahoma City for most of the game.
The Mavs got 18 points from sixth man Vince Carter, including seven in the fourth quarter while the Mavs couldn’t figure out how to get their superstar the ball.
What it means: The Mavs fell to 31-35, putting them four games behind the eighth-place Los Angeles Lakers after L.A.'s win Sunday over the Sacramento Kings. The Mavs were swept in the season series by the Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, the two teams fighting for the West’s top seed, one of which would be waiting if the Mavs somehow manage to sneak into the playoffs. The Mavs will have to reach deep to muster energy Monday night, when they’ll be in Atlanta for their fourth game in five nights.
Play of the game: Phenomenal displays of athleticism on both ends of the floor in the matter of four seconds seconds gave the Thunder the lead in the final minute of the first half. Serge Ibaka swatted Darren Collison’s layup attempt off the glass to spark a fast break that Westbrook finished with an emphatic two-handed slam off a feed from Thabo Sefolosha.
Stat of the night: The Mavs are 1-11 against the Thunder since beating Oklahoma City in the 2011 Western Conference finals, including last season’s sweep in the first round of the playoffs. The Mavs have lost their last 10 games against the Thunder.
Elton Brand starts; Chris Kaman benched
March, 17, 2013
Mar 17
6:40
PM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
DALLAS -- Add one more starting lineup that the Mavs have used this season.
Rick Carlisle went with his 21st starting lineup of the season for Sunday night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, benching center Chris Kaman for Elton Brand.
Kaman's playing time has been a sore subject recently. He expressed displeasure after being benched 2:14 into last week's win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Carlisle essentially apologized for starting Kaman in that game, saying it was a bad matchup for the big man.
Kaman played only 5:45 in Friday's win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Mavs are 8-9 when Brand starts this season, including 3-2 when he starts at center. Brand has struggled offensively as a starter, averaging only 5.6 points on 34.3 percent shooting.
Rick Carlisle went with his 21st starting lineup of the season for Sunday night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, benching center Chris Kaman for Elton Brand.
Kaman's playing time has been a sore subject recently. He expressed displeasure after being benched 2:14 into last week's win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Carlisle essentially apologized for starting Kaman in that game, saying it was a bad matchup for the big man.
Kaman played only 5:45 in Friday's win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Mavs are 8-9 when Brand starts this season, including 3-2 when he starts at center. Brand has struggled offensively as a starter, averaging only 5.6 points on 34.3 percent shooting.
How much will Mavs miss Marion vs. Durant?
March, 17, 2013
Mar 17
12:07
PM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
If not for Shawn Marion’s defense on Kevin Durant, a championship banner probably wouldn’t be hanging from the American Airlines Center rafters.
Unfortunately for the Mavs, Marion won’t be available for the Thunder’s visit tonight, as he’ll be sidelined by a strained right calf for the sixth consecutive game.
How much will the Mavs miss Marion against Durant? Believe it or not, the stats suggest that Marion is no longer more effective defending Durant than the Mavs’ other options.
That’s quite a contrast to the 2011 West finals, when Marion spearheaded a magnificent defensive effort against Durant.
According to NBA.com’s numbers, Durant shot only 38.2 percent from the floor and 15.0 percent from 3-point range when Marion was on the floor during that series, averaging an inefficient 26.9 points per 48 minutes. Durant’s stats soared with Marion off the floor: 38.6 points per 48 minutes on 55.2 percent shooting from the floor, including 40.0 percent from 3-point range. The Mavs were plus-30 in 163 minutes of Durant vs. Marion and minus-15 when Durant was on the floor while Marion rested.
The stats suggest Durant learned from that experience and developed the weaknesses exposed by Marion’s physical, aggressive defense in that series. Durant was actually more productive with Marion on the floor than when he rested last season, both in the regular season and the Thunder’s first-round sweep.
Durant has dominated the matchup against Marion in the Mavs’ three losses to the Thunder this season, averaging 41.1 points per 48 minutes, shooting 45.7 percent from the floor, 50.0 percent from 3-point range and hitting 25 of 26 free throws. (Oh, those free throws are a sore issue. Marion was fined $25,000 for declaring that it was difficult to “play 5-on-8” after Durant’s free throw-fueled 52-point performance during his last trip to Dallas.)
It’s not like the Mavs have had much success stopping Durant this season with Marion sitting. Durant’s stats in those situations: 38 points in 42 minutes, 45.8 field goal percentage, 71.4 3-point percentage, 11-of-11 from the line. But Durant has committed seven turnovers in those 42 minutes, and the Mavs outscored the Thunder by 15, compared to OKC’s plus-37 when Marion faces Durant this season.
Rookie Jae Crowder is expected to get the first crack at defending Durant (with a whole lot of help) tonight. It’s a glaring mismatch on paper, with the 6-foot-6 Crowder realistically giving up four or five inches to the ridiculously skilled and talented Durant.
However, Crowder has done an outstanding job against Durant, albeit in a small sample size. They’ve been on the floor together for 30 minutes, during which Durant had 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting with three turnovers and the score was even.
There's no tougher matchup than Durant, who is on pace to join Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to lead the league in scoring for four straight seasons. The Mavs' rookie has proven to be ready for the challenge.
Unfortunately for the Mavs, Marion won’t be available for the Thunder’s visit tonight, as he’ll be sidelined by a strained right calf for the sixth consecutive game.
How much will the Mavs miss Marion against Durant? Believe it or not, the stats suggest that Marion is no longer more effective defending Durant than the Mavs’ other options.
That’s quite a contrast to the 2011 West finals, when Marion spearheaded a magnificent defensive effort against Durant.
According to NBA.com’s numbers, Durant shot only 38.2 percent from the floor and 15.0 percent from 3-point range when Marion was on the floor during that series, averaging an inefficient 26.9 points per 48 minutes. Durant’s stats soared with Marion off the floor: 38.6 points per 48 minutes on 55.2 percent shooting from the floor, including 40.0 percent from 3-point range. The Mavs were plus-30 in 163 minutes of Durant vs. Marion and minus-15 when Durant was on the floor while Marion rested.
The stats suggest Durant learned from that experience and developed the weaknesses exposed by Marion’s physical, aggressive defense in that series. Durant was actually more productive with Marion on the floor than when he rested last season, both in the regular season and the Thunder’s first-round sweep.
Durant has dominated the matchup against Marion in the Mavs’ three losses to the Thunder this season, averaging 41.1 points per 48 minutes, shooting 45.7 percent from the floor, 50.0 percent from 3-point range and hitting 25 of 26 free throws. (Oh, those free throws are a sore issue. Marion was fined $25,000 for declaring that it was difficult to “play 5-on-8” after Durant’s free throw-fueled 52-point performance during his last trip to Dallas.)
It’s not like the Mavs have had much success stopping Durant this season with Marion sitting. Durant’s stats in those situations: 38 points in 42 minutes, 45.8 field goal percentage, 71.4 3-point percentage, 11-of-11 from the line. But Durant has committed seven turnovers in those 42 minutes, and the Mavs outscored the Thunder by 15, compared to OKC’s plus-37 when Marion faces Durant this season.
Rookie Jae Crowder is expected to get the first crack at defending Durant (with a whole lot of help) tonight. It’s a glaring mismatch on paper, with the 6-foot-6 Crowder realistically giving up four or five inches to the ridiculously skilled and talented Durant.
However, Crowder has done an outstanding job against Durant, albeit in a small sample size. They’ve been on the floor together for 30 minutes, during which Durant had 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting with three turnovers and the score was even.
There's no tougher matchup than Durant, who is on pace to join Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to lead the league in scoring for four straight seasons. The Mavs' rookie has proven to be ready for the challenge.
3-pointer: Dirk Nowitzki feels 'good' physically
February, 5, 2013
Feb 5
9:00
AM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
OKLAHOMA CITY – There was one morsel of good news Monday night for the Mavericks.
Dirk Nowitzki reported that he felt fine in his return from a two-game layoff due to a strained right adductor, a muscle in the upper thigh. It was just hard to tell by the results, with Nowitzki scoring only 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting and grabbing only three rebounds in the Mavs’ blowout loss to the Thunder.
Nevertheless, Nowitzki said he felt “good” as far as his health was concerned.
“I actually thought I was moving OK,” Nowitzki said. “That part was fine. I’ll obviously keep taking the meds and see how it is. The meds had some time to kick in over the weekend, so I felt fine out there.”
Nowitzki acknowledged Monday morning that the timing of his muscle pull “stinks.” He had just started to resemble the perennial All-Star he’d been for more than a decade, pouring in a season-high 26 points in Portland before the adductor acted up late in that game.
The rhythm that Nowitzki has finally generated is gone. He’ll have to try to get it going again, but it never happened against the Thunder, who have held him to an average of 12.3 points on 26.8 percent shooting in three OKC wins this season.
“His shooting numbers weren’t good, but I thought he moved well,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We came up against a big-time opponent and we made too many mistakes. When that happens, nobody looks good.”
Added Nowitzki: “I’m going to keep pushing. I’m going to keep getting better.”
A few more notes from the Mavs’ league-high ninth loss by at least 20 points:
1. Perkins makes another Mavs friend: You can add rookie forward Jae Crowder to the list of men who have worn Mavericks uniforms and angered Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins.
Perkins, who invented a rivalry with Tyson Chandler during the 2011 West finals and got into a heated confrontation with Nowitzki and Carlisle during last year’s first round, drew a technical foul after barking in Crowder’s face during the second quarter.
The drama started after Crowder committed the apparently unforgivable act of hitting a jumper over Perkins. According to Crowder, Perkins responded with a colorful phrase that included some expletives, which Crowder repeated as a response.
When play stopped after the next possession, Perkins marched from under the basket to near the free throw line to continue the conversation in close proximity. O.J. Mayo took up to his rookie teammate, hollering at Perkins for several seconds during the timeout.
“All it was was him trying to intimidate me,” Crowder said. “That’s him.”
2. Mavs missed Carter: Sixth man Vince Carter watched the game in the locker room because he was sick. One can only imagine how he felt while watching the Thunder seize control late in the first quarter, when he typically enters the game.
“When we substituted, we struggled,” Carlisle said. “Not having Vince out there was a big factor, but we’ve got to play better, too.”
The Mavs hope Carter will be able to play Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
3. Season highs in stinker: It will surely get overshadowed in the aftermath of a blowout loss, but Shawn Marion and Dominique Jones each set season highs in scoring.
Marion had 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter. Jones dominated garbage time, scoring 12 of his 15 points in the fourth. Jones was 5-of-8 from the floor in 14 minutes.
It was somewhat newsworthy that Jones was on the floor at all. He played a grand total of 53 seconds in the entire month of January.
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Nevertheless, Nowitzki said he felt “good” as far as his health was concerned.
[+] Enlarge
Mark D. Smith/USA TODAY SportsDirk Nowitzki scored only 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting in the Mavs' blowout loss to the Thunder.
Mark D. Smith/USA TODAY SportsDirk Nowitzki scored only 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting in the Mavs' blowout loss to the Thunder.Nowitzki acknowledged Monday morning that the timing of his muscle pull “stinks.” He had just started to resemble the perennial All-Star he’d been for more than a decade, pouring in a season-high 26 points in Portland before the adductor acted up late in that game.
The rhythm that Nowitzki has finally generated is gone. He’ll have to try to get it going again, but it never happened against the Thunder, who have held him to an average of 12.3 points on 26.8 percent shooting in three OKC wins this season.
“His shooting numbers weren’t good, but I thought he moved well,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We came up against a big-time opponent and we made too many mistakes. When that happens, nobody looks good.”
Added Nowitzki: “I’m going to keep pushing. I’m going to keep getting better.”
A few more notes from the Mavs’ league-high ninth loss by at least 20 points:
1. Perkins makes another Mavs friend: You can add rookie forward Jae Crowder to the list of men who have worn Mavericks uniforms and angered Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins.
Perkins, who invented a rivalry with Tyson Chandler during the 2011 West finals and got into a heated confrontation with Nowitzki and Carlisle during last year’s first round, drew a technical foul after barking in Crowder’s face during the second quarter.
The drama started after Crowder committed the apparently unforgivable act of hitting a jumper over Perkins. According to Crowder, Perkins responded with a colorful phrase that included some expletives, which Crowder repeated as a response.
When play stopped after the next possession, Perkins marched from under the basket to near the free throw line to continue the conversation in close proximity. O.J. Mayo took up to his rookie teammate, hollering at Perkins for several seconds during the timeout.
“All it was was him trying to intimidate me,” Crowder said. “That’s him.”
2. Mavs missed Carter: Sixth man Vince Carter watched the game in the locker room because he was sick. One can only imagine how he felt while watching the Thunder seize control late in the first quarter, when he typically enters the game.
“When we substituted, we struggled,” Carlisle said. “Not having Vince out there was a big factor, but we’ve got to play better, too.”
The Mavs hope Carter will be able to play Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
3. Season highs in stinker: It will surely get overshadowed in the aftermath of a blowout loss, but Shawn Marion and Dominique Jones each set season highs in scoring.
Marion had 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter. Jones dominated garbage time, scoring 12 of his 15 points in the fourth. Jones was 5-of-8 from the floor in 14 minutes.
It was somewhat newsworthy that Jones was on the floor at all. He played a grand total of 53 seconds in the entire month of January.
Mavs' glory days seem so long ago
February, 4, 2013
Feb 4
11:06
PM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The 2011 Western Conference finals, when the savvy Dallas Mavericks schooled the young Oklahoma City Thunder in clutch basketball, seem so long ago.
Heck, even the 2012 first round, when the Thunder got revenge by sweeping the Mavs’ championship leftovers, seem like an eternity ago.
Playoff basketball, period, seems ridiculously out of reach for these Mavs.
The Mavs made the short trip home with their tails between their legs after being on the wrong end of a 112-91 rout Monday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Never mind the embarrassment of being blown out by 20-plus points for an NBA-high ninth time this season. There are much more concerning numbers for the Mavs, such as being eight games under .500 at 20-28 and 5½ games out of eighth place in the West.
At this point, it’s hard to picture the Mavs even competing for a playoff berth. Their postseason streak seems destined to end at a dozen years, although there weren’t any white flags waving in the visitors’ locker room after the Mavs got their butts kicked to wrap up a 1-3 road trip.
“Crazier things have happened in this league,” Dirk Nowitzki said, trying his best to muster some optimism by noting that the Mavs had a home-intensive stretch of schedule coming up.
The problem is these Mavs, who have a ton of dry powder but too little talent, simply aren’t good enough. That’s evident from their 5-21 against teams who are .500 or better.
Dallas definitely isn’t good enough to compete against an angry Oklahoma City squad, which has won 10 of 11 games against the Mavs since the '11 West finals. The Thunder wasn’t happy with their loss Saturday to the Cleveland Cavaliers and vented that frustration by whipping the Mavs.
“A good team usually responds to losses like that,” said Nowitzki, who scored only 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting in his return after a two-game layoff due to a strained muscle in his right thigh. “I remember we used to be like that.”
It really wasn’t that long ago. It just feels that way as Dallas’ dismal season drags on.
The Mavs have lost a lot of heartbreakers this season. They’re 2-6 in games decided by three or fewer points, including losses to the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors in the first half of this trip. They’re 1-8 in overtime games, including their previous two meetings with the Thunder.
“We’re not good enough to win those close games at home or on the road,” Nowitzki said. “It’s tough.”
Well, that wasn’t an issue in the massacre Monday night.
The details of this debacle in Bricktown are almost irrelevant. The Mavs melted down late in the first quarter and the game was over by halftime, when the Thunder held a 68-44 lead, scoring the most points in a half of any Mavs foe this season.
The Mavs’ turnovers fueled a 46-22 Oklahoma City run to close the half -- if a stretch of 14:08 can be described as a run. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook put together a highlight reel during the second quarter, combining for 20 points, 7 assists and 3 steals as OKC outscored the Mavs by a 39-22 margin.
“When you put these guys in the open floor with catastrophic turnovers, they’re going to make it look bad,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “I think that was it more than anything, but obviously when you get down 30 in a game, you aren’t competing well enough. There’s no question about that.”
It’s not like the Mavs have the firepower to fight back from that big of a deficit against an elite team, especially with Vince Carter ill in the locker room and Chris Kaman nursing a concussion at home.
“When you dig yourself that much of a hole on the road, you ain’t coming back,” said forward Shawn Marion, who joins Nowitzki as the only men remaining on the Mavs’ roster who played a minute during their 2011 title run. “It’s hard to come back. At times, I’ve been on teams that were able to come back from a hole that big. That ain’t us right now.”
It was only 20 months ago that the Mavs rallied from a 15-point deficit in the final five minutes of regulation in this building. That overtime win in Game 4 was a signature moment during the Mavs’ march to the franchise’s lone title.
But that ain’t these Mavs.
They don’t have what it takes to pull off a huge comeback against a contender. And it’s hard to see these Mavs digging out of a huge hole with less than half of their season remaining.
Heck, even the 2012 first round, when the Thunder got revenge by sweeping the Mavs’ championship leftovers, seem like an eternity ago.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Alonzo Adams"A good team usually responds to losses like that," Dirk Nowitzki said after the Mavs lost at Oklahoma City. "I remember we used to be like that."
AP Photo/Alonzo Adams"A good team usually responds to losses like that," Dirk Nowitzki said after the Mavs lost at Oklahoma City. "I remember we used to be like that."
The Mavs made the short trip home with their tails between their legs after being on the wrong end of a 112-91 rout Monday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Never mind the embarrassment of being blown out by 20-plus points for an NBA-high ninth time this season. There are much more concerning numbers for the Mavs, such as being eight games under .500 at 20-28 and 5½ games out of eighth place in the West.
At this point, it’s hard to picture the Mavs even competing for a playoff berth. Their postseason streak seems destined to end at a dozen years, although there weren’t any white flags waving in the visitors’ locker room after the Mavs got their butts kicked to wrap up a 1-3 road trip.
“Crazier things have happened in this league,” Dirk Nowitzki said, trying his best to muster some optimism by noting that the Mavs had a home-intensive stretch of schedule coming up.
The problem is these Mavs, who have a ton of dry powder but too little talent, simply aren’t good enough. That’s evident from their 5-21 against teams who are .500 or better.
Dallas definitely isn’t good enough to compete against an angry Oklahoma City squad, which has won 10 of 11 games against the Mavs since the '11 West finals. The Thunder wasn’t happy with their loss Saturday to the Cleveland Cavaliers and vented that frustration by whipping the Mavs.
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It really wasn’t that long ago. It just feels that way as Dallas’ dismal season drags on.
The Mavs have lost a lot of heartbreakers this season. They’re 2-6 in games decided by three or fewer points, including losses to the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors in the first half of this trip. They’re 1-8 in overtime games, including their previous two meetings with the Thunder.
“We’re not good enough to win those close games at home or on the road,” Nowitzki said. “It’s tough.”
Well, that wasn’t an issue in the massacre Monday night.
The Mavs’ turnovers fueled a 46-22 Oklahoma City run to close the half -- if a stretch of 14:08 can be described as a run. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook put together a highlight reel during the second quarter, combining for 20 points, 7 assists and 3 steals as OKC outscored the Mavs by a 39-22 margin.
“When you put these guys in the open floor with catastrophic turnovers, they’re going to make it look bad,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “I think that was it more than anything, but obviously when you get down 30 in a game, you aren’t competing well enough. There’s no question about that.”
It’s not like the Mavs have the firepower to fight back from that big of a deficit against an elite team, especially with Vince Carter ill in the locker room and Chris Kaman nursing a concussion at home.
“When you dig yourself that much of a hole on the road, you ain’t coming back,” said forward Shawn Marion, who joins Nowitzki as the only men remaining on the Mavs’ roster who played a minute during their 2011 title run. “It’s hard to come back. At times, I’ve been on teams that were able to come back from a hole that big. That ain’t us right now.”
It was only 20 months ago that the Mavs rallied from a 15-point deficit in the final five minutes of regulation in this building. That overtime win in Game 4 was a signature moment during the Mavs’ march to the franchise’s lone title.
But that ain’t these Mavs.
They don’t have what it takes to pull off a huge comeback against a contender. And it’s hard to see these Mavs digging out of a huge hole with less than half of their season remaining.
Rapid Reaction: Thunder 112, Mavericks 91
February, 4, 2013
Feb 4
9:20
PM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
How it happened: There was no threat of a third straight Mavericks-Thunder overtime game. This one was over by halftime.
Oklahoma City had a 68-44 lead after scoring the most points in any half by a Mavs opponent this season. The Thunder closed the half with a 46-22 run, if you can call a span of 14:08 a run.
The Thunder’s superstars performed like the All-NBA players they are before taking a seat to watch the fourth quarter. Three-time scoring leader Kevin Durant had 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in the first half, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals. Point guard Russell Westbrook had 17 of his 24 points and six of his seven assists in the first half.
Dirk Nowitzki, on the other hand, looked like a guy who lost his rhythm while missing the previous two games with a strained right adductor. Nowitzki had 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting.
Shawn Marion was the Mavs’ only consistent source of offense. His season-high 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting wasn’t nearly enough to keep this game competitive.
This was the Mavs' ninth loss by at least 20 points this season, breaking a tie with the Sacramento Kings for the most in the NBA.
What it means: The Mavs ended a four-game, eight-day road trip with a whimper. Dallas went 1-3 on the trip, losing two tight games and this blowout, to fall to 20-28 on the season. The Mavs are 5 ½ games out of eighth place in the Western Conference, with a playoff push looking further and further from reality. Oklahoma City improved to 36-12, 1 ½ games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the top spot in the West standings.
Play of the game: Oklahoma City sixth man Kevin Martin started the fast break with a steal and finished it with a two-hand flush of a lob pass from Westbrook. That broke a 22-22 tie, giving the Thunder the lead for good and sparking a 7-0 run to end the first quarter.
Stat of the night: The Mavs have lost 10 of 11 games against the Thunder, including last season’s first-round sweep, since beating Oklahoma City in the 2011 West finals.
Oklahoma City had a 68-44 lead after scoring the most points in any half by a Mavs opponent this season. The Thunder closed the half with a 46-22 run, if you can call a span of 14:08 a run.
The Thunder’s superstars performed like the All-NBA players they are before taking a seat to watch the fourth quarter. Three-time scoring leader Kevin Durant had 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in the first half, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals. Point guard Russell Westbrook had 17 of his 24 points and six of his seven assists in the first half.
Dirk Nowitzki, on the other hand, looked like a guy who lost his rhythm while missing the previous two games with a strained right adductor. Nowitzki had 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting.
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| Coop and Nate discuss the Mavericks' disappointing road trip. Listen |
This was the Mavs' ninth loss by at least 20 points this season, breaking a tie with the Sacramento Kings for the most in the NBA.
What it means: The Mavs ended a four-game, eight-day road trip with a whimper. Dallas went 1-3 on the trip, losing two tight games and this blowout, to fall to 20-28 on the season. The Mavs are 5 ½ games out of eighth place in the Western Conference, with a playoff push looking further and further from reality. Oklahoma City improved to 36-12, 1 ½ games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the top spot in the West standings.
Play of the game: Oklahoma City sixth man Kevin Martin started the fast break with a steal and finished it with a two-hand flush of a lob pass from Westbrook. That broke a 22-22 tie, giving the Thunder the lead for good and sparking a 7-0 run to end the first quarter.
Stat of the night: The Mavs have lost 10 of 11 games against the Thunder, including last season’s first-round sweep, since beating Oklahoma City in the 2011 West finals.
Buzz: Vince Carter (sick) out vs. Thunder
February, 4, 2013
Feb 4
6:06
PM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
OKLAHOMA CITY – An illness will prevent Mavericks sixth man Vince Carter from playing in Monday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
That eliminates one of the Mavs’ most effective offensive weapons over the last month. Carter averaged 14.7 points on 45.2 percent shooting in January, including a season-high 29-point performance in an overtime loss to the Thunder.
“We lose a lot of our play-call opportunities without Vince, but we’ve just got to have other guys step up and play their butts off,” coach Rick Carlisle said.
The Mavs hope that Carter will be out only one game.
Starting shooting guard O.J. Mayo and small forward Shawn Marion will likely have their workload increase due to Carter’s absence, although Carlisle wants to be cautious with their minutes.
“I’d like to stay away from heaping heavy, crazy minutes on those guys,” Carlisle said. “We’ve got other guys who can play, so they’re going to have to be ready.”
That eliminates one of the Mavs’ most effective offensive weapons over the last month. Carter averaged 14.7 points on 45.2 percent shooting in January, including a season-high 29-point performance in an overtime loss to the Thunder.
“We lose a lot of our play-call opportunities without Vince, but we’ve just got to have other guys step up and play their butts off,” coach Rick Carlisle said.
The Mavs hope that Carter will be out only one game.
Starting shooting guard O.J. Mayo and small forward Shawn Marion will likely have their workload increase due to Carter’s absence, although Carlisle wants to be cautious with their minutes.
“I’d like to stay away from heaping heavy, crazy minutes on those guys,” Carlisle said. “We’ve got other guys who can play, so they’re going to have to be ready.”
Can Mavs keep Kevin Durant from dominating from the line?
February, 4, 2013
Feb 4
4:28
PM CT
By
Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
OKLAHOMA CITY – If you want to put a positive spin on it, you could point out that the Denver Nuggets are the only team to hold Kevin Durant to a lower field goal percentage than the Mavericks among teams that have faced the NBA’s scoring leader twice this season.
Too bad for the Mavs that Durant has averaged more points against them (46.0) than any other foe this season.
Strange but true: Durant’s scoring average against the Mavs is higher than his field goal percentage (44.1) from those two games. That’s in large part because he’s gotten to the free throw line an awful lot and hasn’t missed, making all 31 of his attempts, including 21-of-21 during his career-high 52-point performance in Dallas last month.
Some of those whistles left the Mavs muttering. Shawn Marion’s take that it’s hard to win playing 5-on-8 cost him $25,000.
Nevertheless, the Mavs must try to continue making it hard for Durant to get good looks, just with a lot less contract. That, of course, is a lot easier said than done against a freakishly talented 24-year-old who can join Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in league history to lead the league in scoring at least four straight seasons if Durant stays in the top spot this year.
“We’ve got to do a better job of team support,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’ve got to be in better position to help early and make him play in a crowd with our hands up, without reaching in and putting him on the free throw line. Because he’s like Dirk – he’ll stand out there and make 25 in a row and won’t even blink.
“It’s a challenging task without question and we have to do better than we did the last game.”
Too bad for the Mavs that Durant has averaged more points against them (46.0) than any other foe this season.
Strange but true: Durant’s scoring average against the Mavs is higher than his field goal percentage (44.1) from those two games. That’s in large part because he’s gotten to the free throw line an awful lot and hasn’t missed, making all 31 of his attempts, including 21-of-21 during his career-high 52-point performance in Dallas last month.
Some of those whistles left the Mavs muttering. Shawn Marion’s take that it’s hard to win playing 5-on-8 cost him $25,000.
Nevertheless, the Mavs must try to continue making it hard for Durant to get good looks, just with a lot less contract. That, of course, is a lot easier said than done against a freakishly talented 24-year-old who can join Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in league history to lead the league in scoring at least four straight seasons if Durant stays in the top spot this year.
“We’ve got to do a better job of team support,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’ve got to be in better position to help early and make him play in a crowd with our hands up, without reaching in and putting him on the free throw line. Because he’s like Dirk – he’ll stand out there and make 25 in a row and won’t even blink.
“It’s a challenging task without question and we have to do better than we did the last game.”
ABOUT THIS BLOG
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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TEAM LEADERS
| POINTS | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Dirk Nowitzki
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| OTHER LEADERS | ||||||||||||
| Rebounds | S. Marion | 7.8 | ||||||||||
| Assists | D. Collison | 5.1 | ||||||||||
| Steals | D. Collison | 1.2 | ||||||||||
| Blocks | E. Brand | 1.3 | ||||||||||