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sike · 04-11-2006, 10:09 AM

By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News

LOS ANGELES – Dirk Nowitzki has talked about the importance of getting his game ready for the playoffs.

That means taking – and hitting – a few game-winning shots along the regular-season way.

Monday was one of those nights. Nowitzki shook off an uncharacteristically poor second half of offense to win the game with a 15-foot jumper with seven-tenths of a second left in regulation.

The win moved Dallas within a half-game of San Antonio for the best record in the Western Conference.

That’s what my team needs me to do,’’ Nowitzki said of the shot that gave the Mavericks a 75-73 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center. “I’m the go-to guy.

“You don’t really think too much about it. You just have the ball in the last few seconds, and you want to help your team win.’’

The Mavericks didn’t play their best game. It didn’t matter. What the Mavericks lacked in execution, they made up for with determination. And defense. The Clippers had a season-low in points, shooting just 35.2 percent from the field.

“This is another game where we proved to ourselves that we can win basketball games with defense,’’ Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. “I don’t know if we win this game in the past.

“We’re a different team.’’

If this game was a preview of the first round of the playoffs, expect a grind-it-out series. The game had less flow than traffic on the 405 freeway, with both teams shooting less than 38 percent from the field. The Mavericks scored a season-low 11 points in the third quarter, totaled only 25 points in the second half and still won.

Elton Brand, the Clippers leading scorer, struggled against the combination of DeSagana Diop and Erick Dampier, going 4-of-15 from the field for 13 points. One of his few open shots was a 15-footer for the lead in the final minute, a shot he missed badly.

Monday marked the third time the teams have played this season. The Mavericks have have won all three, sandwiching two-point wins around a 20-point blowout.

“I don’t think either team walks away thinking they have a major edge,’’ Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. “I think they know if we play really well we can beat them, and we know if they play well that they can beat us.’’

The difference: the Mavericks didn’t play well Monday and still won.

Dunleavy’s primary concern entering the game wasn’t the Mavericks. It was his team.

The franchise will be making its first playoff appearance in nine years and only the fourth since it moved from Buffalo in 1976. But a 17-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night – and seven losses in the last 12 games – has called the Clippers playoff readiness into question.

The Mavericks offense didn’t appear playoff-ready Monday. Josh Howard and Jason Terry combined to go 5-of-29 from the field. The Mavericks turned the ball over 13 times and didn’t score on the fast break all evening.

“We had a terrible outing offensively,’’ Nowitzki said.

The MVP candidate included himself in that assessment. The forward was just 6-of-19 from the field and missed 10 of his first 11 shots in the second half before hitting the one that counted.

“All you’re going to remember is the last shot,’’ Johnson said. “That’s all that matters.’’

04-11-2006, 10:09 AM	#30
sike The Preacha Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: The Rock Posts: 36,066	By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News LOS ANGELES – Dirk Nowitzki has talked about the importance of getting his game ready for the playoffs. That means taking – and hitting – a few game-winning shots along the regular-season way. Monday was one of those nights. Nowitzki shook off an uncharacteristically poor second half of offense to win the game with a 15-foot jumper with seven-tenths of a second left in regulation. The win moved Dallas within a half-game of San Antonio for the best record in the Western Conference. That’s what my team needs me to do,’’ Nowitzki said of the shot that gave the Mavericks a 75-73 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center. “I’m the go-to guy. “You don’t really think too much about it. You just have the ball in the last few seconds, and you want to help your team win.’’ The Mavericks didn’t play their best game. It didn’t matter. What the Mavericks lacked in execution, they made up for with determination. And defense. The Clippers had a season-low in points, shooting just 35.2 percent from the field. “This is another game where we proved to ourselves that we can win basketball games with defense,’’ Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. “I don’t know if we win this game in the past. “We’re a different team.’’ If this game was a preview of the first round of the playoffs, expect a grind-it-out series. The game had less flow than traffic on the 405 freeway, with both teams shooting less than 38 percent from the field. The Mavericks scored a season-low 11 points in the third quarter, totaled only 25 points in the second half and still won. Elton Brand, the Clippers leading scorer, struggled against the combination of DeSagana Diop and Erick Dampier, going 4-of-15 from the field for 13 points. One of his few open shots was a 15-footer for the lead in the final minute, a shot he missed badly. Monday marked the third time the teams have played this season. The Mavericks have have won all three, sandwiching two-point wins around a 20-point blowout. “I don’t think either team walks away thinking they have a major edge,’’ Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. “I think they know if we play really well we can beat them, and we know if they play well that they can beat us.’’ The difference: the Mavericks didn’t play well Monday and still won. Dunleavy’s primary concern entering the game wasn’t the Mavericks. It was his team. The franchise will be making its first playoff appearance in nine years and only the fourth since it moved from Buffalo in 1976. But a 17-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night – and seven losses in the last 12 games – has called the Clippers playoff readiness into question. The Mavericks offense didn’t appear playoff-ready Monday. Josh Howard and Jason Terry combined to go 5-of-29 from the field. The Mavericks turned the ball over 13 times and didn’t score on the fast break all evening. “We had a terrible outing offensively,’’ Nowitzki said. The MVP candidate included himself in that assessment. The forward was just 6-of-19 from the field and missed 10 of his first 11 shots in the second half before hitting the one that counted. “All you’re going to remember is the last shot,’’ Johnson said. “That’s all that matters.’’ __________________ ok, we've talked about the problem of evil, and the extent of the atonement's application, but my real question to you is, "Could Jesus dunk?"