[tcat075]

Could tie Utah if they lose and we win. Let's hope for a good showing from Josh again.

3-0 GDT's, although no big wins yet. Seems like I'm just going up against bad teams each time, but whatever.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview;...gid=2009040329

With just four wins in their last 13 road games, the Dallas Mavericks have had to rely on their home-court advantage to put itself in playoff position.

On Friday, though, they’ll look to regain their dominance in Memphis, where they were routed in their last visit.

Dallas looks for its ninth win in 10 visits to the FedExForum but faces a Grizzlies squad playing some of their best basketball of the season.

The Mavericks (45-30), looking for their third straight victory, have a four-game lead over Phoenix for Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot. Dallas, though, is in close pursuit of Utah for the seventh seed.

Josh Howard’s return has given the Mavericks reason to believe they can secure that higher seed.

Howard, who missed 11 games last month with a sore left ankle, had 20 points and eight rebounds in Wednesday’s 98-96 win over Miami. But it was the charge he drew on rookie Mario Chalmers with 2.3 seconds left that helped Dallas win for the 27th time in 32 home games.

Dallas will play five of its final six regular-season games at home, but before that stretch begins Sunday versus the Suns, the Mavericks take on a Memphis team trying for its first three-game winning streak since a four-game run from Dec. 8-14.

The Grizzlies had dropped eight consecutive regular-season home games to Dallas prior to a 102-82 win on Jan. 4

“It’s like that bully in school that’s always coming and beating you up, and standing up to him,” Hakim Warrick said after Memphis snapped a 13-game skid to the Mavericks.

The Grizzlies (20-54) dropped 14 of 17 at home following that victory. Memphis, though, snapped a six-game slide there with Wednesday’s 112-107 win over Washington.

Memphis has won three of four overall following a 2-17 skid.

“I think sooner or later people will understand we’re trying to make strides in the right direction,” Rudy Gay said after scoring a team-high 25 points against the Wizards.

Mike Conley has been making major strides since being inserted into the starting lineup 35 games ago, averaging 13.7 points, 5.5 assists and 3.9 rebounds during that stretch. The second-year point guard has scored at least 20 points in each of the Grizzlies’ last three wins.

His steal with fewer than four seconds left versus the Wizards helped give Memphis its first victory at home since an 85-80 win over New Orleans on Feb. 9.

“It’s a definite sign of growth,” Conley said. “Guys really stepped in and made big plays on the defensive end more than on the offensive end.”

Dallas’ Jason Kidd is scoring just 6.5 points per game on 30.9 percent from the field in his last eight contests. The veteran point guard, however, is averaging 10.7 assists in three games since missing a 103-101 loss to Denver on March 27 with a sore lower back.

Kidd, who had just one point and five assists in the Jan. 4 loss, is 23 away from tying Magic Johnson (10,141) for third on the all-time list.

Dirk Nowitzki had 28 points in Dallas’ last game in Memphis. He averaged 23.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists as the Mavericks defeated the Grizzlies twice in Dallas this season.

Including the playoffs, the Mavericks are 14-3 all-time in Memphis.

Josh Howard quotes from the other nights.

Take me through that charge that you took.

I had seen him trying to bait me going to the right and I just stayed with him, beat him to the spot, and he ran over me. Got the call.

How good did that feel? Your offense has been there since you got back, but to have a play like that in a big game on the defensive end...

Yeah, it was a big game. I'm just trying to get back to game shape. I wasn't supposed to play in that fourth quarter, but I sucked it up for my teammates and did what I had to do. It was a big charge, and I'm just glad I could help my team get a win.

How hard has it been for you to go in and out of the lineup the way you have this season, and how important is it for you to get back at this point in time?

It's been tough, but I had to stay professional. Especially staying in shape. Just giving whatever I can give to this team. It's important. I've been around a little while and these guys need me like I need them, so I have to stay healthy.

Seven games remaining, you're locked into 8th right now but there's a lot of potential for movement. What do you guys do to stay just focused on you.

Just stay aggressive, staying in house and not listening to outside influences. You know how it gets around this time. A lot of people start making up stuff and try to bring your team down. We just have to concentrate on us and keep doing the things that we've been doing these last two games.

14 points in 22 minutes last night, 20 points in 29 minutes tonight. What do you attribute you getting back into the groove so quickly too?

Darrell Armstrong. That's who I've been working out with. He's just a great guy for our locker room and off the court. He keeps me going and keeps this locker room going.