Mavs host Sonics: 37-9

[ddh33]

The Mavs win without Josh Howard, and the night is all about Austin Croshere.

As indicated in one of the papers this morning, these are dog days of the NBA. Most players are ready for the all-star break. Heck, by now most people are ready for the playoffs. After all, it's pretty clear who is good and who isn't. This is when the season gets long, and the wins become a little harder to get. Dallas was able to get another one tonight though against Seattle.

Both teams shot the ball very well early in the game. Ray Allen was off to an unbelievable start. The Mavs were able to put together a better second quarter though, and they ended the half with a 12 point lead and 66 total points for the half. The third quarter got off to a bad start though. The Sonics roared back to even up the game again before Dallas started gaining control of the game again. Dallas was able to make a big push in the fourth quarter to push the lead all the way out to 20 and coast to a victory.

Austin Croshere was really the star of this game though. He shot the ball extremely well. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy either. I really do appreciate all of the things that we read and hear about him. I mean, this is a proven professional who is sitting on the bench in a contract year, and he never complains. He always works to stay ready, and it sure paid off for him tonight. Great effort. He had a career high 34 points on 11-14 shooting, 7-10 from three. He also added 7 rebounds and 3 assists for good measure. If you want to know how good he was, consider that Avery Johnson's post game speech consisted of the coach putting on a Croshere uniform before stepping into the locker room to address his players.

As a side note, I'm thrilled to see Croshere give the team this. I hope that we get to see more of him. I still worry about this team's front court depth, and Croshere can play in this league. The only concern that I have ever had about him in Dallas is that he is a little bit of a streaky shooter. When you play behind Dirk, there aren't a ton of minutes to be had, so it's hard to find a rhythm. That's why i have been worried that he wouldn't be as great of an acquisition as many seemed to believe. However, I love his effort, basketball IQ, and ability to stretch the floor. I would like to see Avery try to work him into the rotation again and see if he can provide more in a more defined role.

Congratulations to Josh Howard, who was in New York for the birth of his first son.

Greg Buckner had one of his best nights of the season. Buck was asked to slow down Ray Allen, and he did a better job than Ray's 35 points might indicate. Allen hit a bunch of tough shots. Buck, meanwhile, got a lot of baskets inside. He took advantage of a lot of the "garbage" baskets that this team needs from him. He also had 3 steals to go along with his 17 points on 8-11 shooting.

Jason Terry was good tonight. I thought he had a very effective night. He shot well, controlled the game, and played a good floor game. 19 points and 4 assists.

Devin Harris had 16 points and 4 assists tonight. He's starting to round back into form after a couple of rough weeks of dealing with shots to the head and a case of the flu. I thought he ran the team well, and his defense was solid. Funny thing, Earl Watson, one of the better defensive guards in the league, took Devin Harris to start the game - not Jason Terry. That's a pretty good sign of respect.

Dirk coasted. Not much was needed tonight, so Dirk let others shine. He did most of his damage early by getting to the free throw line. 15 and 6.

Devean George got the start tonight for Josh, and he contributed 9 points and a couple of steals. He knocked down some open jumpers and even created a shot or two for himself off the dribble.

Stack didn't have his shot going tonight, but he did a nice job of moving the basketball.

Diop and Damp combined for 1 point and 9 rebounds. Gana has been looking a little better lately though. Damp had a couple of nice passes too.

Anthony Johnson hit a couple of buckets.

Mo Ager knocked down a three.

The Mavs were -13 on the boards. I don't like that.

Memphis tomorrow, so there is no time for rest. The guys didn't seem to overdo it tonight though.

[endrity]

Our centers worry me, we need them to play well. Their play was crucial against both SA and Phoenix last year (Diop on Diaw solved that series).

[shaw-xx]

Our bench stepped up at right time. AC was amazing. AJ should play him a little bit though very little PT is hard for him to find rhythm. Buck was good two. Devin was all about and1, hehe. Amazing night. I'm glad AC's career pts wasn't against Dallas anymore. And, congrats to JHo. Hope he will play Memphis.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Did Dirk and Cro switch bodies tonight or something?

[shaw-xx]

^ I believed.

[rabbitproof]

Hahaha, look how Gana, Dirk and Avery's faces all read: "Oh my god, man. No way."

[richard_]

i posted this in the GDT but it was the last post on a page so i dont think anyone saw it

how often are the local games broadcasted in hd, and is there any type of schedule for hd games

[G-Man]

What a fun time to be a Mavs fan.

To watch your team blow a 12 point third quarter lead and win by 20 is great.

To get bailed out by a guy who scored 24 points in the last two months going off for a career high 34? Priceless.

[raefformvp]

Originally Posted by rabbitproof

Hahaha, look how Gana, Dirk and Avery's faces all read: "Oh my god, man. No way."

tho I'm not a big fan of cursing, this made me laugh!

[Five-ofan]

so how long does everyone think crosheres deal with the devil will last? Is it a julius like month or longer contract or was it just a one night deal?

[dirt_dobber]

How about our Mavs!!!!!!!!!

They are ranked in the Top 10 in every category except forcing turnovers.

Check out these offensive rankings:
Offensive Efficiency: #3
Offensive Rebounding: #5
Offensive EFG% : #6
Offensive Turnovers: #7

On the defensive end:
Defensive Efficiency: #6
Defensive Rebounding: #4
Defensive EFG% : #7
Defensive Turnovers: #21

[V2M]

Post-Game Quotes:

Head Coach Avery Johnson
Tonight was another tough night for us. We played a team that really poured it on us offensively early in the game – especially in the first half. We were fortunate to get some stops throughout the rest of the game. I thought Buckner came and gave us a lot of energy on Ray Allen. He [Allen] was just too big on us early in the game and really went at us early. He had 11 quick points on us, but Buckner did a good job on trying to deny him. We trapped him a little bit and tried to keep the ball out of his hands and that worked pretty well for us. Obviously Croshere shot the ball for us really well tonight. Basically, it was the bench period. I think it was a combination of Croshere scoring it and Buckner doing his job on defense and giving us some offense. That’s what it is all about. Stackhouse didn’t score tonight, but he had a couple of nice assists for us. So our bench really won the game for us. Seattle, when they are on like that, is a really tough team. Fortunately we were able to get away from them a little bit in the fourth quarter and get the win. But still, we’ve got a lot of stuff to work on. We get on the plane right now and go to Memphis and see if we can do better tomorrow.

On the play of Buckner and Croshere tonight compared to earlier in the season:
If you look at the two guys: Buckner and Croshere – it has taken them awhile to get adjusted. Then sometimes they play and sometimes they don’t. In one game, Buckner only played three minutes, but tonight he played 33 minutes. Croshere hasn’t played really at all, but tonight we needed him. These guys are stepping up and that is what it is all about.

On Austin Croshere’s play tonight:
I was thinking about it all afternoon and contemplating it. We knew without Josh being here, we knew that we would need to get some minutes from him out of the four spot. He’s a professional guy. He works hard – he comes in early and stays late. He works on his game. We have a bunch of guys like that. Again, I can’t single out one guy after a win because we have so many guys that do so many little things for us. But at the same time, we had a couple of guys that had some nice individual performances.

Stackhouse Jerry Stackhouse
Jerry Stackhouse
Avery made a little bit of a wardrobe change before he came into the locker room after the game?
That’s a sign why we have the best locker room in basketball. It was a great night for Cro (Austin Croshere). Everybody has been pulling for him, he’s been the best teammate he can be and he deserves a night like tonight. He just stepped up, in the absence of Josh, and made plays for us and had a huge night. Everyone is proud of that.

Talk about the bench scoring tonight?
We were happy that we had the guys that stepped up and did what they did. Buck (Greg Buckner) was big off the bench tonight, and Cro was the MVP of the game. Everyone off the bench played big for us tonight.

What are some of the things the guys told Austin after the game?
I told him that I was really happy for him. He’s just a great guy and he’s very supportive. Whenever he gets an opportunity, we like to see him have success and tonight was definitely a successful night for him.

Harris Devin Harris
Devin Harris
Talk about the tremendous play of the bench guys tonight?
Guys were just tremendous off the bench tonight. He (Coach Johnson) told everyone to be ready to play tonight and those guys definitely stepped up and did a great job for us.

Croshere seems to always be ready to go off the bench:
He’s always been prepared, always works hard and it showed tonight. He was called upon and he gave us a big lift off the bench.

Talk about finding that extra gear when it counts most?
It’s a different guy that gives us a lift every night. Sometimes it’s Josh, sometimes it’s Dirk and tonight it was Austin. We’re getting different efforts from guys each and every night. We’re not playing our best basketball, but we’re finding stretches to get the job done.

Hill Bob Hill
Seattle Head Coach Bob Hill
Under the circumstances I thought we played really well for three quarters. We couldn't do much with them in the fourth, but I thought our effort was terrific. Ray [Allen] was special, again. [Austin] Croshere got his rhythm and in the first half I thought he got a lot of shots off dribble penetration - we weren't keeping people in front of us. In the second half he [Croshere] got some off of pick-and-rolls but he just had it going so you've got to give him a lot of credit because that was a great performance by him. In terms of our team; being shorthanded and struggling like we have I was proud of them for three quarters.

Wilkins Damien Wilkins
Seattle Forward Damien Wilkins
On what he noticed most about tonight's game:
I noticed Austin Croshere. I noticed him a lot tonight. That guy was amazing. He just came out and made plays in the absence of Josh Howard. He and Greg Buckner both came in and gave them the spark they needed. We really couldn't find them at no point. It seemed like he was just getting wide open shots. I think we played hard, I think everyone competed but he came out and made some big shots.

On Mavs bench:
You see why they got to the Finals, and possibly on their way this year. They're a very deep team. They've got guys who come in and make plays and do things that championship teams are supposed to do and they certainly look like it right now.

Allen Ray Allen
Seattle Guard Ray Allen
The game was a lot closer than the actual score. It was a weird game to put my finger on because we were right there for the majority of the game. I think there was just the point where offensively they kept going to the free throw line or they would score and we would have a couple of empty trips. We weren't playing bad, defensively we were getting stops but overall they just seemed like they kept their consistent steady rythym out there on both sides of the floor. I didn't think we were bad, by no means, but it was that fourth quarter where I thought we played better in the fourth quarter but the lead just slipped away from us. At the end of the day you look at the score and the team that had more points obviously won the game. But with us, as much as we worry about our defensive schemes, we still have got to work on offensive opportunities and everyone's got to contribute.

On limiting him late in the game:
They started running another guy at me. They zoned. They shot on my side a lot. They just kept me from playing on the ball a lot on the strong side. It nothing we're not used, but we have guys who are totally capable of making those plays down the stretch. At this stage of the game we've got to make sure we are aware of that because when you put the ball inside and move the ball on the weak side you have a lot of plays like that. We have guys that are capable of doing that we've just have to be aggressive in those situations.

Did you give Croshere and Greg Buckner enough respect?
Oh, sure. You're talking about two veteran guys. We're playing with some awfully young guys. Yea, we respected them, absolutely. We talked before the game that Nowitzki isn't the only guy they've got. They get a guy like Croshere that's capable of doing what he did, he's going to do that very often, but he has the capabilities of coming in and making shots for them [Dallas]. Buckner and those guys are veterans and they went after it. They recognized that Dirk [Nowitzki] wasn't having a great game, Dampier wasn't there, so someone else to help and they did a good job. That's a sign of a good team.

[mary]

This tidbit from the Seattle Post made me giggle.

AUSTIN'S POWERS

Dallas forward Austin Croshere was averaging 2.9 points per game this season, prior to Tuesday. He went 11-for-14 against the Sonics, including 7-for-11 from behind the 3-point line, scoring a career-high 34 points. Here's a look at each opponent who has scored 30 or more points against the Sonics this year:

Player, team Avg. Pts.

Allen Iverson, Den. 28.9 44
Vince Carter, NJ 25.3 38
Kevin Martin, Sac. 20.5 35
Austin Croshere, Dal. 2.9 34
Carmelo Anthony, Den. 31.2 34
Joe Johnson, Atl. 25.1 34
Carlos Boozer, Utah 22.1 32
Dwyane Wade, Mia. 28.4 31
Dirk Nowitzki, Dal. 25.3 31
Tracy McGrady, Hou. 23.4 31
Monta Ellis, GS 17.7 31
Zach Randolph, Por. 23.7 30

[bobatundi]

I think we should all start chanting "Rudy...Rudy..." every time Cro takes the floor from now on.

[mqywaaah]

Nice solid night for our team. Now, bring on memphis.

[mqywaaah]

Originally Posted by rabbitproof

Hahaha, look how Gana, Dirk and Avery's faces all read: "Oh my god, man. No way."

Oh and it's nice to see that smirk on AJ's face. Looks satisfied. Dirk clearly has good leadership skills. Kudos!

[bernardos70]

Did anyone else notice?

He went 11-for-14 against the Sonics, including 7-for-11 from behind the 3-point line

How did he miss only 3 shots total, yet missed 4 three pointers?

[kg_veteran]

Originally Posted by bernardos70

Did anyone else notice?


How did he miss only 3 shots total, yet missed 4 three pointers?

That's a misprint. He was 7-10 from three point range.

[MavKikiNYC]

Is Ridenour injured?

His numbers of late have been punier than Diop's.

Any Sonic-fan lurkers lurking who know anything about him?

If Bob Hill is done with Ridenour, I'd sure take him on in Dallas.

[jacktruth]

I mentioned this in another thread, but I find it appalling that Damp had NO FOULS in 21 minutes.

If that doesn't show a half-ass effort, I don't know what does. Well, maybe NO points and 4rebounds shows it too, but NO fouls? Come on!

[sike]

keep on rolling

[kriD]

Austin powers up in Mavs' win

02:14 AM CST on Wednesday, January 31, 2007
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com

Once again, their power forward dug a little deeper, made the crucial plays and pulled the Mavericks out of another tight situation.

Yep, Austin Croshere took over.

What, you were expecting Dirk Nowitzki? While the Mavericks' superstar was muddling through an ordinary evening, his backup cut loose for a career-best scoring night as the Mavericks lapped the Seattle SuperSonics late for a 122-102 win at American Airlines Center.

Croshere piled up 34 points, 10 more than he had scored in the entire months of December and January before Tuesday night.

His eruption was so special that he was the toast of a postgame locker room that coach Avery Johnson entered while wearing one of Croshere's No. 44 jerseys.

Croshere's previous high-point game was 32, which came against the Mavericks on Feb. 5, 2002.

The performance comes just days after Croshere made a stop by Johnson's office to tell the coach he was staying ready whenever he was needed.

"At a certain point, there is still a level of frustration of not being a part of what is going on," Croshere said. "I just wanted to express to him I'm not playing, but I didn't want him to think I was just along for the ride. I'm staying ready, and I feel like I can help this team."

It was a remarkable night that included 7-for-10 shooting from 3-point range and 11-for-14 overall. His shooting percentage went from .310 to .378 in one night. It might have a residual impact on the confidence Johnson has in Croshere in the future, too.

"It's the NBA," Johnson said. "These guys are professionals. They're paid to do a job. We have high expectations of them. You got a guy who's here to take shots and make them when he's open.

"He came into my office the other day, and we had a nice little talk. He wanted me to know he's always ready and he proved it tonight. But in the NBA, it's a level of consistency. Can you come out with that same intensity consistently?"

Lately, the Mavericks haven't been coming out with the same defensive intensity that Johnson likes. This game was no different.

But every so often, it's fun to have a good old-fashioned shoot-'em-up – as long as you win it.

The Mavericks weren't assured of anything going into the fourth quarter, but Croshere started the period with a three-point play and a 3-pointer to send the Mavs ahead, 91-82. The Sonics never threatened the rest of the way.

Afterward, Johnson's jersey shtick was the finishing touch to a great evening.

"I just laughed when I saw it," Jason Terry said. "First of all, the jersey was like a dress on him. We knew he was up to something back there."

Johnson, of course, denied knowledge of donning the jersey when he addressed the team in the postgame.

"I don't know what anybody's talking about," he said with a wide grin.

At any rate, his teammates could not have been happier for Croshere, who puts in as much time in the gym as anybody on the team with the possible exception of Nowitzki.

"Nobody deserves it more than him," Jerry Stackhouse said. "It's just another reason why we have the best locker room in basketball."

[kriD]

Mavs ride Croshere's night

By DWAIN PRICE
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DALLAS -- It took over half the season, but Austin Croshere finally had his coming-out party with the Mavericks.

Chained to the bench for the majority of this season, Croshere came off the pine to tally a career-high 34 points in just 24 minutes and spark the Mavericks to a 122-102 triumph over the Seattle SuperSonics. Croshere was mired so deep down the Mavs' bench that the Sonics probably didn't even have him in their scouting report.

"Obviously, Crow was the MVP of the game," guard Jerry Stackhouse said. "He was everything he needed to be for us to get over the hump tonight.

"Everybody's been pulling for him. He's been the best teammate he can be, and he deserves a night like tonight."

Croshere came in averaging just 2.9 points per game. But his points-to-minute ratio Tuesday was the second-best in Mavs history behind the 36 points Mark Aguirre scored in 23 minutes against Denver on Jan. 29, 1987.

On a night Josh Howard missed while attending the birth of his first child -- and on a night when Dirk Nowitzki was just 3-of-12 from the field with 15 points -- Croshere lifted the spirits of everyone inside American Airlines Center.

The Sonics were hanging around, trailing only 85-80 entering the final period. But Croshere exploded for 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Mavs ran and hid from the Sonics while running their NBA-best record to 37-9.

"With Josh not here tonight I thought there was a chance I might get in," said Croshere, whose previous high of 32 points occurred against the Mavs on Feb. 5, 2002, when he played for Indiana. "So it's a matter of staying ready for any opportunity.

"You stay ready and do your best to be a great teammate. At a certain point there is still a level of frustration at not being part of what's going on."

But that wasn't the case for Croshere on Tuesday, who recently spoke with coach Avery Johnson about his predicament.

"I just wanted to express to him that I'm not playing," Croshere said. "But I didn't want him to think I'm along for the ride."

No, it was the Mavs who rode Croshere to victory against the Sonics.

Croshere scored 11 points in the second quarter, when the Mavs raced to a 66-54 halftime lead. It was the most points the Mavs had scored in any half this season.

After the Sonics scored the first 10 points of the third period to crawl back into the game, the Mavs leaned on Croshere to take them to the winner's circle.

"If you can get 34 points from a guy off the bench, it's going to be big-time," said guard Greg Buckner, who scored 17 points in reserve. "That boy can shoot.

"Seattle probably didn't have him on the scouting report and just let him shoot and just forgot all about him. I give all the credit to Crow; he had a special night."

[kriD]

Mavs agree: Allen's shot the deadliest in NBA

Mavs players' survey favors Sonics guard with game on the line

12:14 AM CST on Wednesday, January 31, 2007
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com

It hardly qualifies as a scientific survey. But with the Mavericks being experts in the field, it means something when they are polled on a basketball matter.

They left little doubt about who the best clutch shooter in the NBA is right now. He was on the court Tuesday night, and it wasn't Dirk Nowitzki.

Seattle's Ray Allen was the overwhelming choice by Mavericks as the scariest shooter when left uncontested at a crucial moment.

"You can't play normal defensive rules on Ray Allen," Greg Buckner said. "He shoots the ball too well."

Buckner listed Steve Nash and, as long as he's inside the 3-point arc, Carmelo Anthony as his top three scariest shooters.

Allen and Nash were on everybody's list. Nowitzki was mentioned by virtually everybody, too.

Others receiving votes: Tracy McGrady, Tim Thomas, Kobe Bryant and, of course, Sam Cassell.

"If the game's on the line, he's the one I don't want to see with the ball," assistant coach Del Harris said of Cassell.

Avery Johnson said he has such respect for Allen that he and Milwaukee's Michael Redd "should be on our Olympic team."

40-something man: J.J. Barea's time in Fort Worth with the Flyers is about to end. He'll be recalled to the Mavericks on Thursday, Johnson said.

Barea passed his test in the developmental league with flying colors, at least until further evidence, Johnson said. Barea had two 40-plus-point games in the last week.

"JJ has a lot of pressure on him down there," Johnson said. "We wanted him to go down there and stand out. I didn't know he was going to have two games with 40.

"But, hey, when you go to a situation like that, you got to make a name for yourself. I've been in situations, like the summer league at Los Angeles, and I knew I just couldn't be average. You got to stand out."

Johnson said his video crew is compiling a DVD of Barea's Fort Worth games, and Johnson wants to see if the rookie point guard was doing anything besides scoring.

Moe Ager will return to Fort Worth when Barea returns, Johnson said.

Howard misses game: Josh Howard missed Tuesday's game against Seattle because of personal reasons, and his status for tonight's game at Memphis is unclear.

Howard was attending the birth of his first child.

"I don't know why we as men say that – he's having his first baby – I guess that's just a man thing," Johnson said.

An exclusive club: Jason Terry will have a whirlwind visit to Seattle on Friday to have his No. 31 jersey retired by Franklin High School.

Terry graduated in 1995 after back-to-back state championships. The ceremony will take place at halftime of Franklin's game against archrival Garfield.

"The weird thing is my wife went to Garfield," Terry said. "It was an intense rivalry, and to this day, I won't wear purple because that's their color. We were green. But my wife will be wearing some purple, for sure."

Two wheelers: Three members of the Mavericks Wheelchair Mavericks have been chosen to compete in the 2007 NBA/National Wheelchair Basketball Association All-Star Classic on Feb. 15 in Las Vegas as part of the All-Star Jam Session.

The Mavericks involved are Paul Capasso, Jeff Townsend and Chuck Gill.

The game will be played at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

[kriD]

MAVERICKS PLAYBOOK

Croshere comes out of shell

By ART GARCIA
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DALLAS -- Austin Croshere isn't one for posing, though this gesture seemed appropriate.

After knocking down his fifth 3-pointer, setting a new career high, Croshere left his right hand up for just an extra couple steps as he retreated on defense.

Though he didn't exactly pound his head with his fists, Croshere did get caught up in the moment. And why shouldn't he?

"I don't know why I did it," Croshere said sheepishly, "but I know I did."

He also authored the high-scoring game of his 10-year career, leading an overall solid bench effort as the Mavericks ran away from Seattle 122-102 Tuesday night at American Airlines Center.

Croshere finished with 34 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the floor, 7-of-10 3-pointers, in 24 minutes. His previous career best was 32 points, accomplished twice with Indiana and most recently in a memorable 141-140 double-overtime loss to the Mavs in 2002.

He's quickly becoming a favorite of his teammates in his first season with the Mavs. Dirk Nowitzki led a rendition of Happy Birthday in the locker room after the game about the same time coach Avery Johnson addressed the team in a Croshere jersey.

"That's one of the funniest things I've ever seen," Croshere said.

It was only a few days ago Croshere went in to talk to Johnson, stressing to his coach his willingness to stay ready. Before Tuesday's game, Croshere had played only 27 minutes this month and scored just 32 points since Nov. 20. He was averaging 2.9 points this season.

"You stay ready and do your best to be a great teammate," Croshere said. "At a certain point, there is still a level of frustration at not being part of what's going on. I just tried to express to him that I'm not playing but I didn't want him to think I'm along for the ride."

Johnson had decided to use Croshere more against Seattle, especially with Josh Howard absent to attend the birth of his first child. In keeping with the festive nature of the night, Croshere thanked Howard's offspring for the assist.

"I have to give that kid a high-five when I see him," Croshere said.

Barea returning

Rookie point guard Jose Barea was sent to the Fort Worth Flyers with strict instructions, according to Avery Johnson.

"We wanted him to go down there and stand out," Johnson said. "I didn't know he would have two games with 40. When you go down in a situation like that, you've got to make a name for yourself."

Barea completes his first stint in the NBA Development League tonight, when the Flyers host Bakersfield. Barea has averaged 27.6 points, 7.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds in seven games, including games of 43 and 41 points.

Barea, who is 6-foot, was affectionately given the nickname of a certain undersized athlete who also overcame the odds in a movie.

"I give him a lot of lip," Greg Buckner said. "Rudy is a little guy you like to give lip to. He'll take it and give it back."

Barea will rejoin the Mavs on Thursday, and rookie guard Maurice Ager will be sent to Fort Worth.

Votes cast

Coaches' ballots for All-Star reserves were due Tuesday, with the results coming Thursday. Avery Johnson did his campaigning for Josh Howard publicly, though he stopped short of calling his fellow Western Conference coaches to solicit votes.

Unlike basing the starters on fan votes, Johnson is convinced the reserves are chosen in a manner more reflective of the players' accomplishments this season.

"I don't think with the coaches it's a popularity contest," he said.

SPOTLIGHT: Sonics coach impressed

If Bob Hill's prediction comes true, the Mavericks will have a championship parade in downtown Dallas this summer.

Hill, the coach of the Seattle Supersonics, has seen the Phoenix Suns' 17-game winning streak, watched the San Antonio Spurs stumble along, and witnessed the defending world champion Miami Heat look like they're ready for the NBA Lottery. No team, in Hill's book, has been as impressive this season as the Mavericks.

"I think Dallas is the best team in the league," Hill said. "I think they are absolutely built to win a championship, and I think their experience last year in getting [to the NBA Finals] is in their soul and in their culture now.

"When you see them play, they all make the next pass, and it appears like no one really cares who shoots. They're really solid defensively, too."

The way Hill sees it, the Mavs are the only team in the league that has the entire package -- a high-scoring offense, a talented defense and a deep bench.

"They've got so much offense that they execute, and they've got veteran players," he said. "When something's not working, they just keep going for that bag and finding ways to try and get the ball in the basket."

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by bobatundi

I think we should all start chanting "Rudy...Rudy..." every time Cro takes the floor from now on.

There were some people last night yelling give it to Rudy..

Did anyone get a photo or video of AJ wearing the croshere jersey? I forgot to tape the dang thing.
EDIT: Never mind, caught it on the pre-game.

[Stranger]

Originally Posted by bernardos70

Did anyone else notice?

How did he miss only 3 shots total, yet missed 4 three pointers?

I think one of of his two pointers actually bounced off the court and went in the basket a second time. Se he went 4 for 3 from inside the arc.

[Dirkadirkastan]

Originally Posted by bernardos70

Did anyone else notice?


How did he miss only 3 shots total, yet missed 4 three pointers?

The box says 7-10.