Mavs host Blazers: 63-13

[ddh33]

The Mavs had a very nice bounce back effort tonight on the second night of a back-to-back, with travel, after losing a poorly played game in Denver last night. Dallas got off to a nice start and ended up gaining a sizable lead on the Blazers in the first half. From there, the team coasted to their 63rd victory of the season and moved 50 games above .500 again.

The Mavs had a nice defensive night, allowing only 38% shooting to the Blazers, and after a terrible offensive game last night, they responded by shooting 51% at home. They also controlled the boards by a significant margin.

No Josh Howard tonight. Josh rested his sore ankle, and the Mavs didn't really need him anyway. Jerry Stackhouse was in uniform, but Avery wanted to let him have a night off as well. Because the Mavs played so well, he wasn't needed either.

Actually, we could probably add Dirk to that list too. Dirk played 26 minutes, and he seemed to be coasting as well. I don't know if he even broke a sweat.

Devean George had what was probably his best game since returning from injury tonight. That's two out of his last 3 games, I believe, where he has looked much better. I thought he was active and energetic again, and when you see him crashing the boards more and making hustle plays, you know he's starting to round back into form.

Erick Dampier continues to wear an ice pack on his shoulder during timeouts, but he keeps going out there - even if his minutes were also limited. He didn't do anything to wow anyone with his stats tonight, but he is a nice presence in the lane.

Jason Terry bounced back in a big way tonight. He knocked down everything early in the game and helped the Mavs race out to their lead. He cooled off considerably by the fourth quarter, but the game was already over by then, and Terry had already put in most of his 29 points.

Devin Harris had another strong game tonight as well. I thought he was the one Maverick who played well last night, and he did it again against Portland. He drove the lane all night long and did a good job of getting to the free throw line. He had a rough night at the foul line. Still, 18 points on 7-10 shooting from the field is fine by me.

I liked what Diop gave the team tonight. He had 10 rebounds and 3 steals in his 25 minutes, and like Damp, is a big factor in shutting down the lane.

Austin Croshere got some more minutes tonight. He also pulled down 10 boards. It's obvious that the team doesn't count on him for much, but I like his energy.

Welcome to Dallas, Kevin Willis. Willis received a nice ovation when he entered the game for the first time at the end of the first half. He promptly fouled someone, and then, just when it looked like he might earn a few points himself, was called for a questionable charging call. That was the extent of his playing time tonight.

Welcome back, Mo Ager. I was surprised to read some thoughts recently about Ager possibly being a bust. First of all, I'm not sure you can call anyone drafted at the very end of the first round a bust. And even if you could, I don't think it would be fair to do so after 60 games. I don't see how Ager has had much of a chance this year, and while he hasn't done a ton to stand out, I'm not sure you can hold that against him either. Regardless, he flashed a little tonight. He showed his impressive athleticism with a couple of highlight dunks, and he looked good moving his feet and showing his quickness. He even used his jumping ability to grab a few rebounds. The most encouraging part of his night was seeing him make much better decisions. I don't know if they show up that well, but little things like advancing the ball and knowing when to force and when not to are a sign of improvement and maturity. He's far, far from a finished product, but you could see some signs tonight.


So the Mavs are back in their winning ways, and it looks like the rest period for the starters is already kicking in.

[twelli]

Why not play Willis a bit more at the end? 1 minute seems a bit over-cautious for my taste.

[nashtymavsfan13]

Good to see George playing well again, and Devin Harris has really looked good as of late. I liked that Ager got more minutes tonight, and I totally agree with what you said about him. I hate how people have been calling him a bust when he gets like 4 minutes every 8 games. Give the guy a break and let him have a chance before labeling him a bust.

[Flacolaco]

I was at church and didn't see the game...

Did they really shoot 51% and only score 86 points?

[Dirkadirkastan]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

I was at church and didn't see the game...

Did they really shoot 51% and only score 86 points?

The NBA has shortened the games to 40 minutes, to make room to extend the length of commercial breaks.

[Flacolaco]

Originally Posted by Dirkadirkastan

The NBA has shortened the games to 40 minutes, to make room to extend the length of commercial breaks.

This makes sense to me.....

[pkdumas]

I thought last night's loss meant nothing. But I also think tonight's win means nothing. We were playing probably the worst starting five in all of basketball right now. I believe they were without four of their five best players, all starters (Randolph, Przbylla, Roy, Aldridge). I think Jarrett Jack is better than Przbylla, which is the only reason I didn't say they were without their four top players.

[chumdawg]

Blazers suck. Meaningless game, like the most of them recently. Rest up and get ready.

[The Crippler]

Just watched the game on tivo. Ager finally played some defense, which, if he's smart, is something he will concentrate on doing every time he's out there to get more minutes on this team. I would love to have him become a player like Buckner because he clearly has more offensive skill than Buck.

Otherwise, this game bored me.

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by The Crippler

Just watched the game on tivo. Ager finally played some defense, which, if he's smart, is something he will concentrate on doing every time he's out there to get more minutes on this team. I would love to have him become a player like Buckner because he clearly has more offensive skill than Buck.

Otherwise, this game bored me.

He showed some flashes, to be sure. But he also showed more offense than Buck could ever dream of giving, with the superlative jumpstop for the dunk in the lane. If the kid has that much athleticism, and can manifest it in that way, we may be on to something.

Sense that he is a couple years away, though...

[The Crippler]

Originally Posted by chumdawg

He showed some flashes, to be sure. But he also showed more offense than Buck could ever dream of giving, with the superlative jumpstop for the dunk in the lane. If the kid has that much athleticism, and can manifest it in that way, we may be on to something.

Sense that he is a couple years away, though...

oh yes, he's got a long way to go. He's still an idiot on the court for the most part, probably due to trying to hard to impress. But man, he gets off the floor real quick, doesn't he?

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by The Crippler

oh yes, he's got a long way to go. He's still an idiot on the court for the most part, probably due to trying to hard to impress. But man, he gets off the floor real quick, doesn't he?

Boy, I guess. The move in the lane that ended in a resounding dunk looked suspiciously like a young kid out of Wisconsin. And I'm not talking about Devin Harris. Dig?

[ilMavvento]

Well the Blazers certainly suck, but I was still impressed with the way the Mavs came out and played the first half. Everyone on the floor was giving max effort defensively and then they were shoving it right back down Portland's throat offensively. No waiting around, no settling for halfcourt, good old fashioned Mavs opportunism. Terry, Harris, Ager, George and Damp/Diop in particular really stood out as raising their games defensively. The team also obviously got the memo to go the paint. They were driving the lane with purpose, including Dirk, which is probably the best sign.

Ager... I'll admit that I was leaning toward the bust category. I mean, he looked pretty brutal in garbage time for a stretch there. Surround him with halfway decent players though and you might have something. ddh you really hit the nail on the head about the most encouraging part of his game tonight being decision making. Hell, he made better decisions in the open court than most of the team does normally. I like that he hit a nice outside shot also to go along with his defense and dunks.

[kriD]

1 step away: Mavs dispatch Blazers

Dallas' magic number at one after 86-74 victory

01:03 AM CDT on Sunday, April 8, 2007
By TIM MacMAHON / The Dallas Morning News
tmacmahon@dallasnews.com

The Mavericks apparently got Avery Johnson's message.

Johnson ripped into his team after a terrible shooting performance in Friday night's loss at Denver. He called his players out for settling for jumpers after they kept clanking off the rim. He challenged them to be more aggressive.

"We'll learn from it," guard Jason Terry said before Saturday's game against Portland. "You're going to see us attacking the basket out there."

The Mavericks followed through on Terry's promise in an 86-74 win over the Trail Blazers in front of a sellout crowd at American Airlines Center. They scored 44 points in the paint and a season-high 30 points on fast breaks. Dallas attempted a season-low seven 3-pointers.

It's not a coincidence that the Mavericks made 51 percent of their shots from the floor (34-of- 67). That's a drastic improvement over the 36 percent clip they had while scoring a season-low 71 points in the loss to the Nuggets.

"That's one thing about this team," said Johnson, who focused on shot selection during the team's evening film session. "They know when I'm pretty much hot under the collar. They have done a good job responding."

And that was with two of the Mavericks' best drivers watching from the bench. Josh Howard sat out with a sprained right ankle. Jerry Stackhouse dressed out but got a night of rest. Dirk Nowitzki (11 points) played only 26 minutes.

The Mavericks' backcourt set the tone by pushing the tempo and penetrating out of halfcourt sets. Terry scored 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting. Devin Harris added 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

"We really got back to playing the way we want to play," Harris said.

The statistics would have been much more impressive if not for the Mavericks' lowest-scoring fourth quarter of the season (14 points). Missing 12 of 28 free throw attempts also prevented the Mavericks (63-13) from making it a total laugher.

But the Mavericks entered the final frame with the game in hand, ensuring that their magic number would be trimmed to one. The Mavericks can clinch home-court advantage throughout the playoffs with a win at home Monday against the Clippers. A Phoenix loss today to the Lakers would also do the trick.

Of course, it's not as if Portland posed much of a challenge. The Mavericks took advantage of a lottery team missing three starters.

Portland guard Brandon Roy, the rookie of the year favorite, sat out with a sore right knee. Power forward Zach Randolph (hand) and center LaMarcus Aldridge (rapid heartbeat) did not make the trip.

Terry, coming off a 6-of-20 shooting night against the Nuggets, came out hot against the Trail Blazers. He had 11 points after hitting all five of his first-quarter shots and had 22 points by halftime.

The Mavericks had 24 points in the paint and an 18-point lead by halftime. Portland, which shot 38 percent (29-of-77) and had only four fast-break points, never made a serious run in the second half.

[kriD]

Mavs need one for West's No. 1

By JEFF CAPLAN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DALLAS -- One night after being frozen out in Denver, Jason Terry lit up the ramshackle Portland Trail Blazers and dropped the Mavericks' magic number for clinching the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference to one.

Terry, 6-of-20 in a loss Friday night, hit his first five shots and scored 22 of his 29 points in the runaway first half in an 86-74 victory Saturday night back home at sold-out American Airlines Center.

After the Mavs lost two of three on a six-day road trip, the Blazers (31-45) provided little resistance even though Dallas played without injured starter Josh Howard and coach Avery Johnson opted to rest sixth-man Jerry Stackhouse.

"We pride ourselves on being a deep team," Terry said. "If somebody goes down, we can pick up the slack."

The Blazers couldn't. Portland limped in without 52 percent of its scoring. Leading scorer Zach Randolph and impressive rookies LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy are out with injuries.

Terry was 12-of-19 from the field and the Mavs took advantage by attacking the rim, making up for Friday's stale output when they settled for jumpers that didn't please their coach.

"That's one thing about this team, they pretty much know when I'm hot under the collar," Johnson said. "They do a good job of responding."

Terry missed a late free throw after being fouled on a driving layup and that prevented him from notching his fourth 30-point game of the season.

He needed only two 3-pointers, as the Mavs had a flurry of layups and dunks. They raced to a season-high 30 fast-break points. Portland had two.

And now the Mavs practically have the franchise's first No. 1 playoff seed in a hammer lock.

The Mavs (63-13) can clinch it today if Phoenix loses at the Los Angeles Lakers. If not, the Mavs can clinch it on their own Monday at home against the Los Angeles Clippers, a potential first-round playoff opponent.

After a fatiguing couple of weeks, they should be better rested by Monday. The early blowout allowed Johnson to spread around the minutes. Stackhouse didn't play at all. Devin Harris scored 18 in 30 minutes. Dirk Nowitzki had 11 points in 26 minutes.

Maurice Ager scored a career-high eight points in nearly 25 minutes and Austin Croshere, Devean George, Greg Buckner and DeSagana Diop, who had 10 rebounds, all played more than 21 minutes.

"We want to be fresh going into the playoffs," Nowitzki said. "It's been a long season so far, so anytime you can get everybody some time, keep the bench players sharp, it's a good night. We shared the ball well, played well defensively and tried to push the ball offensively, so I thought it was a good effort."

The Mavs moved to 14-1 in the second half of back-to-back games, with one more set to close out the regular season.

Even 44-year-old Kevin Willis got in, playing the final 1:19 of the first half. He picked up his first foul 11 seconds in. He soon picked up a second foul and a block, and then started to run the wrong way to the locker room at halftime.

[kriD]

MAVERICKS PLAYBOOK

Howard gives ankle a well-earned siesta

By JEFF CAPLAN
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

DALLAS -- With the kind of luck Josh Howard's had lately with his right ankle, he figured he better not push it Saturday night.

"Coach sees fit to rest me, so I'm going to take his advice," said Howard, who did not play against Portland, his first missed start since Jan. 31. "I'm looking forward to getting back. I was getting in a great rhythm, my team was getting in a great rhythm. I don't want to miss a beat."

Howard hobbled off in the first quarter Friday night in Denver after spraining his right ankle for the second time in five games. He did not test the ankle in pregame warmups, instead opting for a no-impact workout in the pool.

Howard said he hopes to play Monday when the Mavs host the Los Angeles Clippers, a potential first-round playoff foe. The Mavs' could wrap up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference against LA.

Coach Avery Johnson said he won't rush Howard.

"I'm just thankful that Josh didn't get seriously injured because when you look at it on film, that could have been serious," Johnson said. "So we caught a big, big, big-time break there.

"Hopefully he'll be ready to go Monday... I just hope he's ready for the playoffs."

Howard is a vital piece to the Mavs' success. His lanky 6-foot-7 frame allows him to defend guards and forwards and he's a dynamic offensive player and rebounder.

The Mavs are 46-5 when Howard scores 15 points or more this season and 30-3 when he scores 20 or more.

Howard said there's been minimal swelling in the ankle, but that cutting causes pain. He said the sprain Friday night was similar to when he twisted the same ankle late in the game against Milwaukee on March 28.

"I was almost getting over the hump and then tweak it again," Howard said. "I hope I can go on Monday. I want to go on Monday."

Devean George started in Howard's place. Johnson has been working George and Greg Buckner back into the rotation after both recently returned from their own injuries.

He said both still aren't back to 100 percent.

"Believe me, other teams have far worse problems than we have," Johnson said. "We just have to manage it and get through it."

Stackhouse rests

Jerry Stackhouse received some much-needed rest on Saturday. In the past five games he averaged 28.8 minutes -- more than four minutes over his season average -- including twice playing 31 minutes.

He was also on a scoring tear, averaging 22 points, about 10 over his season average, before stalling out in the 75-71 loss Friday at Denver with seven points on 2-of-12 shooting.

"It's just inevitable that sometimes the day, the game, the situation, everything kind of catches up with you," Stackhouse said.

Willis' debut

Avery Johnson joked before the game that he'd have to sub in Kevin Willis at the end of quarters or else Willis, who played in a more lenient era of hard fouls, would put Portland in the bonus way too quickly.

"He's probably going to knock somebody into the third row," Johnson said. "He's done that to [DeSagana] Diop a couple of times [in practice]."

Willis, 44, made his Mavs debut with 1:19 left in the first half, and 11 seconds later, the second-oldest player to suit up in NBA history picked up his first foul.

Briefly

Rookie point guard Maurice Ager received extended playing time, logging a season-high 11:26 in the first half. It was just the second time he's played in the past six games. He scored a career-high eight points, including an impressive driving dunk in the first quarter.

Austin Croshere also took advantage of the absence of Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse. He played 21 minutes, scoring six points.

SPOTLIGHT | FATIGUE

The Mavs admit these last three weeks have been a real drag, literally.

Saturday night's game against Portland was the Mavs' 12th in 21 days.

And since the 6-0 road trip, tweaked ankles to Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard, plus plain-old fatigue, have played a role in the Mavs going 3-2 entering Saturday's game. The combined margin of victory in wins against Milwaukee, New York and Sacramento? Eight points.

"When we were on that six-game trip, we were all zoned in, it was us against the world," coach Avery Johnson said. "Then we came home and had two nail-biters, laid an egg in Phoenix, gutted out one in Sacramento and didn't finish well and couldn't drop it in the ocean against Denver."

Jerry Stackhouse said the Mavs have weathered the storm and can't let injuries and fatigue wear on them.

"It's in between the ears for us," Stackhouse said. "Not so much what's going on physically."

[left texas]

Originally Posted by kriD

1 step away: Mavs dispatch Blazers

Dallas' magic number at one after 86-74 victory

01:03 AM CDT on Sunday, April 8, 2007
By TIM MacMAHON / The Dallas Morning News
tmacmahon@dallasnews.com

The Mavericks apparently got Avery Johnson's message.

Johnson ripped into his team after a terrible shooting performance in Friday night's loss at Denver. He called his players out for settling for jumpers after they kept clanking off the rim. He challenged them to be more aggressive.

"We'll learn from it," guard Jason Terry said before Saturday's game against Portland. "You're going to see us attacking the basket out there."

That is the whole key to the success of this team, attacking the basket. Come playoff times hopefully there will be no need of reminding this team to take it to the hoop. If they settle for jumpers, it will be a nightmarish playoff.

[alexamenos]

the damp to dirk alley oop was maybe the most unspectacular alley-oop in the history of basketball.

[Stylistic]

Originally Posted by The Crippler

oh yes, he's got a long way to go. He's still an idiot on the court for the most part, probably due to trying to hard to impress. But man, he gets off the floor real quick, doesn't he?

Yeah that move to dunk the basketball was quick. The defender was like forget it and ran to the other side of the court as soon as he passed him. I think he has alot of potential and could be a good player for the team.