Dallas Mavericks

Dallas favored by 10.5 | Over/Under 213 | Posting and Toasting

Discuss the game here.

 GO MAVS

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The 45-21 Dallas Mavericks look to defend their home court against a New York Knicks team that they absolutely decimated just a few short weeks ago.  New York, on the other hand, brings its 8-23 road record to the American Airlines Center looking to avenge one of its worst losses of the season and snap Dallas’ 13 game winning streak. 

Do the Mavericks continue to roll or does New York steal the show?

Game as a Whole:

Well, we all knew another loss was coming but surely we all thought it would take much longer than this.  The ride was fun while it lasted and maybe this is just karma sneaking up on the Mavericks after they pummeled the Knicks with a 50 point loss.

Where did it all go wrong? The Mavericks played without Haywood or Dampier for almost the entire game (14 total minutes between the two).  It would seem that Carlisle was trying to counteract a smaller lineup from the Knicks but the gamble did not pay off.  Along with the lack of playing a true center the Mavericks didn’t even try to slow the Knicks down in the paint with their now patented zone.  It was like the Mavericks were playing their first game of the season.

The box score provides all the evidence one would need to point out the defensive failings.  Knicks shot almost 55% from the field and have six players in double figures all while racking up 25 assists (almost doubling the Mavericks total).  The ball was moving for the Knicks and the Mavericks looked clueless.  Read the first two quarters but stop before 3 and 4 if you want to spare yourself any feelings of angst.

Let’s look at the quarters… 

1st Quarter:

• Didn’t even look like the Knicks jumped for the tip.  Haywood has his first shot blocked by David Lee. 
• Butler notches the first bucker for the Mavericks with a mid-range jumper. 
• Haywood gets the ball knocked out of his hands by McGrady.  The sad part is that no one called out the double team coming.
• 9:00, Nowitzki gets his first basket of the night in the paint.  He is currently 1 for 2 from the floor.
• 8:18, Back-to-back fouls for the Knicks.  It is funny that both of the former Wizards were the ones who went to the line. 
• 6:55, Butler shouldering the scoring load early for Dallas. He has six of Dallas’ eleven points.
• 5:51, Dirk punches the ball out to Kidd for another possession.  Butler forces Gallinari to pick up his second foul. Caron misses both free throws.
• 4:49, Nowitzki fails to cover the paint as David Lee charges in to pick up the foul. 
• 4:32, Beaubois loves to look for Marion.  Beaubois hits Marion deep in the post for an easy bucket.
• The Mavericks refuse to put their foot on the gas and are content with letting the Knicks hang around. 
• 3:13. Kidd hits his first three off of a little brush screen.  That ties his all-time season high with 140 three pointers made.
• 1:43, Kidd with a rare 15-foot jumper.  It only took four passes and an offensive rebound to get that one basket.
• :27, Beaubois gets the and-1 on Eddie House.  The rookie misses the free throw.
• Knicks take a five-point lead into the second quarter.  No fifty point blowout tonight folks.

2nd Quarter:

• Chris Duhon comes in.  He is going to be pretty cold after not playing for 11 games.
• Barea comes back after only a one game absence when he rolled his ankle.
• 11:04, Harrington is taking advantage of Nowitzki in the paint. 
• Beaubois getting taken to the cup by Eddie House?  I didn’t even know House could drive the ball.
• 9:42, Another basket for Nowitzki in the paint as the jump shot is not falling. 
• 8:22, No offense to DeShawn but he is not the guy you want taking a mid-range jump shot when you are down by 11.
• 7:33, Najera with the spin move and the score.  The double-team on Nowitzki freed up the paint.
• Al Harrington already has 13 points for the night.  Going to chalk that up to not playing most of the second quarter with a true center.
• 6:41, Dallas is taking and missing a ton of long- to mid-range jumpers.  That is directly opposite to what the Knicks are doing (attacking the paint hard on every possession).
• 5:41, Barea with the three to cut the Knicks lead to 8.
• 4:39, Nowitzki back at the line all thanks to attacking the paint.
• Haven’t seen any zone yet from the Mavericks, sure it will show up at some point. 
• Marion is leading the scoring charge in the second quarter.  He and Dirk both have 10.
• The Knicks are currently shooting 60% from the field.  The Mavericks are still sticking with their smaller lineup.
• 1:18, Barea knifes into the lane to cut the Knick lead to 8 again. 
• Two turnovers end the quarter for the Mavericks.  They are lucky to only be down ten points after that.

3rd Quarter:

• Knicks get an easy bucket to start the second half.  Lee follows it up with an uncontested dunk.
• 10:26, Marion gets the shooters roll on one of his little flip shots. Mavericks aren’t getting any closer to the Knicks as they continue to fail on the defensive end.
• Can’t believe Marion’s pump fake behind the three-point line actually gets defenders in the air. 
• 8:42, Chandler picks up the and-1 on Dirk.  Nowitzki is notorious for not fouling hard enough when an opposing player is going up for a shot.
• Marion is getting a bunch of touches in the paint, not leaving too many touches for anybody else.
• 7:53, Just the way the night is going, Beaubois is immediately called for traveling after coming into the game.
• Dallas continues to shoot threes even though they are only hovering around 23% for the game.  Move the ball around a bit, guys.
• 5:19, Another sign you are having a bad night, Nowitzki bites on the McGrady pump fake and the basket goes.  That Gives the Knicks a 22-point lead. 
• The Mavericks are utterly clueless on the David Lee pick and roll.  The Knicks have run the play at least five times as Lee keeps getting great looks.
• What a role reversal for Dallas.  Going from a 50-point win just a couple of months ago to being down 25.
• 1:51, Kidd adds another three to his total.  He is the only other Maverick to make a three.
• Maybe Rick Carlisle should just have some fun with this one.  Let’s put Erick Dampier and Brendan Haywood in at the same time, see how it goes.  

4th Quarter:

• Not much to talk about.  Mavericks have been down by as much as 30. 
• 8:54, Barea gets away with way too much dribbling.  Hits a fall away jumper.
• 15-21 from the line so far for Dallas, would be nice to have those six points.
• Nowitzki gets a technical foul just to prove how frustrated he is.  Officiating has seemed a little out of whack but that is no excuse for the Maverick defense.
• Matt Carroll actually drills a shot!  Silver Lining. 

Some Choice Statistics:

• Rick Carlisle played for the Knicks during the ‘87-‘88 season.  He averaged only 2.8 points and 1.2 steals a game.
• This is the third longest win streak in Mavericks history.  The longest was 17 games in the ‘06-‘07 season.
• The last time the Knicks beat the Mavericks, January of ’06. The last time the Knicks beat the Mavericks in Dallas? 1999.

Final Thoughts:

  Even the best teams can take a night off (or if you are the Lakers, you can take three nights).

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by Tom Ziller

Filed under: Knicks, Mavericks

You may remember a particularly laugh-worthy blow-out at Madison Square Garden a couple months ago -- the Mavericks visited New York and left only ash in their wake, beating the Knicks by 50. Fifty. The Bockers searched for their souls, found them in the mud (near their dignity), and rose again. ... OK, they didn't really "rise again." But they stopped losing by 50.

Fast forward to, well, now. The Mavericks are flying high, the Knicks still aren't, and a rematch is scheduled for Dallas. The Mavs, No. 2 in the West, come in having won 13 straight, just one victory away from tying the league's longest win streak of the season.

But the Knicks got the last laugh.

New York, 22-43 on the season, on schedule to be among the five worst teams in the NBA, took a 10-point lead into halftime, and then blew the Mavericks out of the building in the third quarter. The Knicks ended up winning by 36. Thirty-six. Revenge never tasted so Kafkaesque.

 

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Dallas Mavericks' Jason Kidd goes airborne with a layup in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday, March 8, 2010 in Minneapolis.

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And being the #2 seed to boot.  What a great mid-season trade.
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The last four teams to win by at least 50 lost their next game against that team. The Mavericks were the latest in the trend, falling to New York on Saturday by 34 points. Dallas beat the Knicks 128-78 on Jan. 24.

Sounds as if the Mavs, rising high with a 13-game winning streak, took a victory over the Knicks for granted.

"This kind of night defines, to a certain degree, the adage about on a given night, anything can happen," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "I didn't sense overconfidence or being full of ourselves, but over a 24-day period when you don't lose a game, you're going to have teams gunning for you and you're going to have teams showing up that are going to get hot.

"If you don't have answers, it's going to be ugly.
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The Dallas Mavericks had the most lopsided victory in franchise history when they beat the New York Knicks by 50 points in the teams' last meeting nearly two months ago.


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A big win for the New York Knicks was just a little sweeter against the Dallas Mavericks.
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By EDDIE SEFKO

DALLAS -- You have to give the Dallas Mavericks credit.

When they finally crash and burn, they don't mess around.

The 13-game winning streak bit the dust Saturday night. Took a big, ol' mouthful, actually. The New York Knicks, clearly remembering the 50-point drubbing the Mavericks laid on them in January at Madison Square Garden, unloaded some serious payback with a 128-94 pounding of the Mavericks at American Airlines Center.

This is the same Knicks team that gave up 119 points Friday night in Memphis.

The Mavericks could muster no more than 48 in the first half, after which they trailed by 10. And that was their good half.

"They remembered, for sure," Shawn Marion said. "They told me. They said they had this one circled on their calendar. We definitely didn't want it [the streak] to end this way. But they did everything right. We'll have to start another one."

The Mavericks did nothing right. And they did it with no life to compound the situation.

None of the Mavericks were engaged defensively. The Knicks are one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league, at least in terms how many they shoot.

They made 16-of-30 and totally exposed the Mavericks' lack of defense.

"Players in this league have a lot of pride," said Dirk Nowitzki, who had 20 points and 12 rebounds. "They remembered that game.

"We haven't played that well the last two games. We snuck one out against New Jersey and then this happened. Sometimes, a loss like this can help. It brings everybody back to earth a little."

With a gigantic thud.

The Knicks shot 56 percent and got a career-high 23 points from Bill Walker off the bench.

Maybe it was the time off that set the Mavericks off-kilter. They had enjoyed two days without a game for the first time since the All-Star break.

Clearly, it did not agree with them.

The Mavericks should have known they were in trouble in the second quarter, when they went small throughout the period without Brendan Haywood or Erick Dampier as coach Rick Carlisle tried to match the Knicks' perimeter shooters.

The results were bad. But they weren't any better when the big guys were on the court, either.

"It was a poor performance all around," Carlisle said. "We weren't close enough to them to knock them off their rhythm. When you get thoroughly thrashed like that, it's difficult, but we have work to do.

"This kind of night defines the adage about 'any given night.' I didn't sense overconfidence or being full of ourselves. But over a 24-day period when you don't lose a game, you're going to have teams gunning for you. And if you don't have answers, it's going to be ugly.

"Tonight was ugly."

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ROTATION: Starters -- Point guard Jason Kidd, Shooting guard Caron Butler, Small forward Shawn Marion, Power forward Dirk Nowitzki, Center Brendan Haywood. Bench -- Guard Jason Terry, Center Erick Dampier, Guard Roddy Beaubois, Guard DeShawn Stevenson, Guard Matt Carroll, Forward Eduardo Najera, Guard J.J. Barea, Forward Tim Thomas. PLAYER NOTES: --G J.J. Barea returned to the lineup Saturday after missing one game with a sprained left ankle. He finished with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, three assists and two rebounds in 23 minutes against New York. It was his 19th game with at least 10 points this season. --F Dirk Nowitzki recorded his 15th double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds in 38 minutes against New York. --G Jason Kidd set a career high with 143 3-pointers after nailing four against the Knicks. His previous best in a season was 139 in 2005-06. MEDICAL WATCH: --G Jason Terry (facial surgery) should return no later than the March 20 game against Boston.


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--G Jason Terry returned to practice Friday in a limited role, wearing a protective mask that he found bothersome. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year didn't play Saturday against New York, but he expects to return in the coming week. Terry is out after having an orbital bone fractured by an elbow from Minnesota G Corey Brewer. Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis said the elbow was inadvertent. "I definitely thought it was a dirty play," Terry said. "He's not a dirty kid at all, but in that situation, it's the move he used." --Dallas went into Saturday with a league-best 8-0 record when playing with two days off before the Knicks spoiled the perfect mark. Maybe the Mavericks can reverse another trend before facing Chicago on Wednesday. They're 1-5 with three days off. "We've got work to do," coach Rick Carlisle said. "We've got a long three days before the next game, and we have a couple of practice days Monday and Tuesday where we're going to have to get some things done." QUOTE TO NOTE: "It was a poor performance all around. We really didn't come close to winning a quarter. When you get thoroughly thrashed like that, it's something that's difficult." -- Coach Rick Carlisle, after Saturday's blowout loss to New York.


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The last four teams to win by at least 50 lost their next game against that team. The Mavericks were the latest in the trend, falling to New York on Saturday by 34 points. Dallas beat the Knicks 128-78 on Jan. 24. Sounds as if the Mavs, rising high with a 13-game winning streak, took a victory over the Knicks for granted. "This kind of night defines, to a certain degree, the adage about on a given night, anything can happen," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "I didn't sense overconfidence or being full of ourselves, but over a 24-day period when you don't lose a game, you're going to have teams gunning for you and you're going to have teams showing up that are going to get hot. "If you don't have answers, it's going to be ugly. Tonight was ugly." As badly as the Mavs played in losing for the first time since Feb. 16, Carlisle didn't think the setback was symptomatic of bigger problems. Dallas is still 13-2 since reshaping the team at the All-Star break. "You look at the entire season as a sample," he said. "I think we are a lot different team in the last 25 days than we were the whole season." KNICKS 128, MAVERICKS 94: The 13-game winning streak that propelled Dallas to second in the Western Conference was snapped in a big way Saturday night at home. The Mavericks (45-22) were routed by the same lottery-bound team they beat by 50 earlier this season in New York. The Knicks blistered Southwest Division leaders, shooting 56 percent and connecting on an opponent-high 16 3-pointers. Dallas never recovered from a slow start and was blown out in the third quarter, 33-18. Dirk Nowitzki had 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Jason Kidd scored 15 and handed out six assists. Dallas' winning streak had tied for third longest in franchise history.


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DALLAS -- The winning streak went down in flames Saturday night, and maybe fans should have seen this coming.

If they were paying attention to the numbers during the 13-game run of success, it was clear that a game like this was possible, even if it was a shocker that it turned out to be such a pathetic showing against the Knicks that ended the streak.

Why was this foreseeable? Take a look at the 13 games the Dallas Mavericks played in building the streak.

They played eight of the 13 games at American Airlines Center, which had been extremely Mavs-friendly since the All-Star break.

More telling is that the victims in the streak had a combined 383-468 record. That's the definition of underwhelming.

The Knicks did nothing but lower that overall record even further. But they came in with more fire and more 3-point shooting than the Mavericks could muster. The result was one of the ugliest losses of the season.

And maybe the Mavericks needed this. Clearly, they didn't have to play top-shelf ball in beating a lot of the teams during their streak. There were some quality wins. But many of them were walkovers.

Now, they know things are going to be brutally tough the rest of the way.

And that's the way it should be if they fancy themselves as legitimate threats in the Western Conference.

-- Eddie Sefko

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The Dallas Mavericks had the most lopsided victory in franchise history when they beat the New York Knicks by 50 points in the teams' last meeting nearly two months ago. This time, it was the Knicks' turn for a rout. Bill Walker scored a career-high 23 points, Wilson Chandler added 22 and New York snapped the Mavericks' 13-game winning streak with a 128-94 victory on Saturday night.
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When asked before the game tonight about the last time he could remember a trade energizing a team like this one has revived the Mavericks, New York coach Mike D'Antoni quickly responded: "Gasol to the Lakers.''

That was a couple years back when Memphis gave away Pau Gasol for a bag of magic beans.

"They (the Mavs) were good before, and now they're really good,'' D'Antoni said. "They'll definitely compete for a title.''

--Eddie Sefko

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OK, so the Mavericks now are 13-2 since the All-Star break.

If you'd have had a chance to take that record back in mid-February, you and everybody in the Mavericks' organization would have jumped at it.

Don't over-analyze the 34-point whipping the Knicks put on the Mavs tonight. It's no worse than a one-point loss, at least in the standings.

Somehow, the Knicks seemed to know this was going to be their night. They were rolling from start to finish. The Mavericks merely rolled over.

"Revenge is sweet sometimes,'' said New York's Al Harrington, who apparently has had revenge that isn't sweet. "That's a really good team over there but we just caught them at the right time. They were ripe for the picking. When you've had that much success, and you know the Knicks are coming in and you feel you can score 150 points on them in your sleep, that team didn't show up today. I guess we caught them by surprise, but it was a big win for us."

Harrington was a big reason why. He had 20 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

--Eddie Sefko

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Al Harrington(notes) #7 of the New York Knicks shoots a jumper against Eduardo Najera(notes) #14 of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Danilo Gallinari(notes) #8 of the New York Knicks shoots a jumper against Jason Kidd(notes) #2 of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Eddie House(notes) #50 of the New York Knicks drives against Jose Juan Barea(notes) #11 of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Dirk Nowitzki(notes) #41 of the Dallas Mavericks goes in for the lay up against Wilson Chandler(notes) #21 of the New York Knicks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Bill Walker(notes) #5 of the New York Knicks drives against Rodrigue Beaubois(notes) #3 of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: David Lee(notes) #42 of the New York Knicks goes in for the dunk against the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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John Hollinger is a basketball columnist in a way that I am not a basketball columnist - lots of people read his stuff.

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The Mavericks won by 50 in New York in January.

After the completion of the season series, they still own the advantage in total points. But not by much.

The Knicks dished out a heaping helping of payback Saturday night as the Mavericks could do nothing right and looked positively awful while exhibiting a stunning lack of energy.

Their winning streak crashed and burned at 13 in a row as the Knicks came into American Airlines Center and coasted wire to wire for a 128-94 victory.

This is the same Knicks team that gave up 119 points Friday night in Memphis.

The Mavericks could muster no more than 48 in the first half, after which they trailed by 10.

Little did they suspect that would be their good half.

The New York lead swelled to 37 in the fourth quarter. The Mavericks never were within 10 during the second half.

irk Nowitzki had 20 points and 12 rebounds, but was not a factor during long stretches. And none of the Mavericks were engaged defensively. The Knicks are one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league, and they're even better when the looks are as wide-open as the Mavericks provided them.

The Knicks shot over 50 percent throughout the evening and got 20 points apiece off the bench from Bill Walker and Al Harrington. David Lee had 15 points and 14 rebounds.

Maybe it was the time off that set the Mavericks off-kilter. They had enjoyed two days without a game for the first time since the All-Star break.

Clearly, it did not agree with them.

The Mavericks should have known they were in trouble in the second quarter, when they went small throughout the period. Neither Brendan Haywood nor Erick Dampier as coach Rick Carlisle tried to match the Knicks' perimeter gunners. The results were bad. But they weren't any better when the big guys were on the court, either.

Carlisle clearly was looking for some combination that could give his team a spark. He was still searching for it when the Mavericks came out of the halftime locker room.

Briefly: J.J. Barea, who missed Wednesday's game with a sprained left ankle, was back in uniform and played the entire second quarter ... The Mavericks were just 6-of-19 from 3-point range. The Knicks shot more and made a lot more, going 13-of-27.

--Eddie Sefko

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Shawn Marion(notes) #0 of the Dallas Mavericks has his shot blocked by Wilson Chandler(notes) #21 of the New York Knicks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Caron Butler(notes) #4 of the Dallas Mavericks drives against Al Harrington(notes) #7 of the New York Knicks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Tracy McGrady(notes) #3 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against Dirk Nowitzki(notes) #41 of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Wilson Chandler(notes) #21 of the New York Knicks dunks against the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Tracy McGrady(notes) #3 of the New York Knicks posts up against Caron Butler(notes) #4 of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Al Harrington(notes) #7 of the New York Knicks drives against the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Toney Douglas(notes) #23 of the New York Knicks drives against Jason Kidd(notes) #2 of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Shawn Marion(notes) #0 of the Dallas Mavericks puts up the hook shot against Tracy McGrady(notes) #3 of the New York Knicks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Shawn Marion(notes) #0 of the Dallas Mavericks goes in for the lay up against Danilo Gallinari(notes) #8 and Wilson Chandler(notes) #21 of the New York Knicks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: David Lee(notes) #42 of the New York Knicks posts up against Caron Butler(notes) #4 of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Going into the most recent timeout, Dirk Nowitzki took out some anger on an unsuspecting (and thankfully empty) folding chair.

The Mavericks need to show that anger on the court.

They are getting embarrassed, down 91-66 with under a minute to go in the third.

Kiss the winning streak goodbye.

But at least they aren't leaving anything open to chance. No big comebacks are in the offing, I'm afraid.

--Eddie Sefko

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Jose Juan Barea(notes) #11 of the Dallas Mavericks goes up for the lay up against Toney Douglas(notes) #23 of the New York Knicks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Al Harrington(notes) #7 of the New York Knicks drives against Eduardo Najera(notes) #14 of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Shawn Marion(notes) #0 of the Dallas Mavericks puts in the lay up against the New York Knicks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Caron Butler(notes) #4 of the Dallas Mavericks goes to the rim against Danilo Gallinari(notes) #8 of the New York Knicks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Toney Douglas(notes) #23 of the New York Knicks goes in for the lay up against Shawn Marion(notes) #0 of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Wilson Chandler(notes) #21 of the New York Knicks goes in for the dunk against Shawn Marion(notes) #0 of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Tracy McGrady(notes) #3 of the New York Knicks drives against Caron Butler(notes) #4 of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

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They look like the 22-43 team so far, even though that's the Knicks' record. The Mavericks need an energy transfusion.

They're down 58-48 and it's hard to figure out whether they are worse at the offensive or defensive end so far.

Good thing there's no special teams in basketball or they'd probably stink at that, too, right now.

--Eddie Sefko

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Rodrigue Beaubois(notes) #3 of the Dallas Mavericks goes up for the contact and the shot against Eddie House(notes) #50 of the New York Knicks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Shawn Marion(notes) #0 of the Dallas Mavericks puts up the floater against Wilson Chandler(notes) #21 of the New York Knicks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

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DALLAS - MARCH 13: Brendan Haywood(notes) #33 of the Dallas Mavericks goes in for the lay up against David Lee(notes) #42 of the New York Knicks during a game at the American Airlines Center on March 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)

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The Knicks are shooting 9-of-14 in the second quarter and have stretched their lead to 13 points and remain up 10 as of the 5:14 mark.

--Eddie Sefko

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It's 9-2 New York with 9:27 to go in the first. Not the start Rick Carlisle was looking for.

So far, the Knicks have scored on four of five possessions.

--Eddie Sefko

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The Mavericks have been terrible in the early going the last few games, so look for them to put a major push on after the jump ball to try to get out to a quick start against a team that played last night in Memphis.

"We want to avoid situations like the first quarter the other night where we weren't where we wanted to be defensively,'' coach Rick Carlisle said.

Meanwhile, J.J. Barea is in uniform and is available to play after missing one game with a sprained ankle.

--Eddie Sefko

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The Ticket's Craig "Junior" Miller, one of the Gentle Musers on The Dunham and Miller Show mornings from 6-10 a.m. on KTCK-AM 1310 in Dallas, answered Mavericks questions in a chat on Friday.

On who should take the crucial final shot for a playoff win if Dirk Nowitzki was double-teamed:

Not Terry. Too streaky. Butler would be a nice option, but I think I might take Kidd, especially if it were a 3-pointer. If I'm going to live or die, and it can't be Dirk, it's got to be my other Hall of Famer, a guy with NBA Finals experience and two gold medals. Having said that, Kidd is one of the worst shooters (fg % wise) in modern NBA history. But, I would have to hope that he would focus in with his freaky green eyes and deliver.

On if Jason Terry will get magical powers from his mask:

So, we're looking at another week or so until he returns? The rest could actually help him. Older jump shooters need those legs. But I actually do worry about the mask. That can't be easy to get used to, can it? He will either get magical powers from it, or he will go 0-63 when he returns and say "screw it."

On the Hollinger power rankings listing the Mavs at No. 13:

I think he's wrong, and I think Mavs fans should forget about him. I think it's to the point that he is TRYING to get a rise out of you. He bases all of this on point differential, which is fine. I think PD tells you a ton about teams. BUT he's going by the season PD, not looking at the Mavs' PD since the trade, which has improved from +2 pre-trade to almost +8 post-trade, which puts them right up there with the Cavs and Lakers.

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The Ticket's Craig "Junior" Miller, one of the Gentle Musers on The Dunham and Miller Show mornings from 6-10 a.m. on KTCK-AM 1310 in Dallas, answered Mavericks questions in a chat on Friday.

On Roddy Beaubois:

I really like what I see. People compare him to Tony Parker, and I will admit that he kind of runs like Parker. I even saw him shoot a little running floater in the lane like Parker a couple of nights ago. But I think his game is almost more like Leandro Barbosa. So fast, and he's long (Roddy is more of a pure PG). I'm not sure I've ever seen Parker block a shot, but Roddy can really go get it, his blocks are greatness! Plus, I've never seen Parker dunk and alley-oop like Roddy did the other night. Rick C. has brought him along at a perfect pace, too. Lots of upside here.

On where the Mavs finish the season as far as the seedings go:

Looks great for them to get the 2nd seed. I don't think anyone catches LA. Two and a half games may not seem like much, but think of it this way: the Mavs have won 13 in a row and still trail the Lakers! Not enough time to catch them. But, the schedule is favorable for Dallas to where they can hold off Utah and Denver. First-round matchup with Portland, I would predict. I think my Spurs slide to 8th, if not 9th.

On if J.J. Barea is going to get exposed / embarrassed in the playoffs:

I like J.J. Barea for having overcome what he's overcome to make it this far. Let's face it, there aren't many 4'11' Hispanic point guards floating around the NBA. But they must limit his minutes in the playoffs. He is the kind of guy that teams love to see on the floor, especially night after night in a seven-game series. Too much of a defensive liability -- makes the Mavs have to scramble too much to cover for him. That's ok if he's giving you 30 points a night, but he won't be.

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The red-hot Dallas Mavericks will try to stretch their season-high winning streak to 14 games tonight when they resume a four-game homestand against the woeful New York Knicks.

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Brendan Haywood figures the New York Knicks will have their game faces on tonight at AAC, even though the 50-point whupping the Mavericks' put on them in New York was nearly two months ago.

In New York's situation, Haywood said: "You want to come out and show your pride, your competitive spirit. I'm expecting them to come out here with a fiery edfge to them. The guys who were here when they got beat by 50 probably don't want to experience that again. That's embarrassing.''

Haywood added at shootaround that now is the time for the Mavericks to start dialing in their rotation and their style for the playoffs.

"The small ball worked for what we needed it to work for,'' the 7-footer said. "It worked for a couple games. That's what small ball does. It works for a little while. But then when you run into the bigger teams, you're going to get beat.

"You talk about playing against the Lakers, against Denver, against the Spurs, you're not talking small ball. That won't win. Small ball got us some victories, but now iti's time to get back to playoff basketball.''

Added Rick Carlisle: "We want to play conventionally and play with size as much as possible. But if we have to go outside the box to win a game, we will. If we have to, we'll continue to do it.''

--Eddie Sefko

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By EDDIE SEFKO DALLAS -- Jason Terry said he didn't make a single shot in practice Friday.He couldn't see the floor in front of him much less the rim.

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The Ticket's Craig "Junior" Miller, one of the Gentle Musers on The Dunham and Miller Show mornings from 6-10 a.m. on KTCK-AM 1310 in Dallas, answered Mavericks questions in a chat on Friday.

On his pick to win it all:

The Lakers. I still believe in them. I think a lot of great teams lose their focus midseason, especially when they have a big lead in the standings. They have some problems -- their bench (outside of Odom) is not good, and they seem fragile (feels like Kobe or Bynum or Gasol are always a play away from a bad injury). But I trust their coach and I trust their superstar, and I love their length. Plus, I'm not sure I like the Cavs, although I think they'll win the East. Cleveland looks like a patchwork quilt to me. Shaq and Jamison together? And, I trust Phil much more than Brown.

On which is the top event: The NBA Finals or The Masters:

Tough one, but I'll always take the NBA Finals. The back nine on Sunday at the Masters is great, but I've been an NBA/ABA nut since I was about 7 years old. It will always be my favorite sport and favorite league, so it's title series is can't-miss for me, even if it's a crappy matchup.

On the Mavs' chances of landing LeBron this summer:

I think their chances are less than .01%. It's got to be Cleveland or New York, and that's it. There are many theories out there about why he will end up with the Nets, Clippers, Rockets, Bulls but none make sense to me. In fact, NY doesn't really make sense to me. I would bet a lot of money that he stays in Cle. Not sure Dallas would look good to him with an aging Dirk and Kidd.

On who he would start at center if everyone was healthy:

If you're talking about only guys on the Mavs roster, give me Haywood--easy. I love how hard he works. He has a nose for the rim, he's active, has much better hands than Damp. I would squeeze as many minutes out of him each playoff game as I could.

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By EDDIE SEFKO

DALLAS -- Jason Terry said he didn't make a single shot in practice Friday.

He couldn't see the floor in front of him much less the rim. On top of that, he said he looked terrible in a protective mask.

And it was still a great day.

Terry was back on the court with his Dallas Mavericks teammates a week after having facial surgery. He was his usual, jovial, joking self, even baiting the gaggle of reporters around him.

When asked if he could play tonight against New York, Terry said: "I'm going to play -- 2K10 PlayStation and see what happens."

Terry said he was thrilled at the way his surgery went. It was performed by ear, nose and throat specialist Dr. Neil Williams.

"The doctor did an outstanding job," Terry said. "You don't see many marks.... I think I got real lucky. I didn't break my nose. I just broke my cheekbone.

"I'm looking at [playing] next week. We got two games and one of those two, I'll definitely be ready to go."

The Mavericks play Chicago on Wednesday and Boston on Saturday.

Terry wore a protective mask during his first practice back and has a custom mask on the way.

"I look terrible in that," he said. "That was probably the worst part, and I'm glad there were no cameras in here."

Terry said he'll probably have to wear his new mask in the first few games he's back, but has no plans to wear it long term.

His return was cause for the Mavericks to smile, even beyond the grins that a 13-game winning streak brings.

"Any time he's out there, he spiritually gives us a lift," coach Rick Carlisle said.

Even 10 days after the injury, Terry was not in a forgiving mood when talking about how the injury occurred.

Minnesota's Corey Brewer crashed elbow-first into Terry, who was trying to take a charge.

"I wanted to get back at the dude," Terry said. "As a competitor, I wanted to get on the court and go after somebody.

"I definitely thought it was a dirty play. He's not a dirty kid at all, but in that situation, that's the move he used."

Terry, who said he still doesn't have any feeling on the left side of his face, knew immediately that something was wrong. Even so, he returned to play the entire fourth quarter, hitting a clutch 3-pointer to help the Mavericks win.

"For him to come back and finish that game when he broke that bone, that was big," Dirk Nowitzki said. "He's a man."

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