Archives For Dallas Mavericks

Some highlights from Jazz-Mavs

Spencer Hall —  November 2, 2012 — 1 Comment
2012-13-DALatUTA01

Photo by matthewryan

2012-13-fisheye-view-of-arena-pyrotechnics

It’s a little late, but I wanted to preserve a few things for posterity. The third quarter of this game was a thing of beauty–may all teams coming into Salt Lake be on the second night of a back-to-back. Regardless of a worn-out opponent, there were a lot of things to like. I’ve included a few of them below:

It was a night for the newcomers: Marvin and Mo Williams each scored 21 points and hit two 3s, Randy Foye hit two of his own, and rookie Kevin Murphy scored his first NBA points. Jerry Sloan was in the crowd and all seemed right with the world on a warm Halloween night.

Dallas Mavericks 94 Final

Recap | Box Score

 113 Utah Jazz
Marvin Williams, PF 30 MIN | 7-13 FG | 5-5 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 21 PTS | +9
Paul Millsap, PF 33 MIN | 5-12 FG | 3-4 FT | 15 REB | 3 AST | 13 PTS | +18
Gordon Hayward, SF 24 MIN | 4-10 FG | 3-5 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 11 PTS | +1
Al Jefferson, C 29 MIN | 4-11 FG | 4-4 FT | 14 REB | 2 AST | 12 PTS | +8
Mo Williams, PG 30 MIN | 7-16 FG | 5-5 FT | 2 REB | 6 AST | 21 PTS | +19
Kevin Murphy, SG 2 MIN | 1-2 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 2 PTS | -1

It was very cool to hear Kevin Murphy describe how it felt to score his first points in a real NBA game: “I’ve been dreaming about this day since I was six.”
In Utah Jazz ,
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Jazz 123 – Mavs 121: The Triple Overtime Wet Willy Game

Spencer Hall —  April 17, 2012 — Leave a comment

Photo by @drhadfield, grabbed from the Root Sports broadcast.

Games like this are the reason I love professional basketball. Could I interest you in a German-speaking giraffe that can play basketball? How about a slightly unhinged ginger who gives wet willies to his opponents? Perhaps a masochistic head coach who plays his starters nearly the entirety of seven periods of basketball over three hours and sixteen minutes? How about a stat line from Al Jefferson that includes 28 points, 26 rebounds, and ZERO free throw attempts?

If you’re into it, I can also throw in a midseason pickup who plays 45 minutes and scores 15 points despite getting a root canal earlier in the day. Here’s what DeMarre Carroll was doing just a few hours before the game:

Watch the clip of Delonte West giving Gordon Hayward a wet willie.

Here’s ESPN Dallas’ Jeff Caplan (@ESPN_Caplan) with my Delonte West interview after the game. I’m the reporter he mentions.

And here’s what I had to say on ESPN.com about this epic three-overtime instant classic.

 

Dallas Mavericks 121 FinalRecap | Box Score 123 Utah Jazz
Paul Millsap, PF 53 MIN | 5-18 FG | 6-8 FT | 9 REB | 6 AST | 16 PTS | -5
DeMarre Carroll, F 45 MIN | 5-10 FG | 4-4 FT | 4 REB | 6 AST | 15 PTS | 0
Al Jefferson, C 54 MIN | 14-25 FG | 0-0 FT | 26 REB | 1 AST | 28 PTS | +9
Devin Harris, PG 53 MIN | 8-17 FG | 2-5 FT | 1 REB | 7 AST | 23 PTS | -3
Gordon Hayward, SG 54 MIN | 6-14 FG | 8-10 FT | 4 REB | 5 AST | 24 PTS | +5
In Utah Jazz
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Jazz 91 – Mavericks 94

Spencer Hall —  January 20, 2012 — 2 Comments

Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)

Let’s let Earl Watson’s words after the game serve as the balm to heal after a tough, tough loss. It’s your team, Earl.

Earl Watson:

On the technical foul and scuffle with Nowitzki:

“…apparently it’s the second one that counts. Next time I’ll try to be first.”

—

If he’s encouraged by the fight shown by the team:

“I’m not into moral victories, man. I’m into wins and losses; I don’t care about stats, I don’t care about anything but winning and losing. You couldn’t pay me enough money to be happy to lose, so…

—

On whether he was standing up for Favors:

“Yeah, a little bit of that, a little bit of believing he would do the same thing. We move forward–it’s a tough loss…it’s pretty bad.”

—

On whether he was trying to set an example for the younger players:

“I’m not trying to show anybody anything. I am who I am, and whether it’s good or bad, I’m just going to be myself. My teammates are like my brothers. I love all my teammates, I love my team. It’s like protecting your house, you know. We’ve all gotta be respectful. Be respectful; if not–whatever happens, happens.”

—

Was it as good a crowd as he’s seen here?

“The crowd was good, the crowd is always good here. I wish we could have sent them home with a win. It would have been big for us, momentum-wise.”

—

On what separates the top teams from the rest:

“Belief. Belief is strong. Once we start believing we can be as good as we can be, which is great. You don’t get to be second in the West by accident, and you know, when you get it you want to maintain it, when you get it, you want to be first. And once we get that mantra as a team, we’re going to be strong. Belief is stronger than reality.

Dallas Mavericks 94 Final

Recap | Box Score

 91 Utah Jazz
Paul Millsap, PF

40 MIN | 6-16 FG | 4-4 FT | 13 REB | 2 AST | 16 PTS | +1

Solid play from Millsap, but seemed to be spooked by the long arms of Haywood and Nowitzki. The Mavs cause all kinds of problems for the Jazz, so it was good to see them fight through the first-half deficit and make an exciting game of it.
Gordon Hayward, SG

27 MIN | 4-9 FG | 1-2 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 9 PTS | -5

Not a great game from Hayward, but his breakaway dunks seemed to exorcise a few demons and got the team rolling. It’s fun to see him attack the basket with confidence. Hopefully we see more of that and less of the “pick-and-nothing” guy who forces the offense to restart.
Al Jefferson, C

32 MIN | 8-18 FG | 6-8 FT | 9 REB | 2 AST | 22 PTS | 0

Had a few moments of brilliance and several more where he kicked the ball out and got it back several times in the same possession as he improved is position, but also spent several other possessions reverting to his tendency to burn the entire shot clock and throw up his famous “wheazy.” TM @allthatamar
Raja Bell, SG

26 MIN | 2-6 FG | 2-2 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 7 PTS | -1

Another feisty night from Raja, which seems to rubbing off on the team in a good way. Even though there were moments when in looked like the Jazz were spending too much time complaining and losing focus, the rough-and-tumble
Devin Harris, PG

24 MIN | 0-7 FG | 1-1 FT | 2 REB | 2 AST | 1 PTS | -3

Just a terrible game all the way around for Harris. His overthrown pass to Hayward on a breakaway and his airballed 3-pointer were horrible moments to come up empty against his old team. Corbin was clearly kicking himself after the game for not riding Earl down the stretch.
Earl Watson, PG

24 MIN | 2-4 FG | 1-1 FT | 2 REB | 7 AST | 5 PTS | 0

Tough to tell from his line that Earl was the heart and soul of the team on the night. His scuffle with Nowitzki set the tone.
C.J. Miles, SF

22 MIN | 5-11 FG | 6-6 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 17 PTS | +5

Another strong game from CJ Miles. He seems to be getting comfortable with his role and is making the most of his moments. Probably should have been awarded an extra 10-15 points for the spectacular crossover and dunk in traffic that he pulled off in the first half. One of the most ferocious dunks of the year.
Derrick Favors, FC

10 MIN | 1-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 1 AST | 2 PTS | 0

The ejection for Favors was a tough break for Favors. Didn’t deserve the foul call, definitely deserved a technical for his reaction, didn’t deserve to get thrown out. Rules are rules, but it seemed like a stretch to accuse him of throwing the ball in the stands, if that’s what the referees decided.
Alec Burks, G

22 MIN | 3-6 FG | 3-3 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 10 PTS | -2

I tweeted during the game that Burks is the Jazz’s version of JR Smith, in all the right ways. I’m talking about the fearlessness and the sparkpluggedness. His confidence sometimes gets him in trouble, such as when he took a play off to complain about a call, but it serves this team well because he’s never afraid to take a shot or make something happen.

Five Things We Saw

  1. Referee Matt Boland gets an F for mishandling the Nowitzki stuff. The rule cited for the automatic ejection was that the ball was thrown either toward an official or toward the crowd. Neither seemed to be the case from my perspective. Probably deserved a technical, but definitely not an ejection.
  2. Dirk Nowitzki gets a T.
  3. The crowd gets an A.
  4. Roddy Beaubois gets an A, and a spot in the shine of no-name players who have career nights against the Jazz.
  5. If Enes Kanter puts the ball on the floor in the paint one more time…

—
Thanks for input on grades from @brownbear844, @lord_chadeous, @yaboymitchd, @cowhideglobe, @matt_jury, @jazzingitup, and @bvanwagoner

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Division Previews: Dallas Mavericks, Southwest Division – Western Conference

Brian Henderson —  October 26, 2010 — Leave a comment

In the final days leading up to regular season action, SCH will be posting divisional previews of the top teams in all six NBA divisions. Come back early and often for updates.

Overview

No Mark, you can't play in the games.

The Mavericks are a head-scratching bunch. 50 plus wins in each of the past ten seasons, and a first round exit in three of the past four, despite being perennial favorites to advance deep into the playoffs after their NBA Finals appearance against the Miami Heat in 2006. Mad Hatter Mark Cuban spares no expense to assemble the most talented roster he can buy, but the Mavs have suffered some chemistry problems, it seems, despite having done so. This is Dirk Nowitzki’s team, and he carries the burden of their success, whomever else the team surrounds him with. With offseason acquisitions, nearly half of the team is new. Dallas has only a couple of seasons left with the current core to make a march on the Lakers and return to the Finals. Can they do it? They have the talent. Will they? If the Jazz don’t do it, I’m rooting for these guys.

Key Matchups

Expect to see the following starting lineup this season for Dallas: Jason Kidd – PG, Rodrigue Beaubois – SG, Caron Butler – SF, Dirk Nowitzki-PF, Brendan Haywood – C. The following key reserves will be coming off the bench: Tyson Chandler, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion and DeShawn Stevenson.

Dirk Nowitzki vs. Paul Millsap

Nowitzki may be one of Millsap’s toughest challenges this season. The way he spreads the floor by shooting from anywhere on the court spells trouble for Millsap, who’s much more comfortable in the post. Expect Nowitzki to have the edge in these matchups.

Jason Kidd vs. Deron Williams

Jason Kidd is one of the best point guards to ever play the game. He is top five all-time in assists. At age 37, having developed an outside shooting threat over his career, he shows no signs of slowing down. Old Guard vs. New Guard, these two seem to have parallel skills and dominance on the court.

Caron Butler and Andrei Kirilenko are evenly matched, as are Brendan Haywood and Al Jefferson. Nevermind the backup center, Tyson Chandler, may be the best #2 center in the NBA.

High Notes | Low Notes

The Mavericks are healthy thus far, which seems to be a good sign. Nearly half the team is new, which normally would be cause for concern. But such is the case with the Jazz, so, if the Mavericks can make it work, more power to them. The primary question that goes unanswered is this: Why does Dallas keep losing in the playoffs with all the talent Cuban has brought to the team?

History

The Mavericks and Jazz have only met twice in the post season, with Dallas sending Utah packing in the first round in 1986 and 2001.

Coach Notes

Head Coach Rick Carlisle had a scare this preseason with a training camp fainting spell. But this 2002 NBA Coach of the Year (with the Pistons) is back in the saddle and ready to go. He’s got an ability to relate to players (himself a former Celtic from the 1986 championship team) and he dials in his player strengths well.

Outlook

Ich werde diesen Ball in die Menge gestellt! (Photo: nba.com)

Utah plays Dallas twice in eight days in early December, followed by a late February road game and a late March home game.

Expect the Mavericks to always be in the mix as long as veterans Nowitzki and Kidd are leading the charge. Few will be surprised at a Lakers – Mavericks Western Conference Finals showdown come springtime. Then again, few will be surprised if the Mavs follow their recent pattern of bowing out to lesser talent in the first round. Which Dallas team will the NBA get this season? I’m expecting the former.

In Deron Williams, Divisional Previews, NBA, Paul Millsap, Utah Jazz , , , , ,
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