In a surprised move, Don Nelson announced his resignation as head coach of the Mavericks. Avery Johnson was named as the new head coach, and he is not an interim coach. Mark Cuban and Johnson's agent have to work out a new coaching contract for Johnson and the length of the new contract still needs to be determined. Cuban is honoring the rest of Nelson's contract - he has the rest of this season and next as a coach - and Nelson now takes on the role as consultant [technically he still has the title of GM, but Donn Nelson has been filling that role for the past few years]. This is not a firing or force-out, it is purely Nelson's decision. Though few around the team would have been surprised if Nelson had resigned at the end of the season, most were surprised that it came at this point. Nelson said that he felt the team was slipping lately and he felt the players were responding better to Johnson. The move at the time it came gave Johnson 2 "easy" opponents up first with home gaves vs Charlotte and New Orleans (of course, nothing has been "easy" lately). Many could see that Nelson simply did not have the passion for coaching this season as he has in the past - and the roots for his departure could probably be traced back to his extreme disappointment that Dallas did not keep Steve Nash. No matter what you think of Nelson, there is no question the positive impact he has had on the team. The Mavs were a miserable, ugly franchise when Nelson was hired as GM (and their best asset (Jason Kidd) was already traded before he was hired). Nelson soon fired the miserable coach (Jim Cleamons - who had managed to lose the support of 2 different teams) and dismantled the team. The (yet more) rebuilding years were not pleasant, but he and son Donnie found the gem in Dirk Nowitzki and helped Nowitzki grow into the superstar he is and turned the team around and become a perennial playoff team. Nelson finished with a record of 339-251 (57.5%) in 7 1/2 season as coach of the Mavericks - and a more impressive 304-170 (64%) after the first 2 seasons. While there is no such thing as never, especially with a basketball lifer, this was likely Nelson's last coaching job. If so, he finished with a coaching record of 1190-880 over 27 seasons - the 2nd most coaching wins in NBA history, behind Lenny Wilken's 1332. After briefly telling the players before Saturday's practice that he was resigning, Nelson symbolically handed Johnson his whistle and left the court. Johnson becomes the 8th coach in team history. [press conference, transcribed by me] Don Nelson: "Well, I've decided that it would be a good time for me to move upstairs and Mark [Cuban] agreed. We talked about it last night and Del Harris kind of helped the situation. Del and I talked on our way down to the lake a couple of days ago that it may be an appropriate time. I talked with Mark to see what he thought about it and Mark basically left the whole thing up to me. He said, 'If you want to make the move now, we'll do it. If you want to make the move in 2 weeks, we'll do it. If you want to make it in the summer, we'll do it.' And I thought it would be best to make it at this particular time, because I see a little slippage in the team and I think the team basically is responding better to Avery [Johnson] at this point. I think Avery is ready to make the adjustment to be a headman. I think he's going to be a great coach. And I want to turn the reigns over to him now. I think, also, we need to make a commitment [to Johnson], which I think the 2 guys have done and are doing, make a commitment to one another. And start the process. I'm a happy guy. I think I can seize this opportunity. It's a great situation for me. Mark has been very kind to me, not just for this particular moment, but throughout my career here. If you recall, I was put in a hard position to try and turn this franchise around - I think I've done a good job doing that. But when we turned it around, he let me stay on and reap some benefits of some really great times here by the Mavs. So, I'm very, very happy about that. This is my 8th year here now, so I am moving upstairs. This is not a retirement. I'm going to be a consultant. And I'll be available. I'll come to some practices, certainly games - I'll be there tonight, for example - give my support to Avery, my comments to him. My phone is always open if he has something that he'd like to address with me. And if I see something while I'm watching the game, why I'll feel free to comment to Avery. So I'm going to move upstairs and I'm going to be what ever it is I'm going to be. I'm up there some where. I'm not coaching and I'm not GMing, but I'm upstairs and I'm very, very pleased about that. I appreciate your support - the media has been very good to me here. A little rough maybe early, but been very good to me here and I appreciate that. I had to stop listening to the talk shows, but other than that, the media's been great. So anyway, that's all I have to say. We can answer some questions later." Mark Cuban: "When I first got here, as Nellie said, a lot of people had a lot of questions. The Mavs were best known for their futility as opposed to their success. And Nellie, Don Nelson, was the man to come in to turn it around. When I got here, a lot of people didn't have as much belief in Nellie as I did - and remember, I was a season ticket holder and I was screaming next to the bench as much then as I do now. I believed in Nellie and Nellie definitely rewarded me for that belief. We went from being the worst professional sports franchise of the 90s to being voted - I forget which media outlet - as 1 of the 5 best each of the last 2 years. That's a testament to Don Nelson and the heart and the soul he has put into this team. He's fought through adversity - cancer for himself, he fought through the things he's had to go through with his family - and he's managed to fight back from all of those. And it takes a special person to be able to take those blows and keep coming back and giving his heart and soul to this team. I first found out about this last night when Del first approached me and we had some conversations and Nellie and I continued those conversations through this morning and I didn't sleep a wink last night, so if I look a little rough, that's why. [Nelson: Me either.] But when Nellie and I talked this morning, as he said, I told him that he's meant so much for this organization that he's earned the right to do and approach this however he felt fit to. I told him that the one role I wanted him to take as part of this - we can call it consultant, I wanted to call it the Godfather of the Dallas Mavericks - to be there and to help, and be a guiding hand for Avery to call, for myself, for players, for whoever it may be. He's been so important to this organization, he's been so vital to what we've been able to accomplish. I've said it through this year, it takes a special person to be able to incorporate his successor and put ego aside and adapt and teach and train and love and Nellie's done that with AJ. It takes a special person to realize where he is in his life and that he can continue to still be a vital part of the organization. I can't tell you how special it's been to have Nellie here. He's made the Mavericks what they are today. I've been blessed to be along for the ride." Avery Johnson: "Well first, I'm really honored to be in this position. This is a great day for me and I'm really thankful. I really want to thank Nellie also and piggyback off what Mark is saying. Nellie is a Hall of Famer. He's meant everything to me. There's no other coach in the NBA that could have done what Nellie's done for me at this stage of their career. He's been so unselfish. We've spent so many hours behind the scenes on the road. He's just poured into me so much and I don't know if I deserve it, but I'm really grateful for it. It'll be something I'll never forget. Mark has been great. We had a plan when I came here. I didn't expect to even be in the position to have this opportunity until 2 years from now. I'm just caught off guard and surprised by this whole deal. But at the same time, it's happened. I've gotten some chances to coach a little bit this year and the guys have an idea of what I'm all about. But again, these 2 guys, they've been here longer than I've been here. I've been here as a player for 2 years and we had 1 great year during that year and we came close. And we want to get back to that level of basketball and move to that next level. So, we have a wonderful staff here that I'm working with - with Del Harris, the professor, and Charlie Parker and Larry Riley - and we've had some chances to work together this year. So we're going to just keep moving forward. We're not trying to abandon all the things that Coach has implemented here. But there are some things that I feel a little bit stronger about and he's helped me get there. I'm happy about moving forward, but I'm even happier that Coach has been able to do what he's doing on his own terms and he's going to be around for me and for the team and, most of all, for the Mavericks." Nelson on if anyone tried to talk him out of resigning: "No. It just happened. It happened fast, but I've been thinking about it for a while when I've noticed some slippage. I just think it's time. There are 2 things we want to do: we want to win games and we want to get better. And I didn't see us doing either of the above since the All-Star Game. And I know we've had some injuries and some excuses, but I'm not one to use excuses. I think we still need to get better. I just think it's a perfect time. We have enough games to get healthy, we have enough games to get it together going into the playoffs, and I think the team needs a new voice. It started out, I know Avery was learning a lot from me and Del the first half of the season. I remember one time I let him coach a game and I had a suggestion to him, and the suggestion worked and we scored on the play and he looked over to me and said [with an Avery accent], 'Coach, that's why you're the highest paid assistant coach in the league.' [laughs] Then it ended up toward the end of the season, actually I was learning more from him than he was learning from me. And that's a tribute to Avery." Nelson on if the team needed one single voice: "Yes. I think it ended up that way. I thought it was perfect the way that we started out and then when I missed a bunch of games for my surgery and then for my wife's surgery, I think there was some confusion there. I think if you noticed, every time Avery took over for me or I took the team back, we normally lost that first game. So I think that was something to look at and I think going in to the playoff situation where we want to get big and better, I think Damp responds better to Avery. And not that he doesn't respond to me, and he had a tough start not matter who was coaching, he was terrible the first couple of months. Then he had a real great month for us, it didn't matter who was coaching, he went out and took care of business. But I think over all, the team is going to respond better in this situation, really. That's why I'm stepping down now. I could have easily finished the year. I mean, I've coached over 2,000 games, whatever the number is, a few more wouldn't have mattered one way or the other. But I think for the betterment of the team, and it's a great situation for me. I mean, my mother didn't raise any dummies. Mark is going to honor my contract and let me move upstairs and it's a great situation for me and as well for the team." Nelson on the coaching change affect on the Charlotte game: "I think it will help, not hurt. You know, the last 2 games that we've won here that I've coached, we've played very poor teams and I've had to coach my butt off to win the games. And the game was in jeopardy all the way down to the end. I don't think that's strong enough for this team. I think they need to dominate poor teams. I know that we've had some injuries, but I think that this change will benefit the team. Do you feel that way, Avery?" Johnson: "Well, there is no perfect timing whenever you do this. Whether you do this on a game day, non-game day, on the road, at home, there's no real perfect timing. We are just looking for the team to move to the next level. Coach is a Hall of Famer, done a wonderful job. I've worked with Coach on 3 separate occasions - back in 94 as a player; coming back here as a player when I got traded here and Coach allowed me to coach in the playoffs, which I didn't like at the time - I thought I was good enough to be on the playoff roster, but, man, it's really been a blessing in disguise, working with Coach in those 2 playoff series and working with coaches behind the scenes, it really lit a fire in me; and when I had an opportunity to come back here and really commit to the Mavericks, it's just been a great deal." Johnson on the benefits of having already coached some games: "It's been immeasurable. There's no price tag on it. To be able to coach real games, with Nellie not being there, it's been great. Obviously, he's gotten thrown out 1 or 2 games, I've gotten some experience there. But to know that you had to take the team for a 10-game stretch, during some pretty tough road games and guys can really see how you respond after losses, and after practices, and pre-game preparation. Our personalities are different. We feel strongly about winning, but sometimes we feel differently about getting there and some of the areas that I was week in, he made me stronger. So it's been a win-win for both of us." Cuban on Johnson's contract: "Avery had a player contract and so Avery and I have had a handshake deal, just like I've had with Donnie [Nelson] and Terdema [Ussery]. I've got a call into his agent and I'll work that out with his agent. But Avery is not an interim head coach. He is the head coach and we plan on him being here for a long time." Cuban on if he would have been comfortable with the coaching change without Johnson already having coached some games: "I would not have. I trust AJ and I trust Nellie's judgment, but seeing AJ and how the guys responded to him, seeing how he responded to and interacted with Nellie and seeing how much he absorbed from Nellie really made it easier for me to accept." Nelson: "I thought that we played some of our best ball when I coached the team on a tough Western road swing, that we won all of our games, if you recall. When we went into the All-Star break, everything was really going well. And I just noticed some slippage. I know that we had some injuries after that, we'd lost Stack and, of course, Damp. But, still, I didn't think the team was as sharp. I thought it was a gradual thing, that there was slippage there. And when I stayed home with my wife's surgery, I noticed Avery picked the team up and got 2 tough wins on the road. I came back and I didn't think they responded as well to me. So I just think for the good of the team, it's time to make this move. I've been here 8 years. I'm a happy guy moving upstairs and I think it's time. It just is." Nelson on if any downside on making the move now: "No. Now downside, for me or the team. Avery's a great coach." Cuban on changes in playoff expectations: "I have confidence in AJ, complete confidence in AJ and I know Nellie is right around the corner. That was key to my being able to very accepting of this, that Nellie was going to be available to AJ for any questions and that there's still a great relationship here and so I feel the same way that I did yesterday. If we get healthy and if we get some time with all our guys back, that we're going to be a force to be reconned with in the playoffs." Nelson on regrets and not getting a ring: "There are some things I regret, there's definitely some things I regret. About the only thing I regret I about this season is that we haven't played better at home here and that the terrible injury situation, those are 2 things regrets. Other than that, you are what you are and in my career I haven't had an opportunity to get to the Finals. I've worked as hard as anybody to do that, and it hasn't happened. So that's just the way it is." Nelson: "Well, that's the beauty of the deal that Mark has made with me. I'm not walking away from anybody. I'm around. I'm going to be here, go to some practices. Basically I can do what I want and what Avery needs me to do. So, I'm going to be around. I'll be at the game tonight. I'll be their biggest cheerleader, I'll be their biggest fan. Mark has promised that I can have my season tickets. So I'll always be there and support the team as best I can." Cuban on paying Nelson: "Nellie will earn it. He'll definitely earn it, one way or the other." Cuban on his initial reaction: "I was surprised. I wasn't quite sure what to think, to be honest with you. I wanted to sit down with Nellie and find out where his head and heart were. But like I told Del when we spoke last night, Nellie has earned the right to approach this any way he wants. I just want to be supportive of whatever direction Nellie wanted to go." Nelson on telling the players: "Well, the last thing I wanted to to was get emotional in front of the players and/or in front of you guys, so I made it real quick with the players. That was a tough one. This one isn't tough. But with the players, it was tough. So I gave my farewell speech in about, what, 20 seconds. [Cuban: At the most.] And I got in the last huddle, 'One, two, three, win.' And that was it. I haven't really talked to them. But, hey, I'm going to be around and I'll talk to each one individually kind of as we go, where there is no pressure, no media around. I'm going to talk to each guy individually." Nelson on the players' reaction: "Avery will have to tell you. I was gone. I got in the huddle, I said, 'See ya. I don't wanna be ya.'" Johnson: "They were kind of caught off guard. But they're professionals. They'll be ready to play." Cuban: "Avery had a chance to talk to them a little bit. Avery was ready just to go to practice. We got to say a few words and kind of let them know how things progressed. And it was a normal shoot around." Nelson: "I turned my whistle over." [end of press conference] Nelson: "I'm ready. Avery's ready. And Mark was ready." Nelson: "I thought the timing was good with 2 teams we should beat coming up. I didn't think it would be right to send him out on a tough road trip right off the bat." Nelson on the Portland game: "The fans are booing, and I hadn't heard that in a long time. I thought, 'Hey, baby, it may be time. Maybe we ought to move on this.'" Nelson on losing Nash to Phoenix: "When Steve left, a piece of me died." Nelson on no longer being the coach: "I feel like a kid just out of high school. You know, that first day of summer." Nelson: "When it's all said and done and they write my epitaph, hopefully they'll say, 'The guy was a pretty good player and a pretty good coach.' That's enough." Cuban on paying the rest of Nelson's coaching contract: "It was the right thing to do. It wasn't really an issue. Give Nellie credit for preparing Avery." Cuban on the players: "I don't know if any of them anticipated this, but they're professionals. This isn't 7th grade and my girl friend just left me and she wants her ring back. They know they have a job to do." Johnson: "If I was retired and out of the league and Mark called me this morning and said 'I want to give you the job,' I probably couldn't have eaten today. Because I was here from Day 1 of training, running many of the practices, being a major voice with the team, it's made the transition a little easier. Not perfect, but easier." Johnson: "I spoke to Dirk after the practice, just to make sure we were on the same page about a couple of different things." Johnson on talking with Nowitzki: "We had to clear the air about some things. Nellie is the only coach Dirk has ever had, and I wanted to make sure he understood why we made the change so fast. He's on board with it 1000 percent." Del Harris: "Mark's appreciation for Nellie was so strong that he immediately said he would pay him everything he has coming on time. It's one of the most generous and sensitive things I've seen an owner do. It's too bad all transitions can't be made like this. It's the gentlemanly way." Donn Nelson on Johnson: "As the season unfolded, it became pretty clear to us how special he was. My feeling is that because Avery has really just grown leaps and bounds and put himself in this position where he's ready." Dirk Nowitzki on the coaching change: "It pretty much came out of nowhere. I thought for sure he was going to finish the season with us." Nowitzki: "It pretty much came out of nowhere. It was really shocking when he got us all together this morning, but it's his decision." Nowitzki on Nelson: "We had a great run. I really owe him a lot over the last 7 years we've been together. He always gave me confidence, even early. He had a great career, and hopefully we can get him that championship ring soon." Nowitzki: "It was an emotional day for me. To know that I'm not going to see him every day is going to be weird. Obviously he's going through a tough time in his life with his health and his wife, too. He doesn't have that fire anymore, so I guess its a good time for him to step down." Nowitzki: "Avery's proved himself to all of us that he's ready to step in. If he wasn't ready, I don't think Nellie would have left." Nowitzki: "If Avery wasn't at the stage where he is, I don't think Nellie could do it, just quit right now. I think Avery proved to all of us he's ready to step in. He's been great so far. He's got the knowledge and he's so passionate about his job every day." Nowitzki: "Avery is really ready. He's been showing it over the past couple of weeks when he had to take over." Jason Terry: "I thought it was a joke, really, how everything was said and how it all transpired." Terry on the difference between the 2 coaches: "Nellie has a quick hook. But there are a lot of similarities with those 2. They both have their subtle ways of getting their point across." Terry: "I'm going to miss Nellie and his presence, him being around. He's done a great job; his stamp's on the team. His system is in place, and we're going to try to win a championship." Terry on Johnson: "One thing he provides instantly is high emotion. If he was taped up, he would be out there playing. He relates to us well; I wouldn't necessarily say better." Marquis Daniels: "With Avery coaching some of the games early, you could just sense it in the locker room. Coach Nelson was giving Avery the position to do a lot of things that Nellie usually did. But it was still a surprise when it happened." Daniels on Nelson: "He had a joke every day, mostly about my hair. We're going to miss him. He's a great coach, and he gave me my first chance. I'll always remember him." Shawn Bradley on the coaching change: "Will it affect us? Sure. Hopefully, it will affect us in a real positive way, and we can continue to play good and get even better going into the playoffs." Darrell Armstrong: "To see Nellie take that whistle off and hand it to Avery, it was very surprising." Devin Harris on Nelson telling the team he was resigning: "He took off his whistle and walked off the court. Everyone was kind of like, 'Wow.'" Harris on Johnson: "He still wants to run and doesn't like to call a lot of plays. Defensively, he wants a little more pressure on the ball and get a few more stops. Everybody knew Avery was being groomed. But nobody knew it was happening now." Steve Nash: "It's sad to think of Nellie not being in the game and not being on the bench. Hopefully, this is what he wants, and he feels real comfortable and happy with the decision. If that's the case, I'm 100% behind him." Charlotte at Dallas (March 19) After the big coaching change, Dallas still had a game to play that night. Even though it was the Charlotte Bobcats in town, owner of the 2nd worst record in the league, Dallas still needed to stay focused and put out a good effort. Dallas did start out that way in jumping out to an early 16-7 lead with 7:45 remaining. Dallas took their largest lead at 24-13 with 5:20 left, but lost their focus over the end of the quarter and started missing shots and turning the ball over, which allowed Charlotte to close the quarter with a 15-2 run and go up 28-26 after 1. Dirk Nowitzki had 12 points. Charlotte shot 48% FG and Dallas shot 41% FG, but Dallas out-rebounded Charlotte 19-6 including 10-0 offensive. Charlotte scored the first 4 points of the 2nd quarter to go up 32-26 with 11:10 left. The Bobcats led 40-36 with 6:50 to go and Dallas went on a 9-1 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Jason Terry, to go up 45-41 with 4:50 left. An 8-1 run gave Dallas a 59-48 lead with 50 second to go. Dallas led 61-50 at the half. Dallas shot 15-22 FG and Charlotte shot 6-15 FG in the 2nd quarter and Dallas continued to dominate on the rebounds in out-rebounding Charlotte 13-3 including 5-1 offensive. Dallas led 66-55 with 8:50 remaining and Charlotte scored the next 12 points, including 2 3-pointers by Keith Bogans, to go up 67-66 with 6 minutes to go. The teams traded 2 points and then Dallas went on an 11-1 run to go up 79-70 with 1:10 left. A 3-point play by Primoz Brezec capped the scoring in the quarter. Dallas led 79-73 after 3. A 3-pointer by Nowitzki and layup by Terry gave Dallas a 90-80 lead with 8 minutes remaining. 2 free throws by Brevin Knight and a 3-pointer by Bogans pulled the Bobcats within 85-90 with 7:10 to go. It got ugly as neither team scored over the next 2 minutes and the 2 teams combined to miss 10 straight field goals. Another 3-pointer by Bogans pulled the Bobcats within 88-92 with 4:30 left, but Dallas then went on a 7-1 run (with 6 points by Nowitzki) to go up 99-89 with 2:30 left. A 3-pointer by Terry put the nail in the coffin in giving Dallas a 104-92 lead with a minute to go. Dallas won 104-93. It was yet another tight game against a team Dallas should dominate. At least this time the Mavs did play well as Charlotte also played well. But it would just be nice for the Mavs to simply blow a team out and have an easy win. Dallas finally got their free throw shooting woes under control and only missed 2 in this game (after missing at least 9 in each of the past 3 games). Dallas shot 25-27 FT and Charlotte shot 22-28 FT. Dallas shot 45.2% (38-84) FG including 3-14 3-pointers and Charlotte shot 41.6% (32-77) FG including 7-15 3-pointers. Dallas out-rebounded Charlotte 49-33 including 19-10 offensive. It wasn't an easy one, but the Avery Johnson era starts off with a win. Dirk Nowitzki stepped out of his recent struggles and had a strong offensive outing with 33 points including 12-20 FG. 11 of his points came in the 4th quarter. He only had 6 rebounds, though. Jason Terry had 18 points and 9 assists. Michael Finley couldn't shoot worth a darn, but he was rebounding like crazy. He had just 4 points including 1-10 FG, 10 rebounds (7 in the 1st quarter), and 4 assists. Josh Howard had 13 points and 9 rebounds. Shawn Bradley got the starting nod and had a great game, very rare this season. He was active offensive, defensively, and rebounding and had 9 points, 10 rebounds including 7 offensive, and 4 blocks. Marquis Daniels had 17 points and 7 rebounds including 4 offensive off the bench. Those 6 were the major minute players. Keith Van Horn had 10 points in 14 minutes. Alan Henderson, Devin Harris, and Darrell Armstrong combined for no points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist in 20 minutes. Pavel Podkolzin saw his first court time when he was subbed in with 23 seconds left (no stats). Charlotte was limited to 9 available players due to injuries and only played 8 players. Keith Bogans road his hot 3-point shooting to a team high 27 points. He shot 6-9 3-pointers and had 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Primoz Brezec had 16 points and 6 rebounds. Brevin Knight had a double-double with 11 points including 4-11 FG and 13 assists. He also had 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 5 turnovers. Emeka Okafor also had a double-double with poor shooting with 12 points including 4-11 FG and 10 rebounds. He also had 5 blocks. Jason Kapono missed all 7 shots he attempted. Jason Hart had 10 points and 4 steals and Melvin Ely had 11 points. Quotes Avery Johnson: "This was a really special win tonight. I would like to give the game ball to Coach Nelson tonight. He deserves it. He's invested in a lot of our lives professionally and personally. We missed Nellie on the bench tonight. He probably would have won this game by 25, but since we have a young coach, I guess we couldn't get that done." Johnson: "Take your hats off to Charlotte. They are a well coached team. My first coach in the NBA was Bernie [Bickerstaff]. He found me down in Baton Rouge, LA when nobody thought I could play in the NBA. We've been friends for a long time." Johnson: "We are not necessarily playing the scoreboard; we are just trying to get better. There are a number of areas that I am not pleased with. We'll get better and work on some of those things tomorrow and we will work on some of those things the next practice. We worked on a little bit of it at the beginning of the season, but we have had some slippage, liked Coach talked about earlier. I am so proud of these guys. There was a lot of pressure with the coaching change. I think the next game they will be a little more relaxed in knowing what to expect." Johnson: "We still didn't reach our goal. Our goal is to hold teams to 20 points in each quarter and we didn't get that done tonight. Defense is the key. If we're going to go far in the playoffs, we have to play defense." Johnson: "Bogans had a big night on us tonight. We will watch every one of his 6 3s on film tomorrow. I was very disappointed with our defense in the 1st quarter and very pleased with it in the 4th quarter. Michael Finley did the job for us on the boards. He didn't shoot it well, but he did the job on the boards and that is what I am looking for." Johnson on Bradley: "He was challenged before the game and he responded. But we'd like to get more than one game. Our goal is 4 or 5. We're not happy with a little teaser or an appetizer. We want to get the entree, dessert, all of that." Johnson on pulling Nowitzki early into the 3rd quarter: "I had him yanked out of there because I wasn't pleased with his defense. But we're on the same page." Johnson on Nelson: "Even if he's not in the building, even if he's home, you'll feel him hovering over the team. He's going to be around. He's the happiest guy in Dallas right now. I'm glad it was done the way it was done." Dirk Nowitzki on being pulled early in the 3rd quarter: "I didn't do my job defensively. I let the guy get the ball too deep and [he] scored right on me. That's a message that he's sending to me and to everybody that nobody is getting a break out there. I came right back in and I thought I did a better job. I think we all have to believe in the system and believe in Avery now and if he makes a point, we all have to take it. I think it was well-taken." Nowitzki: "Defense has always be one of our problems. We always have had great lineups out there that can get it done offensively. Defensively when it came down the stretch, we never really found the big stops in the playoffs. Obviously I still think we have a long way to go." Nowitzki: "We let them hang around and that's really dangerous. We haven't had an easy game in quite some time now, and we really had to play all the way down to the end. Against teams like that, we shouldn't have to do that. It just shows we're not where we want to be at this point of the season. We have a lot of work to do." Jason Terry: "We came out with the energy that we needed. It's something that we are looking for, but we knew we would tonight. I felt very confident going into tonight. Like I said earlier today, the coaching change was not a distraction for us. If anything it motivated us and we came out with a point to make in that 1st quarter. We still didn't reach our goal. Our goal is to hold teams to 20 points in each quarter and we didn't get that done tonight. Defense is the key. If we're going to go far in playoffs we have to play defense." Terry on the coaching change: "The wow factor hits you, but when they introduced him and called him the godfather now, that's what it feels like. I know I felt something. I'm just very grateful for what he's done for my career. The progression that I've made this year under his watch has been tremendous for me. Now Avery Johnson's taking over and it doesn't stop there. This team is going to be a good team." Marquis Daniels on the coaching change: "It wasn't anything different. It was still a basketball game and continue to work hard in practice and try to get better and get prepared for the playoffs." Daniels: "Keith Bogans was shooting the ball well for them tonight. We kind of let him get going and they were playing well. They were making shots and contesting our shots. The thing that we did well down the stretch in the 4th quarter was play great defense." Daniels on the team playing with more energy in the 1st quarter: "That's something that we have been focusing on, but we slacked up a little bit heading into the 2nd quarter. Once we get everything together, I think we'll play better. I'm glad too see that we picked it up tonight in the 1st quarter." Bernie Bickerstaff: "We tightened it up on defense. We have played 2 very good basketball games. They make plays; they make shots. We really didn't do a good job on the boards. They hurt us on the boards and they made shots. That was the best that we could do as a basketball team. We almost have to be perfect in those situations." Bickerstaff on being short-handed: "Our big guys were hard pressed. They're just so big over there. And when you're a team like we are, you need more than 9 guys just to give breathers." Bickerstaff on Dallas' coaching change: "We should all be so fortunate to walk into a job the way he did. It should be a transition that's smooth since he's been coaching there all year." Bickerstaff on Johnson: "We all would like to come into a situation where we've had a pretty good basketball team. The positive thing here is it really is the same voice since Avery's been here. There's no really big transition. Character, basketball IQ, it's all there. He's a guy who worked his way up from being undrafted to this position. Avery's the real deal. What you see is what you get, and that's not always the case." Brevin Knight: "I had 5 turnovers. That is what I look at. That is the first stat I look at, turnovers. That means I am giving them opportunities at the basket. I had too many of them." Knight on the rebounding difference: "I don't think it was as glaring a problem as it was in the 1st half. The 1st half was bad - they were getting a lot of 2nd shots. 2nd half, I think we did a better job of keeping it alive and getting some loose ones. That's a tall team. We did a good job. We played as hard as we could. They made shots when they had to and they made shots when we had to. That is why they are a good team." Knight on the team being short-handed: "Sure it was tough, but that's the way things are in the NBA. If you've got 9, you play with 9. If you've got 8, play with 8." Knight: "In the 2nd half, we did better, with a lot of scrambling - making it tough, swiping the ball." Dallas Mavericks 104, Charlotte Bobcats 93 at Dallas (March 19) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th - Final 2FG 3FG FG% FT% Dallas 26 36 18 25 - 104 .500 .214 .452 .926 Charlotte 28 22 23 20 - 93 .403 .467 .416 .786 Halftime: Dallas 62-50 3rd Q: Dallas 80-73 Technicals: none Refs: Derrick Stafford, Eric Lewis, Mark Wunderlich Attendance: 20,331 (sellout) Did not play due to injury: Malik Allen (sore left Achilles), Bernard Robinson (left ankle injury), Theron Smith (right knee injury) Dallas Mavericks REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Josh Howard 32 5-11 0-1 3-4 13 2-9 2 2 4 1 0 Dirk Nowitzki 40 12-20 1-4 8-8 33 0-6 1 3 5 2 0 Shawn Bradley 31 4-7 0-0 1-2 9 7-10 0 1 5 1 4 Michael Finley 33 1-10 0-3 2-2 4 3-10 4 1 1 0 1 Jason Terry 38 6-13 2-3 4-4 18 0-2 9 3 3 1 1 Marquis Daniels 31 5-11 0-0 7-7 17 4-7 3 3 4 3 0 Devin Harris 6 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 1-2 1 1 0 0 0 Alan Henderson 10 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1-1 0 1 2 0 0 Keith Van_Horn 14 5-10 0-2 0-0 10 1-2 0 2 4 0 1 Darrell Armstrong 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 Pavel Podkolzin 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 48 38-84 3-14 25-27 104 19-49 20 18 29 8 7 Charlotte Bobcats REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Jason Kapono 27 0-7 0-3 0-0 0 1-2 1 1 1 0 0 Emeka Okafor 36 4-11 0-0 4-6 12 4-10 2 2 5 0 5 Primoz Brezec 38 5-8 0-0 6-6 16 1-6 0 3 4 0 0 Keith Bogans 39 10-19 6-9 1-2 27 0-4 3 0 3 1 1 Brevin Knight 40 4-11 0-0 3-4 11 1-5 13 5 3 3 1 Melvin Ely 21 5-9 0-0 1-2 11 1-1 0 4 4 1 0 Matt Carroll 13 0-3 0-0 6-6 6 1-1 0 0 2 0 0 Jason Hart 26 4-9 1-3 1-2 10 1-4 2 1 2 4 0 Totals 48 32-77 7-15 22-28 93 10-33 21 16 24 9 7 patricia