Dallas at Philadelphia (November 9) Dallas mostly held small leads early in the 1st quarter, none larger than 6 points. The Mavs led 24-19 with 2 minutes remaining and Philadelphia scored the next 7 points. 2 free throws by Devin Harris capped the quarter scoring. The game was tied 26-26 after 1. The game remained close in the 2nd quarter as there were 6 ties and the largest lead was 6 points. Erick Dampier was having a nice outing in the 1st half with 8 points and 5 rebounds, before picking up his 3rd foul midway through the 2nd quarter and sitting the rest of the way. Dirk Nowitzki also picked up his 3rd foul early in the 2nd quarter, but stayed in and did not pick up another foul (though a few times Philadelphia got an easy bucket as Nowitzki wasn't going to risk contact). Dallas closed the quarter with an 8-2 run to go up 52-46 at the half. Nowitzki tweaked his back with a minute and a half left in the 2nd quarter and did not return in the 2nd half. He scored 12 points in the 2nd quarter. For the half, Dallas shot 54% FG and Philadelphia shot 40% FG. Keith Van Horn had 8 points and 9 rebounds in the half. Kyle Korver came out of halftime shooting lights out and single-handedly kept Philly in the game - Philly was unable to stop Dallas from scoring. Korver scored Philadelphia's first 8 points of the quarter (on 4-4 FG) and Dallas' lead got no larger than 8 points. Dallas led 71-66 with 2 minutes left. Devin Harris sprained his left ankle, but tried to stay in (and he should have been pulled as there was no way a limping player can keep up with Allen Iverson). Sure enough, Iverson got open for a jumper on the next possession. Harris' shoulders slumped with disappointed for the failed defensive assignment and he lost focus and Lee Nailon was able to step in and intercept the short inbounds pass from Van Horn to Harris and Nailon got an easy layup. Right there you could feel momentum shift [and I was screaming for a timeout over the next minute and a half, even though the quarter was about to end]. Harris was subbed out after that lapse and he did not return due to the ankle. Van Horn was called for traveling and Nailon got a putback on the other end. Dallas missed and Iverson drove for a layup and was fouled (his first make after 7 straight misses). He missed the free throw, but got the rebound. 2 free throws by Andre Iguodala capped the 9-0 Philly run that ended the quarter (that was 9 points in less than 100 seconds of play). Philadelphia led 76-71 after 3. Korver had 10 points in the 3rd quarter. Philly continued to have the hustle and energy going into the 4th quarter and pulled away with a 19-5 run to go up 95-76 with 6:20 to go. Dallas did have another push in them as they went on a 12-3 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Jason Terry, to pull within 88-98 with 3:35 left. Another 3 by Terry pulled Dallas within 93-102 with 2:25 remaining, but Terry was called for a foul in the backcourt - his 6th and Philly was in the penalty. Iverson hit 2 free throws and Philadelphia's lead remained in double-digits the rest of the way. Philadelphia won 112-97. It's amazing watching a game and seeing so clearly momentum shift. The game was not lost when Dirk Nowitzki went down, but when Lee Nailon stole the inbounds pass. At that point Dallas had a "woe is me, let's end this quarter" attitude and Philadelphia had an energized attitude of pressing and attacking. It was a 28-5 Philadelphia run that spanned the end of the 3rd quarter and into the 4th quarter. And it's a shame as Dallas had a number of solid performances in the 1st half. Erick Dampier, Keith Van Horn, and Dirk Nowitzki played very well in the 1st half. But that attitude shift killed both Dallas' offense and defense. After only shooting 40% FG in the 1st half, Philadelphia shot 66% FG in the 2nd half as part of out-scoring Dallas 66-45 in the 2nd half. For the game, Philadelphia shot 51.8% (43-83) FG including 2-5 3-pointers and Dallas shot 47.4% (37-78) FG including 3-14 3-pointers - with the first made 3 not coming until midway through the 4th quarter. Dallas even struggled at the line in shooting 20-30 FT. Philadelphia shot 24-28 FG. Philadelphia out-rebounded Dallas 43-36 including 13-12 offensive. Allen Iverson got going in the 2nd half and was the high man with 25 points and had 7 assists. And he plenty of help this night. Kyle Korver broke his slump and got hot. He had 20 points on 9-11 FG. Andre Iguodala was the 3rd 76er with 20+ points with 22 points on 7-11 FG and 8-8 FT. He also had 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Chris Webber had a quiet double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He also had 3 blocks. The 76ers had help off the bench with John Salmons having 9 points and 4 rebounds, John Thomas having 5 points and 7 rebounds, and Lee Nailon having 8 points on 4-4 FG. No word yet as to Dirk Nowitzki's status for tonight's game - it will be a game-time decision. He felt better yesterday, but did not go through a full practice. Nowitzki had 14 points and 2 rebounds in 17 1st half minutes. No word yet either on the status for Devin Harris, also listed as game-time decision - though he is more likely to play than Nowitzki. Harris followed up his excellent 4th quarter performance against the Spurs with a dud of just 2 points on 0-3 FG and 2-2 FT, 2 rebounds, and no assists in 8 minutes. The twins had a tough outing as neither could hit a shot. Josh Howard had 12 points including 4-15 FG, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists. Marquis Daniels had 12 points including 4-12 FG, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists. Erick Dampier had 8 points and 5 rebounds in the 1st half and just 3 points and 3 rebounds in the 2nd half. 9 of Keith Van Horn's 13 rebounds came in the 1st half. He led the way for Dallas with 19 points including 9-16 FG and 0-5 3-pointers. Jason Terry had 15 points on 6-11 FG and 3-5 3-pointers and 5 assists before fouling out. Doug Christie had 8 points. DeSagana Diop had 2 points on 1-1 FG and 0-3 FT, 2 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 12 minutes and Darrell Armstrong had 2 points in 11 minutes. Quotes Maurice Cheeks: "I'm just glad I am sitting up here with a smile on my face this time. That was a heck of a game for us. Everybody who came in the game did a heck of a job. I think our bench was real big. They changed the game. I think Kevin Ollie, James Thomas, John Salmons, and Lee Nailon - those guys were big for us, particularly in the 2nd half. Their pressure up the floor and the ability to move the ball from side to side was huge for us. James Thomas on the screen-and-rolls was big in stopping the ball. We had a little trouble in the 1st half and I thought he really stepped up and showed the energy that we needed. Those guys really gave us the cushion to win this game. Of course Kyle Korver hitting shots makes it a lot easier for everybody, but our guys coming of the bench really gave us a big lift." Cheeks: "Our bench really changed the game. Those guys were big for us, particularly in the 2nd half. Their pressure up the floor and the ability to move the ball from side to side was huge for us." Cheeks on his bench: "It's very rewarding but I think it was about our bench and the defensive pressure that they put on and rebounding the ball and pushing it up the floor. I thought our bench was as good as it has been. I think our bench in Indiana was a factor in winning the game and I think our bench tonight was a major factor in winning the game." Cheeks on the bench's defense: "So far that's been our kick. We haven't had a lot of guys come off the bench and score. Lee Nailon has probably been our best scorer off the bench. Our forte off the bench is defense. When we put Kevin Ollie, James Thomas, and John Salmons in, those are the guys that usually carry us on defensive end, and again those are the guys that pushed the lead up and enabled us to win the game." Cheeks on sitting Iverson early in the 4th: "I just wanted to get him some rest early. When I took him out of the game, we went on a little run and got going. They started creeping back into the game and that's the reason why I put him back in the game." Cheeks on Iguodala: "He got out in the open court. We ran a few plays for him, but not more than normal. I think he got more off the defensive end in terms of pushing the ball and getting some easy baskets." Chris Webber on the bench: "Any team, usually in practices, the 2nd team as the season goes on always beats the starters because those guys are hungry and want playing time. Kevin Ollie is a veteran and I knew about him before I played with him. His heart and his style is just contagious. You know John Salmons is a great scorer. Lee Nailon came off the bench and really got us going with that inbound steal and started the pressure up top. James Thomas, the way he rebounded was incredible. We're young and it's going to take a total effort for us to win, especially against the better teams, so we need everybody to come out and give their best effort." Webber on Dallas' late run: "It's frustrating because it seems like in those type of runs you're making turnovers and silly mistakes and the opportunities that you do get for a shot go in or out or long rebounds go right over your head. It's a frustrating situation, but it started with our effort tonight and we're proud of that." Webber on Nowitzki: "I hope he's not hurt or anything, but you know he's a great player. I don't care who you're playing, if one of the starters goes down, you hope they're okay, but you're not too worried about them. Andre Iguodala on the win: "I think everyone was just on the same page. Monday's practice was great. It was very competitive. Guys went at it. When you have practices like that like that, defensively, it helps us because guys go really hard and we can understand each other and where to help." Iguodala: "Our bench is stronger than what people thought. With those guys coming in, we can feel comfortable putting them out there, keeping a lead or helping us get back in a game if we're down." Iguodala on the bench: "Dallas is a pretty deep team as well, but it showed that when our guys came out on the court, they put out that extra effort and got it done." Kyle Korver: "That was probably the best basketball we've played all year." Korver: "We're just trying to get win right now. We came in here with a 1-3 record and we had to fight and scrap to get the win and that was huge." Korver on the bench: "Lee was big. KO [Ollie] was big again. John [Salmons] stepped up. A lot of people kind of questioned [our bench] at the beginning of the year. They've gotten their chances and played very well." Korver: "I was trying to get any [shot to fall] for a little while. It was frustrating about 4 or 5 days ago. It feels good [to come out and shoot well]. We've got some more games at home now - hopefully, we can get on a little roll and get our record up to where it should be." Korver on his recent struggles: "I was obviously frustrated. I'm trying to expand my game and everything, and there are some nights you just can't make anything and some nights like tonight I shot a couple of shots that didn't feel good at all and they go in. It's just one of those nights." Lee Nailon: "If we come with the same spark every night, we'll put ourselves with a good chance to win the game." Kevin Ollie: "We just tried to bring energy, to play with reckless abandon, try and change the tempo; that's what we have up on the board, 'Change the tempo'. We stayed up on defense, and that got us a lot of easy buckets. We're just not an offensive team that's going to out-score you. We've got to work our offense off our defense; that's what we did. That allows us to get out on the break, to use our athleticism a little bit. That's how we're going to have to win. We can't win any other way." John Thomas on getting playing time: "It is very rewarding. It is a blessing and a good opportunity for me to go out there and get to showcase what I do best, which is rebounding and defending." Thomas on the bench: "That is what we need every night. You follow in good footsteps when the starting unit gets the lead. [The bench] has to go in there and try to keep it - it just makes us play harder." Avery Johnson: "We had a decent 1st half, then they put it on us the 2nd half." Johnson on Philadelphia's 2nd half run: "During that stretch they had applied the pressure. They penetrated well and we didn't handle their press. We practiced against it and didn't execute. This is my fault." Johnson: "They really put it on us in the 2nd half. They penetrated. They had a stretch at the end of the 3rd quarter where we didn't handle their press. We had a lot of turnovers during that stretch." Johnson: "It wasn't because AI had a typical AI game that we lost this game. It was Korver and Iguodala. We had a decent 1st half. Then they penetrated well and we didn't execute. That's my fault." Johnson on Nowitzki: "He should be okay. He's day-to-day. Him not being there at the end is no excuse for tonight's loss." Dirk Nowitzki on his back: "It had been stiff the last 2 or 3 weeks. When I made a move on the baseline, I twisted the wrong way and that's when the back locked up. It will be all right. I saw a doctor and a chiropractor and the back is beginning to loosen up. I'll get some treatment tomorrow and hopefully be ready either Friday or Saturday." Nowitzki on if the flare up is related to recent back trouble: "It's kind of new. I don't know what's going on right now. The biggest part is nothing is really damaged in there. As long as it's muscle, I think that's something we can live with." Jason Terry on losing Nowitzki: "It's tough when you lose your key player. It was a big factor. We still had a chance, we still had an opportunity to win it. They out-played us in the 4th quarter to win the ball game." Terry on losing Nowitzki: "It's tough when you lose your key player. But we had the game under control and they just beat us in the 2nd half." Terry on Philadelphia's 2nd half run: "They got a couple turnovers. They got easy baskets in the paint." Keith Van Horn: "When they turned up the pressure, we didn't handle it very well. We rushed things and we got out of sync and it really hurt us. We didn't come down and run our offense. We let the pressure bother us." Van Horn on Philadelphia's press: "We didn't handle it very well at all. They got a couple turnovers, and the momentum swung right at the end of the 3rd." Van Horn on Philadelphia's run: "I don't necessarily think it was the press, but it certainly upped their aggressiveness in other areas. I don't think we handled it very well. We rushed things and got out of sync." Darrell Armstrong: "All night they were playing into our hands until the end of the 3rd. Then it seemed like the momentum shifted in their hands and they just kept rolling. When you let a team build up a 17 point lead every once in a while you're going to come back from it. If you do you're going to die down at the end. I felt like we had a chance. They just made the right plays at the right time." Armstrong: "I know that we didn't play our best basketball, but we played well enough to win the game. Once we got down by 6, it was tough to overcome especially when they did it in span of 2 or 3 minutes." Armstrong on losing Nowitzki: "It's always going to hurt when you don't have your top scorer in the game. You already have Stackhouse, who's one of our top scorers, who's out too. But we have other guys who can score points. We need everybody in the lineup." Philadelphia 76ers 112, Dallas Mavericks 97 at Philadelphia (November 9) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th - Final 2FG 3FG FG% FT% Philadelphia 26 20 30 36 - 112 .526 .400 .518 .857 Dallas 26 26 19 26 - 97 .531 .214 .474 .667 Halftime: Dallas 52-46 3rd Q: Philadelphia 76-71 Technicals: Philadelphia defensive 3 seconds 7:18 1st Refs: James Capers, Joe DeRosa, Derrick Collins Attendance: 13,392 (cap 20,294) Philadelphia 76ers REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Andre Iguodala 44 7-11 0-0 8-8 22 2-7 5 2 2 2 1 Allen Iverson 38 8-21 0-1 9-11 25 2-3 7 4 0 1 0 Kyle Korver 41 9-11 2-4 0-0 20 0-4 3 2 3 1 1 Chris Webber 38 7-18 0-0 5-6 19 2-11 2 3 3 1 3 Steven Hunter 15 2-2 0-0 0-0 4 2-3 0 0 3 0 0 Kevin Ollie 19 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0-2 5 0 2 0 0 John Salmons 17 4-10 0-0 1-1 9 2-4 1 0 1 2 0 John Thomas 17 2-4 0-0 1-2 5 1-7 0 1 5 0 1 Lee Nailon 12 4-4 0-0 0-0 8 2-2 0 0 3 1 0 Totals 48 43-83 2-5 24-28 112 13-43 23 13 22 8 6 Dallas Mavericks REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Jason Terry 36 6-11 3-5 0-0 15 1-2 5 3 6 0 1 Doug Christie 30 4-7 0-1 0-0 8 0-0 1 3 1 1 1 Josh Howard 38 4-15 0-0 4-6 12 2-4 6 0 2 0 0 Dirk Nowitzki 17 5-8 0-2 4-5 14 0-2 1 0 3 0 0 Erick Dampier 20 3-3 0-0 5-6 11 3-8 0 1 3 2 2 Keith Van_Horn 37 9-16 0-5 1-2 19 4-13 1 6 4 2 0 Marquis Daniels 30 4-12 0-0 4-6 12 1-3 5 1 0 0 0 DeSagana Diop 12 1-1 0-0 0-3 2 1-2 0 0 2 0 4 Darrell Armstrong 11 1-2 0-1 0-0 2 0-0 0 0 1 0 0 Devin Harris 8 0-3 0-0 2-2 2 0-2 0 0 1 0 0 Totals 48 37-78 3-14 20-30 97 12-36 19 14 23 5 8 patricia