Prior to the Portland game, Dallas activated rookie Adam Harrington and placed Nick Van Exel on IR due to his arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Portland at Dallas (November 11) Dallas-Portland is usually a war and this game was no different. Dallas did get some good news prior to the game in that Bonzi Wells, a player who has a history of cheap actions against Mavs players, was suspended for this game for spitting on Danny Ferry during Friday's Spurs-Blazers game. The physical play started early with Dale Davis jumping into Shawn Bradley during the jumpball, but the refs kept their whistles quiet until midway through the quarter. The Mavs started out really ugly, especially Michael Finley, as they committed 5 turnovers in the first 6 minutes of the game (they had only committed 4 turnovers in the entire game vs Detroit). Finley got the quick trip to the bench for his 3 turnovers, despite scoring 6 of Dallas' first 8 points. Fortunately, Portland was not performing much better and the game was tied 8-8 with 6:50 left. Portland scored the next 6 points, the teams traded buckets (and lots of misses), and Dallas scored the next 6 points to tie the game at 16-16 with a minute remaining. Portland scored the last 4 points of the quarter and led 20-16 after 1. Portland continued their run in the 2nd quarter by opening the quarter with a 15-6 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Antonio Daniels, to go up 35-22 with 6 minutes to go. Dallas finally started to play basketball as Dirk Nowitzki knocked down consecutive 3-pointers and Dallas scored 4 more points to pull within 32-35 with 1:30 left. Portland led 38-34 at the half. Both teams were shooting poorly (37% FG for Dallas and 38% FG for Portland), but the refs were trying to help Portland and they were turning down the assistance in shooting just 6-14 FT (4-9 FT in the 2nd quarter). Dallas shot just 2-2 FT, both in the 1st quarter. Dallas committed 11 turnovers in the half - prior to the game Dallas had been averaging 12.3 turnovers per _game_. The Mavs re-grouped during halftime and came out like a storm and smothered Portland with the zone defense. Dallas opened the 3rd quarter with a 16-4 run to go up 50-42 with 5:20 remaining. A 3-pointer by Walt Williams gave Dallas a 57-46 lead with with 2:40 to go. Finley was stripped inside, picked up the loose ball, spun around and flung it in at the buzzer to give Dallas a 62-50 lead after 3. Finley had 9 points in the 3rd quarter. Portland only shot 4-19 FG during the quarter as Dallas out-scored them 28-12. Dallas led 71-57 with 8:30 to go when Portland used an 11-4 run to pull within 68-75 with 4:50 left. Shawn Bradley tipped a miss in, Dirk Nowitzki hit 2 free throws, and Steve Nash drained a 3-pointer to put Dallas up 82-68 with 2 minutes left. Portland scored the last 5 points of the quarter as Dallas elected to run the clock down on their possessions. Dallas won 82-73. That wasn't pretty, but the Mavs came through despite the challenges Portland gave them. Dallas actually won this game in the 3rd quarter - it was the only quarter the Mavs out-scored Portland. After Portland went up by 13 midway through the 2nd quarter, they missed 19 of their next 20 shots (extended into the 3rd quarter). For the game, Portland shot 35.4% FG and Dallas shot 39.7% FG. Portland continued their poor free throw shooting and missed 11 of the 22 they attempted. Dallas did finish with a season high 21 turnovers, but also had a season high 16 steals - Portland committed 18 turnovers. Dallas also out-rebounded Portland 54-47. Dallas is still perfect at 7-0. Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Bradley were solid throughout the game. Nowitzki was the high man with 26 points and a defensive rebounding maniac with 17 rebounds (only 1 offensive). Nowitzki had a career high 6 steals. Bradley continues to play well and was a defensive presence in altering shots, blocking shots, and manning the middle in the zone defense. He was also a rebounding maniac with 18 rebounds including 7 offensive. He had 10 points including 4-4 FG and 3 blocks to go with those boards. The re-apparence of Michael Finley and Steve Nash, who had 0 points (0-5 FG) and just 2 assists in the 1st half, in the 2nd half were keys to the victory. Finley had 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 6 turnovers. Nash finished with 12 points (4-5 FG in the 2nd half) and 7 assists. Adrian Griffin again started and had 2s for points, rebounds, assists, and steals in 16 minutes. Walt Williams snagged a couple of good boards and had 6 rebounds and 5 points. Eduardo Najera was again quiet with 4 points and 3 rebounds. Avery Johnson had 2 points in 9 minutes and Raja Bell did not score in a handful of minutes. Adam Harrington made his NBA debut with 53 seconds left and had a nice steal, but blew the layup. Portland didn't really have a star player in this game. Dallas focused on Rasheed Wallace and he finished with 14 points including just 5-21 FG. He did have 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Arvydas Sabonis played well, but they didn't get him the ball enough (especially with some of the bizarre switches due to the zone - with Nash or Finley trying to match up with that bulk, there is no way Portland shouldn't have swung the ball his way) with just 6 field goals attempted. He had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Damon Stoudamire was the only other Blazer in double-digits with 13 points. He had 6 rebounds and just 1 assist. The officiating crew was absolutely terrible throughout the game. With all the physical play they allowed and the inconsistent and bizarre calls, I'm surprised that a fight didn't break out or more technicals weren't earned. Quotes Don Nelson: "Well, we didn't expect that they would all be easy, did we? That was a very difficult game and, under the circumstances, Portland played really well. They had 2 guys out of the line-up and they played one heck of a game. We think they are good and we feel fortunate to beat them tonight. We had a couple of guys who had outstanding games, of course you are used to Nowitzki playing well, but I thought Bradley stepped up and gave us an outstanding game and set the tone defensively. He got a big tip that really meant a lot. When things were going poorly he anchored our defense and kept us in the game. It was unlike us to turn the ball over 18 times. I couldn't believe the 1st quarter, it was just giveaway time for no reason. I think I told the team that happens sometimes when you are playing well and things come easy and take things for granted and all of a sudden you start playing against a good defensive team or you take the same chances and you don't come out with the same results. We really set ourselves up for a loss early. We had to fight back the whole way. We did that, we fought back and were able to overcome. Certainly we wouldn't have been able to do that a few years ago. Now we have the capacity to do that. Nash, as you saw, struggled offensively in the 1st half. He also had the turnover bug. Between him and Mike, I thought they were going to set an NBA record in the 1st half. They settled down and we were able to endure with a pretty good defensive bout." Nelson: "They surpassed my expectations in the 2nd half. I really didn't think this was going to be a 10-point type of game. They really surprised me." Nelson on the 2nd quarter: "Nash was the one doing the talking [in the huddle]. He said it's easy to stick together when everything is going our way. But it's not going our way and what are we going to do about it now?" Nelson on Bradley: "I thought he was a pretty good player 2 years before. He had the one bad year, which nobody likes, including him. The year before that he had his best year as a pro. I was just hoping that if you could get him back to that level, you would never know if you can get a guy back, that that would be good enough. He has surpassed that level because of his conditioning and work during the summer, I think he has made himself a confident player and better player in himself as much on the offensive end as on the defensive end. He is finishing those shots inside. I think he is stronger. He is able to be as effective as he was two years ago as far as the shot blocking goes. He is one of our best players. We couldn't dream of playing a game without Shawn Bradley 2 years ago. We learned to play better defense without Bradley last year. We had to play better with our feet. Now, each guy in the locker room has taken an individual step to be a better defender." Michael Finley: "We showed that we don't have to score in the 100s to win a ballgame. We can play a slowdown pace like they played. We definitely took a huge step forward tonight, but we can't get relaxed with that. We still have to continue to work hard and get better." What Finley said during halftime: "As terrible as we played, we're only down by 4 points." Dirk Nowitzki: "We forced them to drive right into Bradley, and he clogged up the middle and changed a lot of shots. He's been playing awesome all year, and hopefully he can keep it up." Nowitzki: "It's not going to be a blowout every night. These are the types of games when we have to stick together as a team." Steve Nash: "We're confident we can win a ballgame when we're not hitting our shots. None of us are going home and saying, 'Yes! We're 7-0!' Everyone is saying, 'Okay, let's go.'" Nash: "I think we're getting better and we're getting more confident that we can win a ballgame, even when things aren't going for us, we're not making shots, we're not playing the way we want to play, and we're not getting up and down in typical fashion. We can still find more ways to win now. The good thing about this team is none of us are going home and going, 'Yeah, 7-0.' We're going home and saying, 'Okay, we did our job today, and let's see if we can come back and do it tomorrow in practice and get ready for Wednesday.'" Nash: "It was good for us to win a game that we didn't win in typical fashion." Nash on Van Exel: "He was valuable tonight. I got a phone call from him at halftime. He called and told me to slow down and be confident and take my shots. He's a great team player and we need him." Eduardo Najera: "We're playing very good defensively right now. Everything that we worked on in during training camp is finally paying off. The main thing is that we trust each other out there." Najera: "We made the turnovers tonight that we didn't make against Detroit. In the 2nd half we took care of the ball a little bit better." Najera: "We came out with a lot of energy in the 3rd quarter and once we took the lead, we weren't willing to give it up." Najera on Bradley: "Shawn is unbelievable right now. I am so happy for him and he deserves it. He worked out really hard this summer and obviously it's showing right now." Shawn Bradley: "Tonight was a different kind of game. It's not the kind of game that we're supposed to be able to play in. We turned the ball over a lot early and that's not how we usually play. We had our challenges in the 1st half and we regrouped at halftime and came back out and took care of business the way we needed to." Bradley: "We only scored 80-something points. That's 25 less than usual. It was a different kind of game for us. It wasn't the kind we're suppose to be able to play. But for us to be able to go where we want to go this year, we're going to have to experience them all. We're going to have to fight tough battles, get some blowouts and learn to deal with losses." Bradley: "We all worked hard this summer and we're trying to do the things necessary to get wins this year. So far we're playing well as a team." Bradley on being down 13 points: "We're not going to quit. That's one thing that we have proved over the last few years. We're a team that's going to play as hard as we can until the end. We have a lot of work to still do, but we like where we are headed." Bradley: "I don't like to talk about myself a whole lot, but I'm happy. I'm contributing in a positive way and that's my goal." Maurice Cheeks on the zone: "When you post the ball, you have to have someone make a shot to force the zone to come out instead of collapsing. When you are not making the shots, the zone can stay in." Cheeks: "Tonight I think it was a case of the guy in the middle. Rasheed had a lot of shots down low that Shawn altered and changed. That resulted in him stepping out and shooting more jump shots than I would have liked. But I'm not worried about Rasheed's struggles. I know Rasheed will turn around his game." Cheeks: "That's a team on a roll. They were down early, but you knew they were going to come back." Cheeks: "We could have used Bonzi because he's one of our best offensive players. It's an unfortunate situation. It set us back." Cheeks on Stoudamire's poor 1st half: "That's why we have other players that we can insert in. When one isn't playing well, we try to put another guy in. For the most part, I thought our guys played hard. Damon didn't play well in the 1st half. He played a little better in the 2nd half." Cheeks on Bradley: "He's pretty much the same player, but he's little more intimidating in the middle because I think he has learned how to play a little bit more. When I was with him, he was a young guy just learning how to play coming into the league. At 7-6, he has the ability to block shots or alter shots in the middle." Dale Davis: "We didn't get back in transition [in the 2nd half]. In the 1st half, I thought we really came out and put a lot of pressure on them. They bounced back in the 2nd half and really pushed the ball at us." Davis on Bradley: "It looks like he is playing the way he has been playing. He's a great shot blocker. He's playing his typical game. I think he is playing pretty well." Arvydas Sabonis: "We need to prepare more against zone. We play against man defense, and it is no problem for us. Against zone, we are a little uncomfortable." Sabonis: "We need to prepare more against the zone. Other teams will study this game and we'll see a lot more zones until we show we can beat it." Sabonis: "Dallas is playing nice ball. They're fun to watch - unless you're on the other team." Sabonis on Bradley: "He played well against us. He was killing us with his offensive rebounds. It looks like he is more motivated." Antonio Daniels: "We just couldn't hit shots, I can't put it any easier than that. They had a good group of long players who used zone and spread out the floor. And when you don't make shots, it makes the zone that much stronger." Daniels: "We held them to 82 points, but we didn't do the job on the offensive end, and I think that is something we can live with. Once it becomes defensively, or not playing hard, then that's a problem. But today they just hit more shots." Dallas Mavericks 82, Portland Trailblazers 73 at Dallas (November 11) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th - Final 2FG 3FG FG% FT% Dallas 16 18 28 20 - 82 .453 .280 .397 .867 Portland 20 18 12 23 - 73 .355 .353 .354 .500 Halftime: Portland 38-34 3rd Q: Dallas 62-50 Technicals: Don Nelson 0:27 1st, Ruben Patterson 0:22 2nd, Walt Williams 0:22 2nd Refs: Joe DeRosa, Kenny Mauer, Scott Wall Attendance: 19,548 (sellout) Did not play due to injury: Popeye Jones (back spasms), Evan Eschmeyer (strained right knee), Derek Anderson (concussion), Bonzi Wells (suspended) Dallas Mavericks REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Adrian Griffin 16 1-4 0-0 0-0 2 0-2 2 0 0 2 0 Dirk Nowitzki 43 9-22 4-8 4-4 26 1-17 4 1 3 6 0 Shawn Bradley 38 4-4 0-0 2-4 10 7-18 0 3 5 1 3 Michael Finley 44 10-24 1-7 0-0 21 2-8 5 6 2 1 0 Steve Nash 39 4-10 1-3 3-3 12 0-0 7 4 2 2 0 Raja Bell 4 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Eduardo Najera 21 1-2 0-0 2-2 4 1-3 1 2 3 2 1 Avery Johnson 9 0-0 0-0 2-2 2 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 Walt Williams 25 2-9 1-6 0-0 5 3-6 1 0 3 1 0 Adam Harrington 1 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 48 31-78 7-25 13-15 82 14-54 20 21 20 16 4 Portland Trailblazers REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Ruben Patterson 23 2-7 0-0 0-2 4 2-5 0 2 0 3 0 Rasheed Wallace 41 5-21 2-6 2-3 14 3-7 5 0 4 0 0 Dale Davis 18 2-5 0-0 1-2 5 4-5 1 2 2 0 0 Damon Stoudamire 30 5-10 2-5 1-2 13 2-6 1 3 2 2 0 Scottie Pippen 25 2-7 1-4 0-0 5 0-3 2 4 4 1 0 Antonio Daniels 26 2-7 1-2 0-0 5 0-2 2 1 1 1 1 Arvydas Sabonis 23 3-6 0-0 4-6 10 4-10 3 2 1 1 1 Jeff McInnis 19 3-6 0-0 0-1 6 0-2 2 0 1 0 0 Qyntel Woods 13 1-3 0-0 2-4 4 1-1 0 2 0 0 0 Zach Randolph 22 3-7 0-0 1-2 7 1-6 1 2 2 2 0 Totals 48 28-79 6-17 11-22 73 17-47 17 18 17 10 2 patricia