Washington at Dallas (December 23) Dallas hopped out to an early 10-4 lead, but the game stayed close as Washington went on a 12-2 run to go up 16-12 with 6 minutes remaining. The game was tied up a couple of times and the teams traded leads over the rest of the quarter. Washington led 26-25 after 1. Jerry Stackhouse had a dunk to open the scoring in the 2nd quarter, but Dallas scored the next 10 points to go up 35-28 with 9 minutes left. Washington responded by scoring the next 8 points to briefly take a 1 point lead, but a dunk by Dirk Nowitzki and a jumper by Steve Nash gave Dallas a small lead, which they held for the rest of the quarter. Dallas led 50-45 at the half. Nowitzki had 15 points and 8 rebounds and Stackhouse had 17 points. Dallas shot 50% FG and Washington shot just 35% FG, but only made 4 less field goals. Michael Jordan scored the first 4 points of the 3rd quarter, but Dallas scored the next 6 points to maintain their single-digit lead. Washington was unable to pull closer than 1 point until Larry Hughes and Tyronn Lue hit 3-pointers to close the quarter and tie the game at 65-65 after 3. A 3-pointer by Walt Williams gave Dallas a 72-67 lead with 10:30 to go, but Washington scored the next 5 points to tie the game at 72-72 with 8:40 left. Dallas answered with 4 more points, but the game stayed close. Stackhouse drained a 3-pointer to pull Washington within 79-80 with 6 minutes remaining, but neither team could score over the next 2 1/2 minutes. Nowitzki ended the drought by hitting a jumper as the shot clock was running out and followed that up with a layup, but Washington still could not score. Nash drove for 2 to give Dallas a 86-79 lead with 1:25 remaining. Christian Laettner hit a jumper with a minute to go (Washington's first points in almost 5 minutes), but Dallas hit 6-6 FT down the stretch to seal the win. Dallas won 92-86. It again wasn't pretty, but it goes down as a win. Neither team shot very well as Dallas shot 40.7% FG and Washington shot 39.2% FG. The difference of this game? Rebounding. Dallas out-rebounded Washington 54-40 including 15-6 offensive. Dirk Nowitzki carried the team with 30 points on 9-23 FG and 12-14 FT and 17 rebounds including a season high 5 offensive. For the 2nd game in a row, he played all 48 minutes and did not have a single turnover. Steve Nash chipped in 16 points and 5 assists and Michael Finley had 14 points and 6 rebounds. Shawn Bradley was the only other Mav in double-digits with 10 points. He also had 7 rebounds including 3 offensive. Nick Van Exel continued to struggled offensively with just 2 points on 1-7 FG, but contributed in other ways. He had 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Adrian Griffin had 9 points and 6 rebounds and Walt Williams had 7 points. Raef LaFrentz also continued to struggle with just 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 fouls in 19 minutes. Jerry Stackhouse led the way for Washington with 28 points, but shot just 8-22 FG (also shot 10-11 FT). He also led the team in rebounds with 10. Larry Hughes seemed to be hitting everything as he had 24 points including 8-11 FG and 3-3 3-pointers. He also had 6 rebounds. Michael Jordan shot just 5-15 FG and had 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. No other Wizard was in double-digits. Quotes Don Nelson: "This sure will make it a nice Christmas for us. It was a hard fought game. They are playing really well and tested us tonight. It was kind of good to be in a tight ball game for a change. We haven't had too many this year where we had to execute down the stretch and be smart and defend. I thought we had 2 keys defensively. We were changing man-to-man as soon as they started zone and as soon as they started to hurt us with one, we changed to the other. The great stretch run by Nash, Nowitzki, and Finley all had big baskets. I thought Raef struggled again, but had a big tip-in that was very important. Bradley continues to play very well. Van Exel continues to struggle and couldn't really make a basket. He goes hot and cold. He was playing so well after the injury and now he struggles to find his shot. We are staying with him and hopefully he will work it out and hopefully the 2 days off will help everybody." Nelson on playing Nowitzki 48 minutes again: "With the ankle, he said what was bothering him wasn't playing, it was coming out and taking his normal rest. Then his ankle would stiffen up and then he wasn't able to play up to the same intensity. I said, 'Aha, I have a solution - 48, baby.'" Nelson on Jordan (5-15 FG): "Had he made a few more, we'd have probably lost". Michael Finley: "It was a matter of us re-establishing ourselves as a top-notch team after the past 2 games." Finley: "I know what I'm getting Dirk for Christmas: a massage for his back, because he's definitely carried us. He's been playing great all season." Finley on Jordan: "I think it was a good show for the fans and a good opportunity to see a living legend in this arena for the last time. Our fans are so good, they gave him a nice standing ovation and I think he deserves it." Dirk Nowitzki: "We got enough weapons to play in the halfcourt. It's not like we're broke in the halfcourt. We didn't really have any shooting rhythm in the game, and I was just glad a few of them went down at the end of the game. We played a little better overall, but we're still not back to playing like we did earlier in the season." Nowitzki: "I missed a lot of wide open shots early on. But I just tried to be more aggressive and get to the free throw line and then, luckily, a couple shots fell in for me." Nowitzki: "I really didn't find my shooting range throughout the whole game. I missed a lot of wide open shots. I was just trying to stay aggressive for the whole game and make something happen, either try to get to the foul line or just keep on shooting the shots. I'm just glad at the end of the game a couple of them went in." Nowitzki: "I was just trying to stay aggressive the whole game and make something happen. Today was a little better, but still it wasn't the way we're used to playing." Steve Nash: "We played hard defensively and made the stops when we had to. Right now we're going through a little bit of a lull, and that's when our defense has to come up big." Nash: "I think in this league you play so many games, your legs are going to come and go and your rhythm and ebb and flow are going to change from time to time. Right now we are relying on our defense that is why we made it an emphasis this year. Defense is really what we are going to try to pride ourselves on and win games on. We were able to get the stops we needed and were able to win the game tonight." Nick Van Exel: "Steve made a big shot with his left hand scoop and Dirk did his thing in the 4th quarter from the free throw line and making buckets for us. Right now it is not as smooth as it was earlier, but we are finding ways to win which is good and we are still hanging in there and finding ways to compensate for things that we are not doing well. We are not shooting the ball well, but we are doing other things to help us win games." Van Exel: "It's not as pretty as it was earlier, but we're still finding ways to win." Van Exel: "We won the rebounding edge. Also, our defense was pretty good for the most part of the game tonight. We gave up a few uncontested layups, but throughout the game we were pretty solid." Van Exel: "Dirk's played great. He has been giving us that lift when everybody else hasn't been there. He has been coming up big for us lately." Walt Williams on Dallas' recent struggles: "We all know what's going on - we've been lackadaisical, fooling ourselves a little bit. Everyone expects us to score 100 every night. But if we want to be an elite team, we've got to learn to grind it out like this." Doug Collins on offensive struggles down the stretch: "That's what our MO has been this year, that's why we've lost games, because we haven't been able to finish. The other night in San Antonio we were up 2 with about 4 minutes to go and we can't get anything done at the end. Tonight we had 6 or 7 dry possessions. I think the score was 80-79 and I think we went 6 or 7 possessions without anything happening for us. I'm not going to anything away from the Mavericks, they did a great job. But I just didn't think we were very patient at the end of the game and we weren't efficient. Our guys are playing exceptionally hard, we just need to play more efficiently, especially against a team like the Mavericks on their court. But I thought the tempo of the game was fine for us, we wanted to keep it in the low 90s if we could. We did that. I thought our defense was pretty good. But they just came up with some big plays when they needed them. Nowitzki was tremendous. Steve Nash is the guy who's always going to come up with the big plays for them. He's sort of the heart and soul of the team and we know that, but I feel badly for our guys. We played very, very hard just like we did in San Antonio and we have nothing to show for it except a couple of losses." Collins: "The pace of the game was good. I couldn't ask for anything more. It was 80-79. The closer we were and the less time on the clock, those are the games you get a chance where you can make a couple big shots and steal a game. I know how important it was for the Mavericks. I know they weren't happy with the way they played in here against Utah. They played well. I thought our guys competed. Again, the difference was that they came up with some big plays and we during that one stretch weren't able to get anything done. They went into their zone and we'd had some good shots against it, we just weren't able to knock them down." Collins on Jordan: "I thought he played fine. 8 assists, 7 rebounds, I thought he played fine." Collins: "Michael is a brilliant basketball player, and that's why Michael in many instances is playing as a point guard for us when actually he is off the ball he is sort of directing our team. We want to get the ball into his hands and have him either have him make a play for himself or somebody else. He's great at that. I've been around a lot of players, he's the most brilliant basketball player I've ever been around. He knows the game inside and out." Michael Jordan: "That's frustrating in terms of playing smart. We felt like we had them right where we wanted. We were moving the ball, playing solid defense. Our defense did great. Our offense, we took quick shots down the stretch and we didn't make their defense work. If you're going to beat a team like this you've got to make their defense work so they don't have as much energy on the offensive end. We had them set up for that and didn't execute." Jordan on the drought at the end of the 4th: "That's frustrating. We were right there. Our defense was great, but on offense we weren't patient and took quick shots." Jordan: "I think it's just maturity. As you can see we can compete. We get to stretches where we just lose our focus, turn the ball over, don't execute properly. We're not that far away from being a playoff team. Are we in the Mavericks arena? No, I don't think so, they're much more talented than we are. But I think we definitely could be a playoff team. Growing and getting to understand each other as a team and in certain roles. We're not that far away." Jordan on if Dallas can win it all without a strong power forward: "It's a new era, they certainly have quality basketball players who can score on certain nights. It hasn't been done, but that doesn't mean it cant be done. Either way, they have to go through LA or Sacramento, and you never know. If they can get into a good rhythm, move the ball and force teams to adjust to their style of basketball, they very well could do that. Nellie has always been they type of coach that he's going to force teams to adjust to his style of play. He's yet to succeed with winning a championship, but that doesn't mean he can't do it with this team. His team is very talented." Jordan on teaching the younger players: "It is important that they understand the attitude and education about how to play the game, and it isn't always about scoring. Rebounds, defense, that's my purpose in playing the last 2 years. To let them see that if a 40 year old man can come out, move the ball, box out, play solid defense, hit good shots, be a team player, understand what it takes to win, not just in the game but in the course of a day. Thats going to help him improve his players, and hopefully they can reap the benefits of that. Until they learn how to do that, it's not going to be a success." Jerry Stackhouse: "We found the holes in the defense and their zone for the most part and late in the game we didn't. We had guys who hadn't played certain positions before. Not to make excuses but you've got 4 guards on the floor, and now we've got guys floating. Earlier we were floating and hitting some shots, but late in the game they were matching up to us a little better and we were floating, getting late in the shot clock." Christian Laettner: "We were right there and that stretch we had maybe 3 or 4 turnovers and 3 or 4 missed shots and that was it right there. I missed a shot, had a turnover, we missed a few other shots, and that was it. You have to take advantage of every possession you have and we had a few non-possessions because of turnovers and quick shots." Dallas Mavericks 92, Washington Wizards 86 at Dallas (December 23) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th - Final 2FG 3FG FG% FT% Dallas 25 25 15 27 - 92 .441 .231 .407 .821 Washington 26 19 20 21 - 86 .379 .438 .392 .778 Halftime: Dallas 50-45 3rd Q: 65-65 Technicals: Washington defensive 3 seconds 11:11 1st, Dallas defensive 3 seconds 6:39 1st, Dallas defensive 3 seconds 2:12 2nd, Michael Finley 7:38 3rd, Shawn Bradley 6:19 3rd Refs: Mike Callahan, Monty McCutchen, Pat Fraher Attendance: 20,119 (sellout) Did not play due to injury: Jared Jeffries (twisted right knee) Dallas Mavericks REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Adrian Griffin 20 4-7 1-2 0-0 9 3-6 1 1 3 0 1 Dirk Nowitzki 48 9-23 0-2 12-14 30 5-17 2 0 1 2 0 Raef LaFrentz 19 2-4 0-1 0-1 4 1-5 0 1 5 0 1 Michael Finley 45 7-18 0-4 0-0 14 1-6 0 0 1 1 0 Steve Nash 36 5-13 0-1 6-7 16 0-4 5 1 0 0 0 Shawn Bradley 23 3-6 0-0 4-4 10 3-7 0 2 4 1 1 Walt Williams 25 2-3 2-2 1-2 7 1-1 1 1 4 0 0 Nick Van_Exel 23 1-7 0-1 0-0 2 1-8 6 3 2 1 0 Raja Bell 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals 48 33-81 3-13 23-28 92 15-54 15 10 21 5 3 Washington Wizards REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Jerry Stackhouse 43 8-22 2-6 10-11 28 1-10 4 2 1 1 0 Christian Laettner 39 4-5 0-0 0-0 8 1-6 2 1 5 3 0 Brendan Haywood 12 1-1 0-0 1-4 3 2-4 0 1 4 0 0 Larry Hughes 35 8-11 3-3 5-6 24 0-6 1 2 5 0 1 Michael Jordan 36 5-15 1-1 2-2 13 0-7 8 3 3 0 2 Tyronn Lue 31 2-10 1-4 0-0 5 0-3 2 0 4 0 0 Kwame Brown 20 1-7 0-0 3-4 5 2-3 0 2 2 2 0 Bryon Russell 23 0-3 0-2 0-0 0 0-1 0 2 2 0 0 Etan Thomas 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 48 29-74 7-16 21-27 86 6-40 17 14 26 6 3 Dallas at New Orleans (December 26) Don Nelson had given the Mavs Tuesday and Wednesday off for the Christmas holiday and then the team had to report to New Orleans for Dallas' first ever visit to the party city (the Jazz had already moved before the Mavs were formed). And as expected with the 2 strong teams meeting up, it was a tough game. The game stayed close in the 1st quarter as there were 6 ties, 4 lead changes, and neither team held more than a 4 point lead. A screw up with the clock resulted in New Orleans having more time to run a final play (7 seconds) instead of the few they really should have and Jamaal Magloire got a layup at the buzzer to give New Orleans as 23-22 lead after 1. The game remained close in the 2nd quarter with the teams literally swapping leads over the first 4 minutes of the quarter. Dallas scored 6 straight points (in this game, that qualified as a run) to take their largest lead at 32-27 with 6:50 left, but New Orleans scored the next 5 points to again tie the game. The game stayed close and New Orleans led 44-41 at the half. Dallas again was shooting poorly (38% FG), but New Orleans also could not find the basket consistently. David Wesley went nuts in the half with 15 points (his game average) and Dirk Nowitzki had 13 points. New Orleans took their largest lead at 53-46 with 8:45 left, but Dallas scored the next 8 points, including 2 alley-oop lobs by big men (Shawn Bradley to Raef LaFrentz and LaFrentz to Nowitzki), to go up 54-53 with 6:15 remaining. New Orleans responded with a 9-2 run to go up 62-56 with 4 minutes left, but Dallas responded by scoring the next 10 points, capped by a 3-pointer by Nick Van Exel. Dallas led 68-66 after 3. It looked to be a fight to the finish as the game stayed close and was again tied at 74-74 with 7 minutes left. The teams traded leads and a layup by Baron Davis gave New Orleans a 79-76 lead with 4:15 to go. The teams traded misses and Bradley hit an open jumper with 3:30 left. New Orleans turned the ball over and a jumper by Nowitzki gave Dallas an 80-79 lead with 3 minutes remaining. Van Exel forced an inbounds violation and then hustled down a missed shot in the corner to give Dallas another shot. And Michael Finley nailed the fadeaway to give Dallas a 3 point lead with 2:40 left. Jamal Mashburn missed a jumper and Dallas simply could not snag the rebound as New Orleans got 4 offensive rebounds and 4 more attempts before Nash was able to grab the loose ball and head the other way - it was just luck that one of those shots didn't fall. Mashburn fed P.J. Brown for the dunk with a minute left and Dallas' lead was just 82-81 with 1:07 left. Nowitzki missed the layup, but Wesley missed on 2 3-point attempts - Van Exel got the rebound on the 2nd miss with 31 seconds left. New Orleans opted to let Dallas use the clock instead of intentionally fouling, but Brown had the unintentional foul with 18 seconds remaining. New Orleans was not in the penalty yet, so the shot clock rest to 14 seconds and New Orleans again did not intentionally foul. Bradley's baseliner clanked off the corner of the rim with less than 5 seconds left, Nash tapped the rebound and Finley swatted the rebound out to near halfcourt where Van Exel corralled it and was fouled with .4 seconds left. He missed the 1st free throw and tried to intentionally miss the 2nd but it went in and Dallas led 83-81. New Orleans called timeout and moved the ball to halfcourt. Bradley guarded the inbounder and New Orleans was unable to get the ball inbounds, so they had to use their final timeout. Bradley again guarded the inbounder and they had trouble getting the ball inbounds - it was finally inbounded to Davis, but Nowitzki was there for the block and that was game. Dallas won 83-81. Whew. I can deal without games like that. It was a very, very close game and neither team played all that well. A couple of bad breaks for New Orleans cost them this game (5 shots at the buckets, including 3 up close, and none of them go in???). There were 19 lead changes and 14 ties during the game and the largest lead by either team was just 7 points. Neither team shot well as Dallas shot just 37.8% FG including 3-14 3-pointers and New Orleans shot 39.2% FG including 4-14 FG. The difference? New Orleans committed 18 turnovers which Dallas turned into 24 points while Dallas only committed 8 turnovers which New Orleans turned into just 7 points. Dirk Nowitzki led the way for Dallas and was the only starter to shoot 50% FG. Nowitzki had 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 47 minutes. He again had 0 turnovers - 3rd game in a row for 0 turnovers in 143 minutes. The other amazing stat was that he did not get to the line once, despite being hit a number of times. Both Steve Nash and Michael Finley struggled to score. Nash had 15 points including 4-16 FG, 7 assists, and 5 turnovers. Finley had 12 points including 5-16 FG and just 3 rebounds and 3 assists. The hero of the game was Nick Van Exel. Van Exel was having another poor shooting game (just 5-16 FG), but it was his hustle in causing turnovers and rebounding in the 4th quarter that saved the day. He had 13 points and a career high 11 rebounds in 28 minutes. Though he also shot poorly (4-11 FG), Shawn Bradley had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and also had 5 blocks. Raef LaFrentz's 2 buckets came off of alley-oops and he had 5 rebounds before fouling out in 21 minutes. The injury bug again hit Dallas as Walt Williams left the game during the 2nd quarter with a strained left knee and did not return. He is expected to undergo an MRI on it today. And Adrian Griffin's shoulder popped out during the 1st quarter and he did not play the rest of the game. He is expected to be available for Saturday's game (he's been playing with a contraption for his partially separated right shoulder). David Wesley was the high man with 24 points including 9-15 FG and 4-6 3-pointers and 5 rebounds. His 2 missed 3-pointers cam with less than a minute left in the game. The Hornets' high scorer Jamal Mashburn struggled in this game with just 8 points (averaged 21 points) including 3-17 FG. He did have 10 rebounds. Baron Davis was also well below his season average (almost 18 points) with just 11 points, but did have 10 assists. P.J. Brown had 11 points and 7 rebounds and Jamaal Magloire had 10 points and 15 rebounds including 6 offensive. This game continued the trend of poor offensive performances by Dallas. Dallas has averaged just 84 points including a mere 36.3% FG and 21.3% 3-pointers for the past 4 games. And all the players are struggling - just Raja Bell (3-5 FG) is shooting above _40% FG_ over the past 4 games. Dallas had averaged 105.9 points including 46.2% FG and 40.9% 3-pointers for the previous 24 games. Despite the drop off in scoring and shooting, Dallas did go 3-1 over the past 4 games. But hopefully Dallas has gotten the ugly games out of their system and will revert to their prettier, high octane game. Quotes Don Nelson: "It was a win against a quality team and just one in which both teams didn't shoot very well. It was good to win a game against a quality team on the road and get back into that frame of mind." Nelson: "This was a great win against a quality team. It seems that everybody got their money's worth tonight. We hung in there pretty good all night. In the end, we found the way to make the plays." Nelson: "We worked hard on the defensive end, but we were also a little lucky. They had 3 good looks at shots, but the Force was with us at that particular time because they were all either a little long or short. Had they made one of those shots, the whole game could have reversed itself right there." Nelson: "The Force was with us tonight. The Hornets had 3 good looks at the basket but somehow the ball didn't go in." Nelson on Dallas' last shot: "We wanted to take the clock down and shoot a real high ball. We thought it would either leave them with not much time or we'd get the rebound." Michael Finley: "I think a lot of guys were rusty. Fortunately enough for us, they were as rusty as we were. We're not scoring like we are accustomed to, but [the win] came out of defense. We got some key stops at the end; they missed some shots and we made some." Dirk Nowitzki: "We knew it was going to be a tough game. To get it out and make some big shots down the stretch and win this game on the road is big." Nowitzki: "We were lucky. We got away with one. They had chances. They just missed their shots." Nowitzki on Dallas' recent slump: "If we rebound, we've got to have 5 guys running. We can't just have some guys giving 60%. We're not running hard enough. I think teams have outworked us." Steve Nash: "We feel out of rhythm, but fought through it in the 4th quarter. The guys picked it up and took us home." Nash: "We stayed strong mentally and we were able to win the game with our defense and our mental toughness. We're winning games we're not supposed to win, but somehow are getting it done." Nash: "We haven't really played well lately. We haven't really been ourselves offensively. Thankfully, we have really stayed strong mentally and we have been able to win ball games." Nash on Wesley's defense: "David did a good job because I missed some easy ones. I fell out of rhythm, but I fought through it in the 3rd quarter. I thought I helped us, and then the guys picked it up and took us home." Nick Van Exel: "We basically won playing halfcourt. If we can get better defensively and offensively in our halfcourt, it will make us a better team and will help us in the playoffs." Van Exel on his last made free throw, which he was trying to miss: "I should have shot it regular - I'd have probably missed. We missed layups, 3-pointers, drives to the basket, everything. And then I try to miss and it goes in." Shawn Bradley: "We're proving that we can play different styles of basketball, and we're proving it to no one else but ourselves, I guess. We're just doing what it takes and gaining confidence in different aspects of our game." Paul Silas: "We had some inadvertent turnovers. We played really well. We had our chance. It just didn't happen. We had wide open looks at the end and we didn't hit them. It just didn't happen for us at the end. I'd have Wesley take them again. He can take those looks any time. He was 4-4 before the end. Coming off the road trip like we did and play a Dallas to 2 points is pretty good. Our main guy shot 3-17 and we were still in the game." Silas on Dallas' last shot: "We had the guy take the shot we needed. Shawn Bradley took a shot from the corner. We made the right decision on defense. We just didn't get the rebound. We made them shoot. None of their main guys took that shot from the corner. We got what we wanted. If we get the rebound, it's a different ball game." Silas on Mashburn: "Without his production, it's awfully hard for us. Somebody else has to step us for us then. Some did. But, we still have to have our main guy score in double figures." Silas: "We didn't have heady turnovers. They were inadvertent ones, ones where we were not trying to make a play. Against a team like that you need every possession. Dallas was getting back in transition. Our game plan was not to get into an up-and-down game with them. We didn't get the numbers [on the break] many times. Rather than penetrate on the break, we opted to pull it out. They couldn't stop us in the half court. We had a good defensive strategy. We didn't let their main guys get off on us. Nash is the key. He makes everybody go. We wanted to stop him. We are close. We have to get more production from Elden. We really need his production. Tonight he played 17 minutes and got no rebounds." Baron Davis: "We had a game plan, and we stuck to it by forcing them to shoot a lot of jumpers. They missed some shots and that kept us in the ball game." David Wesley: "We let it get away. We played our game. We didn't get in their pace. We certainly had our opportunities, but that's the way it goes sometimes." Wesley: "We played our game. I'm sure they would have rathered the game be in the 100s. We didn't get caught up into their pace, but took our opportunities. We had our chances right there at the end. That's the way it goes sometimes. We just didn't get it done." Wesley on his 2 missed 3s near the end: "I'm not going to get much sleep over those 2. When the shots left my hand, you couldn't have told me they weren't good. They probably felt better than any shots all night. Shot 'em both long. I won't get much sleep over those 2. We let it get away." Wesley on turnovers: "We played a pretty good game and that had a lot to do with them being in the game. We'd probably be up by 10 instead of shooting to win." P.J. Brown: "We did pretty much everything right but win the game. It was our game for the taking. We played it to our tempo and feel we controlled the game. They cause a lot of havoc because they're such great shooters. We did a good job for the most part with that strategy." Brown: "After Dave's opportunities didn't fall, it just seemed like it wasn't meant to be." Jamaal Magloire: "I thought we came out a lot more aggressive on the boards and weren't worried about our fouls. We had been beaten on the boards the last couple of games and we wanted to turn that around." Dallas Mavericks 83, New Orleans Hornets 81 at New Orleans (December 26) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th - Final 2FG 3FG FG% FT% Dallas 22 20 26 15 - 83 .408 .214 .378 .800 New Orleans 23 21 22 15 - 81 .415 .286 .392 .750 Halftime: New Orleans 44-42 3rd Q: Dallas 68-66 Technicals: Raja Bell 9:28 2nd, New Orleans defensive 3 seconds 6:45 1st, Baron Davis 9:28 2nd Refs: Derek Richardson, Derrick Stafford, Phil Robinson Attendance: 18,015 (sellout) Dallas Mavericks REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Adrian Griffin 10 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 0-2 1 0 1 0 0 Dirk Nowitzki 47 11-22 1-1 0-0 23 1-7 1 0 0 2 4 Shawn Bradley 40 4-11 0-0 2-3 10 3-10 3 1 1 0 5 Steve Nash 38 4-16 0-3 7-8 15 1-3 7 5 4 0 0 Michael Finley 40 5-16 0-3 2-2 12 0-3 3 0 2 1 1 Raja Bell 8 2-2 0-0 0-0 4 0-0 0 0 3 0 0 Raef LaFrentz 21 2-3 0-0 0-0 4 1-5 1 1 6 0 0 Nick Van_Exel 28 5-16 2-5 1-2 13 3-11 3 0 2 2 0 Walt Williams 4 1-2 0-1 0-0 2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Popeye Jones 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-1 0 0 1 0 0 Avery Johnson 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-1 1 0 0 0 0 Totals 48 34-90 3-14 12-15 83 9-43 20 8 20 5 10 New Orleans Hornets REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Jamal Mashburn 37 3-17 0-3 2-4 8 1-10 4 3 2 1 0 P.J. Brown 32 3-5 0-0 5-6 11 1-7 0 3 3 0 1 Jamaal Magloire 33 5-11 0-0 0-0 10 6-15 2 1 5 0 1 Baron Davis 41 5-13 0-3 1-1 11 1-4 10 2 1 0 0 David Wesley 38 9-15 4-6 2-2 24 1-5 3 4 4 1 0 Courtney Alexander 19 2-7 0-1 2-2 6 1-4 3 1 2 0 0 Elden Campbell 17 2-7 0-0 3-5 7 0-0 2 1 1 0 1 George Lynch 15 2-4 0-1 0-0 4 2-6 1 0 0 0 0 Stacey Augmon 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-2 0 1 1 0 0 Bryce Drew 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 2 0 0 0 0 Totals 48 31-79 4-14 15-20 81 13-53 27 18 19 2 3 patricia