Keep in mind that Thursday's game vs Sacramento at Dallas has a late start time of 8:30 pm (schedule lists 6:30 pm). The game is being broadcast on TNT. Dallas (44-12) at Orlando (28-29) (February 25) Both teams started out playing well, with Dallas' defense obviously focused on trying to contain Tracy McGrady. Orlando scored 6 straight points to go up 13-6 with 7:40 left. Dallas went on an 11-2 run to go up 20-18 with 4:30 to go. The game stayed close the rest of the quarter and it was all tied up at 28-28 after 1. Dirk Nowitzki had 10 points and Drew Gooden had 10 points. Dallas opened the 2nd quarter with a 12-2 run, including 7 points from Nick Van Exel, to go up 40-30 with 8:45 left. However, they were unable to get their lead larger than 10 points. Eduardo Najera was ejected after protesting an out-of-bounds call in which he accidentally hit the ref when throwing his arms in frustration. Walt Williams hit a 3-pointer to close the quarter and Dallas led 55-49 at the half. Dallas shot 56% FG and Orlando shot 44% FG, but Orlando out-rebounded Dallas 19-10 and Dallas had 0 offensive rebounds. Orlando scored 5 straight points to tie the game at 57-57 with 9 minutes left, but Nowitzki nailed a 3-pointer to put Dallas back on top. The game stayed close the rest of the quarter and the teams traded leads a couple of times and neither team held more than a 4 point lead. Gooden converted a 3-point play with 30 seconds remaining and Orlando led 77-75 after 3. It looked to be an exciting 4th quarter as neither team could pull away. Dallas scored 6 straight points to go up 83-79 with 8 minutes to go, but 2 Orlando 3-pointers surround a jumper by Michael Finley to tie the game at 85-85 with 6:30 remaining. Williams hit a jumper with 6 minutes left and it would be a long time before Dallas scored again as the team went ice cold. However, Orlando only had a free throw and a bucket during Dallas' drought and Orlando led 88-87 with 3:20 left. A jumper by Steve Nash ended Dallas' almost 4 minute drought and put Dallas back up 89-88 with 2:15 remaining. McGrady drove for 2 and blocked 2 Dallas shots around a miss by Pat Garrity. A jumper by Gordan Giricek gave Orlando a 92-89 lead with 1:10 to go. Williams missed a 3-pointer and McGrady missed a jumper with 35 seconds left. Williams launched another 3-pointer, but it bounced up off the rim and hit the shot clock and then went straight down through the net. The shot was not allowed as the ball is declared dead as soon as it hits the shot clock and it was Orlando ball up by 3 with 18 seconds left. Dallas intentionally fouled Darrell Armstrong and he hit both free throws. Nash drove for the quick 2 with 12 seconds left and Garrity was fouled. He hit both free throws and Williams hit a jumper with 6 seconds left. Giricek hit both free throws with 4 seconds left to give Orlando a 5 point lead and Dallas was out of time. Orlando won 98-93. Being a Mavs fan, it's hard to take much enjoyment from the game, but it was a very entertaining game and those who watched it got their money worth. Unfortunately, Dallas went ice cold at the wrong time. Dallas only shot 36.4% FG including 0-8 3-pointers in the 4th quarter after shooting 50.8% FG including 7-16 3-pointers through the first 3 quarters. Dallas only had 38 points in the 2nd half. Add to that Dallas' pathetic rebounding, and Dallas didn't really deserve the win. Orlando out-rebounded Dallas 41-27. The Mavs did do a good job of containing Tracy McGrady, but rookies Drew Gooden and Gordan Giricek did a great job of stepping up and filling the holes that Dallas' concentration on McGrady left open. At times, especially early on, it seemed like Dallas was playing 5-on-8 as Orlando benefited from some home cooking, but Dallas needs to learn to overcome those times when the whistle is not going their way. Orlando shot 21-26 FT and Dallas shot just 8-10 FT - including going to the line just 3 times in the 1st half. Despite Dallas' defense, Tracy McGrady was the high man with a more human-like 26 points (he had 46 and 52 points in the previous 2 games) and 7 assists. Drew Gooden, enjoying his new home, had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Gordan Giricek, also enjoying his new home, had 20 points including 4-7 3-pointers, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. No other Magic player was in double-digits. Jacque Vaughn had 9 points and 6 assists. Dirk Nowitzki led the way for Dallas with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Michael Finley had 17 points and 5 rebounds and Steve Nash had 14 points and 5 assists. Nick Van Exel was feeling it and had 18 points. Unfortunately, the team went away from him during his hot streak during the 3rd quarter instead of riding him until he stopped hitting. Walt Williams also provided a boost with some shots and offensive rebounds. He had 9 points, 5 rebounds including 3 offensive, and 3 assists in 33 minutes and was on the court at the end. The loss of Eduardo Najera really hurt during the game as he came in a provided some energy and tough defense on McGrady. McGrady got so frustrated with Najera that McGrady threw an elbow in Najera's back shortly before Najera's ejection and McGrady got a T. Najera had 3 rebounds and a steal in his 10 minutes. His loss really hurt as Dallas got almost nothing from their centers. Shawn Bradley had 0 points and 2 rebounds in his 15 minutes, but he did have 5 blocks. Raef LaFrentz had 0 points and 0 rebounds in 14 minutes. And Evan Eschmeyer had 4 points and 0 rebounds in 4 minutes. Dallas extended their stay in Orlando due to the ice storm in Dallas. The team stayed the night in Orlando, instead of their planned flying home after the game, and scheduled a practice today in Orlando before flying home. Quotes Doc Rivers: "Well, a win. A great win against a very, very gifted basketball team. To see .500 again is really nice and we did it with our defense. You know it's funny, you have 2 of the higher scoring teams in the NBA and it comes down to the team that plays the best defense down the stretch of the game that wins the game and that's a lesson for all of us. Hold them to 38 points in the 2nd half is a great job. In the 1st half I thought we were playing pretty good defense too and they didn't miss a shot. That team, they can shoot the basketball and the 2nd half, fortunately for us, they missed some. I thought Tracy was great tonight because they were loading up on him and he was extremely patient. He had to show an amazing amount of trust when he was throwing to 2 rookies for the most part, Gordan and Drew, and trusting that they were going to get something done. That's big for a guy like Tracy McGrady to do that. I thought the way he did it down the stretch was the reason we won the game." Rivers: "We assume when you play Don Nelson and you play the Mavericks, you know they're going to load up. You know they're going to either double-team, zone, or send 2 and 3 guys at your best player. This morning what we worked on was facing, moving the ball to the other side and getting the ball back down to the post to Drew Gooden. That's a lot easier in practice when there's nobody on defense. Much tougher in the real game and really tough, even tough for me at times, to tell your best player to give the ball up and move it around and he did that. Then down the stretch we told him no more giving it up. Gordan Giricek was just phenomenal tonight - 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists is an amazing game. Karma, whatever you call it, we felt he had a big game. The 2nd game of his career, he had 29 points against Dallas and how players are, they have a great game against a team and they see that team again and they have a lot of confidence and we were hoping for that and we got it. Rivers: "In the Jersey game, we had the lead at halftime and they came back and tied the score and we were up by 1 on the road and we recovered and made some big shots. Tonight we came out down at halftime and got the lead right away coming out of the 3rd quarter which was big for our confidence and then we just held on against this basketball team. A great win, I'm just really proud of the guys." Rivers: "Jacque Vaughn, for a good 8 weeks now, has been playing solid basketball. He's had his ups and downs, but I thought what he did in the 2nd half was attack Nash. We talked about it at halftime, we said every time we get a rebound, I want you going at full speed, out of control if you have to, but attack him off the dribble. If they help, you push it and give it to someone else and that's what he did. When Jacque Vaughan plays at that speed, he's much better. He was terrific." Tracy McGrady: "I don't know what it is, I don't know if it's the trade, I can't tell you, but we've been playing up-tempo, playing with a lot of passion out there and we're believing now." McGrady: "We're finishing games. We're maturing out there each night as the nights go by." McGrady on Dallas' defense: "This was a night where they did a good job of double-teaming and making me give it up." Drew Gooden: "With the talent we have, you play hard and something good is going to come up." Gordan Giricek: "When I signed as a professional player, I signed on to make big shots. If T-Mac passes me the ball, I have to make the shot. I'm not afraid. I will never run from the last shot." Jacque Vaughn: "It's always good to have a sense of optimism. Now, the team is playing with each other, wanting to win, sacrificing. You saw guys on the floor, guys getting back, guys rotating." Don Nelson: "It was quite a good basketball game, it's too bad we came out on the wrong end. We just went cold at the wrong time. We had numerous shots that we've been making all year, but for some reason we couldn't make them tonight. I liked all the shots we took, but then again, you have to make them. They deserved to win. This is the wrong time to come in here and play them, as they have a lot of confidence now and they're feeling good about themselves. A week ago, it probably would have been an easier time. I have no complaints about the game." Nelson on Orlando's trade: "It looks like the trade was a good one for them. We think both of their rookies are good players that did a fantastic job tonight." Nelson on Dallas' defense on McGrady: "I thought we did a good job on McGrady and defensively we did a solid job all game. We thought that would be a good idea to get the ball out of his hands as he's averaging over 30 points a game. Defensively, we carried out all our assignments, and their other players just hit some big shots." Nelson on Najera's ejection: "This is the first time I've ever seen him react that way. Usually he's great with the referees. Not sure why that happened. We sure needed him down the stretch, because my centers decided not to show up and play tonight. So, I had to go with a smaller lineup, and usually he's the one that makes that smaller lineup work." Dirk Nowitzki: "We are not really a good driving team and we rely on our jump shots too much sometimes. We did again today and we just have to find a way to get to the line. When we went cold in the 4th quarter, we have to make sure we get to the line and get some easy points. It has been a problem for us all year and we have to do a better job especially coming into the playoffs." Nowitzki on the 4th quarter: "We couldn't find any jump shots anymore. Pretty much it was all jump shots. We had nothing in the paint. We didn't come to the foul line. If you rely on the jump shot that much, there are going to be times when it's not going. We've got to find other ways to win games and that's what we didn't do." Nowitzki: "We have to find ways to win the big game. When the jump shot is not going, we have to go inside and get something in the paint." Nowitzki: "Our defense was all right. It could have been better. We could have contested shots better. Our rebounding was awful. They almost doubled us in the 1st half." Nowitzki on rebounding: "A couple plays, we should have come up with the rebound and didn't. If you get those rebounds, maybe it goes the other way. Rebounding has been a problem the whole year long. They're not a great rebounding team and they almost doubled us in the 1st half. Our rebounding game was just awful." Nowitzki: "It's a frustrating loss, but maybe it's good. Maybe it'll get us back on the floor because we haven't been playing that good. We got lucky in Washington. We got away with one there. So it wasn't that great of a trip." Nowitzki on McGrady: "He is such a great scorer for them and you try and make the other guys beat us. They beat us on the boards and made shots. We just didn't execute down the stretch, especially defensively." Nowitzki on Gooden: "He is a good player. He is very active and a very talented. He is going to have a great career in this league." Steve Nash: "We should have got all 3 [road games], especially after not playing that well Sunday. That's the business. You win some, you lose some, throw all the cliches in there. It just wasn't our night. We didn't play great. That was it. We probably didn't deserve it. We didn't get any bounces, didn't make any shots. It [hurt] that Eddie got thrown out." Nash on Najera's reaction to a bad call before his ejection: "I don't blame him. I'm glad he got fired up. It's tough, he made a good play and swung his arms in frustration and grazed the official." Eduardo Najera on his ejection and contact with the ref: "It was an accident, obviously, and I got caught up in the moment. In that case, I accidentally hit him, which was a good call to eject me out of the game. It was just an accident and I was not trying to hit him or anything. He is tough and I have to go against the very best players every other night. I know I was going against McGrady knowing that he is going to get a lot of calls. I was expecting that anyways. I just really snapped." Najera: "It was an accident. I got caught up in the moment. I have to go against the very best players every other night, and it was a call where he just lost the ball. I snapped. I just have to remember not to snap when the referee is around." Orlando Magic 98, Dallas Mavericks 93 at Orlando (February 25) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th - Final 2FG 3FG FG% FT% Orlando 28 21 28 21 - 98 .455 .450 .453 .808 Dallas 28 27 20 18 - 93 .542 .292 .470 .8000 Halftime: Dallas 55-49 3rd Q: Orlando 77-75 Technicals: Darrell Armstrong 9:34 2nd, Tracy McGrady 4:03 2nd, Eduardo Najera (1-T ejection) 2:28 2nd Refs: Bill Kennedy, David Jones, Ron Garretson Attendance: 16,009 (cap. 17,248) Did not play due to injury: Jeryl Sasser (neck and back spasms) Orlando Magic REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Gordan Giricek 42 7-14 4-7 2-2 20 3-8 5 2 2 2 0 Drew Gooden 42 6-14 0-1 8-9 20 3-10 2 3 5 1 1 Andrew DeClercq 20 1-6 0-0 0-0 2 2-9 0 1 3 3 0 Tracy McGrady 43 10-20 2-6 4-6 26 0-2 7 4 0 0 1 Jacque Vaughn 31 4-6 0-0 1-2 9 0-3 6 2 2 2 0 Shawn Kemp 9 3-5 0-0 1-2 7 0-2 0 0 0 1 0 Darrell Armstrong 26 1-3 1-2 3-3 6 1-5 2 2 2 1 0 Pat Garrity 27 2-7 2-4 2-2 8 1-2 0 2 3 0 1 Totals 48 34-75 9-20 21-26 98 10-41 22 18 17 10 3 Dallas Mavericks REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Michael Finley 43 7-14 0-1 3-3 17 1-5 4 2 1 1 0 Dirk Nowitzki 41 10-21 3-8 3-5 26 0-7 0 2 4 2 3 Shawn Bradley 15 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 1-2 2 3 1 0 5 Raja Bell 17 2-2 1-1 0-0 5 0-0 0 1 2 1 0 Steve Nash 32 6-10 0-0 2-2 14 0-1 5 3 4 0 0 Raef LaFrentz 14 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0-0 1 0 3 1 1 Nick Van_Exel 31 8-20 2-8 0-0 18 2-4 3 1 0 0 0 Walt Williams 33 4-9 1-5 0-0 9 3-5 3 1 4 1 1 Eduardo Najera 10 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0-3 0 0 2 1 0 Evan Eschmeyer 4 2-3 0-0 0-0 4 0-0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals 48 39-83 7-24 8-10 93 7-27 18 14 22 7 10 patricia