Utah at Dallas (April 8) Dallas led 7-6 with 9:30 remaining and scored the next 12 points, with the last 8 coming from 2 3-pointers and a jumper by Michael Finley, to go up 19-6 with 6:20 to go. Carlos Arroyo did stop Dallas' run with consecutive 3-pointers. After turning the ball over, Tom Gugliotta cheap-shotted Finley with an elbow to the back (the refs didn't see it) and Finley immediately left the game - he was able to return a few minutes into the 2nd quarter, though. Antoine Walker had a bucket and 3-pointer to give Dallas a 31-16 lead with 1:10 left. A layup at the quarter buzzer by Antawn Jamison gave Dallas a 35-18 lead after 1. Walker had 10 points. Dallas shot 65% FG in the quarter while Utah shot 38% FG. Josh Howard nailed a 3-pointer to open the 2nd quarter and Dallas led in the 20s most of the quarter. Dallas took their largest lead at 62-35 with 2:45 remaining and Utah closed the quarter by scoring the last 12 points. Dallas led 62-47 at the half. Antawn Jamison had 11 points in the 2nd quarter and rookie Maurice Williams had 10 points in the last 5 minutes of the quarter. Dallas led in the high teens for the first half of the 3rd quarter. Dallas led 81-64 with 4:15 to go and scored the next 8 points to go up 89-64 with 1:55 remaining. MWilliams drained a 3-pointer at the quarter buzzer. Dallas led 92-73 after 3. A 3-pointer by Raja Bell pulled Utah within 82-100 with 8:50 to go, but Dallas scored the next 6 points to go up 106-82 with 7:35 left and the rest was garbage time. Dallas won 117-94. It was an easy win for Dallas as they went up big early and Utah never had a chance to get back into the game. Dallas led the whole way and shot well the whole way. After a poor shooting 1st quarter, Utah did pick up their shooting the rest of the way and finished shooting 49.3% (36-73) FG including 8-16 3-pointers. But Dallas shot better at 53.2% (41-77) FG including 9-17 3-pointers. Dallas was able to push the ball and had 19 fast break points while Utah, who prefers the half court game, only had 6 fast break points. Dallas also scored 22 points off of Utah's 15 turnovers. Dallas had just 5 turnovers which Utah converted into just 3 points. The win capped the 5 game home stand with a perfect record and guaranteed Dallas will have the best home record in the league (currently 35-5 and everyone else has at least 7 losses through Sunday). Now, the road is another story. Dallas finishes the season with 4 games in 5 nights, 3 of which are on the road. Dirk Nowitzki led the way with stellar shooting with 27 points on 7-10 FG and 11-11 FT. He only had 4 rebounds, though. Antawn Jamison continued to play well and had 25 points including 8-12 FG and 9 rebounds including 5 offensive. Marquis Daniels started and had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Steve Nash's string of 5 straight double-digit assist games came to an end as he had 8 in this game. He wasn't looking to shoot and had 6 points including 2-5 FG in his 29 minutes. Michael Finley's back bothered him the rest of the way after Tom Gugliotta's cheap shot and he didn't play in the 4th quarter due to back spasms. Finley had 14 points. Antoine Walker chipped in 15 points including 6-9 FG. Josh Howard was the 6th Mav in double-digits with 12 points to go with his 8 rebounds. Former Mav Raja Bell was the high scorer for Utah with 18 points. Rookie Maurice Williams had a nice outing with 17 points on 7-9 FG and 3-4 3-pointers in 19 minutes. Andrei Kirilenko was fairly quiet offensively, but he did have a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. He also had 3 blocks. Gordan Giricek and Carlos Arroyo struggled. Giricek had 11 points including 3-10 FG and Arroyo had 10 points including 4-11 FG. Mikki Moore chipped in 12 points on 6-7 FG. When did Tom Gugliotta become such a dirty player? Not only was there the cheap shot on Finley but he also got away with some blatant shoves. Quotes Don Nelson: "This was a quality win against a really good team playing for a playoff spot. I felt good about the game. I thought we played very well for the whole game and didn't really have any let downs. It's hard to keep a 20-point lead in the NBA and we did a pretty good job of it. I felt good about everybodys effort and had a chance to play some guys who hadn't played for a while." Nelson: "I think Jamison is very deserving of the 6th Man of the Year. I think it's the year in which we are not going to win many awards, but one is clear cut in my mind and that's Jamison for 6th Man. He accepted the role early and been a model citizen whether I play him or not, whether he gets long or short minutes. He's been a real pleasure to be around and he's a wonderful young man and deserve the award. His numbers are incredible off the bench. He's been very consistent all year." Nelson: "We've done a really good job here at home and I'm looking forward to seeing if we can carry this small ball lineup on the road and win these next few games on the road." Dirk Nowitzki: "The smaller lineup really makes it easier on our offense. We try to break our own man down and make plays. The small lineup lets us put a lot of good players out there. When we rebound with the small lineup, I think we're in good shape." Nowitzki: "I thought our energy was really good at the beginning. We took it to them, took it to the basket and looked for the open guy. And our defense was very active. We never really let them get in the game." Nowitzki on turnovers: "That's actually amazing that we take care of the ball so well. That's what Nellie wants. We want to get a chance to get a shot up. Every time we've got someone to shoot it up there. Even though we push the ball a lot, we've got great ballhandlers out there that take care of the ball." Nowitzki on the 2 game road trip: "It's an important road trip for us. We've been playing well at home, but we need to bring the same energy on the road. We're probably going to start the playoffs on the road, so we need to get that part of our game together." Antoine Walker: "We're very difficult to guard right now. We're grooving at the right time. With 10 games to go in the season, we kind of made a promise to ourselves and coach brought this to us that we were going to try to small ball, but everybody has to buy into it and everybody has. Everybody is coming out and working real hard and trying to make this thing really work. Right now, we're just trying to get into a groove, a confidence level that you need to have going into the playoffs." Walker: "We just said to ourselves with 10 games to go we were going to go to a small lineup and we were going to see if this could get us jump started in the right direction. And it has. We just want to win out. We don't talk about it, we just take it one game at a time. We have a tough back-to-back coming up over the weekend." Walker on small ball and the road: "I think it's going to be effective. Right now, we're putting a lot of teams in a bind and we're just running. We're getting up and down the floor and we're making things a lot easier for ourselves. We're forcing teams to play small lineups. We rebound well for our size. We attack the glass and that's a good thing as well." Antawn Jamison: "Today was just one of those games where guys did a tremendous job as far as finding me in the open, and I was able to knock down a couple of jump shots." Jamison: "It's crazy. It's tough for teams to pinpoint who they want to stop. We've got 3 or 4 guys who score 6, 8 points very quickly." Jamison on the 6th Man award: "You have to think about what my mindset has been the last 5 years as far as being a starter and getting dominant minutes. I didn't know really what to expect. As long as I was out there on the court and really contributing to the team, I was really happy. The most important thing is to win basketball games also. You always know, especially for a playoff caliber team, that the 6th man is a vital part. I just really wanted to come in and give an extra boost of energy, a spark off the bench. It took me awhile, but I kind of got accustomed to it and kind of found my niche as far as coming off the bench." Jamison on if winning the 6th Man award would be meaningful: "Of course. A lot of guys wouldn't be able to accept their role. They wouldn't be able to accept lesser minutes. I just think it compliments me as a person to put the ego aside and just go out there and do whatever it takes to help out this team." Jerry Sloan: "They did a terrific job. They came at us and put every thing they had into it. They got us in the 1st quarter, and with a team like we have, we could never get anything going. We got back in the game a little bit when it was 14 point ball game, then we missed 2 free throws and came back again on a fast break and threw the ball away and then we couldn't get any closer. They shot the ball free and easy. They were alive. They were good defensively. They were great shooting the ball out on the perimeter and I thought they set some terrific screens. They manhandled us all the way around. I can't say too much about our team. We fought back a little bit, but we didn't have the staying power to get back in it with them because they are just too tough for us." Sloan: "They did what I would like to do if I had a team like that - to try to destroy you so you don't have a chance to get back in it. They look like they're ready to take on anybody right now. We're just not as talented." Sloan on Dallas: "They weren't the same team we played in the other games. They never gave an inch. Criticize us all you want, but I've got to ask myself where that team has been. I think they've got it together and they're ready to take on anyone." Sloan on Dallas: "They shot the ball free and easy. They were alive. They were good defensively. They were great shooting the ball out on the perimeter. And I thought they set some terrific screens. They did a terrific job. Boy, they came at us. They put everything they had into it and they got us in the 1st quarter and, with a team like we've got, we could never get anything going." Sloan: "I'm surprised their team is as good as they were, compared to the other games we've played. Let's be fair about that. They were terrific. They weren't even the same team we played the other games, all the way around. I mean, every player they put out there was alive. They were active, they were on the boards, they were defending, and they never gave an inch in any area that we had to deal with them in." Sloan: "I thought we played hard. You have to remember what we are trying to deal with; they are a pretty good team. I don't think they would trade us talent for talent. We got into a situation where we wanted to play a little bit like they did; take quick shots. Then we missed a couple of shots early and we panicked. When you get a young team and they panic, it's hard to get them back. I thought we were going to get back in it a little bit, but then Andrei missed 2 free throws then threw the ball away on a fast break and we couldn't put any pressure on them. We really are not that good a team defensively. We never have been. But if we don't control a little bit of our offense, we have a tough time defending." Raja Bell on Dallas: "They shot the ball a lot better. They always shoot well in this building. Their zone; it seemed like they made some adjustments to it. They played it well." Bell on Dallas: "It's a credit to them. They shot the hell out of the ball. They shot the ball as well as I've seen a team shoot this year." Bell: "We were very competitive. They just shot the ball. I can't imagine they were shooting any less than 60% at the half. I don't think we played great, but I don't think you can say that we didn't compete. Carlos Arroyo: "Offensively, they didn't miss tonight. It was our fault too, because that we didn't get back on defense sometimes. But ... they weren't missing nothing. You know? We tried our best. We tried to come back. ... We were trying. We were trying. But it one of those nights that the other team just don't miss nothing." Mikki Moore: "We got smacked in the mouth because we didn't play good team defense. We didn't communicate and nobody rotated to the open shooter. We've just got to take a page from their book and come out and play like that." Dallas Mavericks 117, Utah Jazz 94 at Dallas (April 8) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th - Final 2FG 3FG FG% FT% Dallas 35 27 30 25 - 117 .533 .529 .532 .867 Utah 18 29 26 21 - 94 .491 .500 .493 .700 Halftime: Dallas 62-47 3rd Q: Dallas 92-73 Technicals: Shawn Bradley 4:15 3rd Flagrant foul: Jarron Collins 4:12 1st Refs: Gary Zielinski, Jim Clark, Ron Olesiak Attendance: 20,226 (sellout) Dallas Mavericks REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Michael Finley 28 5-11 3-5 1-2 14 0-0 1 1 3 2 0 Antoine Walker 30 6-9 1-1 2-4 15 1-4 3 1 1 1 0 Dirk Nowitzki 34 7-10 2-4 11-11 27 1-4 3 0 3 1 2 Marquis Daniels 34 5-10 0-0 2-2 12 0-5 5 0 0 3 0 Steve Nash 29 2-5 0-0 2-2 6 1-3 8 0 0 0 1 Josh Howard 32 5-12 2-5 0-0 12 3-8 3 1 5 1 2 Antawn Jamison 25 8-12 1-1 8-9 25 5-9 0 1 1 0 0 Shawn Bradley 11 2-3 0-0 0-0 4 1-1 0 0 2 0 1 Scott Williams 7 1-3 0-0 0-0 2 2-3 0 1 2 0 0 Travis Best 5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-1 0 0 1 1 0 Eduardo Najera 5 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 48 41-77 9-17 26-30 117 14-38 23 5 18 9 6 Utah Jazz REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Andrei Kirilenko 32 5-12 0-2 3-8 13 4-11 3 2 0 1 3 Tom Gugliotta 14 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 2-4 2 1 4 0 1 Jarron Collins 20 2-2 0-0 1-1 5 2-5 1 0 2 0 1 Gordan Giricek 26 3-10 1-1 4-4 11 1-2 2 3 1 0 0 Carlos Arroyo 24 4-11 2-5 0-0 10 0-1 3 1 4 0 0 Raja Bell 22 6-13 2-4 4-4 18 0-1 0 2 5 0 0 Greg Ostertag 18 2-2 0-0 1-2 5 1-1 0 0 1 1 0 Aleksandar Pavlovic 16 1-6 0-0 0-0 2 1-3 2 0 2 0 0 Mikki Moore 26 6-7 0-0 0-0 12 0-2 2 1 1 0 0 Raul Lopez 20 0-0 0-0 1-1 1 0-4 6 2 2 0 0 Michael Ruffin 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 2 0 0 Maurice Williams 19 7-9 3-4 0-0 17 1-3 2 1 1 0 0 Totals 48 36-73 8-16 14-20 94 12-37 23 15 25 2 5 Dallas at Seattle (April 10) The Mavs were without Michael Finley due to bruised ribs - and might as well been without Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash as both had terrible outings. And, thus, it was a very long afternoon. The game was tied at 7-7 with 9 minutes to go and Seattle went on a 10-2 run to go up 17-9 with 5:25 remaining. Seattle held a high single-digit lead the rest of the quarter. Marquis Daniels hit a bucket as the quarter ended. Seattle led 28-21 after 1. Seattle shot 50% FG and Dallas shot just 36% FG. Dallas had an uncharacteristic 6 turnovers in the quarter - they had 5 total in their last game. Seattle hit 3 straight 3-pointers (with a Mavs' bucket between the last 2) and Rashard Lewis nailed a jumper to give Seattle a 39-25 lead with 8:25 remaining. Seattle led 48-35 with 4:25 left and went on a 12-4 run to take their first 20+ point lead at 60-39 with 2:10 to go. Dirk Nowitzki finally hit a shot with 1:15 left - he had missed his first 8 attempts. Seattle led 66-46 at the half. Seattle hit 6 3-pointers in the 2nd quarter. Marquis Daniels had 20 points in the half. Things did not improve for Dallas in the 2nd half as the Sonics' lead was over 20 points for the first 10 minutes of the 3rd quarter. Seattle led 85-60 with 4:55 left and Dallas went on a 13-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Antoine Walker, to pull within 73-87 with 1:50 to go. But Dallas did not score the rest of the quarter and Seattle led 91-73 after 3. Walker had 11 points in the quarter. Consecutive 3-pointers pulled Dallas within 81-93 with 10:15 left, but Seattle responded by scoring the next 6 points. Dallas would get no closer than 15 points the rest of the way. Steve Nash _finally_ hit a shot with 6 minutes left after missing his first 8 attempts. Seattle scored 10 straight points, capped by consecutive 3-pointers by Brent Barry, to take their largest lead at 117-90 with 2:20. Dallas did score the next 9 points, but the game was long over. Seattle won 119-99. Yuch. The game was the same as the previous Dallas-Seattle game, except the roles were reversed. Seattle was on fire and Dallas could do nothing. Seattle shot 58.6% (51-87) FG including 13-25 3-pointers while Dallas shot 43% (40-93) FG including 7-16 3-pointers. Dallas shot 12-14 FT while Seattle hardly shot any at 4-6 FT. Added to Dallas' shooting woes was that they kept shooting jumpers - the cardinal rule is that if you are struggling with your shot, take it inside. And it is not like Seattle has a good inside presence. Dallas just kept getting good looks and taking them even though most on the team were struggling. Seattle out-scored Dallas 60 to 38 in the paint. The biggest problem for Dallas was that 2 of their top 3 players combined for just 14 points including 5-25 FG and the 3rd didn't play. Seattle did set an opponent team record with just 2 offensive rebounds, but you don't need those offensive rebounds when you are shooting almost 60% FG. Seattle had good performances all around and had 6 players in double-digits and 2 others near 10 points. Rashard Lewis was the high man with 25 points including 11-15 FG. Ray Allen had 17 points and 5 rebounds. Rookie Luke Ridnour got the starting nod at point and had a very nice outing with 16 points on 8-11 FG and 13 assists. Ansu Sesay also started and had 12 points and 6 rebounds. Brent Barry had his shooting touch in this game and had 18 points on 7-10 FG and 4-6 3-pointers. He also had 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Calvin Booth had 10 points on 5-6 FG and 5 rebounds in 18 minutes. Ronald Murray had 9 points and Richie Frahm had 8 points. Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash laid big eggs. Nowitzki had just 10 points including 3-15 FG and 6 rebounds. Nash had 4 points including 2-10 FG and 7 assists (and 3 turnovers). Josh Howard was the 3rd starter to have a poor outing. He had 5 points including 2-10 FG and 5 rebounds. The shame was that an excellent game by Marquis Daniels was wasted. Daniels had a career high 33 points including 14-18 FG. He also had 5 rebounds. He, Antoine Walker, and Antawn Jamison were the only Mavs to play well. Walker had 19 points and 7 rebounds. Jamison had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Quotes Nate McMillan: "I thought the guys came out and pushed the ball, shared the ball, defended the ball, and made it a fun day in this building. It was an exciting game for those guys to play in. I thought the guys worked together." McMillan on Ridnour: "Luke brought his game to the floor. He's a guy that forces that tempo to be fast and I thought tonight he set the tone by pushing the ball off made and missed baskets. He found shooters. I think he was really looking to deliver the ball and when he had his opportunities to score took advantage of that. I thought his defense was really good, just containing Nash and keeping Nash in front of him." McMillan on Ridnour: "I thought he had a good night - pushing the ball, delivering the ball, defending the ball. It was an opportunity to look at him. Tonight against Nash I thought he did a really good job. He kept the pace at a tempo that was really good for us. When we started to play a half court game and let them set up in their zone we started to turn the ball over and allowed them to control the tempo." McMillan: "I thought Luke set the tone early by pushing the ball and that's what we wanted him to do. We wanted to push the ball and we say play early or play late. And we had a lot of opportunities to play early getting to the basket, getting to the rim. We wanted to keep the pressure on them, they looked a little fatigued. Keep the pressure on them to get back defensively. Good shooting comes from good passing. The fact that we had 20 assists at halftime and 32 for the game shows that we were sharing the ball. Whenever you share the ball and have your feet set, it makes it an easier shot. Everybody was looking to share the ball and we shot a high percentage. We came out and played hard and played together which is what were looking for." Ray Allen on Ridnour: "Luke jumped into the game. He kept the flow of the game fast and for the longest time our best basketball is when we're playing fast. We're not really going down into the post. We're just trying to run and create mismatches. He played to our strengths tonight and he made some great plays tonight and that made everyone optimistic when they ran up the floor." Luke Ridnour: "I had a lot of layups. Any time you get in a rhythm, you get comfortable and shots become easier. When you get in a rhythm you don't have to force it right away and make something happen." Ridnour: "We wanted to get a win. They got us pretty good at their place and we hadn't beaten them yet this season. We wanted to come out and really push the ball on them and we were able to do that. We were able to get in a rhythm and push the ball a lot. We were really running tonight and to start off like that really opened up the whole game from there on out. Guys were hitting shots which makes us harder to guard and when that happens it makes it easier for all of us guards to get into the cracks." Ridnour: "Coach McMillan just told me to go out and play and have some fun. We were able to get stops and then get out and run and that opened up the whole court for us. I just wanted to make the most of the chances I get." Ridnour on starting: "I just thank the Lord for keeping me patient and giving me the strength to do it. I just try to stay ready and make the most of it when I get the opportunity." Ridnour on his 13 assists: "Guys were just running hard, getting open." Ridnour on Nash: "He's a tough match up. Everyone did a good job of helping and trying to get back. We wanted to clog his game and make him take tough shots. He missed a few that he usually makes but we kept pushing the ball and made them get back on D." Ansu Sesay on defending Nowitzki: "I wish I could say it was just me, but it was Rashard, Ray, and Brent; those guys believing in me and coming over when Dirk got the ball. No one man can shut down an All-Star in this league." Don Nelson: "All I can tell you is we were terrible tonight and didn't deserve to win. I thought they were sensational. They were as good as we were bad and that spells disaster. My 2 best players were my worst 2 players tonight. I was very disappointed with the performance. It's too bad that Marquis had such a great game and we blow it. He and Jamison and Walker were the only real guys that competed. Nobody else really showed up in my mind." Nelson: "I'm pretty disappointed but thats what happens in the NBA where you have games where you are not good. That certainly was the case with Nash and Nowitzki tonight. I might as well given them the game off like I did Finley and have the whole big 3 not show up. We probably would have had a better shot to win." Nelson: "You never know when they are going to happen. You never know when you're going to be terrible. You just don't. It's like a golfer. He hits practice balls and gets out there and can't keep it on the fairway. Sometimes you have games where the whole game you are in the sand trap and you 3 or 4 putt and you have a high score. That's the way we played tonight. We couldn't get anything consistently going." Dirk Nowitzki: "We have played well lately and this was tough. Luckily there is another game tomorrow. I had great looks I thought it's just that some nights nothing will drop. We didn't get any bounces and they got all the bounces. They were more aggressive than we were and usually the aggressor gets the calls and bounces. Thats why they won the game." Nowitzki: "I had great looks, I thought. I missed a couple of open ones and the next thing you know, you start 0-8." Nowitzki: "Last year down the stretch, we just had that confidence that we were going to win the game. I don't think this year we have that confidence down the stretch." Steve Nash: "You'd think that somewhere along the line, we'd figure out how to be as successful on the road as we are at home." Nash on Ridnour: "I thought he was great. He played an awesome game tonight. I think he's going to be a terrific player. He's still trying to fight for his opportunities, but those will come in time." Antoine Walker: "It was a tough loss for us. It's a tough back-to-back situation against teams like Seattle. They are still playing hard regardless of their record." Walker: "They are difficult to play and you have to bring your A game. We missed shots early and we kind of got down on ourselves. Being down 20 points to a team that shoots the ball well it makes it very difficulty to get back in the game. They controlled the game pretty much from start to finish." Walker: "I thought it was good that we had 3 of our last 4 games on the road because we have a lot to prove. But we didn't prove anything today. We missed shots early and kind of got down on ourselves." Seattle Sonics 119, Dallas Mavericks 99 at Seattle (April 10) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th - Final 2FG 3FG FG% FT% Seattle 28 38 25 28 - 119 .513 .520 .586 .667 Dallas 21 25 27 26 - 99 .429 .438 .430 .857 Halftime: Seattle 66-46 3rd Q: Seattle 91-73 Technicals: none Refs: James Capers, Joey Crawford, LeRoy Richardson Attendance: 17.072 (sellout) Did not play due to injury: Michael Finley bruised ribs) Seattle Sonics REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Rashard Lewis 32 11-15 3-5 0-0 25 0-4 3 0 3 2 0 Ansu Sesay 29 5-12 0-0 2-3 12 0-6 2 1 0 1 1 Vitaly Potapenko 21 2-5 0-0 0-0 4 0-6 0 0 0 0 1 Ray Allen 38 6-14 3-7 2-2 17 0-5 3 1 3 1 0 Luke Ridnour 32 8-11 0-0 0-0 16 1-4 13 3 3 1 0 Brent Barry 32 7-10 4-6 0-1 18 0-7 7 4 1 1 1 Ronald Murray 21 4-8 1-3 0-0 9 0-0 3 0 1 0 0 Calvin Booth 18 5-6 0-0 0-0 10 1-5 0 1 2 0 2 Richie Frahm 17 3-6 2-4 0-0 8 0-1 1 0 0 0 0 Totals 48 51-87 13-25 4-6 119 2-38 32 11 13 6 5 Dallas Mavericks REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Josh Howard 34 2-10 1-3 0-0 5 2-5 3 0 1 1 1 Antoine Walker 25 8-15 1-3 2-4 19 1-7 2 3 1 1 1 Dirk Nowitzki 27 3-15 2-4 2-2 10 0-6 1 1 1 0 2 Marquis Daniels 44 14-18 1-2 4-4 33 3-5 3 3 2 2 0 Steve Nash 28 2-10 0-2 0-0 4 1-1 7 3 2 0 1 Eduardo Najera 11 1-2 0-0 2-2 4 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 Travis Best 23 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0-2 6 0 1 0 0 Scott Williams 9 1-3 0-0 0-0 2 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 Shawn Bradley 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-1 0 1 0 0 0 Antawn Jamison 37 9-18 2-2 2-2 22 3-10 2 2 2 2 1 Totals 48 40-93 7-16 12-14 99 11-43 24 13 10 6 6 Dallas at Golden State (April 11) Dallas was again without Michael Finley due to bruised ribs. But at least this time Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash showed up. Dallas went up 11-2 with 7:45 remaining, but that was their largest lead of the quarter as Golden State scored the next 7 points. Dallas was able to hang on to a single-digit lead for the rest of the quarter. Brian Cardinal drained a 3-pointer near the quarter's end. Dallas led 33-28 after 1. Antoine Walker had 10 points. The game stayed close in the 2nd quarter with neither Dallas able to pull away nor Golden State able to tie or go ahead. Dallas scored 6 straight points to take their largest lead at 56-46 with 1:15 left, but Golden State scored the last 3 points of the quarter. Dallas led 56-49 at the half. It was more of the same in the 3rd quarter as Dallas' lead ranged between 3 and 8 points. Dallas connected on 4 free throws in the last 10 seconds of the quarter to go up 86-79 after 3. Golden State slowly chipped away at Dallas' lead in the 4th quarter and a layup by Calbert Cheaney and dunk by Jason Richardson pulled Golden State within 91-93 with 7:50 left. A 3-pointer by Clifford Robinson tied the game at 101-101 with 4:10 left and then a jumper by Robinson gave the Warriors their first lead of the game with 3:45 to go. A layup by Speedy Claxton capped the 7-0 run to give Golden State a 105-101 lead with 3:20 remaining. Golden State was unable to pull away and Dallas was unable to pull even. A layup by Claxton gave Golden State a 108-105 lead with 1:50 left. Marquis Daniel's shot was blocked, but Antawn Jamison got the tip in with 1:30 to go. It then became a comedy of errors as Golden State missed, the teams traded turnovers, and the teams traded misses and Golden State still held a 1 point lead with 20 seconds left. After a timeout, Steve Nash missed a layup attempt with about 15 seconds left, but Jamison got the rebound. The Mavs worked the ball a little bit and Nowitzki slipped while driving and passed out the ball to Antoine Walker, whose 3-point attempt bounced off the back of the rim with a second left and Cardinal got the rebound and time expired. Golden State won 108-107. The loss ended a streak of 20 straight games won against Golden State - Golden State's last win vs Dallas came in April 1999. Golden State won the game thanks to some red hot shooting in the 4th quarter - 12-19 FG - while Dallas shot just 7-18 FG and committed 5 turnovers in the quarter. As would be expected with a 1 point game, the stat numbers are not too different for the 2 teams. For the game, Golden State shot 45.2% (42-93) FG including 5-13 3-pointers and Dallas shot 44.9% (40-89) FG including 3-9 3-pointers. Dallas had 45 rebounds including 15 offensive and Golden State had 44 rebounds including 18 offensive. Dallas currently has the same record as Memphis. Tuesday's Memphis at Dallas game will determine which team gets the #5 seed and which will get the #6 seed - Wednesday's games (Dallas at Houston and Minnesota at Memphis) will have no affect. The winner of the Dal-Mem game will either have the overall better record or be tied with the other with the winner having the tie breaker (a Memphis win gives them the better head-to-head; a Dallas win leaves the series tied and Dallas has the better conference record). Of course, it is still unknown who will hold the #4 seed (whom the #5 seed faces) and the #3 seed (whom the #6 seed faces) - mostly like San Antonio and the Lakers (with a small chance for Sacramento) will hold the #3 and #4 spots, with the order still to be determined. It was Jason Richardson and the bench that played well for Golden State. Richardson had 24 points and 11 rebounds (but also had 5 turnovers). The other 4 starters combined for 24 points including 8-24 FG, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. The bench contributed 60 points including 24-48 FG, 17 rebounds, and 14 assists. The bench players get mentioned here. Speedy Claxton had 19 points and 9 assists in 31 minutes. Troy Murphy had 16 points and 5 rebounds. He suffered a chest contusion midway through the 4th quarter and did not return. Brian Cardinal had 17 points including 6-7 FG and 5 rebounds. And Calbert Cheaney chipped in 8 points. Dirk Nowitzki was the high man for Dallas with 29 points including 10-15 FG and had 14 rebounds, but also had 6 turnovers. Marquis Daniels again had a nice outing (though his shooting was off) with 21 points including 9-25 FG, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Antoine Walker contributed 16 points and 9 rebounds. Steve Nash had a double-double with 11 points and 12 assists. Antawn Jamison had 14 points and 7 rebounds. Josh Howard did not play in the 2nd half due to his hamstring again tightening up. Quotes Eric Musselman: "I thought our defense was unbelievable, we got stop after stop against a great offensive team. Cardinal gave us phenomenal play off the bench. Cliff was sitting for a while when Murphy was shooting the ball well and then [Robinson] came in and scored 5 quick points" Musselman: "Popeye and Avery helped us a lot during the course of the game because they know Dallas' thinking and they help us out as to what Dallas might run. Ever since the first 20 games when [Claxton] was put in the starting position, he has been such a key ingredient, he has played so well for us; he plays so hard and plays with great energy." Musselman: "I thought this was just a phenomenal basketball game, it was a great basketball for the fans to watch. Both teams played extremely hard. I could not be prouder in the locker room. We only have 3 games left and we played like it was a playoff game tonight. Every timeout we were down 6 or 7 and we could not tie it up, then eventually we took the lead. We played a great half against Minnesota then they made a run and we could not counter. Tonight, we did not cave in at all we played hard and we believed in each other." Brian Cardinal: "We are winding down the season and unfortunately we are not going to make the playoffs, so we are treating these last 3 games like they are playoff games. We are playing against some great teams, teams who can make the finals." Cardinal: "We've played our 80th game together and we were able to grind this one out. We have had a lot key games where it came down to a key bucket or a rebound or a play and we weren't able to make it but tonight I think we were able to do that only because we've had so many opportunities that we weren't able to follow through on and I think we learned from those past experiences." Cardinal on his assist with 1:50 left: "The ball just happened to come to me. I saw Speedo in there, the smallest guy on the court amid the tall timber, and he was able to get the basket. It was huge." Cardinal: "Their style of basketball is a fun style to play against. It's up-and-down. It's mano a mano. You grind it out. We made plays down the stretch." Cardinal: "Our team has a bench that is full of great players. We have players who can come in there and spell the starters and we even have some guys who could even be starters on both teams. We just go in there and try to play hard; it does not matter how many minutes we get, we just play hard and try to get the W." Calbert Cheaney: "It was a big win for us. We got off to a slow start in the beginning of the game but then we got some good energy off the bench. Troy, Cardinal, Speedy, everyone did a great job for us, especially in the 4th quarter. We made the big plays when we had to. Cliff hit a couple big shots for us to put us over the hump. Everyone made a conscience effort and we got a big win." Cheaney: "It felt like we won the championship. The crowd was great. This was a fun night. When we play hard, great things happen. Even though we're out of the playoffs, it felt great. We want to go into the summer on a positive note and look forward to next year." Cheaney on the bench: "We try to play hard. I think that we have one of the best benches in the league and we just go out there and do a pretty good job. Ever since Troy came back from his injury has been playing really well, it is unfortunate that he had to leave the game with an injury because he was playing well tonight. Even tough we had only 3 games left coming into the game tonight everyone is playing really hard, and we are being professionals about everything and we are just trying to get the job done." Clifford Robinson: "For as tough as it's been, guys have been preparing to play. We come out and play hard and stay focused on what we have to do." Don Nelson: "Tonight was the first time since I left Golden State that I lost to them. They caught us, getting a 1 point victory. The streak has included a lot of games in a row." Nelson: "Well if you coach long enough, everything is going to happen to you. Tonight that caught us and they won a 1 pointer on us and it's been a lot of games in a row here. So anyways, congratulations to the Warriors. I thought they played well in the 2nd half and we had our opportunities and didn't capitalize on them." Nelson on the last play: "We had the ball in the hands of whom we wanted. We penetrated and I thought that we had 2 good looks and we did not get it done." Nelson: "I have been hoping to build on my small lineup, but injuries have not allowed us to go with a small lineup." Nelson on small ball and the road trip: "You can't judge it because we had 1 or 2 guys out for both games. We couldn't play small ball like we were." Dirk Nowitzki on the road struggles: "I don't know what to say. Of course it's tough to start on the road. We'd much rather start at home. It's been a concern for us all year long. We haven't been able to win road games consistently, but we can't cry about it. We've got to go for it. We've got to compete. We have a lot of talent and I don't think anyone in the top 4 really want to face the Mavericks." Steve Nash: "It was a horrible weekend for us. At some point it is not going to go your way and tonight it did not go our way. It was a tough road loss for us, but I felt that we played at a higher convention tonight than last night." Nash: "It was a terrible weekend for us. We haven't lost to Golden State in I don't know how long." Nash: "Going into the playoffs, you just have to hope that you are playing at your best, and it will give you a headache thinking about who you are going to play, because it can change hourly." Antoine Walker: "We are just coming up on the short end of too many road games. We played hard tonight, we just ran into a team that is not playing for anything and are free shooting. We got caught on this road trip, but we just have to finish off these last 2 games strong. It was unfortunate that we played well for 3 1/2 quarters and to lose this one." Walker on his last shot: "It felt great. I thought that it was in. Dirk slipped in that situation and he passed the ball out to me. I pump faked, had a good look, and the ball just went off the back end of the rim. It is tough when it comes down to that situation." Walker on Golden State: "They are tough in this building. They also a tough team and a young team. The Warriors were bothered by injuries all seasons, and that is probably what hurt them. Speedy came into the game and gave them a big lift and made some big plays in the 4th quarter." Josh Howard on his injury: "I don't know how it happened, but it keeps tightening up. I can play on it for a short amount of time. But I have trouble getting my body even because I'm favoring it." Golden State Warriors 108, Dallas Mavericks 107 at Golden State (April 11) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th - Final 2FG 3FG FG% FT% Golden State 28 21 30 29 - 108 .463 .385 .452 .864 Dallas 33 23 30 21 - 107 .463 .333 .449 .923 Halftime: Dallas 56-49 3rd Q: Dallas 86-79 Technicals: Eric Musselman 8:46 1st, Dallas defensive 3 seconds 2:39 1st, Dallas defensive 3 seconds 4:35 3rd, Shawn Bradley 6:33 4th Refs: Bob Delaney, Jason Phillips, Sean Corbin Attendance: 14,759 (cap 19,596) Did not play due to injury: Avery Johnson (strained right hamstring), Michael Finley (bruised ribs) Golden State Warriors REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Clifford Robinson 32 3-9 2-4 0-0 8 0-1 3 2 4 0 0 Mickael Pietrus 16 2-4 0-1 1-2 5 6-8 0 3 3 1 0 Adonal Foyle 13 1-3 0-0 0-0 2 1-3 0 1 0 1 2 Jason Richardson 44 10-21 0-2 4-4 24 4-11 3 5 1 0 1 Mike Dunleavy 20 2-8 1-2 4-5 9 1-4 2 1 2 3 0 Speedy Claxton 31 7-15 0-0 5-6 19 1-3 9 0 4 3 0 Calbert Cheaney 26 4-9 0-0 0-0 8 0-1 2 0 2 0 0 Troy Murphy 29 7-17 0-1 2-2 16 3-5 1 0 4 0 1 Brian Cardinal 29 6-7 2-3 3-3 17 2-8 2 1 4 1 0 Totals 48 42-93 5-13 19-22 108 18-44 22 13 24 9 4 Dallas Mavericks REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Antoine Walker 37 6-14 0-0 4-4 16 3-9 3 0 4 1 2 Josh Howard 17 2-4 1-3 0-0 5 0-1 0 1 2 0 0 Dirk Nowitzki 46 10-15 1-2 8-9 29 1-14 3 6 3 2 1 Steve Nash 37 5-12 0-0 1-1 11 1-1 12 2 4 4 0 Marquis Daniels 45 9-25 1-3 2-2 21 4-7 6 3 0 2 0 Antawn Jamison 32 5-12 0-1 4-5 14 4-7 0 0 1 0 0 Eduardo Najera 7 1-2 0-0 0-0 2 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 Shawn Bradley 16 1-4 0-0 5-5 7 2-5 1 0 3 0 0 Travis Best 3 1-1 0-0 0-0 2 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 Totals 48 40-89 3-9 24-26 107 15-45 25 14 18 9 3 patricia