Dallas activated Michael Finley and placed DJ Mbenga on IR with a strained right hamstring. Finley had missed 15 games due to his sprained right ankle. Marquis Daniels also returned to action after missing 1 game due to his sprained left ankle. Seattle at Dallas (December 9) Seattle was playing the 2nd night of a back-to-back after handing San Antonio their first home loss in 21 games, but it was Dallas who came out sluggish and without energy as Seattle had all the hustle points. Seattle scored 6 straight points to go up 11-9 with 8:50 left. A 3-pointer by Darrell Armstrong gave Dallas a 20-19 lead with 5 minutes to go, but Seattle then scored the next 10 points, capped by a 3-pointer by Vladimir Radmanovic, to go up 29-20 with 2:30 remaining. Antonio Daniels banked in a lucky shot at the quarter buzzer to give Seattle a 35-26 lead after 1. Dallas shot 58% FG while Seattle shot 48% FG (including 4-7 3-pointers), but Seattle out-rebounded Dallas 15-6 including 7-0 offensive [and this was the next game after Dallas dominated Minnesota on the boards - it was simply an lack of effort this night]. Dallas scored the first 4 points of the 2nd quarter, but Seattle then scored the next 6 points to go up 41-30 with 9:15 left. Dallas pulled within 41-47 with 5:30 to go on a 3-pointer by Michael Finley, but Seattle then scored the next 9 points to go up 56-41 with 3:40 remaining. Dirk Nowitzki scored 8 straight points to pull Dallas within 51-58 with 1:45 left. Radmanovic hit a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to give Seattle a 62-52 lead at the half. Nowitzki had 11 points in the quarter. For the half, Dallas was out-rebounded 26-11 including 10-1 offensive. Ray Allen opened the 3rd quarter with a 3-pointer and Luke Ridnour got a layup to give Seattle a 67-52 lead with 10:45 left, but Seattle was unable to get their lead larger than 15 points. Seattle led 76-61 with 4 minutes to go and then went cold in missing their next 4 shots and Dallas scored 7 straight points to pull within 68-76 with 2:20 remaining. Seattle led 80-73 after 3. Finley had 10 points in the 3rd quarter. Seattle only shot 6-20 FG in the quarter, but Dallas wasn't much better in shooting 6-18 FG. Radmanovic opened the 4th quarter with (what else) a 3-pointer, but Jerry Stackhouse scored the next 5 points and Marquis Daniels got a steal and dunk on the break to pull Dallas within 80-83 with 10:20 to go. Seattle led 86-82 with 8:20 remaining. Nowitzki hit a tough jumper and was fouled and hit the extra and Stackhouse hit 2 free throws to give Dallas an 87-86 lead with 7:10 left. The lead lasted all of 18 seconds as Rashard Lewis hit a jumper, Radmanovic hit (what else) a 3-pointer, and Jerome James converted a 3-point play to give Seattle a 94-87 lead with 5:30 to go. Nowitzki was undercut by Luke Ridnour going for a rebound and fell hard [it should have been a flagrant - it was dangerous and intent has nothing to do with whether or not it is a flagrant]. Nowitzki was able to shake off the pain (and Dallas had to use a timeout, leaving them with just 1 left) and continued playing. A power slam by Lewis gave Seattle a 101-95 lead with 2:45 left. Stackhouse got a steal off an inbounds pass and dunk on the break and then got a layup and was fouled. He hit the extra to pull Dallas within 100-101 with 1:25 remaining. But Lewis drained a 3-pointer as the shot clock was running down to give Seattle a 4-point cushion with a minute to go. Stackhouse was fouled and hit 2 free throws 6 seconds later. Allen drove, but missed the layup and Stackhouse got the rebound. The Mavs passed the ball around and found Finley wide open behind the arc, but his 3-point attempt missed and the ball went over the back board giving possession to Seattle with 22 seconds left. Lewis was intentionally fouled and hit both free throws with 18 seconds left. Nowitzki missed on 2 attempts (non-3-pointers) and a free throw by Radmanovic capped the scoring. Seattle won 107-102. Dallas started very sluggish and picked up their play in the 2nd half and Seattle started very well and slipped some in the 2nd half, including playing not to lose near the end of the game in holding the ball and running down the clock when there was still plenty of time left in the game. Give Dallas credit for their comeback, but give them lumps for their lackluster early play. Seattle deserved the win. Dallas simply gave Seattle too many open outside looks - and that is what Seattle has been winning with. Seattle shot 45.2% (38-84) FG including 10-23 3-pointers and 21-30 FT. Dallas shot 45.5% (35-77) FG including 6-17 3-pointers and 26-30 FT. Seattle out-rebounded Dallas 47-35 including 17-8 offensive [Dallas had 54 rebounds including 24 offensive in their previous game]. Rashard Lewis carried the Sonics in the 4th quarter with 13 points in the quarter including 9 of Seattle's 13 points in the last 4 1/2 minutes of the game. He finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds. Ray Allen had 22 points (but didn't score in the 4th quarter), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 turnovers. All but 1 of Vladimir Radmanovic's made buckets was a 3-pointer. He had 18 points including 5-7 3-pointers and 4 rebounds. Luke Ridnour had 10 points and 7 assists. Reggie Evans had 7 points including 5-10 FT and 9 rebounds and Danny Fortson had 7 points and 8 rebounds. Say what you will about Dirk Nowitzki, but just don't call him soft. Not only did he take a nasty spill in the 4th quarter and continue playing, but he tweaked his ankle earlier in the game and had to go to the locker room and then returned to play despite being in pain. Despite his limited mobility (probably the reason his rebounding numbers were so low and why he didn't drive to the bucket too much), Nowitzki had 27 points including 9-10 FT and 7 rebounds in 39 minutes. Michael Finley enjoyed his return to action and his only disappointment was his missed 3-pointer, which was a good look. He had 19 points in playing 36 minutes. Jerry Stackhouse also had 19 points including 9-10 FT and had 5 rebounds. He did have 3 sloppy turnovers. Marquis Daniels was the only other Mav in double-digits with 10 points including 8 in the 4th quarter, but was also guilty of some sloppy turnovers (had 4 turnovers). Darrell Armstrong had 5 points and 4 assists and Jason Terry had 9 points and 3 assists, but both were on the bench for the 4th quarter as Don Nelson opted to play Daniels and Josh Howard (probably because Dallas was switching on Seattle's pick-and-roll and getting killed with Armstrong/Terry getting switched to a much taller player). Howard had 6 points. Erick Dampier had 7 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Quotes Nate McMillian: "They came out. They worked hard. They played together. They fought and scrapped for 48 minutes in both of these games against 2 very good teams. They believe in what they are doing. We are getting effort from everyone who steps out on the floor. We talk all the time about playing the game the right way; being unselfish and playing for 48 minutes. We will take whatever result at the end of the game. They earned that game tonight. Dallas was right there. We had to make some plays, make some stops, make some adjustments; and they did all that." McMillan: "Winning games is about making plays and making shots, finishing a game off, and we've been able to do that." McMillan: "Really, I don't care what anyone says. We know we have a long ways to go." Ray Allen: "We got off to great starts and had sizeable leads. Both teams made runs on us, but the most important thing is that we sustained down the stretch. Offensively, different guys are stepping up and making shots. Teams don't know what to do a lot of times because it isn't just me and Rashard. It's been Luke. It's been Antonio. Vladimir has hit some big shots for us. We have a lot of guys stepping up and playing well. When everyone is playing well, it makes everybody's job easier." Allen on Lewis: "Rashard is playing like a man possessed. He is on a mission. I think for too many years he has been the guy to sit back and watch other players and talk about other teams, and now he feels like it's his turn. It this team's turn. We all hold that mentality. He's one of the guys that is out at the forefront making it happen." Rashard Lewis: "I had been struggling with my shot, missing some easy shots, but I kept confident. My shots were going to fall. ... This year, I know I've got to step up my game at crunch time. I've got to do my part to open things up for my teammates." Lewis on his 4th quarter: "Aggressiveness took over and basically being a leader on this team. I just felt real comfortable with all the shots that I was taking. They weren't all falling for me, but I knew if I continued to take them, eventually it was going to fall." Lewis: "In order for this team to be successful, I have to step up, especially in crunch time when we need baskets. Teams are going to double-team Ray Allen. They're going to jump him on pick-and-rolls. I feel like I have to step up and do my part in order to open up shots for Ray." Lewis: "It is exciting and we are happy we are winning ball games. But we also know it can turn around in a week, and we don't want that to happen." Antonio Daniels on defense: "That's what we have to do. Night in and night out you have a lot of guys that have to be able to guard different positions. Vladimir on a lot of nights. Myself on a lot of nights. Ray on a lot of nights. Rashard on a lot of nights. We have to be versatile offensively as well as defensively." Daniels on being aggressive: "That's something we are trying to focus on from the initial horn. We are not trying to let the game come to us or see how the referees are going to call the game or try to see how they are playing. We are trying to go out and be the aggressors - attack the bucket, attack the rim, and take advantage of our shots when we have them. We can't afford to sit back and let the game come to us. We are trying to be the aggressors when the game starts and hopefully get some calls." Daniels on Ridnour undercutting Nowitzki: "Luke was just in a bad place. A year ago we were soft, so ... we just have to be who we are and play how we play. Sometimes we're aggressive, but we don't have anybody in this league that's a malicious person." Danny Fortson on beating San Antonio and Dallas: "I never dreamed of it being this way. We proved something to ourselves. If you go out there and play hard, anything's possible." Fortson: "This is like a high. You know what I mean - like once you start, you can't stop. The high feels so good that we don't even want to think about losing right now." Luke Ridnour on undercutting Nowitzki: "I didn't mean to undercut him. I told him I didn't mean it. To get 2 in a row is good. To come off the game [Wednesday] and show we can win again is good. Rashard hit some big shots." Don Nelson: "We played a terrible 1st half and a great 2nd half. We didn't have enough to win the game. We played really well in the 2nd half on both ends of the floor. We had a little trouble scoring the ball. It turned into being a good game. I have no complaints about anything. I wish we would have made a shot or 2 that rolled out. They are a hot team right now. The best team in the West, record-wise. On a back-to-back night, to beat San Antonio one night and us the other, is pretty strong credentials. Between them and Phoenix, they are the 2 standouts in the West so far and we knew we were going to have to play a great game and we didn't. We didn't rise up like we needed to in the 1st half." Nelson: "We have a new bully in the West. Who would have ever thought it would be Seattle?" Nelson: "Everybody played okay, but nobody was good enough." Nelson: "We really fought to get back into the game and take the lead, but it just seemed like they hit big shot after big shot." Nelson on Finley: "It was good to have him out there. He will get stronger as he plays. There were some lapses, but he wasn't the only one." Nelson on Finley: "He's been out a long time. We've missed him, no question. He didn't have his timing. He's a well oiled machine when he's healthy. When he's rusty, it just takes some time." Dirk Nowitzki: "It's still early. We still have a lot of improving to do on both ends of the court." Nowitzki: "What doesn't hurt? I feel like I'm 90 years old." Nowitzki on Ridnour undercutting him: "I don't really know what he was doing. I'm [7-0 tall]. He wasn't going to get the rebound, that's for sure. I really don't know what his goal was or what his intention was. I certainly don't think he's a dirty player. He just made a bad decision on the play." Michael Finley on his late 3-point attempt: "If that situation comes up again, I'll take that shot every time. That might have been my first and only shot in the 4th quarter. Maybe I was a little rusty. I had a great pass from Dirk and a great look at the basket. I just came up short." Finley: "We play hard at home. But sometimes we don't play hard enough from the jump. We'll just have to win on the road." Finley on his ankle: "For the most part it held up well. I think maybe I surprised myself a little bit and even surprised the coaching staff with the amount of minutes I did play." Jason Terry: "You definitely want to beat those teams that are front running right now. It will be a bigger sign later in the season, but you want to win every game you play, especially at home. You want to make a statement to these teams early. Right now, we're just a little behind. We'll see them again." Terry on Finley: "I thought Fin played solid. He made some big shots out there, and he did all he can do. He did a great job and he played good defense, too." Darrell Armstrong on the 1st quarter: "The tone was great. Unfortunately, they were just hitting shots. The biggest thing was that we continued to lead most of the 1st quarter, but they continued to fire at us too. They're a difficult team to play because they have so many weapons from outside. They cause a lot of switches and advantages for them. Marquis was getting to the basket late and also finding guys for shots. It became difficult for them too, but it didn't hurt that they were missing shots in the 2nd half." Armstrong on the 4th quarter: "We really fought to get back into the game and take the lead and the crowd got back into the game, but it just seemed liked they hit big shot after big shot. You've got to give them a lot of credit. They found a way to take the lead and keep it the rest of the night." Josh Howard on Seattle: "They're for real. They can pass it, they can shoot it, and they don't quit." Howard: "The games we've lost against the better teams have been close, except against San Antonio. We have to stay focused, especially in tight situations. This is one we could have won." Marquis Daniels: "We haven't really played Mavericks basketball. We still have guys with injuries nagging guys. Once everyone gets healthy, the sky's the limit for us. We're not very concerned right now. We know that we have to pick it up and play 4 quarters as opposed to just a half." Daniels on Finley's return: "It's great for him to be back out there. He still had a little rust on him, but he played very well tonight. He played better than most guys who are not injured. He's a great leader and he brought a lot of emotional leadership to this team. Just to know he's out there gives us another scoring threat along with Dirk and the other great scorers we have on this team. He knows this whole system and knowing where everyone suppose to be helps out a lot." Shawn Bradley on Finley's return: "I thought he did a good job tonight. Unfortunately, we as a team didn't do what we needed to do to win." Seattle Sonics 107, Dallas Mavericks 102 at Dallas (December 9) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th - Final 2FG 3FG FG% FT% Seattle 35 27 18 27 - 107 .459 .435 .452 .700 Dallas 26 26 21 29 - 102 .483 .353 .455 .867 Halftime: Seattle 62-52 3rd Q: Seattle 80-73 Technicals: Dallas defensive 3 seconds 1:15 2nd, Reggie Evans 6:44 3rd Refs: Jim Clark, Leon Wood, Michael Henderson Attendance: 19,733 (sellout) Seattle Sonics REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Ray Allen 40 9-19 2-7 2-3 22 0-5 4 4 1 1 0 Luke Ridnour 31 5-9 0-2 0-0 10 0-3 7 1 5 2 1 Rashard Lewis 40 9-21 2-5 5-6 25 5-9 2 3 3 2 1 Reggie Evans 18 1-4 0-0 5-10 7 5-9 0 1 4 2 0 Jerome James 17 2-2 0-0 3-3 7 2-5 0 0 4 1 1 Vladimir Radmanovic 36 6-11 5-7 1-2 18 0-4 1 1 4 2 0 Antonio Daniels 28 4-11 1-2 0-0 9 0-0 5 3 2 1 0 Danny Fortson 16 1-4 0-0 5-6 7 4-8 1 1 5 0 0 Nick Collison 14 1-3 0-0 0-0 2 1-4 0 1 3 1 0 Totals 48 38-84 10-23 21-30 107 17-47 20 15 31 12 3 Dallas Mavericks REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Michael Finley 36 7-17 2-7 3-3 19 0-2 1 0 4 2 1 Darrell Armstrong 20 2-6 1-3 0-2 5 0-3 4 1 0 0 0 Dirk Nowitzki 39 8-17 2-3 9-10 27 1-7 3 2 2 0 2 Josh Howard 30 3-6 0-1 0-0 6 1-1 1 1 3 2 0 Erick Dampier 28 3-6 0-0 1-1 7 3-9 2 3 5 1 4 Jerry Stackhouse 29 5-11 0-0 9-10 19 1-5 0 3 2 1 0 Marquis Daniels 23 4-7 0-1 2-2 10 1-3 2 4 2 2 0 Jason Terry 17 3-6 1-2 2-2 9 1-2 3 1 2 0 0 Alan Henderson 15 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0-2 0 0 1 1 0 Calvin Booth 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-1 0 0 1 0 1 Totals 48 35-77 6-17 26-30 102 8-35 16 16 22 9 8 patricia