Dallas at Houston (December 11) Dallas jumped out to an early 10-0 lead with 9:10 left as the team finally found their shooting touch. Houston finally got on the board 3 minutes in. A 3-pointer by Andre Barrett pulled Houston within 11-17 with 4 minutes to go, but Dallas then went on an 11-2 run, with 7 points from Dirk Nowitzki, to go up 28-13 with 45 seconds remaining. Dallas led 28-15 after 1. Nowitzki had 11 points and 8 rebounds. Dallas was white hot in shooting over 60% FG while Houston was ice cold in shooting just 25% FG. Erick Dampier collected 3 fouls in the 1st quarter and sat the entire 2nd quarter. Marquis Daniels opened the 2nd quarter with a layup and Houston then scored the next 6 points to pull within 21-30 with 10 minutes left, but Nowitzki ended Houston's run with a 3-pointer and Dallas led in double-digits most of the rest of the quarter. A 3-pointer by Stackhouse gave Dallas their largest lead at 47-29 with 4:40 remaining. Houston scored the last 8 points of the quarter, capped by a 3-pointer by Jim Jackson at the buzzer, as Dallas went scoreless over the last 2 minutes. Dallas led 50-41 at the half. Yao Ming took advantage of Dampier being out and had 11 points in the 2nd quarter (he was scoreless in the 1st in missing 3 shots). For the half, Dallas shot 53% FG and Houston shot 31% FG, but the Rockets had an advantage at the line in shooting 16-21 FT while Dallas shot 5-9 FT. A jumper by Tracy McGrady pulled Houston within 47-54 with 9 minutes to go, but Dallas scored the next 7 points, capped by a 3-pointer by Michael Finley, to go up 64-47 with 6:15 left. That 3-pointer kicked off the Michael Finley show as after it Houston got 2 free throws, Finley nailed a 3-pointer, Houston got a jumper, Finley nailed a 3-pointer, Houston got a bucket, and Finley nailed his 4th straight 3-pointer to give Dallas a 73-53 lead with 3:45 to go. Dallas led in the 20s the rest of the quarter. Dallas led 78-58 after 3. Finley had 13 points including 4-5 3-pointers in the 3rd quarter. And the Finley show continued in the 4th quarter as Dallas opened the quarter with a 12-3 run, including 7 points by Finley, to go up 90-61 with 8:10 left and it was garbage time the rest of the way. A 3-pointer by Devin Harris gave Dallas a 30 point lead at 98-68 with 4:20 to go. Dallas won 102-78. It was an easy win for Dallas - shooting the ball well and sharing the ball can make for a blowout, especially when you play defense too. Dallas had 29 assists and only 8 turnovers. The Mavs shooting went down some in the 2nd half (but they also shot 8-16 3-pointers in the 2nd half). For the game, Dallas shot 46.3% (38-82) FG including 11-25 3-pointers. Houston never found their shooting touch and the Rockets shot 33.8% (24-71) FG including 6-18 3-pointers. Dallas out-rebounded Houston 46-43 and both teams had 11 offensive rebounds. Michael Finley normally struggles when returning after a long absence, but not this time. Following his 19 point performance in the last game, he had a game high 26 points including 10-17 FG and 5-8 3-pointers in 35 minutes. He also had 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Due to the blowout, Dirk Nowitzki did not even play in the 4th quarter. Nowitzki had 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 33 minutes. He doesn't have the numbers, but Erick Dampier had a very nice night in defending Yao Ming. Yao only shot 1-8 FG while Dampier was on the court. Dampier had 8 points and 5 rebounds in 21 minutes. Josh Howard had 13 points and 4 rebounds and Marquis Daniels had 11 points. Darrell Armstrong played the point well in dishing out 8 assists and had no turnovers in 19 minutes. He also had 4 points on 2-4 FG. Jason Terry also shared the ball with 5 assists and no turnovers in 22 minutes and had 3 points on 1-3 FG in 22 minutes. Jerry Stackhouse was quiet with just 5 points including 1-4 FG, but did have 4 assists in 20 minutes. The Nowitzki-McGrady rematch was uneventful as the 2 combined for just 37 points whereas they combined for 101 points in the previous matchup. McGrady never got it going and had just 15 points in 39 minutes. And Yao Ming again struggled with his up close shooting and had 13 points including 3-11 FG. He also had 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. Reece Gaines was the only other Rocket in double-digits with 10 points, but all his points came in the 4th quarter garbage time. Jim Jackson had 8 points on 3-11 FG. Quotes Don Nelson: "It was a real good effort for us. How about Michael Finley coming backing for us? He hasn't taken his usual 4 or 5 games to come back and get in shape. I don't take the hot guy out very often, but he was getting tired. He established the outside for us in the 2nd half and it was great that we got a guy [Armstrong] with 8 assists." Nelson: "We shot the ball well and Mike Finley came back and established our outside game. He stayed right in there and he might have gotten tired but I don't take a hot man out. It's great to have him back. He establishes the outside game and opened up the drives. He opened everything up." Nelson: "We've been up and down all season and I really don't know what to expect each game. This was a step in the right direction. We haven't been together as a team yet this year." Nelson on Armstrong: "He's picked up all our plays very quickly. He is really a smart guy and it looks like he knows everything already." Nelson on Nowitzki: "This was even a better game than the last game he had against Houston because he was really hurting and that was amazing." Dirk Nowitzki: "We are not consistent enough and if we were we should be up there with the best teams in the league. There is no way we should have lost 5 home games. We have enough weapons out there with all the guys back." Nowitzki on if this performances was better than his last game vs Houston: "I don't really know if it was better but as a team it was definitely a better game for us. We played at a high level all game." Nowitzki on Finley: "He's playing unbelievable, particularly since he's been off a month and a half. He was demanding the ball. He was very aggressive. He's a great shooter. He showed it tonight. They have to respect his outside shot. He showed what kind of shooter he was when he got hot in the 2nd half." Nowitzki on Finley: "First of all, he is a great shooter and opponents can't leave him alone. They have to respect his outside shot." Nowitzki on Finley: "He's a great shooter and just gives us another great option out there. You have to respect him everywhere on the court. He showed what he can do - he can put points up in a hurry." Michael Finley on defense: "Tracy was our first priority. We didn't want him to have another Sports Center highlight game. We wanted to limit his touches. Tracy McGrady is one of the hottest players in the league and we wanted to make it tough on him." Finley: "The offensive sets we were in, they had to give up something and they decided to give up the 3-point shot to me. My teammates got me the ball in good scoring position and I just made the most of the situation." Finley: "Part of my rehab was to work on my game. That included shooting, and I just got into a rhythm tonight." Finley on his strong return: "I was more mentally prepared coming back this time. I didn't want to come back favoring the injury. In some respects, I've misled myself in the past like that." Finley: "I think I had an opportunity to come back a little bit earlier, but my whole thing is when I came back I didn't want to have this injury lingering. I wanted to be fully recovered, or as close to as fully recovered as I can and still go out there and play." Darrell Armstrong: "Dirk and Michael were hot the 2nd half. We didn't miss a beat except for a little run Houston had in the 3rd quarter. The house is playing at another level and hopefully we will continue to play like that." Armstrong on learning the new system: "I struggled the first game but after working with the team a few days the offense comes a lot easier. I need to get this system in my head and it is not an easy transition. You have to understand the guys I'm playing with, they can really play this game." Josh Howard: "We have to stay focused as a team and position ourself and if we can bring that style of play every game, we will be okay." Howard on Finley: "We've been missing him. It was great to have him out on the court. He really stretches the defense and when we have 2 guys that can shoot the 3s, it is very hard for teams to defend." Shawn Bradley on his confrontation with Mutombo: "He was throwing elbows, I was throwing elbows, we both talked some trash - just like we've done for 12 years. He's like a big brother to me. I love the guy." Jeff Van Gundy: "Well, the Mavericks were great, they were great. Quicker to us, more intense. Shot it great, they played well, and we were uninspired. You put those 2 together - blowout." Van Gundy: "Our transition defense obviously was deplorable. Whatever the opponent is, there's no excuse to get beat in transition. That's not to take anything away from Dallas. They were phenomenal. They were great and we were uninspired." Van Gundy: "You get outscored 56-32 with your starting group on the floor in the 1st and 3rd quarters, that's something we've been fighting most of the year. Starting group lethargy has led to a lot of bad performances at home. We do nothing to help our fans get anything but negative - and they have every right to be because it's a poor product on many nights. It shouldn't be. It should be more inspired than it is." Van Gundy on Mutombo: "I thought the 2nd quarter we had some good moments centered around his efforts. He's pretty consistent in his efforts, his energy could be different just because of age, but his mental awareness and alertness in how hard he tries is pretty constant, and he's a great rebounder still. So on a night when we got beat to most every rebound and/or they jumped over us, he stood out in that. In traffic, he was able to rebound the ball." Tracy McGrady: "You know, one thing about this league is some nights it's just not there for you, no matter what you do or how hard you try, it's just not there. However, you still can go out there and give the effort and show that you're trying and go out and give 100%. I think our fans deserve that. However, tonight we didn't do that." McGrady on if the team is frustrated offensively: "It depends on the night that we're having. Tonight, yeah, we were definitely frustrated offensively - defensively as well. It was a frustrating performance by the team and some nights we have it going and some nights we don't. Our play is inconsistent right now." McGrady on inconsistent play: "We don't get the rebounds, other teams get 2nd chances on the offensive end, we don't get back in transition, we don't find the key guys in transition, like we did tonight, leaving Michael Finley out on the perimeter who was knocking down 3s and Dirk Nowitzki as well. We didn't do a great job of executing on the offensive end and it showed." Yao Ming on watching the game at the end: "At that point, there's really not anything to think about." Yao on defense: "I think our biggest problem today was not running back. We have to get back and not allow them to score as much in transition." Yao on Finley: "It's tough enough to guard Nowitzki. To add another player is even tougher. Our biggest problem was not running back. We have to get back on transition. Dallas is an offensive team. They like to run. Today, we let them play the way they like to play." Yao on being double-teamed: "When I feel it coming, I can hit the open man. If my teammates score, that's fine as long as we score, that's what's important." Jim Jackson on Dallas' start: "Those things are predicated in our defense. When we're playing well on defense, regardless of whether we're making or missing shots, defensively we're always in the game. Tonight, defensively, we weren't. On nights when we're not shooting well, our defense has to be the constant, as far as keeping you in the game." Dikembe Mutombo: "My job has always been to be patient and wait for the call from the coaches during the game. I try to go in there and change the game. It's my job to go in and keep things going and to do my best. I try to fill whatever hole is there and do my best to help the team." Mutombo: "That's my job. I'm supposed to go in and change the game. That's what coach is asking me." Mutombo on changes need: "I think the way we start the game. Somehow we have to find a way to re-motivate ourselves at the beginning of the game. We have to have the mentality that the other team can't come into our house and take the game away from us. We have to find a way to come out with more energy. We're making the same mistakes and we have to understand that." Dallas Mavericks 102, Houston Rockets 78 at Houston (December 11) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th - Final 2FG 3FG FG% FT% Dallas 28 22 28 24 - 102 .474 .440 .463 .652 San Houston 15 26 17 20 - 78 .340 .333 .338 .774 Halftime: Dallas 50-41 3rd Q: Dallas 78-58 Technicals: Josh Howard 0:41 3rd, Bob Sura 0:41 3rd Flagrant: Shawn Bradley 0:04 3rd Refs: Eddie F. Rush, Matt Boland, Bennie Adams Attendance: 18,189 (sellout) Dallas Mavericks REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Josh Howard 33 5-12 0-1 3-5 13 2-4 1 2 3 1 0 Dirk Nowitzki 32 8-17 3-6 3-4 22 1-14 4 0 2 0 3 Erick Dampier 21 2-5 0-0 4-4 8 2-5 0 2 3 0 0 Darrell Armstrong 19 2-4 0-2 0-0 4 1-3 8 0 2 0 0 Michael Finley 35 10-17 5-8 1-2 26 2-6 4 1 0 1 0 Jason Terry 22 1-3 1-2 0-0 3 0-2 5 0 1 2 0 Shawn Bradley 8 1-3 0-0 0-0 2 2-3 0 0 4 0 1 Jerry Stackhouse 20 1-4 1-2 2-4 5 0-1 4 1 2 1 0 Alan Henderson 14 1-3 0-0 1-2 3 0-1 0 1 4 1 1 Marquis Daniels 22 5-9 0-1 1-2 11 1-3 2 0 2 0 0 Calvin Booth 9 1-3 0-1 0-0 2 0-4 0 0 2 0 1 Devin Harris 5 1-2 1-2 0-0 3 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 Totals 48 38-82 11-25 15-23 102 11-46 29 8 26 6 6 Houston Rockets REB Player MIN FGM-FGA 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA PTS O-T AST TO PF STL BLK Jim Jackson 31 3-11 2-7 0-0 8 1-4 4 0 1 2 0 Juwan Howard 19 1-3 0-0 4-4 6 1-4 0 0 1 0 0 Yao Ming 29 3-11 0-0 7-9 13 0-6 0 1 2 0 3 Bob Sura 23 3-5 1-2 0-0 7 1-4 1 5 5 0 0 Tracy McGrady 39 6-16 0-3 3-4 15 1-2 3 1 4 1 1 Andre Barrett 25 1-5 1-2 0-0 3 0-1 6 0 1 0 0 Dikembe Mutombo 9 1-4 0-0 3-4 5 4-6 0 0 0 0 1 Scott Padgett 12 0-0 0-0 2-2 2 0-1 0 2 0 0 0 Maurice Taylor 25 1-5 0-0 5-8 7 2-8 1 4 2 0 0 Ryan Bowen 12 1-2 0-0 0-0 2 1-4 0 0 1 0 0 Reece Gaines 16 4-9 2-4 0-0 10 0-3 0 0 3 0 0 Totals 48 24-71 6-18 24-31 78 11-43 15 14 20 3 5 patricia