Post by The Eye of the Q is upon you! on Jan 9, 2006 13:18:39 GMT -5
Dallas (25-9) at Boston (13-20)
Yahoo Preview - Box Score - Recap
Game Info: 7:30 pm EST Mon Jan 9, 2006
TV: FxSW, FxNE Add to Calendar
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After playing well during a grueling stretch of schedule, the Dallas Mavericks look to continue their surge when they take on the Boston Celtics.
Dallas played six games in nine days, including the last four in five days, but was hardly been affected by the busy stretch. The Mavericks went 4-2 during that span and have won four of their last five.
After getting consecutive days off for the first time in a week, Dallas looks to pull within a half-game of first-place San Antonio in the Southwest Division. The Mavs' 25-9 mark is third-best in the NBA.
Dallas won its second in a row Saturday, 83-79 at home over Minnesota. Despite going to overtime to win in Denver the night before, the Mavs rallied from a seven-point deficit with 3:38 remaining for the victory.
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Dirk Nowitzki scored 13 of his 26 points in the final period, including nine over a 2:30 stretch.
"We were down with just a couple of minutes left and the way we stuck together and really battled and came up with some big stops down the stretch," Nowitzki said. "This was another big win."
Dallas looked weary, shooting a season-low 32.5 percent from the floor, but its much-improved defense allowed it to keep the game within reach.
"We won tonight because we played defense," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. "We didn't win with our offense tonight."
The Mavs outrebounded Minnesota 46-36, forced the Wolves into 20 turnovers and held them to one basket over the final 3:38. Minnesota, which defeated the Mavericks on Wednesday, got to the free-throw line a season-low 13 times.
Monday's game will feature a matchup of two of the NBA's top scorers in Nowitzki, who averages 26.0 points per game, and Boston's Paul Pierce, averaging 26.3.
Pierce had 23 points against Washington on Saturday and Ricky Davis added 24, but the Celtics lost 103-102. Boston trailed by seven with 29 seconds left, but rallied to take the lead with 9.7 seconds remaining. Pierce, though, fouled the Wizards' Gilbert Arenas on a drive to the basket, and Arenas converted both free throws to deal Boston its second consecutive loss.
"We shouldn't have put ourselves in that situation," Pierce said. "If we would have executed earlier in the game, we wouldn't have come to this. But I like how we didn't give in late in the game, when people were leaving the stands thinking the game was over."
The Celtics have won three of their last four at home, but have been dominated by Dallas since 2000. The Mavericks are 10-1 in the last 11 meetings.
STANDINGS (through Jan. 8): Mavericks - 2nd place, 1 GB, Southwest Division. Celtics - 3rd place, 7 GB, Atlantic Division.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Mavericks - F Josh Howard, F Nowitzki, C Erick Dampier, G Jason Terry, G Adrian Griffin. Celtics - F Pierce, F Al Jefferson, C Mark Blount, G Davis, G Delonte West.
TEAM LEADERS: Mavericks - Nowitzki, 26 ppg and 9 rpg; Terry, 3.8 apg. Celtics - Pierce, 26.3 ppg and 7.5 rpg; Davis, 5.3 apg.
SEASON SERIES: Mavericks, 1-0.
LAST MEETING: Dec. 10; Mavericks, 103-95. At Boston, Nowitzki had 24 points and nine rebounds, and Devin Harris added 19 points as Dallas extended its winning streak to five.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Mavericks - 12-5 on the road; Celtics - 10-7 at home.
This is how I see it. The Celtics are in real trouble tonight. The veteran bigs won't be able to do much against the Maverick Bigs. Dampier overmatches Blount, DeSagna Diop overmatches LaFrentz, and Nowitzki overmatches everybody on the Celtics team. Furthermore Avery Johnson is ten times the coach Doc Rivers is. I see a 127-96 rout tonight in Boston with the leading Celtics scorer being Brian Scalabrine off the bench.
Yahoo Preview - Box Score - Recap
Game Info: 7:30 pm EST Mon Jan 9, 2006
TV: FxSW, FxNE Add to Calendar
Buy Tickets
After playing well during a grueling stretch of schedule, the Dallas Mavericks look to continue their surge when they take on the Boston Celtics.
Dallas played six games in nine days, including the last four in five days, but was hardly been affected by the busy stretch. The Mavericks went 4-2 during that span and have won four of their last five.
After getting consecutive days off for the first time in a week, Dallas looks to pull within a half-game of first-place San Antonio in the Southwest Division. The Mavs' 25-9 mark is third-best in the NBA.
Dallas won its second in a row Saturday, 83-79 at home over Minnesota. Despite going to overtime to win in Denver the night before, the Mavs rallied from a seven-point deficit with 3:38 remaining for the victory.
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Dirk Nowitzki scored 13 of his 26 points in the final period, including nine over a 2:30 stretch.
"We were down with just a couple of minutes left and the way we stuck together and really battled and came up with some big stops down the stretch," Nowitzki said. "This was another big win."
Dallas looked weary, shooting a season-low 32.5 percent from the floor, but its much-improved defense allowed it to keep the game within reach.
"We won tonight because we played defense," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. "We didn't win with our offense tonight."
The Mavs outrebounded Minnesota 46-36, forced the Wolves into 20 turnovers and held them to one basket over the final 3:38. Minnesota, which defeated the Mavericks on Wednesday, got to the free-throw line a season-low 13 times.
Monday's game will feature a matchup of two of the NBA's top scorers in Nowitzki, who averages 26.0 points per game, and Boston's Paul Pierce, averaging 26.3.
Pierce had 23 points against Washington on Saturday and Ricky Davis added 24, but the Celtics lost 103-102. Boston trailed by seven with 29 seconds left, but rallied to take the lead with 9.7 seconds remaining. Pierce, though, fouled the Wizards' Gilbert Arenas on a drive to the basket, and Arenas converted both free throws to deal Boston its second consecutive loss.
"We shouldn't have put ourselves in that situation," Pierce said. "If we would have executed earlier in the game, we wouldn't have come to this. But I like how we didn't give in late in the game, when people were leaving the stands thinking the game was over."
The Celtics have won three of their last four at home, but have been dominated by Dallas since 2000. The Mavericks are 10-1 in the last 11 meetings.
STANDINGS (through Jan. 8): Mavericks - 2nd place, 1 GB, Southwest Division. Celtics - 3rd place, 7 GB, Atlantic Division.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Mavericks - F Josh Howard, F Nowitzki, C Erick Dampier, G Jason Terry, G Adrian Griffin. Celtics - F Pierce, F Al Jefferson, C Mark Blount, G Davis, G Delonte West.
TEAM LEADERS: Mavericks - Nowitzki, 26 ppg and 9 rpg; Terry, 3.8 apg. Celtics - Pierce, 26.3 ppg and 7.5 rpg; Davis, 5.3 apg.
SEASON SERIES: Mavericks, 1-0.
LAST MEETING: Dec. 10; Mavericks, 103-95. At Boston, Nowitzki had 24 points and nine rebounds, and Devin Harris added 19 points as Dallas extended its winning streak to five.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Mavericks - 12-5 on the road; Celtics - 10-7 at home.
This is how I see it. The Celtics are in real trouble tonight. The veteran bigs won't be able to do much against the Maverick Bigs. Dampier overmatches Blount, DeSagna Diop overmatches LaFrentz, and Nowitzki overmatches everybody on the Celtics team. Furthermore Avery Johnson is ten times the coach Doc Rivers is. I see a 127-96 rout tonight in Boston with the leading Celtics scorer being Brian Scalabrine off the bench.