Mavs' Nowitzki 23rd NBA player to 23,000 points

DALLAS (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki became the 23rd NBA player to score 23,000 career points, reaching the milestone with a free throw with 7 minutes left in the second quarter in the Dallas Mavericks' game against Milwaukee on Friday night.

During a timeout less than 2 minutes later, fans stood and cheered when the milestone was announced. Nowitzki, who has spent all of his 14 NBA seasons in Dallas, acknowledged the crowd. 

 

"He's had a staggeringly awesome career," coach Rick Carlisle said before the game. "He's right up there (with the best ever)."

Nowitzki, playing his 1,005th game, recently made his 8,000th field goal.

Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett are the only active players with more points than Nowitzki. Elgin Baylor is next on the career list with 23,149 points.

Nowitzki, the 2007 NBA MVP, was the MVP of the NBA finals last season when the Mavericks won their first championship.

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Mavs silence Thunder as unbeaten records fall

(Reuters) - No last-second buzzer-beater could save Oklahoma City this time as the Thunder lost a rematch with the Dallas Mavericks 100-87 on Monday to become the last NBA team to record a loss this season.

In a matchup between these teams just four days earlier, Kevin Durant made a three-pointer as time expired to give the Thunder a dramatic win against the Mavericks squad that knocked them out of the Western Conference Finals last season.

Dallas hit back on Monday, taking a seven-point lead at halftime before moving ahead by 15 in the third to hand Oklahoma City (5-1) their first loss.

The Miami Heat also entered the night 5-0, but fell to Atlanta to leave the NBA without any undefeated teams.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 26 points to counter Durant's 27 and the defending NBA champion Mavericks (2-4) made strides after their tough start to the season.

"I feel like we're going to be able to play with anybody ultimately," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters.

Dallas, having made some key roster changes, stumbled to an 0-3 start but have now won two of their last three games.

New acquisition Vince Carter had 14 points while Shawn Marion added 17 for the Mavericks who made a big move in the second half.

Dallas opened the third quarter with a 14-6 run to move 68-53 ahead and the Thunder were facing an uphill battle from there.

"We didn't have any energy from the beginning," Durant said. "You also have to give credit to Dallas for the effort they made on defense. They made us shoot tough shots and made us see multiple defenders if a guy had the ball."

Russell Westbrook finished with 18 points and eight rebounds in the losing effort for the Thunder.

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Dallas Mavericks Raise Their Championship Banner before opener Vs Heat

DALLAS (AP) -- With a tug from Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and others, the Dallas Mavericks unveiled their championship banner minutes before opening this season against the team they knocked off in the NBA finals - LeBron James and the Miami Heat.




The ceremony was supposed to have been held Nov. 1, but the lockout pushed it back. So after waiting until their 31st season to become champions for the first time, the Mavericks and their fans waited another 54 days.

"Thirty-one years you waited - 31 years! - to call your team a champion, ladies and gentlemen," Terry said. "A champion!"

The Heat were in their locker room while clips of last year's postseason were shown, followed by brief comments from NBA Commissioner David Stern, Mavs owner Mark Cuban, coach Rick Carlisle, Terry and Nowitzki.

Nowitzki rocked nervously foot to foot at the start of the ceremony, while Cuban smiled and bit his lip, hands jammed in the pockets of his jeans. Once Cuban received the trophy, he held it above his head and turned slowly for everyone to see. He thanked fans and behind-the-scenes members of the organization, then handed the microphone to Carlisle. He started by naming the two coaches and six players no longer with the team.
"All of these guys will forever be part of Mavs history and the Mavs' family," Carlisle said.

Carlisle then introduced the returning players, all wearing their new warmup outfits featuring the words "2011 NBA Champions" and the trophy logo on the back. Cheers built with each introduction, capped by roars of "M! V! P!" for Nowitzki.

"This is a special, special day for all of us," Nowitzki said.

Franchise founders Don and Linda Carter watched from their usual courtside seats. With straps for everyone to yank, a dark curtain was peeled away, showing off the banner. It features a huge trophy, the team's logo and has the last name of each player printed around the border. The signatures of Cuban and Carlisle are in the two bottom corners.

Before the ceremony, Carlisle said he wanted it to end quickly so the game could begin, and Cuban it would mean more to fans. Judging by the looks on their faces, they were either downplaying their emotions or enjoyed it more than they expected. Carlisle's daughter went on the court with him, and Cuban was later joined by two of his kids.

Nowitzki and Kidd certainly seemed awed as they watched the banner rise to the rafters. They couldn't take their eyes off it - or just didn't want to. It hangs directly over the free throw line on the end of the court in front of the Mavs' bench.

The Mavericks will have one more chance to savor their title - they get their rings later this season. The lockout messed up the timing of that, too, because Cuban wanted to let Nowitzki, Kidd, Terry and Marion help with the design and he wasn't allowed to talk to them while the season was on hold.

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Newest Mavs Odom, Carter ready to help defend title

DALLAS (AP) -- Lamar Odom knows what it takes to repeat as an NBA champion.

The Dallas Mavericks are hoping a little of both -- Odom's experience and Carter's hunger -- can go a long way to help their title defense.

Vince Carter wants to know what it feels like to become an NBA champion.

The two newcomers were the stars of Mavs media day on Tuesday because of what they represent. They're the proof that team owner Mark Cuban is serious about winning it all again, which is something fans were questioning just a few days ago when the billionaire was letting the core of last year's team dissolve with the departure of free agents Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler and J.J. Barea.

Sure, adding two more players in their 30s keeps Dallas among the league's older teams. But they also should keep the Mavs among the best teams in this lockout-shortened season, especially with the other newcomers joining the mix, such as Delonte West and Rudy Fernandez.

"Having depth and having good guys that can play is part and parcel to being effective," coach Rick Carlisle said. "The deepest team that can stay healthy and stay together is the team that's going to have the best chance to come out of the West."

Late last week, things were looking bleak for Dallas' chances of coming out of the West when the Lakers were poised to get Chris Paul from New Orleans, with Odom part of the bait. Then the league blocked that deal.

The Lakers were still willing to get rid of Odom and the Mavericks were eager to get him. The deal was struck quickly, using a trade exception Dallas acquired from New York as part of another move that helped pave the way for Chandler to join the Knicks.

Odom was stunned the Lakers didn't want him around. He was glad the commissioner rejected the deal to New Orleans because he wanted to contend for a championship, not start over with a young team. He said he told the Lakers that if they had to deal him, Dallas topped his wish list.

"It's definitely surreal," he said. "It happened like that," he said, snapping his fingers.

Odom also felt disrespected because he never saw this coming. Over seven years, he won two titles and last season was named the league's Sixth Man of the Year.

"If somebody is telling you, `You can't be here, there's no more room for you,' you've got to understand that," he said. "I think it's because of how they did it that I took it so personally."

He wouldn't describe his initial thoughts about the deal to New Orleans, because, "I can't cuss." He appreciated Kobe Bryant speaking out against the trade, and found it curious that Los Angeles not only would send him to a conference rival, but to the team that swept the Lakers from the playoffs last season, ending their two-year reign as champs.

"Any time you make a sudden switch, it gets a little emotional," Odom said. "But I'm here now. I'm a Maverick. It's time to put the past behind me."

Since Odom left, there's been chatter about his reality show being a distraction to last year's team. He seems to believe that is revisionist history.

"It's something you've got to take with a grain of salt," he said. "I just wish that, if it was, somebody would've told me a little earlier. If it was, then I would've done something about it."

Odom also proudly noted that he had a great season while the cameras were rolling.

"You never know what's going to make you concentrate just a little harder, and I think it did," he said.

He's not sure whether the show will continue. He plans to discuss it with his teammates, coach and Cuban - not that he thinks it will be a tough sell with Cuban, himself a past and present reality show star. Heck, if anything, Cuban might want the show moved to the cable network he owns, HDNet.

"He seems like he's the kind of guy who'll like it," Odom said, laughing.

Carter -- a former All-Star and dunk champion -- became a free agent after the Phoenix Suns bought out his contract. He chose to sign with Dallas because he's at the point in his career where all that matters to him is "winning, and playing on a team that wants to win and knows how to win."

"I think they've shown all of that," he said. "My goal is to fit in with what they've accomplished and who they are. ... If we can continue like they've done before - just leave the egos outside, it's not about how many points you're going to score, it's how productive you're going to be for your team to win - with the firepower we have, we'll be fine."

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Magic grant trio of teams permission to talk to Howard

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Magic spokesman Joel Glass says the team has granted New Jersey, Dallas and the L.A. Lakers permission to talk to Dwight Howard's agent Dan Fegan to discuss possible trades.

Howard denied an ESPN report on Friday after the Magic's first training camp practice that said he met with Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and general manager Billy King on Thursday in Miami without the Magic's permission. It followed reports that Howard planned to request a trade to the Nets.

Fegan said in statement that any claims of tampering are false.

Howard is eligible to opt out of his current contract in July 2012.

The Magic practice again Saturday. Former Boston forward Glen Davis is expected to be in attendance after a trade for the Magic's Brandon Bass is finalized.

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Prolific Nowitzki helps Mavs silence Thunder in opener

(Reuters) - Dirk Nowitzki delivered a shooting masterclass for the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, scoring 48 points to spark a 121-112 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game One of the Western Conference finals.

The German also notched an NBA playoff record of 24-for-24 free throws as part of an incredible performance from the lanky power-forward, who continued to display the impressive form that helped sweep the Los Angeles Lakers in the previous round.

Despite getting a 40-point performance of their own from Kevin Durant, the Thunder struggled to contain Nowitzki and were punished for their persistent fouling of the 32-year-old from Wurzburg.

Often guilty of falling into mismatches pitting smaller players against the 7ft (2.13m) Nowitzki, Oklahoma City will need to improve their tactics of how to counter the German, who amassed his tally with only 15 attempted shots.

"He is so good that in efforts to prevent him, he draws a lot of fouls and then he scores 24-of-24 free throws. There are very few guys in this league that can do that, unfortunately one of them is Kevin Durant," Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters.

"They will adjust, they will have to do what they have to do, but what it will be I don't know," he added.

There were no signs of rustiness from the Mavericks, who enjoyed a nine-day break after dispatching the Lakers, with Dallas dominant from the tipoff.

GREAT PLAYER

Dallas led 55-48 at halftime with Nowitzki picking up 21 points, including 10 of his first 11 shots, but he truly dominated the third quarter by scoring 17 points as the Mavericks looked set to run away with the game.

"We have to do a better job of guarding him and we will do. He is a great player, one of the best I've ever seen at that position offensively," Thunder head coach Scott Brooks lamented.

But what had been a 16 point-lead was reduced to five in the fourth quarter as the Thunder fought back into contention.

Dallas, however, sealed the win with a three-point effort from Jason Terry and then, appropriately, two more free throws from Nowitzki.

"We have had an incredible ability to bounce back and we will do that again and work on what we have to work on," Brooks added.

Game Two is in Dallas on Thursday with the series winner going on to face either the Chicago Bulls or Miami Heat in the NBA finals. The Bulls lead the Eastern Conference finals 1-0.

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Lakers squash Hornets to march on

(Reuters) - Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol exploded for 23 of Los Angeles' 29 points in the third quarter to propel the two-time defending NBA champions to a 98-80 victory over Western Conference rivals the New Orleans Hornets on Thursday, sending them into the next round of the playoffs.

The Lakers were joined in the second round by the Atlanta Hawks, who held off the Orlando Magic 84-81 to clinch their Eastern Conference series 4-2, and the Dallas Mavericks who closed out the Portland Trail Blazers 4-2 with a 103-96 win.

Los Angeles held a slim 40-34 lead following a low scoring first half, but Bryant and Gasol then took over to post a 12-point lead by the start of the fourth quarter, which they built on despite resting most of their starters.

"I think we weathered the storm early. We didn't get off to a great start. But we didn't allow the emotion and the energy in the building to get to us early," Lakers guard Derek Fisher told reporters.

"Even though we didn't play well, we hung right in there. In the third quarter we finally found a little bit of space to get some separation."

Bryant led the Lakers with 24 points in just 30 minutes. Andrew Bynum scored 18 points and pulled down 12 rebounds and Gasol scored 16 points as LA clinched a 4-2 series win.

Hornets' guard Chris Paul was held to just one field goal in the first half and 10 points in total in the game, though he did make 11 assists. Carl Landry led the Hornets with 19 points and Trevor Ariza added 12 points.

"They played well. We just lost to a really, really good team," said Paul. "It's obvious why those guys are the two-time defending champs. Those guys made shots and we missed shots."

MAGIC FALLS SHORT

The visiting Magic trailed by as many as 12 points in the fourth, but went on a 15-6 run over a seven-minute stretch to pull within one point with 34 seconds remaining, only to come up just short.

Jamal Crawford sank two free throws with eight seconds left to push the Hawks lead back up to three points.

In the closing seconds J.J. Redick missed an open three point attempt and Josh Smith blocked another three-point attempt by Orlando as the horn sounded.

In Portland, Dallas overcame a slow start and held off a late charge by the Trail Blazers.

Dallas outscored the Trail Blazers 33-16 in the second quarter to turn an eight point deficit into a nine-point half time lead.

Portland made one last push in the fourth quarter, trimming the lead to one point with 5:24 remaining on a steal and slam dunk by Wallace.

Jason Kidd responded for the Mavericks with a three-point basket to push the lead back to four and send the Mavericks to victory.

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Grizzlies push Spurs to brink; Mavs, Nuggets

(Reuters) - Western Conference top seeds San Antonio were pushed to the brink of elimination from the first round of the NBA playoffs after the Memphis Grizzlies took a 3-1 series lead with a 104-86 win over the Spurs on Monday.

In other Western Conference playoff games, the Dallas Mavericks took a 3-2 series lead over the Portland Trail Blazers while the Denver Nuggets avoided being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder, cutting the series deficit to 3-1.

The Grizzlies finished the regular season eighth in the West and were not expected to be a major test for the Spurs but their Game Four win puts them in a commanding position in their best-of-seven series.

"We're a team that doesn't get a lot of attention," Memphis point guard Mike Conley told reporters. "We've been playing great and we're able to beat good teams like San Antonio. We just have to do it one more time."

Memphis were too big and athletic for the Spurs and blew the game open in the third quarter where they outscored San Antonio 30-15.

Conley led Memphis with 15 points, with four others joining him in double figures, as the Grizzlies close in on their first NBA playoff series win.

The Spurs got 23 points from Tony Parker but Tim Duncan struggled with just six points and seven rebounds. Game Five is on Wednesday in San Antonio.

Dallas reclaimed control of their matchup after a 93-82 victory and will get the chance to close out the series in Portland on Thursday.

The Mavericks had blown a 23-point lead in the final 13 minutes of Game Four to lose on Saturday but regrouped with an inspired second half to take a 3-2 series advantage.

Dallas got 25 points from Dirk Nowitzki and 20 from Jason Terry as they outscored the Blazers 31-20 in the third to take control of the game.

Brandon Roy, who was coming off a spectacular performance in Game Four when he tallied 18 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, managed just five on Monday.

Denver survived a late scare from the Thunder to earn their first win of the series 104-101, with Game Five to be played on Wednesday in Oklahoma City.

Ty Lawson scored a team-high 27 points for the Nuggets, who had a 10-point lead with two minutes remaining before the Thunder made their run.

Kevin Durant made a three-pointer to pull his team within two points with four seconds left before Russell Westbrook missed a three-point shot that would have brought the scores level at the buzzer.

Durant finished with 31 and Westbrook had 30 in the loss

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Portland rally stuns Dallas, others leave it too late

(Reuters) - The Portland Trail Blazers, led by Brandon Roy, overcame a 23-point deficit to stun the Dallas Mavericks 84-82, while late rallies by the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls and Denver Nuggets fell short.

Roy scored 18 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter including the game-winning basket with 39.2 seconds left, thrilling the fans at the Rose Garden, and leveling the best of seven series at two home wins each.

The Trail Blazers survived two missed three point attempts by the Mavericks in the closing seconds.

"It still doesn't feel real yet. Just an unbelievable game, the comeback," said Roy who underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees in mid-January.

"With everything I've been through this season, it all came into that moment there on the court, when guys were grabbing me and cheering me on. It was real special."

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 points for Portland and Gerald Wallace recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 20 points.

In Memphis, the eighth seeded Grizzlies hung on for a 91-88 win over the San Antonio Spurs to grab a 2-1 lead over the Western Conference's top seed.

The Grizzlies seized control of the game early with a 14-4 surge spanning the first and second quarter, but needed a rare three-point basket from Zach Randolph with 41.9 seconds secure the victory.

Randolph led the Grizzlies with 25 points while the Spurs were led by Manu Ginobili's 23 points.

In Indianapolis, the Chicago Bulls blitzed the Pacers in the final four minutes but were unable to complete the comeback falling 89-84.

Chicago outscored the Pacers 18-3 over a 3:30 span to move to within one point at 85-84 with 15.3 seconds but Danny Granger, who led the Pacers with 24 points, hit two critical free throws extending the Pacers lead back to three points.

Chicago's Carlos Boozer missed on a clear three point attempt on a broken play with three seconds remaining and Granger hit two more free throws to finish the game.

Joakim Noah led Chicago with 21 points and 14 rebounds and Rose scored 15 points and had 10 assists.

In the late game, the Oklahoma City Thunder rebounded from a dismal third quarter for a 97-94 win over the Denver Nuggets to take a commanding 3-0 series lead.

The Nuggets outscored Oklahoma City 24-15 in the third quarter to take a 73-71 lead into the fourth quarter. Russell Westbrook led the Thunder to victory in the fourth quarter with 13 of his 23 points.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 26 points and Kenyon Martin, Nene, and J.R. Smith scored 15 points each for Denver.

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Celtics beat Knicks; Mavs and Magic also win

(Reuters) - The Boston Celtics overcame an inspired performance from Carmelo Anthony to beat the New York Knicks and take a 2-0 lead in their NBA playoff series on Tuesday, while Orlando and Dallas also grabbed victories.

Orlando's Dwight Howard, who scored 46 points in a Game One loss to the Hawks, poured in 33 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as the Magic beat Atlanta 88-82 to even their series at 1-1.

In Dallas, the Mavericks got 21 points off the bench from Peja Stojakovic to compliment 33 from Dirk Nowitzki as the home team held off the Portland Trail Blazers 101-89 to take a 2-0 series lead with Game Three set for Thursday in Portland.

With New York's Chauncey Billups out due to a sore knee and Amare Stoudemire sitting out the second half because of back spasms, Anthony stepped up and matched a career playoff high with 42 points and pulled down 17 rebounds.

However, Anthony's outstanding individual effort was not enough as the Celtics hung on for a 96-93 win.

After back-to-back heart-breaking losses, the Knicks head home to the 'Big Apple' for Games Three and Four on Friday and Sunday, needing at least one win to avoid being swept from the first round.

The Knicks clawed their way back to a 93-92 lead with 19 seconds to play before Kevin Garnett dropped the go-ahead basket with 13 seconds left on the clock. He followed that up with a big defensive play at the other end of the court, diving on a loose ball with just four seconds left.

Rajon Rondo paced the Celtics with 30 points.

"We have so many weapons," Rondo told reporters. "Kevin wanted the ball and I told him to be ready and he came through for us on both ends of the floor."

Orlando avoided falling behind 2-0 in their series with the help of a 10-1 run to close the third quarter that gave the Magic a 65-54 cushion.

Jameer Nelson had 13 points for the Magic while Hedo Turkoglu had 10.

Jamal Crawford had 25 points coming off the bench to lead the Hawks and Josh Smith had 17.

Portland were looking to return home with the series tied 1-1, but Nowitzki led the Mavs to a 28-17 fourth-quarter advantage to fend off the visitors.

Stojakovic, who was released by the Toronto Raptors before the Mavericks signed him in January, drained five three-pointers and was a point short of his season-high.

LaMarcus Aldridge paced the Blazers with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

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Anthony's 27 points lead Nuggets past Mavericks

|DALLAS (AP) –  Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points and the Denver Nuggets went 13 for 21 from beyond the 3-point line in a 103-92 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.
Chauncey Billups added 18 points and Al Harrington contributed 14 points and eight rebounds for Denver.
Jason Terry scored 26 points and Dirk Nowitzki had 23 for the Mavericks, who have lost two of their first three home games.
The teams met in Denver on Wednesday night, with Dallas pulling out a 102-101 victory behind Nowitzki's 35 points. This time, the Nuggets pulled away in the fourth quarter after it was tied at 79 after three.
Anthony hit three 3-pointers in the final 3:47 and scored 15 points in the third, but was on the bench for most of the Nuggets' 12-4 spurt to start the fourth. The run started and ended with dunks by Harrington, giving Denver a 91-83 lead with 7:23 left, and the Mavericks never recovered.
Terry had one point and Nowitzki went scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Denver clung to a 53-52 advantage at the break behind 6-for-9 3-point shooting. Terry's 23 points were among the few Dallas highlights, with Terry draining a 3-pointer with 5.9 left until halftime to get the Mavericks close.
The Nuggets went with a small lineup including 6-foot-9 Sheldon Williams as the tallest starter, and Denver assumed a 26-24 lead after one quarter as Dallas committed six turnovers in the first 12 minutes, 10 in the first half.
Late in the second quarter, Anthony got into a playful exchange with some heckling fans. Anthony was laughing during the give-and-take.
Denver was coming off Friday night's 111-104 home victory over the Clippers. The Mavericks had been idle since Wednesday night.

Notes: These is the 3rd straight game that Denver are without the presence of their three Bigs, Brazilian C Nene missed his third straight game with a strained left groin while Fs Kenyon Martin and Chris "the BirdMan"Anderson are out indefinitely while recovering from knee surgeries.

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