Cavaliers-Mavericks Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Dec 19 2009 8:10PM

Dirk Nowitzki is questionable for Sunday night's home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Even his presence hasn't helped the Dallas Mavericks recently against LeBron James and the Cavaliers, who have won four straight in the series and are looking for a sixth win in a row overall in the opener of a four-game road trip.

It's unclear whether this matchup between two of the last three league MVPs will materialize. Nowitzki had a collision near the basket with Houston's Carl Landry in the second quarter of a 116-108 overtime home loss Friday.

Nowitzki went to the locker room for X-rays and stitches to close a cut on his right elbow and did not return. He also did not practice Saturday.

"It's not a one-man team," Dallas point guard Jason Kidd told the NBA's official Web site. "That's the beauty of this team. We have so many guys who can put the ball in the basket and play."

Cleveland (20-7) has done an excellent job defending Nowitzki during its winning streak in the series. The eight-time All-Star is averaging 18.5 points on 37.1 percent shooting for Dallas (19-8).

Nowitzki had failed to shoot better than 40 percent in six straight meetings with Cleveland before making 10 of 19 shots for 27 points in a 111-95 road loss Nov. 28. The Mavericks have lost by an average of 17.5 points during their slide against the Cavaliers.

James has averaged 25.5 points and 8.5 assists in the run over the Mavericks and had 25 and 12 in last month's win. He's helped the Cavaliers win their last two visits to Dallas after they lost the previous seven.

Dallas rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final three minutes of regulation Friday before losing. J.J. Barea matched his season high with 23 points as the Mavericks had their five-game win streak snapped.

"When a big star like Dirk is out, we've got to step up and we didn't do a good job of that," Barea said.

The Cavaliers are looking at this trip as a chance to prove themselves against some elite Western Conference teams. They face Phoenix on Monday and close with a Christmas Day matchup in Los Angeles against the Lakers, giving newcomer Shaquille O'Neal chances to face two of his former teams.

"It will be a good test for us," O'Neal said. "It's a business trip. We'll be going against a lot of good teams. We're going to be locked in as soon as we get on the plane."

Cleveland feels there is room for improvement after matching their season low for points Friday in an 85-82 win over Milwaukee. James had 26 points, 10 boards and eight assists before he began to think about this week.

"We are looking forward to the challenge," James said. "It will be a good test for us."

The Cavs haven't had to face Josh Howard recently, with the Dallas swingman missing the last two meetings due to ankle problems. Howard has returned to play five of the last six games for the Mavs, and had 17 points in a season-high 40 minutes Friday.

Copyright 2009 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Mavs step up in Dirk's absense to halt Cavs' win streak

By Dave Ivey, for NBA.com
Posted Sunday December 20, 2009 11:28PM

DALLAS (NBA.com exclusive) -- Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle has been talking about his team's depth since training camp.

The power of that deep and versatile lineup came through Sunday night as a short-handed Dallas squad, playing without star forward Dirk Nowitzki, ended a five-game winning streak by the Cavaliers with an impressive 102-95 victory.

Tim Thomas made his first start of the season in Nowitzki's place -- the eighth different lineup in 28 games for Dallas -- and contributed a team-high 22 points and seven rebounds. Six Mavericks scored in double figures, including all three bench players. Dallas shot 48 percent from the field, hit 19-of-20 free throws and committed just six turnovers en route to its 20th win of the season.

"I just wanted to be aggressive with the minutes I was given tonight," said Thomas, a 12-year veteran regarded mostly as a 3-point specialist the past few seasons. "I told coach I wanted to get back to playing an all-around game, which is my strength. Backing guys down, going to the post and driving and pulling up for jumpers, so he's allowed me to do that."

Playing in his 500th career contest, LeBron James scored a game-high 25 points, but it took him 23 shots to get there and he came in averaging 31.9 points per game on the road. Shawn Marion and Josh Howard took turns harassing James, who was 3-for-11 in the second half.

"Part of it is you have to be fortunate and have him miss some shots he normally makes, but I thought we did a good job of keeping a body in front of him and not letting him get those wild runs to the basket where he is dunking the ball and getting to the free-throw line," Carlisle said. "The team effort was good on him."

Shaquille O'Neal actually had a better night at the charity stripe (3-for-4) than in the paint (1-for-7) and finished with five points, with Erick Dampier and Drew Gooden applying strong defensive pressure. The Mavs also held Mo Williams to eight points, half his season average. Williams, who was 7-for-7 from 3-point range in a 111-95 win against Dallas in Cleveland on Nov. 28, was 0-for-3 from behind the arc.

Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown said his offense couldn't get into a flow and that James and O'Neal weren't getting any help from the officials.

"For me, those two guys are the hardest to figure out when they'll get a call and when they won't get a call," Brown said. "I've got to go back and watch the tape, but it definitely affected the rhythm that we had offensively. Having said that, that had nothing to do with our pick-and-roll defense."

There were 11 ties and nine lead changes during the first half. The Mavericks led 52-50 at the break and never trailed in the second half. They took their largest lead at 63-51 on a 19-footer by Thomas with 6:42 left in the third quarter, but the Cavs fought back with a 12-1 run and trailed 73-67 entering the fourth. Dallas shot a sizzling 58 percent (11-for-19) in the final quarter, with sixth man Jason Terry scoring seven of his 19 points in the period. Terry, Jason Kidd and Howard each knocked down 3-pointers in the fourth to keep Cleveland at bay.

It was a rare scoring outburst by the Mavericks, who had been held under 100 points in each of their last 10 meetings with the Cavaliers. Howard (14) and Gooden (12) joined Terry in double figures off the bench. Kidd had a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists. Marion added 12 points and eight rebounds and Dampier corralled a game-high 10 boards.

Nowitzki did not play because of a deep laceration on his right elbow suffered in Friday's overtime loss to the Rockets. Nowitzki was injured in a collision that broke five of Carl Landry's teeth and is questionable for Tuesday's game with Portland. He has not missed more than six games in any season since his rookie year in 1998-99. The 2006-07 NBA MVP is averaging 26.1 points and 8.1 rebounds.

Thomas started six games last season, one with the Knicks and five with the Clippers. He has also played with the Bulls, Suns, Bucks and 76ers since being picked in the first round by Philadelphia (No. 7 overall) out of Villanova in the 1997 NBA Draft.

"The best compliment I can give a guy like that is to say he's a pro," Carlisle said. "He has just given us positive production any time he has been on the floor and people have to guard him because he's a great shooter. ... In a situation like this when you lose a guy like Dirk, it is a real blessing to have a guy like Tim ready to go."

• Cavaliers: Karl, Moon, Powe
• Mavericks: Carroll, Nowitzki, Williams

• Cavaliers: --
• Mavericks: --

• Lead Changes: 9
• Times Tied: 11

• Arena: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
• Officials: #32 Eddie F. Rush, #52 Pat Fraher, #66 Haywoode Workman
• Attendance: 20346
• Duration: 2:15

Cleveland Cavaliers (27-10)		Dallas Mavericks (24-11)
Start of 1st Quarter
(12:00) Jump Ball Dampier vs O'Neal (Hickson gains possession)
O'Neal Jump Hook Shot: Missed	11:39
	11:34	Dampier Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	11:21	Thomas Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed
	11:18	Dampier Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	11:18	Dampier Layup Shot: Missed
O'Neal Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	11:17
James Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS)	11:12 [CLE 2-0]
	10:55 [DAL 3-2]	Barea 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS)
Hickson Slam Dunk Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: James (1 AST)	10:42 [CLE 4-3]
	10:27	Kidd 3pt Shot: Missed
Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	10:25
James Jump Shot: Missed	10:15
	10:13	Barea Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	10:10 [DAL 5-4]	Marion Driving Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Barea (1 AST)
Williams Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Barea (1 ST)	09:47
Hickson Foul : Personal (1 PF)	09:32
	09:19	Thomas Jump Shot: Missed
O'Neal Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	09:17
O'Neal Turnover : Traveling (1 TO)	09:03
	08:47	Barea Turnaround Fade Away shot: Missed
O'Neal Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	08:44
Team Timeout : Regular	08:40
James Jump Shot: Missed	08:30
	08:28	Dampier Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	08:24 [DAL 7-4]	Thomas Driving Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Kidd (1 AST)
Williams Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Parker (1 AST)	08:05 [CLE 6-7]
	07:45	Thomas Turnover : Step Out of Bounds Turnover (1 TO)
	07:24	Dampier Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
Hickson Free Throw 1 of 2 (3 PTS)	07:24 [CLE 7-7]
Hickson Free Throw 2 of 2 (4 PTS)	07:24 [CLE 8-7]
	07:14	Marion Jump Shot: Missed
O'Neal Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	07:12
James Jump Hook Shot: Missed	07:01
	07:00	Dampier Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
O'Neal Foul : Loose Ball (1 PF)	07:00
	06:50	Barea 3pt Shot: Missed
Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	06:48
Parker Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Williams (1 AST)	06:42 [CLE 10-7]
	06:28 [DAL 10-10]	Thomas 3pt Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Kidd (2 AST)
	06:14	Dampier Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
O'Neal Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)	06:14 [CLE 11-10]
	06:14	Dampier Substitution replaced by Gooden
O'Neal Free Throw 2 of 2 (2 PTS)	06:14 [CLE 12-10]
O'Neal Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	06:05
	06:05 [DAL 11-12]	Gooden Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)
O'Neal Substitution replaced by Varejao	06:05
	06:05	Barea Substitution replaced by Terry
	06:05	Thomas Substitution replaced by Howard
	06:05 [DAL 12-12]	Gooden Free Throw 2 of 2 (2 PTS)
Varejao Jump Shot: Missed	05:40
	05:39	Gooden Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	05:30 [DAL 14-12]	Gooden Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Howard (1 AST)
Varejao Driving Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Williams (2 AST)	05:12 [CLE 14-14]
	04:56	Howard 3pt Shot: Missed
Parker Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	04:54
Parker Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO)	04:50
	04:31 [DAL 17-14]	Kidd 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Terry (1 AST)
	04:17	Howard Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
James Free Throw 1 of 2 (3 PTS)	04:17 [CLE 15-17]
Parker Substitution replaced by West	04:17
James Free Throw 2 of 2 (4 PTS)	04:17 [CLE 16-17]
	04:06 [DAL 19-16]	Howard Driving Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Kidd (3 AST)
Varejao Reverse Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Williams (3 AST)	03:43 [CLE 18-19]
	03:32	Marion Running Jump Shot: Missed
	03:30	Gooden Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	03:30 [DAL 21-18]	Gooden Tip Shot: Made (6 PTS)
Williams Floating Jump shot: Made (4 PTS)	03:22 [CLE 20-21]
	02:59	Gooden Jump Shot: Missed
West Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	02:57
Hickson Turnover : Traveling (1 TO)	02:38
	02:38	Team Timeout : Regular
Hickson Substitution replaced by Ilgauskas	02:38
	02:24	Terry Driving Layup Shot: Missed
Ilgauskas Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	02:22
West Turnover : Traveling (1 TO)	02:08
	01:55	Gooden Jump Shot: Missed
Varejao Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	01:52
	01:46	Terry Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
	01:46	Kidd Substitution replaced by Barea
	01:46	Marion Substitution replaced by Thomas
Williams Substitution replaced by Gibson	01:46
Ilgauskas Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)	01:46 [CLE 21-21]
Ilgauskas Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	01:46
	01:44	Gooden Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	01:28 [DAL 23-21]	Terry Pullup Jump shot: Made (2 PTS)
James Driving Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS)	01:09 [CLE 23-23]
Varejao Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	00:50.7
	00:50.7 [DAL 24-23]	Thomas Free Throw 1 of 2 (6 PTS)
	00:50.7 [DAL 25-23]	Thomas Free Throw 2 of 2 (7 PTS)
Ilgauskas Jump Shot: Missed	00:37.9
	00:35.9	Thomas Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	00:30.9	Terry Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:James (1 ST)
James 3pt Shot: Made (9 PTS)	00:09.9 [CLE 26-25]
	00:01.9	Barea Fade Away Jumper Shot: Missed
Ilgauskas Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	00:00.2
End of 1st Quarter
Cleveland Cavaliers (27-10)		Dallas Mavericks (24-11)
Start of 2nd QuarterBack to Top
	11:40 [DAL 27-26]	Howard Running Bank shot: Made (4 PTS)
Gibson Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	11:40
	11:40 [DAL 28-26]	Howard Free Throw 1 of 1 (5 PTS)
West Driving Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS)	11:18 [CLE 28-28]
West Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	11:02
	11:02 [DAL 29-28]	Terry Free Throw 1 of 2 (3 PTS)
	11:02 [DAL 30-28]	Terry Free Throw 2 of 2 (4 PTS)
Varejao Jump Shot: Missed	10:42
	10:40	Howard Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	10:32	Barea Driving Layup Shot: Missed Block: Varejao (1 BLK)
	10:29	Gooden Rebound (Off:2 Def:2)
	10:18	Howard Floating Jump shot: Missed
	10:16	Thomas Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	10:15 [DAL 32-28]	Gooden Layup Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Thomas (1 AST)
Varejao Floating Jump shot: Missed Block: Gooden (1 BLK)	10:04
	10:01	Thomas Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
Gibson Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	09:51
	09:51 [DAL 33-28]	Howard Free Throw 1 of 2 (6 PTS)
	09:51 [DAL 34-28]	Howard Free Throw 2 of 2 (7 PTS)
West Jump Shot: Missed	09:35
	09:32	Gooden Rebound (Off:2 Def:3)
	09:22 [DAL 36-28]	Gooden Jump Hook Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Barea (2 AST)
Team Timeout : Regular	09:14
Ilgauskas Reverse Layup Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Parker (2 AST)	09:04 [CLE 30-36]
	08:50	Barea Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO)
West Running Bank shot: Missed	08:33
	08:33	Gooden Rebound (Off:2 Def:4)
Ilgauskas Foul : Loose Ball (1 PF)	08:33
	08:18	Thomas 3pt Shot: Missed
West Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	08:17
Parker 3pt Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: West (1 AST)	08:02 [CLE 33-36]
	07:48	Howard Floating Jump shot: Missed
Team Rebound	07:48
	07:48	Team Violation : Delay Of Game
Ilgauskas Turnover : Traveling (1 TO)	07:33
	07:20	Terry Driving Layup Shot: Missed
	07:18	Gooden Rebound (Off:3 Def:4)
	07:18	Gooden Tip Shot: Missed
Ilgauskas Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	07:16
Parker Jump Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: West (2 AST)	07:12 [CLE 35-36]
	07:05	Team Timeout : Regular
	07:05	Thomas Substitution replaced by Marion
	07:05	Barea Substitution replaced by Kidd
West Substitution replaced by James	07:05
Gibson Substitution replaced by Williams	07:05
	06:55	Terry 3pt Shot: Missed
Team Rebound	06:54
James Driving Layup Shot: Made (11 PTS)	06:33 [CLE 37-36]
	06:33	Howard Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
James Free Throw 1 of 1 Missed	06:33
	06:32	Gooden Rebound (Off:3 Def:5)
James Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	06:24
	06:24 [DAL 37-37]	Marion Free Throw 1 of 2 (3 PTS)
	06:24 [DAL 38-37]	Marion Free Throw 2 of 2 (4 PTS)
Parker Fade Away Jumper Shot: Missed	06:10
	06:07	Marion Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	06:01 [DAL 40-37]	Kidd Jump Shot: Made (5 PTS)
James 3pt Shot: Made (14 PTS)	05:49 [CLE 40-40]
	05:39 [DAL 42-40]	Terry Driving Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS)
James Jump Shot: Missed	05:20
	05:19	Marion Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	05:06	Kidd Driving Layup Shot: Missed
Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	05:03
Williams Step Back Jump shot: Made (6 PTS)	04:53 [CLE 42-42]
	04:38 [DAL 44-42]	Howard Floating Jump shot: Made (9 PTS) Assist: Kidd (4 AST)
Parker Turnaround Hook Shot: Made (9 PTS)	04:17 [CLE 44-44]
Williams Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	04:08
	04:08	Gooden Substitution replaced by Dampier
	04:08	Howard Substitution replaced by Thomas
Parker Substitution replaced by West	04:08
Ilgauskas Substitution replaced by O'Neal	04:08
	04:08 [DAL 45-44]	Kidd Free Throw 1 of 2 (6 PTS)
	04:08 [DAL 46-44]	Kidd Free Throw 2 of 2 (7 PTS)
Williams Jump Shot: Missed	03:45
Team Rebound	03:43
O'Neal Layup Shot: Missed	03:29
	03:28	Dampier Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)
	03:19 [DAL 48-44]	Dampier Slam Dunk Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Marion (1 AST)
O'Neal Foul : Offensive (3 PF)	03:06
O'Neal Turnover : Foul (2 TO)	03:06
O'Neal Substitution replaced by Hickson	03:06
Varejao Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	02:49
	02:49	Timeout : Official
	02:49 [DAL 49-44]	Terry Free Throw 1 of 2 (7 PTS)
	02:49 [DAL 50-44]	Terry Free Throw 2 of 2 (8 PTS)
James Driving Layup Shot: Made (16 PTS) Assist: Williams (4 AST)	02:35 [CLE 46-50]
	02:14	Dampier Alley Oop Layup shot: Missed Block: James (1 BLK)
West Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	02:12
	02:09	Thomas Foul : Personal (1 PF)
	02:05	Marion Foul : Personal (1 PF)
	01:55	Marion Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
James Free Throw 1 of 2 (17 PTS)	01:55 [CLE 47-50]
James Free Throw 2 of 2 (18 PTS)	01:55 [CLE 48-50]
	01:41 [DAL 52-48]	Thomas Layup Shot: Made (9 PTS) Assist: Kidd (5 AST)
West 3pt Shot: Missed	01:21
Team Rebound	01:19
James 3pt Shot: Missed	01:13
Varejao Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)	01:10
Dampier Violation:Kicked Ball	01:05
	01:05	Dampier Substitution replaced by Gooden
	01:00	Terry Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Varejao Substitution replaced by Ilgauskas	01:00
Williams Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	01:00
Team Rebound	01:00
	01:00	Gooden Substitution replaced by Dampier
Williams Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	01:00
	00:59.7	Thomas Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
	00:42.9	Marion Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed Block: James (2 BLK)
Hickson Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	00:39.7
West Slam Dunk Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: James (2 AST)	00:37.8 [CLE 50-52]
	00:21.9	Terry Jump Shot: Missed
	00:19.9	Marion Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	00:18.9	Marion Running Layup Shot: Missed
West Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	00:16.9
James 3pt Shot: Missed	00:00.9
	00:00.2	Kidd Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
End of 2nd Quarter
Cleveland Cavaliers (27-10)		Dallas Mavericks (24-11)
Start of 3rd QuarterBack to Top
O'Neal Foul : Defense 3 Second (3 PF)	11:48
	11:48	Thomas Free Throw Technical Missed
	11:48	Team Rebound
	11:40 [DAL 54-50]	Thomas Jump Shot: Made (11 PTS) Assist: Kidd (6 AST)
O'Neal Jump Shot: Missed	11:18
Jump Ball Dampier vs O'Neal (Marion gains possession)	11:18
	11:18	Dampier Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)
	11:08	Thomas Jump Shot: Missed
James Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	11:05
James Driving Layup Shot: Missed Block: Marion (1 BLK)	11:01
	10:58	Marion Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
	10:55 [DAL 56-50]	Barea Driving Layup Shot: Made (5 PTS)
Hickson Reverse Layup Shot: Missed	10:33
	10:31	Dampier Rebound (Off:1 Def:6)
	10:19	Marion Running Jump Shot: Missed
O'Neal Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)	10:16
Williams 3pt Shot: Missed	10:05
	10:03	Marion Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)
	09:57	Kidd Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Williams (1 ST)
	09:53	Dampier Foul : Personal (3 PF)
	09:47	Thomas Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
James Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	09:47
Team Rebound	09:47
James Free Throw 2 of 2 (19 PTS)	09:47 [CLE 51-56]
	09:30 [DAL 59-51]	Thomas 3pt Shot: Made (14 PTS) Assist: Barea (3 AST)
Williams Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed	09:11
O'Neal Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)	09:09
O'Neal Tip Shot: Missed	09:09
O'Neal Rebound (Off:2 Def:5)	09:08
O'Neal Tip Shot: Missed	09:08
	09:07	Marion Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)
	08:46 [DAL 61-51]	Dampier Driving Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Barea (4 AST)
Team Timeout : Regular	08:44
Hickson Substitution replaced by Varejao	08:44
O'Neal Hook Shot: Missed	08:24
	08:20	Dampier Rebound (Off:1 Def:7)
	08:09 [DAL 63-51]	Thomas Jump Shot: Made (16 PTS) Assist: Kidd (7 AST)
James Jump Shot: Made (21 PTS)	07:48 [CLE 53-63]
	07:31	Barea Jump Shot: Missed
Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	07:29
James 3pt Shot: Missed	07:20
O'Neal Rebound (Off:3 Def:5)	07:18
Parker 3pt Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: James (3 AST)	07:08 [CLE 56-63]
	06:42 [DAL 65-56]	Thomas Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (18 PTS)
James Turnaround Fade Away shot: Made (23 PTS)	06:22 [CLE 58-65]
Williams Foul : Personal (2 PF)	06:07
	05:59	Thomas 3pt Shot: Missed
Parker Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	05:56
O'Neal Driving Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Williams (5 AST)	05:49 [CLE 60-65]
	05:25	Kidd Jump Shot: Missed
James Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	05:22
James Jump Shot: Missed	05:04
	05:02	Dampier Rebound (Off:1 Def:8)
	04:52	Thomas 3pt Shot: Missed
Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)	04:50
Williams Jump Shot: Made (8 PTS)	04:45 [CLE 62-65]
	04:44	Team Timeout : Regular
	04:44	Thomas Substitution replaced by Howard
	04:44	Barea Substitution replaced by Terry
	04:29	Howard 3pt Shot: Missed
Varejao Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)	04:27
	04:14	Dampier Foul : Shooting (4 PF)
O'Neal Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	04:14
Team Rebound	04:14
	04:14	Dampier Substitution replaced by Gooden
O'Neal Free Throw 2 of 2 (5 PTS)	04:14 [CLE 63-65]
Varejao Foul : Personal (3 PF)	04:01
O'Neal Substitution replaced by West	04:01
Parker Substitution replaced by Ilgauskas	04:01
	03:51	Terry Jump Shot: Missed
Varejao Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)	03:50
Ilgauskas Turnover : Out of Bounds Lost Ball Turnover (2 TO)	03:35
	03:22 [DAL 67-63]	Terry Jump Shot: Made (10 PTS)
Ilgauskas Jump Shot: Missed	03:07
	03:05	Marion Rebound (Off:1 Def:6)
	02:57	Marion Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:James (2 ST)
James Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Kidd (1 ST)	02:53
	02:48 [DAL 69-63]	Marion Floating Jump shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Kidd (8 AST)
James Jump Shot: Missed	02:33
	02:31	Kidd Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	02:28	Howard Foul : Offensive (3 PF)
	02:28	Howard Turnover : Foul (1 TO)
Williams Substitution replaced by Gibson	02:28
Ilgauskas Turnover : Traveling (3 TO)	02:11
	02:00 [DAL 71-63]	Marion Floating Jump shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Terry (2 AST)
James Fade Away Jumper Shot: Missed	01:35
Varejao Rebound (Off:2 Def:3)	01:32
West Jump Shot: Made (6 PTS)	01:17 [CLE 65-71]
	00:59.9	Gooden Jump Shot: Missed
Ilgauskas Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	00:58.6
West Jump Shot: Missed	00:48.9
Ilgauskas Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)	00:47.5
	00:33.3	Gooden Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
West Free Throw 1 of 2 (7 PTS)	00:33.3 [CLE 66-71]
	00:33.3	Kidd Substitution replaced by Barea
Varejao Substitution replaced by Parker	00:33.3
West Free Throw 2 of 2 (8 PTS)	00:33.3 [CLE 67-71]
	00:12.9 [DAL 73-67]	Terry Floating Jump shot: Made (12 PTS)
James Foul : Offensive (2 PF)	00:00.7
James Turnover : Foul (2 TO)	00:00.7
	00:00.7	Instant Replay - Overturn Ruling
	00:00.7	Marion Substitution replaced by Thomas
End of 3rd Quarter
Cleveland Cavaliers (27-10)		Dallas Mavericks (24-11)
Start of 4th QuarterBack to Top
Ilgauskas Layup Shot: Missed Block: Howard (1 BLK)	11:43
Ilgauskas Rebound (Off:2 Def:4)	11:41
Ilgauskas Tip Shot: Made (5 PTS)	11:41 [CLE 69-73]
	11:26 [DAL 75-69]	Terry Floating Jump shot: Made (14 PTS)
West Driving Layup Shot: Made (10 PTS)	11:09 [CLE 71-75]
	10:58 [DAL 77-71]	Gooden Driving Layup Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: Terry (3 AST)
West Jump Shot: Made (12 PTS)	10:42 [CLE 73-77]
	10:20 [DAL 80-73]	Howard 3pt Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: Gooden (1 AST)
Gibson 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: James (4 AST)	10:05 [CLE 76-80]
	09:38	Gooden Jump Hook Shot: Missed
James Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	09:34
James Driving Layup Shot: Missed Block: Gooden (2 BLK)	09:28
	09:26	Thomas Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)
	09:21 [DAL 82-76]	Howard Floating Jump shot: Made (14 PTS)
James Alley Oop Dunk Shot: Made (25 PTS) Assist: West (3 AST)	08:56 [CLE 78-82]
James Foul : Shooting (3 PF)	08:27
	08:27	Timeout : Official
Ilgauskas Substitution replaced by Varejao	08:27
	08:27 [DAL 83-78]	Thomas Free Throw 1 of 2 (19 PTS)
	08:27 [DAL 84-78]	Thomas Free Throw 2 of 2 (20 PTS)
Varejao Driving Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: West (4 AST)	08:10 [CLE 80-84]
	08:10	Gooden Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Varejao Free Throw 1 of 1 (7 PTS)	08:10 [CLE 81-84]
	07:49	Barea Jump Shot: Missed
Parker Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	07:48
	07:48	Gooden Foul : Loose Ball (3 PF)
Parker Substitution replaced by O'Neal	07:48
	07:48	Gooden Substitution replaced by Dampier
	07:48	Barea Substitution replaced by Kidd
Varejao Layup Shot: Missed	07:35
	07:34	Kidd Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	07:21	Thomas 3pt Shot: Missed
Gibson Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	07:18
Gibson Driving Layup Shot: Made (5 PTS)	07:08 [CLE 83-84]
	06:57	Howard 3pt Shot: Missed
Varejao Rebound (Off:2 Def:4)	06:55
West Turnover : Lost Ball (2 TO) Steal:Terry (1 ST)	06:42
	06:32	Howard Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed
West Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)	06:30
	06:30	Howard Foul : Personal (4 PF)
	06:30	Howard Substitution replaced by Marion
James 3pt Shot: Missed	06:05
	06:04	Thomas Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)
	05:53 [DAL 86-83]	Dampier Driving Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Kidd (9 AST)
Varejao Jump Shot: Missed	05:31
	05:28	Marion Rebound (Off:1 Def:7)
Varejao Foul : Shooting (4 PF)	05:12
	05:12	Team Timeout : Regular
O'Neal Substitution replaced by Williams	05:12
	05:12 [DAL 87-83]	Thomas Free Throw 1 of 2 (21 PTS)
	05:12 [DAL 88-83]	Thomas Free Throw 2 of 2 (22 PTS)
Williams 3pt Shot: Missed	04:46
	04:44	Thomas Rebound (Off:1 Def:6)
	04:31 [DAL 90-83]	Marion Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Kidd (10 AST)
	04:13	Terry Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
West Free Throw 1 of 2 (13 PTS)	04:13 [CLE 84-90]
Gibson Substitution replaced by Parker	04:13
West Free Throw 2 of 2 (14 PTS)	04:13 [CLE 85-90]
	03:57 [DAL 93-85]	Kidd 3pt Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Marion (2 AST)
Williams 3pt Shot: Missed	03:36
	03:34	Kidd Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)
	03:13	Kidd 3pt Shot: Missed
Team Rebound	03:11
West Driving Layup Shot: Missed	02:57
West Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)	02:55
West Putback Layup Shot: Made (16 PTS)	02:55 [CLE 87-93]
	02:38 [DAL 96-87]	Terry 3pt Shot: Made (17 PTS) Assist: Kidd (11 AST)
Varejao Slam Dunk Shot: Made (9 PTS) Assist: James (5 AST)	02:22 [CLE 89-96]
Team Timeout : Regular	01:57
	01:54	Marion Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed
Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:6)	01:50
Team Timeout : Short	01:49
Parker 3pt Shot: Missed	01:30
Varejao Rebound (Off:3 Def:4)	01:29
	01:29	Terry Foul : Loose Ball (4 PF)
Varejao Free Throw 1 of 2 (10 PTS)	01:29 [CLE 90-96]
Varejao Free Throw 2 of 2 (11 PTS)	01:29 [CLE 91-96]
	01:14 [DAL 98-91]	Marion Reverse Layup Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: Thomas (2 AST)
James Driving Layup Shot: Missed	01:04
Varejao Rebound (Off:4 Def:4)	01:02
Varejao Tip Shot: Missed	01:02
	01:01	Dampier Rebound (Off:1 Def:9)
	00:43.9	Kidd 3pt Shot: Missed
West Rebound (Off:1 Def:6)	00:41.9
	00:34.5	Dampier Foul : Shooting (5 PF)
West Free Throw 1 of 2 (17 PTS)	00:34.5 [CLE 92-98]
West Free Throw 2 of 2 (18 PTS)	00:34.5 [CLE 93-98]
	00:34.5	Team Timeout : Short
	00:10.9 [DAL 100-93]	Terry Floating Jump shot: Made (19 PTS)
Varejao Driving Layup Shot: Made (13 PTS) Assist: James (6 AST)	00:04.8 [CLE 95-100]
	00:00.9 [DAL 102-95]	Dampier Layup Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Terry (4 AST)
Instant Replay - Support Ruling	00:00.0
End of 4th Quarter

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