Mavericks-Hornets Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Jan 20 2012 2:40PM

The final stop on the Dallas Mavericks' road trip is a place where they own a lengthy losing streak.

The New Orleans Hornets, however, are a much different opponent now that Chris Paul is no longer with the club.

The Mavericks will try Saturday night to end their 11-game road losing streak against the Hornets, who have lost six straight overall.

Including three losses in the 2008 playoffs, Dallas (9-7) has not won on the road against New Orleans (3-12) since March 27, 2007 - and that game was in Oklahoma City. Paul, dealt to the Clippers before this season, featured in 10 games in this run for the Hornets.

The Mavericks have already taken advantage of the new-look Hornets once this season as six players scored in double figures in a 96-81 home victory Jan. 7. New Orleans won its next game before beginning its current losing streak.

The Hornets are trying to avoid their first seven-game slide since they lost eight in a row Feb. 28-March 18, 2006, in Paul's rookie season. They own the Western Conference's worst record and have lost seven in a row at home since beating Boston on Dec. 28.

"We are sticking together and we are fighting as a team," forward Carl Landry said. "We are trying to stay together. We have to go out and grind it out; it's been tough."

The Mavericks dropped the first two games of their trip to the Lakers and Clippers before beating Utah 94-91 on Thursday. Shawn Marion scored a season-high 22 points as Dallas blew a double-digit lead in the second half before making numerous key plays down the stretch.

"We hung in there," Marion said. "We knew they were going to make a run. They're a young and energetic team. They play hard in this building. We kept our composure. We were able to respond after every run they made."

The defending NBA champions won for the first time in six road games against West foes.

"We're making steady progress," coach Rick Carlisle said. "But it is work. We got to continue with it. It doesn't happen overnight."

Dirk Nowitzki, who said he has been hampered by knee problems, is enduring a rough stretch. He's averaging 13.9 points on 43.2 percent shooting over his last nine games.

The Hornets continue to play without Eric Gordon, acquired in the Paul trade. They rallied from a 12-point deficit after three quarters by holding Houston to seven fourth-quarter points Thursday before falling 90-88 in overtime on the road.

"I always tell them, 'Give the fight and do your best,'" coach Monty Williams said. "We did everything we could to win the game."

New Orleans continues to struggle at 27.5 percent on 3-pointers for one of the league's worst marks. Marco Belinelli is the only Hornet with at least 10 attempts who is above 30 percent.

The Mavericks will play their third straight without Vince Carter, out with a foot injury. They have little sympathy for the Hornets' woes as they try to gain a split of this trip.

"We've gotta have this win Saturday to make up for those two (losses in L.A.)," guard Jason Terry told the Mavericks' official website.

Odom, West lead Mavs to 83-81 win over Hornets

By BRETT MARTEL
Posted Jan 22 2012 2:02AM

NEW ORLEANS (AP) With star forward Dirk Nowitzki removed from the lineup, Dallas still had the depth to deal with the hapless Hornets.

Lamar Odom scored 16 in his first start of the season, Delonte West also scored 16, and Dallas sent New Orleans to a seventh-straight loss, 83-81 on Saturday night.

Odom and West "have so much pressure on them, but they've responded," said Mavericks guard Jason Terry, who added 12 points. "Every time they've been asked to step up in their roles, both of them came up big."

Shawn Marion had 14 points and a season-high 12 rebounds for the Mavs, who closed out a four-game road trip with a second straight close win after a pair of narrow losses to the Clippers and Lakers in Los Angeles.

"We had to get productivity from a lot of different guys. ... It's a great win," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "I'm also very proud of the way after the first two losses on the trip we bounced back and really gutted two games out, which is not easy to do."

Terry closed out the scoring for the Mavs with two free throws in the final seconds that made it 83-80 before Jason Kidd made sure to foul Jarrett Jack before he could attempt a tying 3.

The foul gave Jack two free throws. He missed the second on purpose, but could not convert a quick putback for the tie, and the Hornets fell for the 13th time in 14 games.

"We're just not closing out games the way we know that we can," said Trevor Ariza, who had 12 points. "That's the story of our season so far."

Emeka Okafor tied a season high with 16 points and grabbed a season-best 17 rebounds for New Orleans. Carl Landry added 19 points, but after hitting his first five free throws, missed four of eight in the fourth quarter with the outcome potentially in the balance. Jack scored 12 points.

Odom, acquired in a preseason trade with the Lakers, started for Nowitzki, who is expected to sit out at least three more games while working on his conditioning and getting treatment for his sore right knee.

Odom was only 6 of 14 from the field and missed four of five 3-point shots, but his baskets were timely.

"The ball found him two or three times and he made important plays for us," Carlisle said. "He's getting a better feel for how to play with our guys and tonight was a good indication of that."

Brendan Haywood grabbed 10 rebounds to help the Mavs win a second straight game.

The Hornets had several chances to tie it in the final minutes, starting with Ariza's missed jumper, after which Kidd grabbed the long rebound while sprinting up court and whipped a pass to Terry for a transition jumper to make it 79-75.

After Okafor cut it to 79-77 and Terry missed a 3, Landry was fouled inside, but made only one free throw to make it 79-78.

Another Terry jumper rimmed out, but the Hornets could not take advantage as Ariza missed an off-balance fade. The Mavericks secured the rebound with just over 25 seconds left and the Hornets had to foul.

After West's free throws, Landry scored inside to cut it to 81-80 with 6.7 seconds left.

Terry was fouled after grabbing the inbound pass and hit both free throws to set up the final sequence.

For the Hornets, it was only the latest instance in which scrappy defense kept them close, only for them to come up short on the offensive end while explosive scorer Eric Gordon missed his 14th game of the season with a bruised right knee.

The Hornets finished shooting 37.2 percent (29 of 78), while Dallas shot 40.5 percent (32 of 79) and outrebounded New Orleans 48-41.

"Our defense is holding teams in the 80s, which is what we like to do," Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "Now our guys have to go out there and have some fun and score the ball and trust the offense a bit."

The game was tied at 41 at halftime, but Dallas opened the third quarter with a 12-0 run during which Odom and West each scored once inside and hit 3s. New Orleans, which made only two of its first 12 shots in the period, struggled to chip away, and Dallas held a 64-53 lead at the end of three quarters.

New Orleans briefly seized control early in the fourth, using a 9-0 spurt highlighted by Greivis Vaquez's three-point play to pull to 66-64.

Odom ended New Orleans' surge with a layup and two free throws, and Marion bounced in a short floater soon after to make it 73-66 and give the Mavs just enough of a cushion to hold on during the final minutes.

Notes: Both teams shot poorly from 3-point range, with Dallas going 4 of 26 and New Orleans 2 of 19. ... Okafor's double-double was his fifth this season. ... The Mavs won one earlier meeting on Jan. 7 in Dallas. ... The Mavs are 2-3 in games decided by three points or less.

Notebook: Mavericks 83, Hornets 81

By Larry Holder, for NBA.com
Posted Saturday January 21, 2012 11:47PM

THE FACTS: Lamar Odom started in place of Dirk Nowitzki and filled in admirably scoring 16 points as the Dallas Mavericks hung on to beat the New Orleans Hornets 83-81 on Saturday night in the New Orleans Arena. The Mavs have won two in a row, while the Hornets have lost seven consecutive games and 13 of their last 14 games.

QUOTABLE: "We had to get productivity from a lot of different guys. We had to get a level of competitiveness and hard play from top to bottom. ... We played 11 guys and all of them were a factor in the game. ... After the first two losses on the trip, we really gutted two games out. That's not easy to do."
-- Mavs coach Rick Carlisle on winning without Nowitzki

THE STAT: 11. This is the 11th game this season the Hornets haven't scored 90 or more points in a single game. New Orleans has yet to score 100 points in a single game all season.

TURNING POINT: The Hornets led 41-38 with 1:06 remaining in the first half and probably feeling pretty good about the way they played in the first half. But the Mavs began a 15-0 late in the second quarter and early into the third quarter to turn the deficit into a 53-41 lead. Dallas never trailed again.

HOT: The Mavs only shot 40.5 percent from the floor, but you can't blame Odom, Shawn Marion and Delonte West. The three players shot a combined 51.4 percent to score a combined 46 points. Marion, who Carlisle called the best player on the team right now, had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

NOT: New Orleans' 3-point shooting has been brutal all season and it continued against Dallas. The Hornets only shot 2 of 19 from beyond the arc. New Orleans entered the game only shooting 27.5 percent from 3-point land. It's not like the Mavs tore it up themselves only going 4 of 26.

GOOD MOVE: Jason Kidd fouled the Hornets' Jarrett Jack with 1.6 seconds left with the Mavs up 83-80. The foul sent Jack to the free-throw line preventing New Orleans to attempt a 3-pointer to tie the game.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Hornets center Emeka Okafor had the best stat line of anyone Saturday night as Okafor racked up 16 points and 17 rebounds for a stellar fantasy outing.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Actors Zach Galifianakis and Dylan McDermott sat courtside at Saturday night's game. Both are in New Orleans filming "Dog Fight," also starring Will Ferrell.

NOTABLE: Carlisle said he's going to shut down Nowitzki down for at least four games, which started Saturday against the Hornets. Carlisle said it's exact opposite of rest for Nowitzki. Carlisle said Nowitzki needs eight uninterrupted days of work without game action to work on conditioning. "If it was up to Dirk, he would play," Carlisle said Saturday night. "But right now, we feel the right thing is to take this time to get some things resolved. And hopefully by next Sunday, he'll be feeling a lot better." Carlisle said Nowitzki will go through harder workouts on practice days and some days Nowitzki will work out multiple times. ... Hornets coach Monty Williams said he didn't want to give out any more injury news on guard Eric Gordon until Williams finds out results of tests on Gordon's ailing right knee. Gordon missed his 13th game of the season with the injury. ... It's the first time the Mavs have won in the New Orleans Arena since Dec. 16, 2006.

UP NEXT: For the Mavs, Monday vs. Phoenix, Wednesday vs. Minnesota, Friday vs. Utah. For the Hornets, Monday vs. San Antonio, Wednesday @ Oklahoma State, Friday vs. Orlando.

• Mavericks: Jones, Williams
• Hornets: Gordon, Henry

• Mavericks: --
• Hornets: --

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA
• Officials: #32 Eddie F. Rush, #26 Pat Fraher, #77 Karl Lane
• Attendance: 15471
• Duration: 2:22