Mavericks-Jazz Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Oct 31 2012 3:03AM

Judging by their season opener, the Dallas Mavericks might thrive despite Dirk Nowitzki's lengthy absence.

After earning a road win over one of the Western Conference's presumed front-runners, the Mavericks will try to keep rolling Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz, who are hoping for a good showing from their newcomers as they begin their season at home.

Dallas received a big blow before the season started with the news that Nowitzki is expected to miss around six weeks due to knee surgery. The Mavericks, though, showed they may have enough depth on their retooled roster to endure without their 11-time All-Star after Tuesday's 99-91 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

In his debut with Dallas, point guard Darren Collison led a group of six Mavericks in double figures with 17 points and helped spoil the Lakers debuts of perennial All-Stars Dwight Howard and Steve Nash.

"It's a great win," coach Rick Carlisle said. "If you execute in this league and have talent, you have a chance to win, and we did that. The Lakers are going to be fine. They've got a lot of new guys and a new system, but we were opportunistic tonight and got the job done."

In terms of rest, the Mavericks won't be on equal footing with Wednesday's opponent. Utah opens its campaign after finishing with the same record (36-30) as Dallas last season, with both teams getting swept in the opening round of the playoffs.

To aid their chances of making a deeper run, the Jazz acquired Mo Williams and Marvin Williams in offseason trades, and signed Randy Foye to a one-year deal.

The Jazz were 27th in the league in 3-point shooting percentage (32.3) in 2011-12 and each incoming player shot better than 38.0 percent from beyond the arc last season.

Utah is hoping to improve defensively after it ranked 23rd with 99.0 points allowed per contest, and its offense barely outpaced those efforts with 99.7 points per game.

"I just think we're going to communicate a lot better than we did last year," leading scorer Al Jefferson said. "We've got guys who want to play defense, especially on that second unit."

Utah should have a deep front line with Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter. Millsap is the only remaining player from the franchise's 53-win team in 2009-10.

"Time catches up with you and at some point you have to change," said coach Tyrone Corbin, who is now under contract through the 2013-14 season.

The Jazz are hoping their new faces will help them turn this series back in their favor. Utah had dropped seven in a row to Dallas until a 123-121 triple-overtime win in Salt Lake City on April 16.

Jefferson had 28 points and matched a career high with 26 rebounds in that victory. The Jazz won't miss Nowitzki, who scored 40 points in each of the last two meetings.

In addition to Nowitzki's absence, the Mavericks might keep Chris Kaman out due to a strained right calf. He could return for Saturday's home opener against Charlotte.

Williams duo score 21 each as Jazz top Mavs 113-94

By LYNN DeBRUIN
Posted Nov 01 2012 1:30AM

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Utah Jazz made three major offseason moves, with a pair of trades to acquire Mo and Marvin Williams and the acquisition of free-agent Randy Foye.

Call it money well spent.

The three combined for 55 of Utah's points and all six of the Jazz 3-pointers in a 113-94 victory Wednesday night over the Dallas Mavericks, with the M & M duo scoring 21 points apiece.

"We're veterans," Mo Williams said. "We know what we bring to the table. We're just going to try to bring what we bring, try not to be no more than we are."

Paul Millsap added 15 rebounds and 13 points Utah. Al Jefferson also had a double-double with 14 rebounds and 12 points.

The score was tied at 70 before Mo Williams hit back-to-back 3-pointers then scored on a driving layup. Marvin Williams followed with his second 3-pointer, putting Utah up 11 points with 2:57 left in the third. The Jazz led by as many as 20 after trailing 63-55 at halftime.

"I just told the guys to stay the course," Mo Williams after the Jazz opened 1 of 7 from beyond the arc. "Pick up our intensity, pick up our defense and things will turn around. It's a long game. I've seen crazier things happen. We just wanted to stay solid and not get our heads down."

Darren Collison scored 17 points for the Mavs, who pulled off an upset win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday but couldn't match Utah's pace in the second half.

"When you get beat by 24 in a quarter that is a convincing beating," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said of being outscored 37-13 in the third. "We just didn't match their aggression in the third and that was the difference in the game."

It didn't help that Dallas continued to play without 11-time All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki and 7-0 center Chris Kaman.

The Jazz held a 44-30 advantage on points in the paint and 61-40 edge in rebounds.

Carlisle almost predicted as much, calling Utah a "wrecking crew" in the paint before the game with its four bigs.

Utah's aggressive style helped the Jazz get to the free throw line 42 times, and unlike the Lakers, they cashed in, making 31.

"It was a march to the free-throw line, and their shot-making was really there in the second half," Carlisle said. "It turned into a lousy night for us. They had a lot to do with it."

Give some credit to Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin, who chastised his team at halftime.

"He came in and told us what it was," Mo Williams said. "We got to pick up our intensity, got to get aggressive, get into them. They were having their way the first half."

Brandan Wright added 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting for the Mavs (1-1), while O.J. Mayo and Vince Carter had 12 points apiece.

The Mavs started off hot despite not arriving in Salt Lake City until about 3 a.m., hitting their first five shots in building a 15-8 lead.

Utah pulled even at 18 with 3:51 left in the quarter on Marvin Williams' fast-break layup. He had 10 first-quarter points, including his first 3-pointer as a member of the Jazz.

The Jazz surged ahead 42-35 in the second quarter as Mo Williams settled in, hitting four shots and two free throws in a 4-minute span. But the Mavs fought back with six 3-pointers, three by Mayo, two by Jae Crowder and one by Collison that started a 24-8 run and gave Dallas a 63-55 edge at the break.

It wouldn't be enough, against a Jazz team with depth.

The Mavs scored 31 points in the second half after scoring 63 in the first.

"I think they imposed their will," said Collison.

The Jazz got a scare when second-year pro Enes Kanter headed to the locker room with blood covering his face after catching an elbow from Vince Carter. He emerged with three stitches in his chin, and finally got back in the game late in the third quarter, in time to provide a few key rebounds. He finished with six points and seven rebounds in 14 minutes.

"He's a tough kid," Marvin Williams said of Kanter, the third overall pick last year. "One thing I love about him is he plays so hard. So I wouldn't be surprised if he has a couple more of those this season."

Afterward, the flashy big man sported a black straw hat with feather, black leather jacket and blue-and-while skull-and-crossbones belt buckle.

"In the second half, we wanted the game," Kanter said. "We went out there to fight, fight, fight."

The bandage on his chin was evidence of that.

"It's basketball. It doesn't matter if I get hit, get 30 stitches," he said. "I'm just going to go out there and lift up my teammates. That's my job. They can hit me every game."

Overall, it was a perfect homecoming for Mo Williams, drafted by the Jazz No. 47 overall in 2003, but allowed to leave after one year.

"It was fun," said Mo Williams, who helped the Jazz to a 27-12 advantage on the fast-break and finished with six assists and two blocked shots.

But he admitted it was a lot different than opening night in 2003 as rookie.

"I couldn't sleep. I was nervous," he recalled. "It's the complete opposite now. I feel home, feel comfortable. Everything is all good now."

NOTES: Mo Williams was assessed a technical foul with 7:50 left in the first quarter after being called for a foul on Collison. ... Utah F Millsap had nine rebounds in the first quarter. ... Mo Williams grabbed the microphone before Wednesday's game, thanked the fans, and said, "I want to say how happy I am to be back." ... He played only four minutes in the first quarter after picking up his second personal foul.

Notebook: Jazz 113, Mavericks 94

Andrew Aragon, for NBA.com
Posted Thu Nov 01, 2012 12:26 AM - Updated Thu Nov 01, 2012 12:26 AM

THE FACTS: The Utah Jazz's offseason makeover was supposed to make the team better from beyond the 3-point line, and help it play a more up-tempo, exciting brand of basketball.

After one game, mission accomplished.

The suddenly high-scoring Jazz blew open a 113-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter on Wednesday night, providing more treats than tricks for their fans on Halloween night. Utah's new Williamses -- Marvin and Mo -- led the way with 21 points apiece.

Paul Millsap chipped in 13 points and 15 rebounds for Utah, and newcomer Randy Foye had 13 points. Darren Collison scored a team-high 17 points for the second straight night for Dallas.

QUOTABLE: "When you get beat by 24 in a quarter that is a convincing beating. We just didn't match their aggression in the third and that was the difference in the game." --M avericks coach Rick Carlisle on his team getting outscored 37-13 in the third quarter.

THE STAT: Before the game, Carlisle called the Jazz "a wrecking crew in the paint" and was concerned with the rebounding challenges Utah posed to his team -- and for good reason, the contest showed. Utah obliterated Dallas on the boards with a 61-40 rebounding advantage. That rebounding edge led to other one-sided stats: The Jazz outscored the Mavs 44-30 in the paint, and 21-8 in second-chance points.

TURNING POINT: Mo and Marvin Williams helped the Jazz take control in the third quarter with a barrage of 3-pointers and drives to the basket. Mo Williams broke a 74-74 tie with back-to-back 3-pointers and a lay-in. Marvin Williams then drained a 3-pointer from the left corner to complete an 11-0 run. After a basket by the Mavericks' Bernard James, Enes Kanter blocked a shot and hustled to the other end to sink a jumper. Marvin Williams then made a layup to give Utah an insurmountable 89-76 advantage.

HOT: While the Jazz were led by a balanced effort with six players scoring in double figures and three players pulling down double-digit rebounds, Collison pretty much carried the Mavericks. He made his first three shots and dished a game-high seven assists.

NOT: Maybe it was having to play back-to-back games this early in the season. Whatever the reason, the Mavericks fell apart in the third quarter. They shot just 5-for-22 in the third and committed six turnovers. They made just two baskets in the final 7:19 of the period. On the bright side for the Mavericks, they earned a split on a two-game road trip.

QUOTABLE II: "That's just who they are. These guys are hungry and they compete against each other every day in practice. The way we execute our offense, they know they'll be in position to get offensive rebounds. They want to get the ball. You see them a lot of times, two guys fighting for a rebound. It's a great thing." --Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin on his team's rebounding prowess, specifically Millsap, Al Jefferson (14 boards) and Derrick Favors (10 rebounds).

GOOD MOVE: The foundation for the Jazz's win in their home opener was laid during the offseason. They needed to improve their 3-point shooting and the additions of Foye, Mo and Marvin Williams drastically make them a more dangerous team from the outside. They combined to shoot 6-for-11 from long range, which is just what Utah's front office envisioned when it acquired the three players.

BAD MOVE: It wasn't a good night for Dallas' Vince Carter. He shot just 3-for-12 while scoring 12 points. But his worst contribution of the night came when he got a technical foul shortly after he picked up his fifth personal foul of the game. After being whistled for an offensive foul, Carter said something offensive to an official and was "T'd"up. The Mavs led 70-69 at the time, but Carter's technical sparked the Jazz and their crowd. Utah then outscored Dallas 23-6 in the final 5:17 of the third.

NOTABLE: The Mavericks had won eight straight games on Halloween. Kanter had to leave the game in the first half after getting a cut on his face that required three stitches. He returned and finished with six points and seven rebounds. Millsap earned the 91st double-double of his career.

UP NEXT: For the Mavericks, Saturday vs. Hornets, Monday vs. Trail Blazers, Wednesday vs. Raptors. For the Jazz, Friday @ New Orleans, Saturday @ San Antonio, Monday @ Memphis.

• Mavericks: Kaman, Nowitzki
• Jazz: Bell, Watson

• Mavericks: Carter
• Jazz: Williams

• Lead Changes: 13
• Times Tied: 10

• Arena: EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #71 Rodney Mott, #50 Olandis Poole
• Attendance: 17634
• Duration: 2:22