Mavericks-Suns Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Dec 06 2012 2:46AM

The Phoenix Suns are so confident in what team president Jason Rowley calls their "exciting brand of basketball" that the team is offering fans their money back - regardless of the game's outcome - if they're not completely satisfied with the experience at Thursday night's matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.

The way the Suns are playing, that could end up being quite a costly promotion.

Back from its longest trip of the season, Phoenix will try to avoid its first five-game losing streak in nearly 11 months as it begins a stretch of six of seven at home.

Whether it's to generate some excitement in the desert for the new-look Suns, fill the US Airways Center for a nationally televised game, or both, the team's "Satisfaction Guaranteed Night" comes at a time when Phoenix (7-12) isn't satisfied at all with its play.

The team ended a 1-5 trip with Tuesday's 108-98 overtime loss to Memphis, a game the Suns led by as many as 16 in the second quarter.

"We played good for three quarters," said center Marcin Gortat, who led Phoenix with 18.5 points and 12.3 rebounds per game as it dropped three of four to Dallas last season. "Quite honestly, something just suddenly turned off. Someone turned off the switch, and we just stopped playing. That's it."

The Suns can't afford any more defensive letdowns, as they're allowing 108.0 points per game during their skid and a league-worst 102.9 for the season.

Phoenix last lost five in a row Jan. 10-17.

"They're gonna be desperate for a win," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle told the team's official website.

Dallas (8-10) is also looking to get back into the win column after getting routed 112-90 by the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday to kick off its three-game trip.

The Mavs have dropped four of five, with three of those losses coming by at least 22 points.

"Turnovers basically triggered all the problems tonight," Carlisle told the league's official website after his team's season high-tying 22 turnovers led to 26 Clippers points.

Trying to avoid a fourth consecutive road loss - and falling three games below .500 for the first time since the start of 2011-12 - Dallas will still be without Dirk Nowitzki.

The former MVP is traveling with the Mavs, but he said during Wednesday's game his debut following offseason knee surgery is still "a few weeks out."

Dallas is hoping the recent addition of point guard Derek Fisher will add some veteran leadership and scoring punch until Nowitzki returns. Fisher hit three 3-pointers and scored 15 points Wednesday after going 1 for 8 with two points in his season debut Saturday against Detroit.

"I'm just looking forward to be as helpful as possible with this team," Fisher said. "There's a lot of young guys, but we do have some potential."

Suns point guard Goran Dragic, the team leader with 15.5 points and 6.6 assists per game, could play a key role in turning Phoenix's season in the right direction. He averaged 20.3 points and 8.3 assists in three games versus Dallas last season while with Houston.

Phoenix forward Luis Scola totaled 59 points and 20 rebounds in those contests for the Rockets.

The Suns avoided the season sweep and ended an eight-game skid in this series with a 96-94 victory in Dallas' last visit on March 8.

The Mavericks had won their previous three in Phoenix.

Mayo's 23 lead Mavericks past skidding Suns 97-94

By BOB BAUM
Posted Dec 07 2012 2:48AM

PHOENIX (AP) Fans were guaranteed a good time or their money back at the Phoenix Suns' game against Dallas.

They were not guaranteed a victory, and they didn't get one - just another failed Phoenix comeback.

A tough, fall-away 21-footer by O.J. Mayo proved to be the difference as the Mavericks handed the Suns their fifth loss in a row, 97-94 on Thursday night.

It was a nice bounce-back for a Dallas team beaten by 22 by the Clippers in Los Angeles 24 hours earlier, the Mavericks' fourth loss in five games.

"After playing a game last night we could have made a lot of excuses for ourselves as far as we had a tough game last night and didn't play well, but we flushed it and we came today with a lot of energy," Mayo said.

Mayo scored 23 points, including that go-ahead jumper with 35 seconds to go. Brandan Wright and Darren Collison scored 16 apiece for Dallas. Wright's total was a season high. Chris Kaman added 15 points.

"We played one of our strongest-willed games," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "Difficult situation, losing time coming off the back-to-back and a rough one last night. Everybody played with a lot of heart, a lot of guts. It was really a war of attrition out there with the injuries and all the stuff going on. Everybody hung in and we found a way and it's a huge win for us."

Markieff Morris had 15 points and a career-best 17 rebounds for the Suns, who rallied from 15 down in the third quarter to tie it in the final minute.

Kaman (sprained ankle) and Shawn Marion (strained right groin) left the game with injuries for Dallas, as did P.J. Tucker (sprained knee) and Jermaine O'Neal (eye) for Phoenix.

The game was played on "money-back guarantee night," when those who bought a ticket could get their money back if they didn't have a good time. The Suns said it was the first promotion of its kind in the NBA.

It was the first game back for Phoenix after a 1-5 road trip that included a strong game at Memphis, where the Suns led by 16 before losing in overtime. One of those losses was a 40-point blowout in Detroit. The others all went down to the wire.

"It's always the same story," the Suns' Goran Dragic said. "We came up short. ... When you're down so many points and you're battling, your energy is going away because you're trying to get back in the game."

Morris' 3-pointer cut Dallas' lead to 87-85 with a minute to go, then Shannon Brown stole Collison's pass and was fouled. Brown made two free throws with 48.5 seconds left to tie it at 87.

But with Sebastian Telfair guarding him closely, Mayo knocked down the tough shot to put the Mavericks back ahead for good.

Dragic, who scored 15 points but shot only 5 of 14, missed an open driving layup that would have tied it.

"He (Mayo) made that tough shot and we missed an easy layup," Dragic said, "and there goes the game."

Dallas sealed it with eight free throws in the final 19.3 seconds - four by Collison and four by Vince Carter.

Trailing 44-40 at halftime, the Mavericks ran past Phoenix 23-4 to start the third quarter, opening a 63-48 lead with 3:50 to go in the period. Mayo sank his third 3-pointer of the night - in four tries - and Wright, who had not played in three of the previous four games, made consecutive baskets, on a dunk and a layup, to cap the outburst.

Phoenix missed 13 of its first 14 shots in the quarter and went 7 minutes without a field goal.

Dragic and Tucker hit 3s to bring the Suns out of their funk enough to cut the lead to 69-62 after three.

Jared Dudley opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, then Telfair's layup cut it to 71-67. Consecutive baskets by Wright boosted the lead to 81-71 with 5:40 to play.

NOTES: Fans with single-game tickets who decide they didn't have a good time can fill out a form to get a rebate. ... Telfair was back after missing one game following the death of his father. ... Morris had nine rebounds in 9 minutes during the first quarter. ... Phoenix is 5-4 at home, Dallas 3-7 on the road. ... The last road win for both teams had been at Cleveland. ... Morris' previous career best was 11 rebounds against Dallas in his rookie season a year ago. ... The Suns' Michael Beasley was 3-of-12 shooting for nine points and didn't play in the fourth quarter.

Notebook: Mavericks 97, Suns 94

Mike Tulumello, for NBA.com
Posted Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:34 AM - Updated Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:34 AM

THE FACTS: The Phoenix Suns staged "money-back guarantee night" on Thursday.

On Friday, they may have to start handing out refund checks, as the visiting Dallas Mavericks sent the Suns to their fifth straight loss, 97-94.

The Mavericks ran up an 81-71 lead with 5:40 left, but turnovers by Vince Carter, O.J. Mayo and Darren Collison helped the Suns go on a 16-6 run to tie the game. A steal and two free throws by Shannon Brown made it 87-87, with 48.5 seconds left.

Then Mayo hit a tough, 20-foot fadeaway with 34.6 seconds left. The Suns' Goran Dragic then missed a layup, then Collison hit two free throws to all but wrap it up with 19.3 seconds left.

Mayo led the Mavericks (9-10) with 23 points. The Mavs got big bench play from Collison and Brandan Wright with 16 points each and Chris Kaman, who had 15 points and seven boards.

The Suns (7-13) got perhaps a career-best game from Markieff Morris, who had 15 points and a career-high 17 boards.

Dragic, who shot 5-for-14 for 15 points, said, "It's tough. It is always the same story. We came up short."

The Mavs' Shawn Marion suffered a groin strain.

"Groins can be tricky," he said. "They can be lingering, or, with treatment, you can deal with it."

QUOTABLE: "We played one of our strongest-willed games....A lot of heart, a lot of guts."
-- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, on his team, which played poorly the previous night at the Los Angeles Clippers, then lost an hour in the trip to Arizona afterward.

THE STAT: The Mavs' Collison, Kaman and Wright combined to score 47 points off the bench on just 30 shots from the floor.

TURNING POINT: The Mavericks whipped the sluggish Suns, 23-4, to start the second half and take a 63-48 lead. During the nearly nine-minute span, Kaman lit up Marcin Gortat while -- at the other end -- the Suns' Michael Beasley missed shots. The Suns managed to tie the game late, but never again led.

QUOTABLE II: "Our goal is to keep playing and turn our season around."
-- Suns coach Alvin Gentry

HOT: Wright shot 8-for-12.

NOT: Gortat shot 1-for-8. He drew boos when he failed to convert what appeared to be an easy lob-and-layup attempt.

GOOD MOVE: The Mavericks' decision to play Wright all but a few seconds of the final 16 minutes of the game.

BAD MOVE: The Suns' decision to play Beasley 21 minutes.

IN THE ARENA: Anyone who was dissatisfied with the game, without any questions, can redeem their ticket stub for a rebate equal to the purchase price of the ticket.

ROOKIE WATCH:The Mavericks' Jae Crowder had three rebounds in 14 minutes.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Look for Beasley's days as a starter to come to an end. After signing a 3-year, $18-million deal, Beasley is now shooting 37 percent (27 percent on 3-pointers) and isn't faring better at the defensive end. "More than likely" Beasley will assume a reserve role, Gentry said. "We have to get more production out of that spot."

The obvious replacement would be P.J. Tucker, though Tucker sprained a knee against the Mavs.

Also, Gortat has gone south, shooting 5-for-21 in his last three games.

NOTABLE: Of the Suns' five straight losses, two have been by four points or fewer and one came in overtime.

UP NEXT: For the Mavericks, Saturday @ Houston, Monday vs. Sacramento and Wednesday @ Boston. For the Suns, Saturday @ L.A. Clippers, Sunday vs. Orlando and Wednesday vs Memphis.

• Mavericks: Beaubois, Nowitzki
• Suns: Frye, Marshall

• Mavericks: --
• Suns: O'Neal

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
• Officials: #59 Gary Zielinski, #7 Kevin Fehr, #28 Zach Zarba
• Attendance: 17517
• Duration: 2:36