Hornets-Mavericks Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Jan 04 2013 4:43PM

Dirk Nowitzki is getting his game back into form following an extended offseason, but the wins just aren't coming for the Dallas Mavericks.

Perhaps a visit by the lowly New Orleans Hornets will change that.

Nowitzki and the Mavericks will try to avoid their first four-game home losing streak in four seasons on Saturday night when they face a Hornets team that's won just once in its last 20 visits to Dallas.

Out the first 27 games of 2012-13 following offseason right knee surgery, Nowitzki is averaging 10.0 points off the bench in six games back. The former MVP set season highs for points (19) and minutes (29) on Wednesday in Miami, but the Mavericks lost for the 10th time in 12 games, 119-109 in overtime.

Dallas (13-20) was outscored 9-3 in the final 3:37 after Nowitzki's 3-pointer.

"Execution down the stretch has been one of our problems all year," he said. "We're 0-6 in overtime (this season) and lost a lot of close ones during the season in regulation. We've got to work on that."

Actually, only two of the Mavericks' 14 regulation defeats have been by fewer than 10 points, and they have lost nine games by at least 19. The previous two times the latter happened came in their last two home games - 106-85 to Denver on Dec. 28 and 111-86 to San Antonio on Sunday.

However, if the Hornets' history in Dallas is any indication, the Mavericks should be in good position to prevent their first four-game home skid since starting 0-4 at home in 2008-09.

New Orleans (7-25) has dropped six straight as the road team in this series following a 96-81 loss on Jan. 7. A 104-97 victory on Jan. 14, 2009, is the Hornets' only win at the Mavericks since 1998, when the team was based in Charlotte.

Having Eric Gordon back in the lineup could definitely help New Orleans' chances of winning before it heads home for three straight, but it's uncertain if he'll be ready to go. The fifth-year guard, who missed the first 29 games this season following arthroscopic right knee surgery, did not play in Wednesday's 104-92 loss at Houston as coach Monty Williams rested him as a precautionary measure. Gordon scored 11 points in Tuesday's 95-86 loss to Atlanta after finishing with 24 in his season debut, last Saturday's 98-95 win at Charlotte.

"He's getting more and more game ready each day," Williams, whose team has lost 14 of 16, said Friday. "It's tough to go from not playing at all to jumping right in and playing in an NBA game.

Even if Gordon plays, rookie Austin Rivers will likely make a 14th straight alongside point guard Greivis Vasquez, who is averaging 16.9 and 10.5 assists in the last 11 contests.

Rivers has struggled with his shot - he's hitting 34.3 percent - but a bigger concern could be on the defensive end against O.J. Mayo. Dallas' leading scorer poured in 30 points on Wednesday after averaging 9.8 in Nowitzki's first five games back.

While with Memphis, Mayo averaged 12.8 points in four games against New Orleans last season.

Mavericks center Chris Kaman, who spent last season with the Hornets after being acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers, will try to build off his second double-double of the season (14 points, 10 rebounds).

New Orleans' big man Anthony Davis is among the rookie leaders with five double-doubles despite missing 13 games due to injury.

Hornets 99-96 in OT over Mavs in Dirk's 1st start

By STEPHEN HAWKINS
Posted Jan 06 2013 1:28AM

DALLAS (AP) Having Dirk Nowitzki back in the starting lineup was a significant step for the Dallas Mavericks.

Eric Gordon's first start of the season for New Orleans had a much better ending.

Gordon, who like Nowitzki missed time recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, completed a three-point play with 4.7 seconds left in overtime Saturday, lifting the Hornets to a 99-96 victory.

Though Gordon was 4-of-13 shooting in only his third game this season, he made the biggest basket of the night on a bank shot from the top of the circle after he got Darren Collison in the air and drew the foul. He then sank the free throw.

"On that last one, I was starting to feel it a little bit. . I kept on playing and taking jump shots," Gordon said. "It's definitely a confidence booster to do well in overtime, especially for such a tough shooting night, it felt good to overcome it."

After a timeout, O.J. Mayo was beyond the 3-point line when Gordon went up the air and by him. Gordon's foot made contact with the ball, knocking it loose. Instead of a foul, officials called it a kicked ball. Dallas got one more chance but Vince Carter's shot from the right corner ricocheted off the rim.

Soon after the game, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tweeted: "Im sorry NBA fans. Ive tried for 13 yrs to fix the officiating in this league and I have failed miserably. Any Suggestions ? I need help."

Nowitzki had a team-high 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting in 34 minutes, his most extensive action this season. He missed a free throw with 18 seconds left in regulation that would have put the Mavericks ahead by a point.

"Obviously, I'm not quite there yet, it's still a work in progress, especially playing 30 minutes and then being asked to get the ball down the stretch every time and make something happen, I don't think I'm at that point yet," Nowitzki said. "But I'm going to keep working on going in the right direction and turn it around, pull some of those close games out and get some of those wins."

Greivis Vasquez had 15 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter for the Hornets, but missed a final shot at the end of regulation. Vasquez also had nine assists.

The Mavericks (13-21) have lost 10 consecutive overtime games, matching an NBA record held by three other teams. That includes seven OT losses this season, five of them in their current 2-11 stretch - the latest against the worst team in the Western Conference.

"It feels like it. Yeah, it feels like it. I still believe in the team and I like the guys," coach Rick Carlisle said when asked if this felt like a rock-bottom loss. "This is just a tough time and it's important that everybody sticks together and we've got to fight through it."

Ryan Anderson had 16 points for New Orleans (8-25), which had lost 14 of its previous 16 games. Gordon had 14 points and Jason Smith scored 12. Al-Farouq Aminu had 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Carter had 17 points for the Mavs, and Mayo had 14 on 5-of-17 shooting.

Nowitzki had been a reserve in his first six games after missing the first 27 games of his 15th NBA season recovering from arthroscopic right knee surgery.

It was the NBA-high 15th different starting lineup for the Mavericks, and the first time this season they had the starting five they anticipated before the star 7-footer had surgery Oct. 19, three weeks into the preseason: Nowitzki with Shawn Marion and offseason additions Chris Kaman, Mayo and Collison.

There was a huge ovation when Nowitzki was the last of the starters introduced before the game.

Vazquez made a 3-pointer with 7 1/2 minutes left in regulation that put the Hornets up 79-73, their biggest lead of the night.

Anderson hit a long 3-pointer from the left wing with 3 minutes left in regulation to put New Orleans up 84-83, and Carter responded with his own 3 for Dallas.

After Vasquez missed both of his free throws with 1:12 left, the Mavs led 88-87 after Nowitzki swished a long jumper over Anderson. But Smith then drove past Nowitzki for a layup.

Hornets coach Monty Williams was livid when Gordon was called for a foul when providing some help defending Nowitzki. Dallas got the ball on the side before Nowitzki was fouled again by Gordon, this time going to the line. But he missed the first of two free throws for a tie game before Vazquez had to take a wild shot at the buzzer.

"It was a fun game for us because we were playing not good, but the fourth quarter and the momentum carried over for us," Vasquez said. "I missed a couple of free throws, but later on I took over and helped basically win the game for us."

NOTES: The Mavs played their only home game in a six-game stretch. They play at Utah on Monday night, starting a three-game trip. ... Marion could only smile when he was called for a foul in the third quarter, when he barely made contact with Vasquez. The Hornets guard fell back onto the floor like he had shoved hard. ... Cuban attended his first home game since before Christmas. He was hospitalized for kidney stones for several days last month before a holiday trip to the Cayman Islands.

Notebook: Hornets 99, Mavericks 96

Dave Ivey, for NBA.com
Posted Sun Jan 06, 2013 12:12 AM - Updated Sun Jan 06, 2013 12:12 AM

THE FACTS: Eric Gordon converted a three-point play with 4.7 seconds left in overtime Saturday as the New Orleans Hornets rallied for a rare 99-96 victory at Dallas. The Mavericks fell to 0-7 in overtime this season and have now dropped 10 straight in OT, matching an NBA record shared by Atlanta, Golden State and Minnesota.

Making just his third appearance and his first start of the season, Gordon poured in the last eight points in overtime for the Hornets (8-25), who had lost 19 of their last 20 at the American Airlines Center. Gordon pump-faked Darren Collison off his feet, drew contact and banked in a 16-footer near the foul line, adding the free throw for the decisive points.

Greivis Vasquez scored 15 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and added nine assists and seven rebounds for New Orleans. Ryan Anderson sank four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points.

Despite having Dirk Nowitzki back in the starting lineup for the first time, the fading Mavericks (13-21) lost for the 11th time in 13 games. Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 20 points, but attempted only one shot in the extra session. O.J. Mayo was 1-for-4 in overtime, missing two open corner 3-pointers, and finished with 14 points on 5-for-17 shooting. Vince Carter had 17 off the bench, but his 23-footer at the final buzzer hit the iron.

QUOTABLE: "That's why he's a big-time two-guard in this league. That's what they do -- they win games at the end."

-- Greivis Vasquez on Eric Gordon

THE STAT: Dallas has lost four straight at home for the first time since starting 0-4 in 2008-09.

TURNING POINT: The Hornets erased an 11-point deficit by outscoring the Mavericks 30-13 from the 5:14 mark of the third quarter through 7:12 of the fourth. New Orleans won for the first time this season when trailing after three quarters (1-19).

QUOTABLE II: "We can't guard nobody."

-- Mavericks forward Shawn Marion

QUOTABLE III: "Yeah, it feels like it. I still believe in the team and I like the guys. This is just a tough time and it's important that everybody sticks together and we've got to fight through it."

-- Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle when asked if this loss was "rock bottom."

HOT: Vasquez was 3-for-4 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter.

NOT: Mayo finished 1-for-7 from behind the arc. ... Nowitzki missed a big free throw with 18.5 seconds left in regulation.

GOOD MOVE: Moving Al-Farouq Aminu back into the starting lineup paid off for the Hornets. He registered a double-double with 10 points, a game-high 13 rebounds, three assists, three steals and one blocked shot. It was his first double-double since Nov. 21 at Indiana.

INSIDE THE ARENA: New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton attended the game and sat behind the Hornets' bench.

ROOKIE WATCH: Hornets forward Anthony Davis only played 12:09, tallying four points, one rebound and three personal fouls.

NOTABLE: The Mavericks have now used 15 different starting lineups in 34 games, a league high. ... New Orleans' 40 first-half points matched a season low by a Mavericks opponent. ... Collison scored in double figures for the seventh straight game with 12 points, his longest stretch of the season. ... Elton Brand set a season high with five blocked shots for Dallas. ... The Mavericks' record for most overtime games in a season is eight (1995-96, 1997-98 and 2009-10).

UP NEXT: For the Mavericks, Monday @ Utah, Wednesday @ L.A. Clippers, Thursday @ Sacramento. For the Hornets, Monday vs. San Antonio, Wednesday vs. Houston, Friday vs. Minnesota.

• Hornets: Miller
• Mavericks: Cunningham, Wright

• Hornets: --
• Mavericks: --

• Lead Changes: 10
• Times Tied: 12

• Arena: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
• Officials: #55 Bill Kennedy, #26 Pat Fraher, #66 Haywoode Workman
• Attendance: 20338
• Duration: 2:21