Rockets-Mavericks Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jan 16 2013 12:50AM

Dirk Nowitzki has been the Dallas Mavericks' preeminent scorer through nearly all of his 15 seasons, but he hasn't had to carry the load during one of the team's longest win streaks of 2012-13.

Looking for another balanced effort, Dallas will seek a season-high fourth consecutive victory Wednesday night while trying to add to its recent dominance over the struggling Houston Rockets.

After starting slowly in his return from knee surgery, Nowitzki has been making progress while averaging 16.9 points over his last seven games. That includes a string of three straight victories in which the Mavericks (16-23) have scored 111.3 points per game.

Seven players are averaging in double figures during the win streak, and Nowitzki isn't even the top scorer. O.J. Mayo is producing 18.3 points per game while Nowitzki is one of three players with 14.7.

Another one of those, Darren Collison, had a team-best 23 points and nine assists Monday in a 113-98 win over Minnesota while Mayo and Elton Brand scored 20 apiece.

"We're playing with more familiarity with one another, with more familiarity with the system. Our reads are better," coach Rick Carlisle told the team's official website. "We've been doing some good things in that area. The challenge will be continuing."

The Mavericks will try to extend their run while earning a ninth straight win against Houston. With Nowitzki out, Mayo stepped up to match a career high with 40 points - 10 in the final three minutes - in a 116-109 road win over the Rockets on Dec. 8.

Chris Kaman added 20 points despite dealing with a sprained left ankle.

The Rockets (21-18) don't appear poised to end their lengthy skid against their in-state rival after a season-high fourth straight defeat overall, 117-109 to the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. Houston shot 50.0 percent and had five players in double figures, led by James Harden's 23 points, but allowed the Clippers to shoot 53.8 percent and make 11 of 19 from 3-point range.

The Rockets have also dropped three in a row on the road after winning five of their previous six outside of Houston. They begin a four-game road trip Wednesday.

"You can't (lose at home)," Harden said. "We've got to be better, especially on the defensive end. We've got to guard in order to win games. It's simple."

Harden, averaging 26.4 points in his first season in Houston, has topped 20 points in a career-best 21 consecutive games, the fifth-longest streak in franchise history. He scored 39 in the loss to the Mavericks in December and had 29 in his most recent visit to Dallas, the clinching game in Oklahoma City's opening-round playoff sweep May 5.

Nowitzki had 35 points and went 12 of 12 from the free-throw line in his most recent game versus the Rockets, a 117-110 home victory April 18. He averaged 29.0 points in three games against Houston last season, his second-highest mark against any Western Conference opponent.

The Mavericks are trying to win four straight for the first time since March 13-19 and earn a season high-tying third consecutive home victory.

Brand helps Mavericks hold off Rockets 105-100

By SCHUYLER DIXON
Posted Jan 17 2013 12:37AM

DALLAS (AP) James Harden drove to the basket with his potent left hand, intent on breaking a late tie against the Dallas Mavericks.

His layup attempt never reached the rim.

Elton Brand's critical block led to a pair of tiebreaking free throws by O.J. Mayo, and Dirk Nowitzki hit several big shots and finished with 19 points to turn back a Jeremy Lin-led rally in the Mavericks' 105-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

"I had two or three. Which one was it?" Brand said when asked about the block, managing to keep a straight face for a few seconds before breaking into a big grin.

He knew which one it was.

"He's one of the best finishers in the league," Brand said. "I just tried to do what I could to get a stop right there."

The Mavericks, who won a season-high fourth straight game, got plenty of stops on Harden. The NBA's fourth-leading scorer finished with 20 points but had just five midway through the third quarter and was held to 5-of-23 shooting. He barely extended his career-best streak of games with at least 20 points to 22.

Lin was the bigger threat in the fourth quarter. With Houston trailing 93-82, he hit two free throws and consecutive driving layups to start a 15-4 surge that tied the score at 97. He also had a 3-pointer, but missed three of six free throws down the stretch. One would have given Houston its first lead since the first quarter, and the last cost the Rockets a chance to tie with 57 seconds left.

"Well, if I could hit a free throw that would be nice," said Lin, a 78 percent foul shooter who had 19 points but went 6 of 10 from the line.

Mayo's free throws put Dallas ahead 99-97 with 1:02 remaining, and Lin had a chance to tie it after drawing a foul call that Dallas didn't like. His miss gave the Mavericks the ball back with the lead, but Mike James missed a long jumper. Harden couldn't get a good look at a layup on the other end, and Nowitzki won a scramble for the ball and made two more free throws.

The Rockets had a last chance to tie, but Lin committed their 16th turnover trying to get the ball to Chandler Parsons, who had 18 points. Harden, Lin and Parsons - Houston's three outside scoring threats - combined to make 17 of 50 from the field as the Rockets shot 39 percent and lost a season-high fifth straight coming off their second five-game winning streak, also a season best.

"Turnovers, missed layups, missed good shots," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "We just go through stretches where that comes back, and we've got to fight back after that."

Mayo had 18 points despite 3-of-14 shooting because he was 12 of 13 from the line. Shawn Marion also had 18 points to go with nine rebounds, while Brand had 11 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.

Six Mavericks finished in double figures for the second straight game, but Dallas was looking to Nowitzki in key stretches. He hit a 3-pointer late in the third quarter to stem a Houston rally and had another big jumper after Lin pulled the Rockets within a point with 3:40 left.

"I had some good looks," said Nowitzki, who has scored in double figures in nine straight games after a slow start in his return from knee surgery that sidelined him for the first two months. "That 3 at the end of the third helped me get my rhythm. Sometimes all you need is to see the ball go through the hoop one time."

The Mavericks shot 38 percent and had a subpar night at the line before Nowitzki, Mayo and Dahntay Jones combined to make eight straight in the final 1:02.

Harden had gone more than two quarters without a basket when he stole a pass and converted a three-point play on the other end midway through the third. He ended up with five points during a 10-2 run that pulled Houston to 71-69.

NOTES: The Mavericks didn't trail in Monday's 113-98 win over Minnesota, the first time this season Dallas led from start to finish. It also was the first time the Mavericks had three players with 20 or more points in a game. Darren Collison scored 23 and Mayo and Brand added 20 apiece. ... Collison and Mayo had nine assists each against the Timberwolves, making it the first time since 2002 that two Dallas players had at least 20 points and nine assists in the same game. ... Houston's 18 points in the first quarter matched a season low for a Dallas opponent in the first. ... James' 10-day contract expires at midnight Thursday. He played critical minutes against the Rockets, increasing the likelihood that he'll stay around.

Notebook: Mavericks 105, Rockets 100

Dave Ivey, for NBA.com
Posted Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:56 PM - Updated Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:56 PM

THE FACTS: After watching Jeremy Lin and the Houston Rockets overcome a big fourth-quarter lead, Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks buckled down on defense and grinded out a 105-100 victory on Wednesday at the American Airlines Center. Dallas (17-23) extended its season-long winning streak to four games and handed Houston (21-19) its fifth straight loss. It was the Mavericks' ninth consecutive win against their intrastate rivals, their longest active streak against any opponent.

Nowitzki scored 10 of his team-high 19 points in the fourth quarter. O.J. Mayo had 18 points and eight assists, Shawn Marion tallied 18 points and nine rebounds and Elton Brand collected his 400th career double-double with 11 points and 10 boards off the bench. Darren Collison and rookie Jae Crowder also scored in double figures with 10 each.

Lin scored 14 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. James Harden had 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals, but was just 5-for-23 from the field. Omer Asik got his 16th double-double of the season with 12 points and 15 boards, and Chandler Parsons scored 18 points.

QUOTABLE: "We really stepped up tonight. They lead the league in offense with 105 a game and we tried to keep them under 100. We got big stops, big rebounds and big blocks when we needed it. We did well because they have a heck of an offensive team."
-- Mavericks forward Brand

THE STAT: Harden extended his streak to 22 consecutive games with at least 20 points, but he needed 23 shots to get there. He was 1-for-8 from 3-point distance. Harden's streak is the longest for Houston since Hakeem Olajuwon scored 20-plus in 24 consecutive games from Jan. 24-March 13, 1995.

TURNING POINT: After Houston erased an 11-point deficit with a 15-4 run to knot the score at 97-97, the Mavericks put together three consecutive defensive stops in the final minute to thwart the rally. Brand had a huge blocked shot against a driving Harden on one trip, and Dahntay Jones intercepted an errant pass by Lin on another. Nowitzki, Jones and Mayo each made a pair of free throws in the final 25 seconds to ice the victory.

QUOTABLE II: "James played hard. He got to the line 12 times, had some looks that he'd normally make and missed some, but you're going to have nights like that."
-- Rockets head coach Kevin McHale

HOT: In the fourth quarter, Harden and Lin combined for 23 points and one turnover. Lin went 4-for-4 from the field, including a 3-pointer.

NOT: Through the first three quarters, Harden and Lin were a combined 5-for-23 from the field (0-for-7 3-pointers) with 16 points and seven turnovers.

BAD MOVE: The Rockets turned the ball over seven times during a 19-0 run by the Mavericks in the first quarter. Dallas scored 12 points off nine turnovers in the opening period as Houston looked lethargic out of the gates on the second night of a back-to-back.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: After tying his career high with 40 points in the first meeting against the Rockets, a 116-109 win at Houston on Dec. 8, Mayo filled up the box score again. He set career highs at the free-throw line, finishing 12-for-13, and added six rebounds, two steals and one block.

INSIDE THE ARENA: It was the 450th consecutive regular-season sellout (20,147) at the American Airlines Center.

NOTABLE: The Rockets have lost four straight on the road. This was the first game of a four-game road trip. ... Dallas registered its seventh straight game with 13 or fewer turnovers (10). ... The Mavericks are 14-5 when reaching the century mark. ... Lin has made at least one steal in 19 straight games. ... Collison has converted 23 consecutive free throws, four short of his career best (March 2011). ... Dallas attempted a season-high 43 free throws.

UP NEXT: For the Mavericks, Friday vs. Oklahoma City, Sunday @ Orlando, Friday vs. San Antonio. For the Rockets, Friday @ Indiana, Saturday @ Minnesota, Monday @ Charlotte.

• Rockets: Jones, White
• Mavericks: Cunningham, Jones

• Rockets: --
• Mavericks: --

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #40 Leon Wood, #63 Derek Richardson
• Attendance: 20147
• Duration: 2:35