Jose Juan Barea led Dallas in scoring for the second time in four seasons with the Mavericks. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)With Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry struggling to find a rhythm for the majority of the game, the Dallas Mavericks (18-7) needed someone to pick-up the scoring burden. J.J. Barea was up to the task as he was three points away from his career high in scoring (26) with a season-high 23 points to lead the Mavericks. Barea was missed only three of 13 shots from the floor (77 percent shooting) and added four rebounds as he nearly scored a point for every minute he played (26). Barea scored the majority of his points around the basket and the New Orleans Hornets (10-13) didn't seem to have an answer for his quickness to the rim.
"I don't think we gave Barea enough respect in terms of his ability to impact the game," said Hornets' power-forward David West. "He was getting layup after layup and we didn't have an answer"
At one point in the second quarter, the Mavericks led 39-19 and it appeared Dallas was on its way to an easy victory. New Orleans countered, thanks largely to their bench that outplayed and out-hustled the Mavericks, and went on a 41-21 run to tie it at 60-60 with 4:12 left in the third quarter. After the Hornets tied the game 60-60, the Mavericks closed the third quarter with an 11-6 run that put them up five going into the final period.
New Orleans got as close as 88-90 in the fourth, but a clever cut to the basket by Nowitzki for an easy lay-in on an in-bounds pass, and a couple of clutch Jason Terry free throws put the game away for Dallas. The Hornets only lead of the game was 2-0 early-on but New Orleans did provide some anxiety for the Mavs, led by Chris Paul's team-leading 20 points, 16 assists, and five steals.
How Did The Hornets Get Back Into The Game?
After scoring 35 points in the first quarter, the Mavericks totaled just 36 points in the second and third quarter combined as New Orleans turned what appeared to be an easy win for Dallas into a close game all the way down to the wire. The New Orleans bench played an integral role in the comeback as they forced turnovers and ill-advised shots that put pressure on the Dallas defense, leading to easy baskets for the Hornets. The Mavericks out-shot the Hornets from the field 55.1 percent to 43.8 for the game, but a season-high 23 Dallas turnovers led to 28 points for New Orleans.
"We gave it away a lot tonight," said Jason Kidd, although he had only three turnovers on the night. "That kept them in the ballgame."
The Mavs also had 20 points in the paint in the first quarter compared to zero for the Hornets. By the end of the contest, Dallas' advantage scoring around the basket had disintegrated to only two (42-40).
What Happened To Dirk?
When the fourth quarter started, Dirk Nowitzki had contributed a measly two points on 1 of 5 shooting. Nowitzki did get hot in the fourth, making 3 of 6 shots for 8 points including a couple of clutch baskets late in regulation, but still finished with a season-low 10 points on 4-11 shooting. Even the Nowitzki's of the world have an off-game some nights, the strangest thing is his previous season-low was 12 - set against this same Hornet's team.
"They're just running at me aggressive," said Nowitzki. "Every time I faced [the basket], I was looking at two, three guys on my side. So I just passed the ball and let other guys make plays."
Nowitzki had three assists for the game.
Josh Howard's Return
Howard played well after his one-game break. J-Ho shot 50 percent from the floor, scored 14 points and grabbed (a season high) eight rebounds. The five turnovers on the stat sheet aren't pretty, but this was a sloppy game for most Mavericks and this should be expected from a guy that keeps coming in and out of the line-up.
Whats Next?
The Dallas Mavericks were able to squeak by, yet again, in another game they should have won by double-digits on their own home floor. Dallas is now 8-1 in games decided by five points or fewer this season and have won their last three games at home by a combined six points.
The Mavs now travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder, Wednesday (Dec.16). Kevin Durant is third in the NBA in scoring at 28.3 points. The Thunder are a decent 12-11 this season and 6-6 on their home floor. Dallas is 2-1 against the Thunder in the team's brief history.
Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m. and can be seen nationally on ESPN.
News and Notes:
- Jason Kidd had his sixth double-double of the season (fourth point/assist dub-dub) with 13 points and 13 assists.
- The Mavericks have won five-straight games at the AAC.
Must suck for the Hornets to lose on a night when Dirk was ice cold.
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