Mavs Fall In OT - 112-114

Andre Miller (24) and the Blazers persevered on the second night of a back-to-back even without Brandon Roy. Miller scored a career high 52 points. (AP Photo/Ralph Lauer)

On the road, having lost a close one in Houston the night before and without their best player; the Portland Trail Blazers (28-21) had every opportunity to wave the white flag. After the Mavericks got up 112-108 with 2:23 remaining in overtime, the Blazers defense tightened.

The Dallas Mavericks (30-17) missed their next four shots, and Portland scored six straight to steal the victory in Dallas. Andre Miler made 22 of his 31 shot attempts (71 percent) as he had the third highest scoring night against the Mavs in the history of the franchise (52), and was one point away from the highest scoring game at the AAC.

"I just wanted to stay aggressive," said Miller, who scored seven of the Blazers 11 Overtime points. "I didn't look at it as scoring the ball, but just going out and making plays and being the point guard. The shots came and since they were going in, I kept shooting."

Miller came into the game averaging 12.6 points and shooting only 44 percent. His previous season-high was 28 points.

Dallas has allowed their last three opponents to each shoot over 50 percent from the field and Rick Carlise is none too happy about it.

"We got very soft defensively as a team," said Carlise, whose team has allowed an average of 111 points over the past three games. "We were a tough-minded defensive team the first quarter of the year and it's gone by the wayside."

With the win, the Blazers snapped a three-game losing streak. The Mavericks have now lost two straight.

Nowitzki's Potential Game-Tying Basket Rims Out

Dirk Nowitzki scored 14 of his team-high 28 points in the fourth quarter, but missed the final four shots he attempted in Overtime. The final shot, a fall-away 14-footer from the top of the free-throw line, rimmed out at time expired. Nicolas Batum, a rookie out of France, was on Nowitzki for the majority of the Overtime period and his defense forced the big German into some off-balanced shots.

Nowitzki also missed the potential game-winner with a little-over a second remaining, but he was forced to do it all tonight offensively. Dirk took five of the Mavs final seven shots as no other Dallas player seemed to want the ball in crunch time.

"I had a good look at the game-winner off the spin move," said Nowitzki, who also added nine rebounds and two assists. "That's a shot I've got to make. In overtime it was the same thing. It's definitely a tough one to swallow."

Mavericks Bench Plays Well

New sixth-man Josh Howard led the bench bonanza with 17 points as the Mavs bench outscored the Blazers reserves 44-18.

J.J. Barea added 13 and seven boards, while Eddie Najera made his first appearance and scored his first points this season as a Mav - on a three pointer. This is something that definitely wasn't in his repretoire in his last stay with Dallas.

Whats Next

As the losses mount, Dallas keeps falling closer and closer to the middle-of-the-pack in the Western Conference standings. The Nuggets are now a game-and-a-half ahead of the Mavericks for second in the conference, while the Utah Jazz are only a game-and-a-half behind for fourth place.

Speaking of Utah, Dallas will travel to Salt Lake City to take on the Jazz Monday night. Utah is 19-6 at home this season (third best in the West), have won five straight and nine of their last 10 games overall.

The Mavericks have played the Jazz twice already this season, at home, splitting the two games. Utah won Jan. 9, 111-93 and Dallas won Nov. 4, 95-86 thanks to Nowitzki's record-breaking fourth quarter.

Tip-off is at 8:00 p.m. and can be seen locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

News and Notes:

• Dallas is now 8-7 in 2010, after going 22-10 before the new year.
• Andre Miller's 52 was the third highest point total against Dallas in team history. Second was Tim Duncan's 53 (12/26/01) and the record is Kobe Bryant's 62 (12/20/2005).
  
• Since his insertion into the starting line-up, 1/20 in Washington D.C., Jason Terry has averaged 17.5 points on 50 percent shooting. But, Dallas is only 3-3 with JET starting and it appears offense is not the Mavs' biggest priority at the moment.
  

(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)

Streak Busters 106-112

Steve Nash and the Suns beat the Mavericks for their third win in their last 10 games. Phoenix also won for the first time in their last 19 games televised nationally on TNT. (AP Photo/Matt York)

For the first time all season, the Dallas Mavericks (30-16) have lost on the road when shooting 50 percent or better (6-1).

The Phoenix Suns (27-21) didn't take their first lead of the game until 8:24 left in the third quarter and their largest lead was the final score as they beat the best road team in the Western Conference.

Dallas led by six points going into the fourth quarter before Phoenix took over. The Suns then outscored the Mavericks 28-16 in the fourth, thanks largely to a line-up of all bench players that played until half-way through the quarter, and finished the game on a 22-10 run. Goran Dragic, Jared Dudley and Louis Armundson combined to score 14 points in the final quarter, giving the Suns the win. Amare Stoudamire, who had a game-high 22 points through three quarters, didn't play in the fourth.

On the other hand, Dirk Nowitzki scored zero points in the fourth quarter (taking only one shot) and the Mavericks couldn't figure out how to get their best player the ball with Grant Hill fronting him (?). Nowitzki finished the game with 19 points (5-11 shooting) and five rebounds. Jason Terry led Dallas with 21 points, but also faded in the fourth quarter, scoring only four points on 1-4 shooting. Dallas was 6-20 overall in the deciding quarter.

Too Close For Comfort 108-107

The Mavericks tied an NBA record with 10 straight one-point wins. Dirk Nowitzki (41) and Erick Dampier (25) helped to seal the game late in the fourth quarter with the double-block on Luc Mbah a Moute (12).(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

The Milwaukee Bucks (18-25) seem to play their best game against the Dallas Mavericks (30-15).

Earlier in the season, the Bucks took the Mavericks to overtime and it took a last second game-winning shot from Dirk Nowitzki for Dallas to pull out the victory.

This time it wasn't that close, but Dallas did struggle at the end - allowing the Bucks to make it a close game. The Mavericks led 108-101 with 2:06 left in regulation before two Carlos Delfino threes - one from closer to half-court than the three-point line - made it a one-point game with 27 seconds left. Luc Mbah a Moute then stole the ball from Nowitzki and the Bucks immediately called timeout with three seconds left. Then a solid defensive play by Erick Dampier on Delfino's off-balanced runner gave the Mavericks the win.

"We do what we have to do to buckle down at the end and win," said Shawn Marion, who scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half. "You can't win every game by a blowout. But it doesn't matter. A win is a win."

Milwaukee didn't have a lead after the first quarter but did tie the game at three different points in the fourth quarter. Andrew Bogut was unstoppable inside as he scored a career-high 32 points and made almost every one of his shots (13-14) from the field.

"I tried to use my speed against Dampier," said Bogut, who is 18-20 in his last two games. "Most of the night it was working."

Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks in scoring (what's new) with 28 points, although it took him 25 shots to get there (11-25). He also added eight rebounds and five assists for the game. Jason Terry also added 21 as five Mavericks' scored in double-figures.

Two Starters Return

Erick Dampier (inflammation in left knee) and Jason Kidd (personal reasons) both returned to the starting lineup after missing Sunday's game against the New York Knicks.

Kidd had 11 points and 12 assists for his 13th double-double (10th point/assist). Bucks' rookie Brandon Jennings was held in check, going only 5-16 from the field for 12 points, by Kidd and the numerous other Mavericks that were thrown at him.

Dampier recorded 11 rebounds and two assists in his return in 35 minutes. It was only the second game this month that Damp has had double-digit rebounds in a game.

Rookie Gets The Best Of The Veteran

With Kidd running the ball up the court, trying to get the last shot with 10 seconds left before halftime, Jennings was determined for his team to get the last shot.

The rookie stole the ball from Kidd, almost turning it over out of bounds, then raced up the court and used a move so good he knocked the 15-year veteran to the ground without touching him. Jennings then used the space created by breaking Kidd's ankles to find Luke Ridnour on the wing for a two-pointer that was good with four seconds left.

Kidd seemed to have a little more of a bounce to his step in the second-half, and Dallas did win the game, but on this series Jennings showed why he might be the Rookie of the Year in the NBA.

Whats Next

Dallas travels to Phoenix Thursday, for the first time this season, to take on the Suns. The Mavericks won earlier this year, 102-101 (another one-pointer!). Dirk Nowitzki led all scorers with 33 and Josh Howard scored 20 off the bench in his return from injury.

The Suns lead the NBA in points scored per-game (109.9) but are also second-to-last in points allowed (107.9). Steve Nash is second in the NBA is assists per game (11), while scoring 18.5 points per on 52 percent shooting.

After starting out the season 14-3 and first the Western Conference, Phoenix is in a tailspin, having lost eight of their last 11 games overall their record is at 26-21 - good for eighth in the conference. However, the Suns are 17-6 at home and have won four of their past six home games.

Tip-Off is at 9:30 p.m. and can be seen by anyone on TNT (vomit).

News and Notes:

• Dallas is now 7-1 in games decided by three points or less this season. In contrast, Milwauke is now 3-10 in such games.
• With 28 points, Dirk Nowitzki has scored 25 or more points 28 times this season. The Mavs are 20-8 in those contests.

(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)

What?! McNabb Added To Pro-Bowl Roster (Updated)

With the New Orleans Saints headed to the Super Bowl, Drew Brees withdrew from the Pro-Bowl roster. Then, for some reason, Donovan McNabb was added - not Tony Romo. (AP Photo/Andy King)

This is getting ridiculous.

First Dirk Nowitzki gets snubbed a starting spot to Tim Duncan (even though his team has more wins and he has better statistics) and now Tony Romo gets snubbed on a Pro-Bowl roster...to Donovan McNabb?

Not only our undeserving players starting over hometown guys, but they have to be some of our fiercest rivals?

At least it was the fans' fault in Nowitzki's case but this Romo decision, I assume by players and coaches, is just dumbfounding.

Pick any valid quarterback statistic and Romo has McNabb beat.

Touchdowns? Check. Romo has 26 to McNabb's 22.

Interceptions? Check. Romo's 9 squeaks by McNabb's 10.

Yards? Check. Romo's 4,483 almost 1,000 yards more than McNabb at 3,553.

Completion Percentage? Check. Romo 63.1 to McNabb's 60.3 - which was the lowest among QB's in the 2009 playoffs except for Jets rookie Mark Sanchez.

Sacks? Check. Romo took 34 compared to McNabb's 35.

Yards Per Attempt. Check. While McNabb was known for his big-plays to DeSean Jackons during the regular season, his YPA is still lower than Romo's (8.15 - 8.02).

Passer Rating? Check. Romo was 4th best in the NFC at 97.6, nearly five points better than McNabb's 92.9.

This, not to mention, the Cowboys beat the Eagles three times this season - finishing with a better record and the NFC East title. So, can anyone tell me what quality McNabb has that makes him more worthy of the Pro-Bowl than Tony Romo?

At least Romo still has a shot with Brett Favre's I'm holding everyone hostage this off-season with retirement talk starting this week, but Romo should already be on the roster.

(UPDATE: Romo is in. As is Mike Jenkins - making it nine Cowboys on the Pro-Bowl roster.)

Texas-Sized Beatdown 128-78

A shorthanded Mavericks team dominated from the second quarter on, achieving the largest margin of victory in franchise history. Drew Gooden started and had a double-double by halftime, helping Dallas to the end of a 3-2 road trip. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

This is how the Dallas Mavericks (29-15) should handle vastly inferior teams, even on the road.

Of course your not going to win by 50 every time, but the way Dallas refused to take their foot off of the New York Knicks' collective throat is how you take care of business against a 17-26 team.

Even without their starting point guard and center, future Hall-of-Famer Jason Kidd (personal reasons) and a resurgent Erick Dampier (left knee inflammation), the Mavericks completely dominated the Knicks. Dallas shot 58 percent from the field and made a season high 12 of 22 attempts from behind the arc; this while holding the Knicks to 33.7 percent shooting and a season-low 78 points. The Mavericks led by as many as 53 points on three different occasions in the fourth quarter in which they played bench players for the majority of the quarter.

After leading by only a bucket (27-25) after the first quarter, Dallas outscored New York by a combined 70-31 in the second and third quarters - sealing the victory and demoralizing the Knicks. The Mavericks made 15 of the 19 shots they attempted in the third quarter (79 percent).

"They took our heart out of us," said Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni.

Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry both scored a game-high 20 points, leading seven Mavericks that scored in double-figures. After a slow start (Nowitzki had no points in the first quarter), Nowitzki scored all of his 20 points in the second and third quarters including 13 in the 3rd quarter when Dallas pulled away.

Nowitzki was able to rest in the fourth quarter, and the last Mavericks' starter went out (Drew Gooden) with 9:22 left in the game. Even the Mavericks' reserves were able to drive to the basket or get any shot they wanted at will.

To put how pathetic New York's defense was in persective: Matt Carrol took a Knicks' defender off the dribble and finished with a layup at the rim.

"We ran a play with J.J. [Barea] and he got to the basket three times the exact way and nobody came over to help on him," said Drew Gooden of the Knicks porous defense, "and I think that was a sign of them kind of, not laying down, but they just didn't know what to do and we took advantage of that."

Speaking Of Gooden...

Drew Gooden had a double-double at halftime (10 points, 15 rebounds) and finished the game with a season-high 18 rebounds, along with 15 points and a game-high two blocks.

Gooden scored eight of the Mavericks first 12 points, helping Dallas to a good start with Nowitzki struggling early. He scored at the basket, he hit jumpers and he tipped a couple in around the rim as he scored both inside and out.

Roddy B Gets Some Court Time

Rodrigue Beaubois got some playing time for the first time in the last four games and over 20 minutes for the first time since Dec. 4, at Memphis.

The rookie got 24 minutes, to be exact, and seemed to make the most of his opportunity. Aside from some defensive lapses and typical rookie mistakes (Roddy B had four fouls and five turnovers for the game), Beaubois played pretty well. He went 5-8 from the field for 13 points, while also chipping in six rebounds, five assists and three steals for the game.

The more time this 21-year old point guard gets, the better.

Whats Next

The Mavericks return home, Tuesday night, to take on the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks are 16-24 and the Mavericks will face their ex-Sixth Man, Jerry Stackhouse, for the first time since the Shawn Marion trade in the off-season.

Dallas won earlier in the season, in Milwaukee, 115-113 in overtime.

The Bucks are 5-17 on the road this season and have lost six of their last seven road games.

Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. and can be seen locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

News and Notes:

• The Mavericks are now 13-2 this season after a loss, the best winning percentage in the NBA after a defeat.
• Dallas is now 4-0 when scoring 120 or more points and 8-0 when scoring 110 or more.
• For the seventh time this season, the Mavericks won by 15 or more points.

(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)

Damn It!

The Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki was bullied out at the very end of All-Star voting by Tim Duncan. It appears as though Dirk Nowitzki will never start an All-Star game, no matter how good he plays. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

It looked like a sure fit, especially considering the All-Star game was being played in Dallas for the first time in 24 years. Nowitzki led by 49,905 votes going into the final two weeks of voting before being overtaken by Timmeh Duncan.

Final Totals:

Nowitzki: 1,093,005

Duncan: 1,156,696

Despite better stats (Nowitzki averages 25.3 points, 8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks compared to Tim Duncan's 20, 10.5 and 1.8) and a better overall record (Dallas is first in the Southwest Division at 28-15. 2.5 games ahead of Duncan's Spurs at 25-16) stupid fans voted in Duncan, yet again.

63,691 votes.

San Antonio wins again...

Damn it!

Mavs Stumble In Philly - 92-81

Thaddeus Young (21), and the rest of the 76ers bench, put a hurting on the Mavericks.(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

How do you lose to a 14-28 team that dwells in the basement of the weaker Eastern Conference?

• You shoot 39.5 percent against a Philly team that is 25th in the NBA in field goal percentage defense, allowing an average of 47.1 percent shooting on a nightly basis.
• Score 81 points against a team that allows over 100 points a game.
• Get out-rebounded 49-42 by a 76ers team that gets out-rebounded by an average of 3.7 a night.
• Jack-up 15 threes while avoiding contact with the painted area, on both ends. Dallas was outscored 52-38 in the paint.
• Allow Philly to score 30 points in the second quarter on 12-22 shooting (55 percent).
• Follow-up bad defensive quarter with horrendous 12 point-third quarter. The Mavericks missed 10 of the 16 shots they attempted in the third.
  

"We had lapses as the wrong time," said Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle. "They're a talented team, certainly better than their record."

What does that make Dallas, "certainly" worse than their 28-15 record?

76ers Bench Is Amazing

Recently benched Thaddeus Young had a game-high 22 points on 9-12 shooting (75 percent), leading three 76ers bench players who scored in double figures.

"That was just me going on there and playing my game and not worrying about everything else," said Young, who had the most points in a game in over a month (12/14 - 26 points).

Forget bench vs bench production, Philadelphia's bench outscored the Mavericks starters 56-47.

Mavericks Big-Three All Go Cold

Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Josh Howard were a combined 11-38 (30 percent) from the field and 1-9 from behind the arc.

The most unnerving part, to me, about the game was that Nowitzki was 4-13 from the field in 40 minutes of game action. This is OK because, obviously, your team leader and best scorer is going to continue to try to make things happen.

But...

Josh Howard played 14 fewer minutes and still took the same amount of shots as Dirk, making one more than Nowitzki (5-13). I don't know if J-Ho was auditioning for his next team, but continuously missing jumpers isn't raising his value.

Whats Next:

Dallas concludes their five-game road trip, Sunday at noon, against the New York Knicks. The Knicks aren't very good, with a 17-25 record and allow an average of 102.4 points a game.

New York has lost three of their last four games and are 10-12 at home but, with this Mavericks' team, no win is guaranteed - no matter how bad the opponent is.

Tip-off is at noon, and can be seen locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

News and Notes:

• Dallas' record is now 2-6 when Dirk Nowitzki scores fewer than 20 points in a game. The Mavericks need JET and J-Ho to step up when their MVP has an off night, but that just hasn't happened this season.
• Josh Howard is 17-60 (28 percent) from the field in his last five games. Howard's total field goal percentage has dropped to 38 percent for the season.
  
• Jason Terry left Friday's game in the third quarter, with an apparent knee injury, but it didn't appear to be serious.
  
• Shawn Marion left briefly in the second quarter with a laceration on his right hand, he returned later after recieving three stiches. The most efficient Maverick, Marion scored 12 points on 5-9 shooting, while chipping in seven boards and two steals.

(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)

Phillips Gets One-Year Extension

Wade Phillips received a little bit of job security today as Jerry Jones announced that not only will the fat man be the Cowboys coach next year, but also the year after that (2011). (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

The coach with the second most regular-season victories in the NFL the last three seasons (33-15. Bill Belichick is 39-9) now has a couple more years to win a Super Bowl - or his tenure with Dallas will be labeled a failure.

No matter what he does in the regular season with the Cowboys, his overall success will always be tied to his ability to win in the playoffs. So far, not so good as Phillips is 1-2 in the postseason with Dallas and is coming off the second worst defeat in Cowboys playoff history (34-3).

The good news for Phillips is the team he is coaching has been assembled nicely (time to thank the GM, Jerry haters). An excellent starting quarterback in Tony Romo, surrounded by some young up-and-comers and seven Pro-Bowl selections has the Cowboys feeling positive about next season.

"As long as this team knows I'm going to be here this year with this team, that's all I need as a coach," said Phillips. "It doesn't matter if it's one year or 10 years. With this team right now, I feel very comfortable. I think we can go further and we will go further."

News and Notes:

• Terrence Newman was added to the Pro-Bowl roster after an injury to Arizona Cardinals cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, giving the Cowboys seven Pro-Bowlers this season.
  
• With either Drew Brees or Brett Favre headed to the Super Bowl and it being more wise to concentrate on the Super Bowl than a meaningless scrimmage, will Tony Romo take one of their spots on the NFC team?
• Is Dallas working on a long-term contract with Miles Austin?

(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)

Mavericks Win Another One-Pointer - 94-93

Newcomer Shawn Marion came up big at the end as Dallas wins yet another squeaker. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The Mavericks tried to give this game away.

After holding on to double digits leads in the first half, the Dallas Mavericks (28-14) continually allowed the Washington Wizards (14-27) back into the game. In fact, the Mavericks led 94-87 with 1:12 to play before allowing consecutive three's by Randy Foye and Mike Miller that made it a one-point game with 27 seconds left.

Dirk Nowitzki followed this up with a charge on Brandon Hayward and Washington had the ball, down 94-93, with six seconds left. The Wizards then used a 20 second timeout to draw up the play, but you wouldn't have known there was a play at all watching the action.

Caron Butler dribbled out the clock, driving inside on Marion one-on-one and rising up at about 16 feet before being completely rejected by Marion.

"I knew he was going to iso, so I just wanted to stay and play good defense on him, and I did that," said Marion, who had 12 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks on 50 percent shooting. "It fires you up when you make that big play. That's what makes it fun."

Nowitzki Leads All Scorers Again

Dirk Nowitzki continues to play lights out.

He scored a game-high 28 points on 11-19 shooting, while also chipping in five boards and getting two blocked shots. Nowitzki has had the game-high in points five times in the last six games (3-3).

He's scored 25 or more points six times in the last seven games, averaging 28.7 points.

JET Starts, Plays Well

With Josh Howard out with a "stomach illness", Jason Terry made the most out of his second start of the season.

Terry scored nine in the fourth quarter, on 4-6 shooting, and finished the game with 21 points and three steals.

"When it comes to that situation, it's second nature to us," said Terry, describing the Mavericks penchant winning close games. "We don't tense up."

Whats Next

An ugly win over a bad team is still a win, no matter how you slice it, and Washington is beginning to get fully healthy and are without a huge knucklehead/distraction in Gilbert Arenas.

Dallas hits the fourth stop on their five-game road trip in Philadelphia Friday night, taking on the
13-28 76ers. Philly has lost three of their past four games and are 6-14 at home this season.

Tip-off is at 6:00 p.m. and can be seen locally on Fox Sports Southwest.


News and Notes

• Jason Kidd dished out 15 assists on the night and has four double-digit assist totals in the past five games. This after having only one in the previous nine games. Kidd is fifth in the NBA in assists per game (9.2)
• With 12 points and 12 boards, Shawn Marion now has three double-double this season. Marion has also scored in double figures in seven of the past eight games.
• Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry have both scored over 20 points in a game 10 times this season. Dallas is 8-2 in those contests.
• The Mavericks have now won three of their last four games, after losing three of the previous four.
• Dallas has won nine straight games decided by one-point, the second longest streak in NBA history. The record is 10, set by the St. Louis Hawks 1959-1960, so the Mavs are one win away from immortality!!
  

(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)

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Road Warriors 99-90

Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks dominated the second half for their 14th road victory of the season. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

After a no-show game in Toronto on Sunday, the Mavericks needed this one.

"Some say we were in Toronto. Other say we came straight to Boston," said Jason Kidd, who had a season high 17 assists. "It was a horrible showing. To be able to come right back out was nice."

Monday night's game didn't start well for Dallas either.

Down by as many as 10 in the first-half, Dallas went into halftime down 50-41. Then Dirk Nowitzki took over.Nowitzki scored 22 of his game-high 37 points in the second half as the Dallas Mavericks (27-14) outscored the Boston Celtics (27-12) 34-18 in the third quarter and 58-40 in the second half. The 34 allowed by Boston in the third was their highest total allowed for a quarter this season. Dallas shot an amazing 80 percent in the third quarter. Nowitzki had 13 in the period.

Shawn Marion, using his patented runner, made 7 of 9 shots and finished the game second on the team in scoring with 16 points. He also added eight rebounds and two blocks in 43 minutes of game actions. J-Kidd added 13 points and was 3-3 from behind the arc.

Dallas is now 13-1 after losses this season.

TNT SUCKS

Not only did viewers miss the first four minutes of game action, but they were forced to listen to Reggie Miller lathering Kevin McHale's ass all-game long. When Miller wasn't telling long, elaborate and dull stories during a closely contested game, he was talking about the Spurs, Nuggets and Lakers as contenders in the West - conveniently leaving (number two in the West) Dallas out as they were beating the Celtics at home by 15.

When halftime came, I swore to myself that I was just going to fast forward through it, but for some reason I had to hear what those bozo's had to say. Needless to say, they never let me down with their idiotic notions on "how to play the game."

The halftime show led in with Dirk Nowitzki and Kendrick Perkins getting into a very mild argument going into halftime. Charles Barkley commented that Nowitzki should have "hit him in the mouth" and then the crew reminisced on how Nowitzki didn't do anything when David West tapped him gently on the cheek.

Then the douches, I mean, experts go into a lame segment called Kenny's Pictures or whatever. At halftime Nowitzki was 5-9 for 15 points, leading all players, so I figured maybe the TNT was going to praise Nowitzki's willingness to post up the Celtics' defenders and his keen play that was causing Rasheed Wallace (supposed Dirk stopper) to ride the bench in foul trouble.

Wrong.

The crew had singled out a play (on which Nowitzki was clearly fouled without a whistle) in which Smith felt that Nowitzki "should have popped" Glen Davis. First off, I highly doubt Dirk Nowitzki gives a frog's fat ass how Kenny Smith feels he should play. Secondly, what does Smith know about drawing fouls? He averaged 2.7 free throws a game for his career and, at 6'3 170 pounds, post play wasn't exactly his forte.

Charles Barkley then chimed in "he just make the shot more difficult" and Chris Webber echoed the same sentiment that Nowitzki just didn't know what he was doing out there on the court. That Nowitzki always "makes the shot harder" for himself in the way that he doesn't try to draw contact.

Dirk Nowitzki is 10th in the NBA is free-throw attempts per game. Ahead of Kobe Bryant - who Barkley referred to as the king of drawing that foul.

Not to mention if these guys, you know, maybe did a little research and watched a Mavs game or two before this one, they would know that Dirk draws that foul at least once a game.

Just idiotic opinions in that studio.

Again, I promise myself I will not watch it again... but I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment. Luckily, Dallas has only three more games televised on TNT this season.

Dallas Center Tandem Plays Well

Erick Dampier and Drew Gooden are proving to be a formidable duo.

Gooden came in for an ineffective Dampier late in the first quarter and didn't come out again until 22 seconds left before halftime. Gooden finished with 10 points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Gooden's strong play seemed to light a fire under Damp, who scored 11 points in the third quarter (season high) and grabbed six of his seven total rebounds in the quarter.

The duo combined for 21 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.

Not. Too. Shabby.

What's Next

I know Boston didn't have Kevin Garnett, but this is still a big win for a struggling Mavericks team.

Dallas continues with the third game of their five game road trip, Wednesday night in Washington.

The Wizards are 14-26 on the season but are coming off two wins at home against Portland and Sacramento. They are 8-11 at home this season.

Tip-off is at 6:00 p.m. and can be seen locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

News and Notes:

• With 13 points and 17 assists, Jason Kidd now has 12 double-doubles this season and three in the past four games.
  
• Josh Howard finished the game 1-5 and is now 6-31 from the field in the last three games.
  
• Before Monday's game, Dallas had lost to Boston in their previous four meetings by an average of 10.3 points a game.

(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)

Wade Phillips Staying Through Contract...

...despite another late-season beat-down. (AP Photo/Amy Gutierrez)

Coming off the second-worst playoff defeat in Cowboys history against the Vikings, Dallas coach Wade Phillips is going to stay another season.

Phillips has led the Cowboys to two NFC East titles in three years as the coach, winning 33 of 48 games in that span. With Phillips calling the plays, Dallas also had their best defense this season (in terms of points allowed) in more than 10 years.

Many Cowboys' fans are all pissed at the moment and want Phillips, Jason Garrett, Ken Hamlin, Tony Romo, etc, etc gone but obviously those aren't rational decisions.

I say what the hell. Give Phillips one more shot with this team and, if they falter, then you break it all up. But the fat man has done a good job, even if he hasn't lived up to Cowboys' fans' lofty expectations.

There is also a chance that this Cowboys' team - with emerging young players such as Miles Austin, Anthony Spencer and Mike Jenkins - might be even better next season with another year of experience under their collective belts.

Cowboys Playoff Hopes Sacked - 34-3

Tony Romo was running for his life nearly every play as the Cowboys offensive line had no answer for the Vikings' front four. Ray Edwards (seen sacking Romo above) had three sacks, four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles for the game. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

It started so promisingly for the Cowboys.

After receiving the opening kickoff, it took only six plays for the Cowboys to get to the Vikings 34 yard-line. A 4-yard loss by Felix Jones and then a sack and subsequent fumble ended that drive.

But then the Dallas defense holds strong, forcing Minnesota into a three-and-out - punctuated by a sack by Demarcus Ware on 3rd down and a 9-yard loss on the play.

Six plays later, the Cowboys are back in Vikings territory. This time they drive to the Minnesota 30, setting up Shaun Suisham for a 48-yard field goal. Suisham misses wide-left and then the Vikings score on their next possession.

This was the game (when it was still a game) in a nutshell. Dallas would drive down the field, racking up all kinds of yardage, and then screw it up near the red-zone. Missed field goals, sacks (and tackles for loss) that took the Cowboys out of field goal range and turnovers killed many Cowboys' drives.

The Dallas offensive line (especially after Flozell Adams went out with a calf injury late in the second quarter) was pathetic. They had no push on running plays and couldn't give Romo any time to find a receiver open down field. Romo was sacked six times and was hit at least 10 times that I saw, not to mention sometimes well after the play which, if he was Tom Brady, would have been penalties and set Dallas up for easy scores. The Cowboys had 17 plays in which they gained negative yardage - a sure sign your O-line isn't getting the job done.

The Cowboys got into the red-zone only one time all game - converting a 33-yard field goal from the Vikings 13 yard-line. Give the Vikings defense credit, they harassed Romo all game long and weren't fooled at all by the delayed hand-off that the Cowboys had perfected all-season long. Dallas had averaged 25 points a game over the last four games, but the Vikings held the Cowboys without a touchdown for the first time since the last game of last season - the 44-6 drubbing courtesy of the Eagles.

This was only the second time in Cowboys playoff history that they were beat by more than 30 points. The last was Jan. 2, 1992, in the divisional round, against the Detroit Lions (38-6).

"Any time you come in with the expectations and goals we set and don't accomplish them, No. 1, it's frustrating," said Romo, who finished the game 22-35 for 198 yards with an interception and three fumbles (two lost). "Right now, it's just hard to think the season is over."

Dallas Defense Put In Tough Spot

The Cowboys' offense certainly didn't do the defense any favors in this one. Minnesota had drives that started at the Cowboys' 20, 15, 33, and 37 yard line converting points (two field goal and a touchdown) on three of the four drives.

The Dallas defense did allow some big plays in the secondary that were inexcusable. Sidney Rice's first touchdown of the game - a 47-yard bomb - was simply a case of Gerald Sensabough not knowing where the ball was. He didn't see the football until after Rice handed it to the ref.

The Cowboys' defense did keep it a 17-3 game until early in the fourth quarter, but you can only bend but not break for so long before a good offense beats a tired defense. Dallas allowed more points against the Vikings (34) than they had allowed in their previous four games combined (31).

That's Not The "Same Ol' Brett"

"Same Ol' Brett," said Sidney Rice who tied an NFL record with three touchdown catches. "He's doing things he's done since he first came into the league..."

NO. That's not the same old Brett. The old Brett Favre would have thrown the football to the Cowboys at least a couple of times in this game.

I don't know who this new guy is, or what he did with the mistake prone Favre, but he certainly isn't the same quarterback.

Favre completed 15-24 passes for 234 yards and a career playoff-best four touchdowns with no interceptions! He also beat Dallas in the playoffs for the first time in his career (1-3).

"Perhaps the most fatigued I got today was celebrating," said Favre.

Brooking Pissy Over Late Touchdown

I'm going to make this short and sweet:

Yes, the Vikings are dicks for running up the score, but isn't it the defense's job to keep the other team out of the end-zone - regardless of time remaining or score? If the Cowboy didn't want to get 'disrespected' by the final touchdown then they should have played better defense.

What's Next

Well, for the Cowboys, it's time to start thinking NFL draft.

The Vikings will travel to New Orleans next Sunday (5:00 p.m.) for the NFC Championship game.

News and Notes:

• Three points is the second-lowest total for a Cowboys team in the playoffs. Dallas was shutout 24-0 by the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 4, 1986.
• Minnesota is now 8-1 this season when Adrian Peterson gets 20 or more carries. Peterson was shut down by the Dallas D, with only 63 yards on 26 carries.
• The Cowboys defense registered three sacks on Favre, the highest total against the Vikings at home this season.
  

Cowboys at Vikings - Sunday At Noon

Anthony Spencer (93) and the Cowboys' defense is in for a stiff test against the Vikings on Sunday. (AP Photo/Sharon Ellman)

The Dallas Cowboys defense is the hottest in the NFL, having allowed only 17 points in their last three games combined.

The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a 44-7 thrashing of the New York Giants in the final game of the regular season and finished the season second in scoring at 29.4 points game.

The Vikings are led by Brett Favre, who finished the season second in the NFL in passing touchdowns (33), had the best QB rating of his career, all while having his lowest interception total for a full season (7) in his entire career. Favre has a 6'4, 202 pound, Pro Bowl receiver in Sidney Rice (1312 yards, eight TD's) and a tight end who is a beast near the goal line in Vincente Shiancoe with 11 touchdowns on the season.

Favre's efficiency in the passing game is compounded by Adrian Peterson's punishing rushing style, which makes the Minnesota offense so explosive. When Favre isn't throwing the ball around to his many young and talented wide-recievers, Peterson is running it down the opponent's throat. Peterson finished the year with 1,383 yards (fifth in the NFL) and 18 touchdowns (first in the NFL).

Dallas has played some of the best offenses in the last six weeks and held every single one of them to season lows in scoring, but I believe this will be their toughest task of the season at the Metrodome - where the Vikings are 8-0 this season. Minnesota has not scored fewer than 27 points at home this season.


Observations

• Minnesota is 7-1 this season when Adrian Peterson gets 20 or more carries.
• Brett Favre plays much better at home than on the road. Favre has 21 touchdown passes and only two interceptions at home this season and has been sacked only 11 times compared to 23 on the road.
• Favre has faced the Cowboys 11 times in his career, winning only two of those games.
  

Prediction

I think the Cowboys' defense is playing better than the Vikings offense. Give me the Cowboys in a close one.

Dallas- 24
Minnesota- 20

Home Cookin' - 99-98

The Mavs won and Dirk Nowitzki spent most of the game narrowly escaping sexual advances made by Jeff Green (22), as the above picture clearly illustrates. Nowitzki finished with a game-high 32 points.(AP Photo/LM Otero)

For the first time in three games, the Dallas Mavericks (26-13) held an opponent below 100 points and under 48 percent shooting to snap a two-game skid. The Mavs held the Oklahoma City Thunder (21-18) to 42 percent shooting and the NBA's third leading scorer, Kevin Durant, to 6-18 shooting on the night.

But, knowing the Mavs, it wasn't an easy win at home. Dallas trailed by as many as 11 points (42-31) in what was a sloppy and turnover-filled first 24 minutes in which they had 10 turnovers.

The Mavericks went on a 20-8 run to end the third quarter as they captured their first lead of the game (70-68 after two Nowitzki free throws) and had a 76-71 lead to start the fourth. Shawn Marion had six rebounds and a block as he led the charge defensively during the Mavs run. Marion finished the game with six points, seven rebounds, a steal and a block.

The Thunder came back late in the fourth, tying the game at 93-93 with 1:05 remaining. Nowitzki then scored the Mavericks next six points including what was the game winner (over the above-pictured Jeff Green) with :06 seconds left in regulation. Jason Terry and Nowitzki combined to score 16 of the last 18 Dallas points and the Mavs committed only four turnovers in the second half.

"I was happy to get the win," said Terry, who had 21 points and five assists. "Although we didn't put an outstanding performance together, we were back out there having fun on the floor."

(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)

Two Cowboys Make All-Pro Team

The Cowboys were one of only two teams with two defensive All-Pro first team selections, along with the Minnesota Vikings (DE Jared Allen, DT Kevin Williams). (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)(AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

Jay Ratliff was the top defensive tackle voter-getter with 29 votes and Demarcus Ware was second among outside linebackers with 37.

For Ratliff, his first All-Pro first-team selection and for Ware his third in the past three-years.

Demarcus Ware: 57 tackles, six passes defensed, 11 sacks, and five forced fumbles.

Jay Ratliff: 40 tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles.

Andre Gurode (9), Miles Austin (6), Leonard Davis (4), Jason Witten (4) and Anthony Spencer (1) also received votes.

What's Going On?

-"Go to Hell, Pat Robertson"

-Marvin Harrison was once known (by the media) as the good, clean and wholesome player who wasn't all about "look at me, look at me, look at me".

Now he is known as the man many in Baltimore fear and, if you looked at him, you damn well better not talk.

-The late night spectacle (anyone else see this as a ploy for ratings?) is becoming very one-sided on the Jay vs Conan battle.



A Haiti earthquake, the late shift, and a gun-toting Marvin Harrison - this might need to become a trend.

'What's on Derek's mind?'

Anyone, anyone?

Long Way To Go - 100-95

This loss, at home, shows that the Mavericks have a lot of work to do before they can be considered in Kobe Bryant and the Lakers' elite class. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

It felt like something was missing tonight, in Dallas.

Most of the players showed up (on the Mavericks side at least), so it couldn't be that.

The arena was rocking and the crowd seemed full of energy for most of the game (for a change), so that's not it.

It's right on the tip of my tongue...oh yes! Energy.

The Dallas Mavericks (25-13) came out lethargic and continued their uninspired play all the way down to the last second of regulation. Don't get me wrong, there were spurts in which Dallas played like this was a professional basketball game - Dirk Nowitzki did have 30 points and 16 rebounds - but overall the home team failed to show the enthusiasm required to pull out a victory against the Western Conference's best team.

"I don't know what's going on but we've got to figure it out," said Nowitzki, who was 11-22 from the floor. "The amazing this is, we're still second in the West, right there with everybody else. It's not time to hang out heads."

The Mavericks shot 34 percent in the first half (compared to L.A.'s 49 percent) and finished the game at 43 percent (the Lakers stayed steady at 49 percent). Dallas was also bullied on the inside as the Lakers scored 44 points in the paint compared to only 34 for Dallas.

It also doesn't help that the guy who is supposed to be instant energy off the bench, Jason Terry, continues to struggle. Terry missed his first seven shots and didn't make his first until the start of the fourth quarter. He finished 2-12 from the field and 1-7 from three, scoring seven points.

"We were more aggressive tonight, especially on defense," said Lamar Odom, who was actually guarding Nowitzki for most of the evening. "This was one we had to take. When we play good defense, we can beat the good teams."

Let's not discount the Los Angeles Lakers (30-9), they played valiantly without arguably their second-best player (Pau Gasol) and with their broken finger, back spasm riddled leader (Kobe Bryant) hobbled. Andrew Bynum scored 22 points (on 8-11 shooting) to lead L.A. in scoring. Going into the third quarter, Bynum was 7-7 from the floor and hadn't missed a shot against the Mavs in more than six quarters (15-15). Bynum also recorded 11 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season.

Five Lakers scored in double-figures (Farmar,Bryant, Odom, Artest, Bynum) and three recorded point-rebound double-doubles (Odom, Artest, Bynum).

Erick Dampier missed two free throws and then Bynum missed his second of two free throws to put the Mavs within 98-95. Josh Howard then missed the game-tying three with seven-seconds left. The Lakers hit their free-throws after that, with Jordan Farmar hitting two with five seconds left to seal an L.A. victory.

Dirk Nowitzki reaches 20k

With 10:56 left in the fourth quarter Nowitzki rose up and swished a base-line jumper for his 2,000 and 2,001 points, becoming only the 34th player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points. Nowitzki is the first European-born player to achieve this milestone.

The crowd at the AAC gave Nowitzki a five-minute standing ovation, ignoring the game that was happening on the court. Luckily, Dirk was fouled on Dallas' next trip down the floor so the crowd was able to serenade him with cheers for a few more minutes.

A very classy moment from Mavs' fans and a huge accomplishment for Nowitzki.

Battle Of The Clutch

Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant came into tonight's game one and two in the league in game winning/tying shots at the end of regulation (fourth quarter or OT) over the last five seasons. They did not disappoint tonight, either, as each made clutch shots at the end to keep their respective teams' afloat.

Nowitzki started it off, capping an 8-0 Mavs run with 42 seconds left in regulation, hitting a three from the top-of-the-key with two defenders all over him - tying the game at 95 all. Nowitzki scored five of the eight points in the run and had the assist on Terry's three.

Bryant struck right back with points of his own as, unlike the Lakers with Nowitzki, Dallas decided to only put one defender on Kobe. I don't know if it was because of his bad back (or just a bad decision by Mavs coach Rick Carlise) but Bryant should never be single covered with the game on the line. And, if you do decide to leave the responsibility on one player to guard arguably the best player in basketball, make it the one who has done a good job on him on the night.

Shawn Marion did well on Bryant for the first three quarters, then the Mavericks decided to put (recently re-inserted into the starting lineup) Josh Howard on Kobe. Bryant's 18 footer over J-Ho ended up being the game winner as Dallas struggled to get Nowitzki a shot at the end of the game as he had two and three defenders running at him every time he touched the ball - wow that sounds like great way to deal with the opposing team's best player with the game on the line.

Huge Divide Between First And Second In West

The Mavericks, off three days rest, faced a team coming off a 105-85 butt-whooping the night before in San Antonio. L.A. was without Pau Gasol, on the second night of a back-to-back and with their best player scoring only 11 points on 5-11 shooting.

A contender would have mopped the floor with these guys - Dallas did not. There is still a long way to go in this season and the Mavs will after another shot at the Lakers Feb 24 in Dallas, but this has got to be disconcerting to anyone that roots for the Mavericks.

What's Next

Dallas has a day off and then faces the Oklahoma City Thunder Friday night at the AAC. The Mavericks are1-0 against the Thunder this season, having beaten them on their home-floor 100-86 on Dec. 17.

The Thunder are 3-3 in 2010 after a six-game winning streak brought their record to 18-14 on Dec. 31. The Mavericks are also 3-3 in 2010.

OKC is 10-8 on the road this season.

Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. and can be seen locally on Fox Sports Southwest.


News and Notes:

• With the 18-point blowout loss to Utah at home Saturday, and now the 100-95 loss to L.A., Dallas has now lost two straight games for the second time this season (Dec. 4 and 5 @ Memphis and at home against Atlanta). The Mavericks hadn't lost two straight home games all-season long.
• The Los Angeles Lakers also set a record Wednesday night, becoming the first NBA team to win 3,000 games. Congrats, douches!
• With 30 points, Dirk Nowitzki recorded his 10th 30+ point game of the season and, with 16 rebounds, his 12th double-double.

(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)

The Truth Comes Out

Mark McGwire admits what any (even casual) baseball fan already knew. (AP Photo/Kyle Ericson, File)

Really, Mark?

10 years after it matters, Mark McGwire has finally come clean about something everyone knew, he took steroids.

Despite what former coaches and players say (except for Jose Canseco, whom the media should give a giant apology to), they all knew too.

St. Louis Cardinals' manager - and manager of McGwire in both Oakland and St. Louis - Tony La Russa claims he had no idea that McGwire was using any form of performance enhancing drugs and that he was encouraged that he had stepped forward.

La Russa also plans to still keep McGwire as the hitting coach for the Cardinals despite his recent revelation. Which is a great sign that as long as you admit to something in baseball, you can continue to do whatever it is that you want - without consequence. That is, except for gambling (sorry Pete - you should've found some steroids instead!).

McGwire also says, in his released statement, that he had both good years and bad years on steroids. But he admits taking steroids in 1998, the season he had a really good year and hit 70 home runs.

McGwire also says in his statement that "I wish I had never played in the steroid era" and "I wish I had never touched steroids."

Along with Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds, he was the head of the "steroid era." Maybe he wishes he would have never, you know, got all roided up, hit a bunch of home runs and made all that money. Or glamorized the effects of steroids by being on T.V. every five seconds in the summer of 1998 - showing every youngster dreaming of being a baseball player that, when you take performance enhancers, you will be loved and celebrated by millions of fans on the way to millions and millions of dollars.

If he is so "ashamed", why not give back all that money he made in endorsements during this time period when he marketed himself as this good, clean and wholesome guy who was just having fun playing the game with his super-best friend Sosa?

What's worse is that the thing baseball purists hold most sacred, the stats, are forever tainted. six of the top 15 home-run hitters of all time have either outright admitted to using steroids, or have serious allegations that they used performance enhancers in the past - Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, A-Rod, Raffy Palmeiro, and Manny Ramirez.

Baseball is definitely on the right track to cleaning up it's image, but the current and former players and coaches that deny they ever knew about anyone using PED's are liars. They insult not only the integrity of the game but, more importantly, the intelligence of the fans.

Short-handed Mavs Lose Big - 111-93

(Mavs coach Rick Carlise says "Alrightythen")
Injuries and a pending trade gave the Mavericks a shallow bench and forced them to play their starters heavy minutes on the second night of a back-to-back. However, the Jazz were also on the second night of a back-to-back. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)

At least one Dallas team knows how to play defense.

The Dallas Mavericks (25-12) allowed the Utah Jazz (20-17) to shoot 53 percent and score 50 points in the paint. Utah was up as many as 22 points and led by double-digits the entire second half en route to a blowout victory.

Deron Williams led Utah with 20 points as six different Jazz players scored in double figures. Williams also contributed nine assists and two steals for the game. Williams' court savvy was a key in the Jazz getting a double-digit lead and keeping it that way for the majority of the game.

With a pending Kris Humphries trade and both Drew Gooden and Josh Howard out with injuries, the Mavericks were forced to rely on seldom used role players.

Needless to say, tossing Matt Carrol, Quinton Ross and James Singleton into meaningful game action after not playing them for weeks at a time didn't work well for the Mavericks. Dallas missed defensive rotations, turned the ball over and looked generally confused out there on the court as guys that normally don't play together were forced to learn each others' tendencies on the fly.

"It hurts, but you've got to be able to win with the guys available," said coach Rick Carlise. "No excuses there."

Nowitzki Good, But Not Nov. 3 Good

In the Mavs last home meeting with the Jazz, Dallas trailed by 16 points with eight minutes left fourth quarter before Dirk Nowitzki put on a show. The former MVP scored 29 points in that quarter and led the Mavericks to an improbable 96-85 victory.

Nowitzki was about the only thing that went well for Dallas in tonight's game, though. He scored a game high 29 points (10 in the fourth quarter) along with eight rebounds and three assists.

"I think we did a good job on him," said Carlos Boozer, who had 15 points and seven rebounds. "We made him work."

Jason Kidd - The Scorer?

Kidd had his most points in a game in nearly a month and-a-half. The veteran point guard finished with 19 points on 7-11 shooting, including 4-5 from behind-the-arc.

He also chipped in eight assists and five rebounds in 37 minutes.

JET Continues Inconsistent Play

Jason Terry shot 5-14 from the field (36 percent) and 2-7 from deep for 16 points.

In his previous two games (@ San Antonio and at home against Detroit) Terry was 18-32 from the field (56 percent) for 47 points.

In the two games before that (@ L.A. and @ Sacramento) Terry was 6-18 (33 percent) for 21 points.

This has been the trend all year in what has been a helter-skelter season for JET.


Whats Next

Dallas got beat. Pure and simple.

They may not have had their full roster of players, but they pride themselves on being one of the deepest team's in the league. But their bench failed to come through tonight for a team desperate for bench production.

The Mavericks now have three days off before a home match-up with the best team in the West, the L.A. Lakers. Dallas is 1-1 against the Lakers this season in L.A.

The Lakers are 8-5 on the road and have lost two straight roadies against the Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers. L.A. will also be playing on the second night of a back-to-back after going against the Spurs in San Antonio on Tuesday night.

Tip-Off is at 7:30 and can be seen locally on KXTA 21.

News and Notes:

• Utah had lost four of their previous five games before Saturday's meeting with Dallas.
• The Mavericks are now 2-2 in their last four games and 2-2 in their last four home games.
• Dallas is 5-6 this season on the second night of a back-to-back.

(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)

Rangers Secure El Diablo

The man who has terrorized the Texas Rangers ever since he signed with the Anaheim Angels before the 2005 season, is coming to Arlington. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Vladimir Guerrero has signed a one-year contract with the Rangers worth $6 million, pending a physical.

Guerrero had more hits, home-runs, and RBI's against the Rangers than any other individual player Texas has faced since he went to Anaheim.

I don't know how much he has left in the tank, but this is a quality move for the Rangers as they will likely use him as a DH and trade him mid-season for awesome young players when his value is at its highest.

Or, if Texas is competing, he will be a valuable bat in a potent lineup.

The Dallas Cowboys just won their first playoff game and I'm writing about baseball.

YeeeHaww its the hot stove!

Dallas Dominates - 34-14

Bradie James and the Cowboys defense dominated yet again, forcing four turnovers against the Eagles. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

4,760 days.

That's how long it had been since the Dallas Cowboys had last won a playoff game (Dec. 28, 1996).

Dallas was also tied for the longest playoff losing streak during this time at six games.

Not anymore.

The Cowboys thoroughly dismantled the Philadelphia Eagles Saturday night at Cowboys' stadium, simultaneously beating a bitter division rival three times in a season for the first time ever. Dallas put to rest many previous first-round playoff demons.

Dallas' coach Wade Phillips won his first playoff game (1-4) and Eagles coach Andy Reid lost for the first time in an opening playoff game (7-1) as the Cowboys reversed many previous trends.

"It's just ... rewarding," said Tony Romo, who also won his first playoff game. "It makes me proud of the guys in there - fighting, grinding, staying committed to the approach. I'm happy for the guys, happy for Wade, happy for Jerry [Jones]."

Dallas Defense Not Letting Up

After the Cowboys defense completely shut down the Eagles offense last week, you knew the NFL's 5th best scoring offense was going to score some points.

Philadelphia tied the game 7-7 early in the second quarter on a Michael Vick pass to Jeremy Maclin, who streaked pass corner Mike Jenkins (who took a terrible angle on the ball), for 73-yards. It was the longest reception against Dallas ever in the postseason and the longest in Vick's career.

The Dallas D tightened after that, not allowing Philadelphia to score again until the game was already decided early in the fourth quarter and Dallas up by 27.

The Cowboys pressured Donovan McNabb all-game long, sacking him four times, forcing him to fumble, and forcing an interception. Demarcus Ware had two sacks and a tomahawk chop on McNabb's arm that forced a fumble and effectively put the final nail in the proverbial coffin with less than five minutes left in regulation.

Anthony Spencer played well, registering a sack and a couple of tackles for loss. Bradie James had six tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery as the Dallas linebackers showed just how good they are.

"We have something to really build off of, " said Keith Brooking. "With the talent we have [and] we have those types of intangibles and I don't think there are a lot of teams in this league that can beat us right now."

Dallas forced three fumbles, recovering all three, and had an interception as they not only held the Philly offense to only 14 points for the game, but also forced turnovers that led to points.

The Cowboys scored 10 points off of turnovers for the game.

Romo Poised, Careful Under Pressure

Tony Romo completed 23-35 passes for two touchdowns, zero interceptions and led Dallas to 27 second quarter points - the most points ever scored in a quarter in Cowboys' playoff history.

The Dallas Cowboys haven't trailed in their last four games and a big reason is Romo's ability to get the offense off to good starts as he is easily playing the best football of his career.

Felix Jones Runs Wild

Somebody made the most of their first playoff game and an increased number of carries with Marion Barber nursing a bum left knee.

The second-year pro set a career high in rushing (148 yards) and set a Cowboys' all-time record with a 73-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Jones averaged 9.3 yards per carry and gashed the Philadelphia defense all game long. It seems as though Jones is going to have an increased role in the offense with Barber hobbled, I've got no problem with that.

Whats Next

This game could not have gone better for the Dallas Cowboys. They dominated in every phase of the game and are playing their best football of the season at the perfect time.

No matter who wins today, Green Bay or Arizona, the Cowboys will travel to Minnesota this weekend to take on Brett Favre and the Vikings.

Look for an in-depth preview later this week.


News and Notes:

• The Cowboys sacked Donovan McNabb four times in each of the three meetings this season.
• Dallas held the ball for 39:44 compared to only 20:26 for Philadelphia, running the ball 35 times compared to only 13 for the Eagles.
• Roy Williams caught five passes for 59 yards, his highest catch and yardage totals since week 14 against the S.D. Chargers.
• Tonight's 92,951 tickets distributed established a single-game NFL postseason non-Super Bowl record.
  

(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)

Wild Card Playoffs: #3 Cowboys Vs. #6 Eagles - Tonight at 7:00

Ken Hamlin (26) and the Cowboys defense have held DeSean Jackson (10) and the Eagles offense largely in-check in two meetings this season. Will Dallas' success continue? (AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald, Jose Yau)

They say defense wins championships.

Well, the Dallas Cowboys have held the 5th best scoring offense in the league (26.8 points per game) to two of their three lowest scoring totals of the season (16 and 0) and are coming off the first shutout of an Eagles offense since Dec. 5, 2005. The Cowboys held the Eagles to an average of eight points per game in these meetings.

A big reason for the Cowboys success is the way they have limited the Eagles big plays. Philadelphia Pro-Bowl receiver DeSean Jackson ended the season second in the NFL in yards-per-reception (18.5) and tied for eighth in yards-per-game (77.8). Against Dallas, Jackson had averaged only 15.1 yards-per-catch and has totaled only 76 receiving yards in the two games.

In order for Dallas to come away with their first playoff victory in 13 years, they are going to have to continue to stop the big-play - even if it means giving up some yards to Eagles tight-end Brent Celek on dink-and-dunk passes. Celek has 135 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys this season.

"Obviously you gain confidence from the success we've had," said Keith Brooking, who had five solo tackles in the shutout win last week and who has been the heart of the Cowboys' defense this season."But that's over. This is a new season for us and we're looking at it that way. Obviously everything is at stake right now."

The Cowboys' offense hasn't been too shabby, either, as Tony Romo has picked apart the Eagles' defense in both meetings this season.

Romo passed for over 300 yards both games for a total of 618 yards and had three touchdowns and two interceptions. Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton have been primary targets for Romo, Austin has eight recpeionts for 139 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles while Crayton has six for 173 and a touchdown - a 30.5 yard average per reception.

Dallas has averaged 22 points a game so far this season against Philly. The Eagles allowed 21.1 points a game for the season.

"This is when it all needs to come into place and unfold for us," said Pro-Bowler Jason Witten, who finished with over 1,000 yards receiving for the second time in the last three years. "All that other stuff is great...But I really believe that we know what's at stake and this [is] when we need to play big."

Observations

• Eagles coach Andy Reid has never lost his team's opening playoff game (Wild Card Round or Divisional) in his career (7-0).
• Cowboys coach Wade Phillips has never won a playoff game (0-4).
• The Eagles have never won a playoff game at Dallas (0-2) and are 1-2 all-time vs the Cowboys in the playoffs.
• Since 1970, a team has gone 2-0 against another team 19 times and faced them in the playoffs. These teams were 12-7 in the third meeting.
• Dallas has never beaten a team three times in a season. You might recall 13-3 two-years ago and losing to the N.Y. Giants in the playoffs after beating them twice in the regular season. N.Y. won the Super Bowl that year.
  

Injuries

Cowboys: Demarcus Ware, Marion Barber, Tashard Choice, Marc Columbo and Terence Newman are all listed as probable but expected to play.

Pat Watkins is listed at questionable, but is also expected to play.

Eagles: Michael Vick is listed as probable but is also expected to play and be the number two quarterback.

Prediction

You have to believe that Philadelphia is going to put up some points in this one. It's hard to keep an offense of this caliber down for three games in one season - no matter how good your defense is - so Dallas is going to have to put up some points.

The good news is that the Eagle's defense is vulnerable and can be scored upon, as the Cowboys have proved in their two meeting this season.

I see Tony Romo having another great game - no turnovers - and for this game to go right down to the wire as Donovan McNabb and the Eagles offense throws everything as the Cowboys defense. I expect Vick to get a good amount of time on the field and to see some plays that we haven't seen all season from Philly.

Dallas rallies late and pulls out a victory at home thanks to a Jason Witten late game TD reception.

Cowboys 30
Eagles 27

(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)