Nowitzki's third straight 30+ point game leads Dallas to their seventh straight victory. (AP Photo/Tim Sharp)Although it didn't go as smoothly as it initially looked, thanks to some hot shooting from Hornets rookie Darren Collison, the Dallas Mavericks (39-21) were still able to hold on late.
The Mavericks started out strong, ending the first quarter on a 19-4 run after the New Orleans Hornets (31-29) went up 20-16 mid-way through the first quarter. Dallas had 11 of their season-high 30 fast break points in the first and everyone was getting in on the action.
The Dallas run continued into the second as their lead grew to 47-26, and the Mavs had outscored the Hornets 31-6 during that 8:30 span. The Mavs shot 69 percent and had a 69-50 lead going into halftime. The Mavericks were sharing the ball incredibly well in the first half as they had 23 assists on their 30 baskets.
The third quarter was a different story as the Mavericks committed seven turnovers along with missing 12 straight shots during a five minute drought in the quarter. Dallas scored only three points in the final 6:22 of the quarter (three free throws) and the Hornets outscored the Mavs 17-3 during that span. New Orleans had Dallas clinging to a nine point lead going into the fourth quarter. The Hornets clawed their way back throughout the fourth trailing by only four (97-101) with 1:06 left in the game after trailing by as many as 25 points.
"We would have loved to have had more rest in the fourth quarter, " said Nowitzki, referring to the back-to-back the Mavs are in the midst of - playing the Charlotte Bobcats tomorrow night. "Back-to-backs are part of the NBA and this is one of the tougher ones for us this season."
The Mavericks then took the game back over with seven straight points to the :11 left in the fourth quarter. Dirk Nowitzki scored 14 of his game-high 36 points in the final period and scored five of Dallas' final seven points.
"We made this a lot harder than we should have," said Nowitzki, who was 5-9 in the fourth and 4-4 from the free throw line. "I actually missed two shots at the end that I felt should have gone in, but I was able to make that last shot, so I'm happy about that.
Despite his struggles earlier in the season against the Hornets (he scored a combined 22 points in the previous two meetings) Nowitzki came to play in this one. Dirk filled up the stat sheet with 36 points, eight rebounds and seven steals and scored more in the fourth quarter (14) than he scored in either of the other two meeting this season.
Not to be lost in all this is Darren Collison's career night. The rookie scored 35 points and single-handily brought the Hornets back into the game. With no Chris Paul and David West struggling (3-15 for 10 points), it was Collison and fellow rookie Marcus Thornton (21 points, 6-15 shooting) that gave gave the Hornets a chance to win a game that seemed lost from the start.
Butler Back In The Starting Lineup
Along with his 19 points on 9-18 shooting, Caron Butler had what ended up being the game-sealing play in his first game back in the lineup after missing two games (reaction to medication).
With 51 seconds left in regulation and Dallas holding on desperately to a 103-97 lead, Butler made a play on the other team's top-performer. Darren Collison tried to dribble past his defender, but Butler poked the ball loose and had Dallas running down the court. While he missed the easy bunny, Brendan Haywood (12 points, nine rebounds, two blocks, two steals) had the put-back dunk (on what looked like basket interference) that put the Mavs up eight - effectively sealing the win.
"It was out of aggression, trying to make something happen," said Collison, who had five turnovers for the game.
It was Butler's fourth steal (team-high) and couldn't have come at a better time for Dallas. Butler also had five rebounds and a block for the game.
What's Next
Stephen Jackson and the Charlotte Bobcats are next on the schedule with the Mavs going out on the road. The Mavericks needed 36 points from Nowitzki, including the game winner with :01 on the clock in overtime, to defeat the Bobcats 98-97.
Charlotte is 25-23 since the addition of Jackson, 28-29 overall - good for eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. They are a much better team at home, as their 20-7 record suggests, than on the road (8-22). The Bobcats are second in the NBA in points allowed (94.4) so expect a low-scoring game.
Charlotte has lost four of their past five games (all on the road) and are only 2-3 in their last five home games.
Tip-off is at 6:00 p.m. and can be seen locally on Fox Sports Southwest.
News and Notes:
- The Mavericks have won seven straight games this season. The last time they won seven straight was Dec. 29, 2007 through Jan. 12, 2008.
- Dirk Nowitzki has three straight games with 30 or more points for the first time since Feb.13 through Feb. 20, 2008.
- Jason Kidd had 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists after his career-night Friday, but also committed seven turnovers. Seven ties a season-high set Nov. 13, 2009 against Utah. Dallas won that game too.
- Michael Finley is expected to be released by the Spurs on Monday.
(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)
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