Thunder-Mavericks Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Jan 31 2012 3:30PM

The Dallas Mavericks are rounding into form after a slow start.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been at or near the top of the NBA since the season began.

Last season's Western Conference finalists meet for the third time since that series Wednesday night, with the Mavericks in search of a fourth straight victory.

A memorable conference finals between these teams saw Dallas (14-8) prevail in five games - all decided by single digits - as Dirk Nowitzki averaged 32.2 points with two 40-point efforts while Kevin Durant averaged 28.0.

The up-and-coming Thunder (16-4) were anointed one of the favorites to win the West this season, got off to a 5-0 start before a 100-87 loss at Dallas on Jan. 2 and have the NBA's best record. The Mavericks, meanwhile, began with three losses capped by a 104-102 defeat at Oklahoma City when Durant hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Dallas has had numerous players missing but is starting to get healthy, with Vince Carter averaging 18.0 points during this three-game win streak after missing five with a foot injury. Nowitzki has returned to play consecutive games - he's scored only 10 in each - after a planned four-game hiatus to strengthen his sore right knee and do conditioning work.

"We place a high standard on our play," coach Rick Carlisle told the Mavericks' official website. "And when you get off to an abysmal start like we did, it's painful. But we've climbed out of that and we've got to understand that just 'cause we're winning and playing well now, there's nothing guaranteed and we've gotta keep working at it."

Point guard Jason Kidd has missed the last two games with a right calf strain. Rodrigue Beaubois has stepped up since joining the starting lineup three games ago, averaging 14.7 points and 7.0 assists.

Beaubois barely saw any action in the first two meetings with the Thunder but could be called upon to slow down a surging Russell Westbrook, averaging 25.7 points over his last seven contests.

Westbrook's 31-point effort Monday was wasted in a 112-100 road loss to the Clippers. Oklahoma City allowed its most points and 56.3 percent shooting - a season high for an opponent.

"This is our first bad game in 20," coach Scott Brooks told the Thunder's official website. "That's the bottom line, we had a bad game. One of the things that this team does well that I'm proud of is they bounce back. You play 20 games, you have one bad game, I think any team in this league will live with that."

Nowitzki's two best scoring efforts this season came against the Thunder with 55 total points - two less then Durant has in the season series. Durant has averaged 36.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in his last two games.

The Thunder are looking for points outside of Durant and Westbrook, with James Harden averaging 15.5 against the Mavs. Harden, though, was held to seven Monday in his first start since Jan. 3 in place of an injured Thabo Sefolosha (sore right foot).

"We have to get more guys involved," Brooks said. "I have to do a better job with that, but it always comes on the defensive end for us."

Durant's 19.8 scoring average at Dallas in the regular season is his worst in a West building, although he averaged 29.0 there in three playoff games.

Westbrook, Durant lead Thunder past Mavericks

Posted Feb 02 2012 12:17AM

DALLAS (AP) Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant provided the offense for Oklahoma City, and Serge Ibaka's defense put the Thunder over the top.

Westbrook scored 33 points and Kevin Durant added 23 points and 13 rebounds as the Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks 95-86 on Wednesday night.

Ibaka had a career-high 10 blocked shots, helping Oklahoma City limit Dallas to 8-for-38 shooting from the field in the second half.

"He was amazing," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said of Ibaka, who also had 11 rebounds. "He's been playing great defense eight of the last nine games."

James Harden contributed 10 points off the bench as the Thunder bounced back from Monday night's 112-100 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers that snapped a four-game winning streak.

Jason Terry had 26 points for the short-handed Mavericks, who snapped a three-game winning streak.

Dirk Nowitzki went 2 for 15 from the floor and finished with eight points for Dallas in his third game back after a four-game absence to deal with a sore right knee and conditioning issues. He had 10 points in each of his first two games after returning.

"I had some good looks," said Nowitzki, last season's MVP of the NBA finals. "I've just got to keep working."

Nowitzki said his knee is better than it was two weeks ago, "But sometimes I don't have enough confidence in my movement if I try to make a hard move."

Oklahoma City has won two of three meetings between the teams this season. The Mavs took a five-game series with the Thunder in last season's Western Conference finals before Dallas went on to its first league title.

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was ejected with 9:34 left in the game after picking up two technicals in a span of about two minutes. The second was assessed after Carlisle kicked the game ball into the stands in frustration during a stoppage in play after a no-call that went against his team.

Carlisle apologized to owner Mark Cuban and the fans after the game, saying, "The incident where the ball got kicked into the stands, that can't happen. My intent was not to kick it into the stands. I was trying to kick it to the referee, but I'm not a very good kick. ... That's a regrettable situation."

The Mavs were without key reserve Lamar Odom and starting center Brendan Haywood. Odom was sent home with a stomach ailment and Haywood was out with lower back tightness.

Dallas starting point guard Jason Kidd sat out his third straight game with a strained right calf.

The Mavericks trailed by 10 early in the fourth quarter before rallying to tie it at 85 on Shawn Marion's runner in the lane with 2:14 left.

But Westbrook and Durant connected on consecutive mid-range jumpers, then Westbrook made a 3 from the right wing with 35 seconds to play to give his team a 92-85 advantage.

The Thunder fought back from a nine-point first-half deficit, grabbing a 59-56 lead with 7:25 remaining in the third quarter on consecutive layups by Westbrook. That sparked a 10-2 spurt that put the Thunder ahead 65-58, and Oklahoma City carried a 71-66 edge into the final quarter.

The Ibaka-led defense held Dallas to 3-for-19 shooting from the floor in the third quarter.

Ibaka blocked three shots in the third after swatting four in the second quarter, surpassing his season-high of seven before getting two more early in the fourth to beat his career high of eight.

"Serge was fun to watch," Durant said. "(Nowitzki) missed some shots he normally hits....I think we frustrated him."

Dallas got off to a fast start, hitting nine straight field-goal attempts during one stretch in the first quarter to build a 29-21 lead entering the second quarter.

The Mavs went 13 for 19 from the field in the first quarter while the Thunder connected on only 6 of 19.

Oklahoma City got back in the game with a 16-7 second-quarter run for its first lead of the night, 37-36 on Durant's 16-footer with 7:12 left until halftime.

Dallas held a 52-49 advantage at the break on Roddy Beaubois' reverse dunk with 29 seconds left and Marion's follow with less than a second remaining.

Carlisle said Ibaka set a tone with his second-quarter defense after the Mavs got off to such a positive offensive start.

"It was very disruptive," Carlisle said. "The blocks he had in the second quarter, I thought were really the difference in the game if you look at the big picture."

NOTES: Dallas entered the night having won nine of 10 at home since opening the season with consecutive losses. ... Oklahoma City was minus starting swingman Thabo Sefalosha due to a sore right foot. The Thunder were also without reserve G Eric Maynor (torn right knee ligament).

Notebook: Thunder 95, Mavs 86

By Dave Ivey, for NBA.com
Posted Wednesday February 1, 2012 11:41PM

THE FACTS: Russell Westbrook scored 33 points and Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka both had double-doubles for the Oklahoma City Thunder in Wednesday's 95-86 win against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Durant tallied 23 points and 13 rebounds and Ibaka registered a career-high 10 blocks and 11 boards. Jason Terry scored 25 for the Mavericks, who played without injured starters Jason Kidd and Brendan Haywood and reserve Lamar Odom.

THE STAT: Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki was held to eight points on 2-for-15 shooting (0-for-5 from 3-point range). It was just the third time in his 14-year career that he played at least 37 minutes (37:40) and sank two or fewer field goals: Nov. 27, 2006 vs. Minnesota (2-for-8) and Dec. 5, 1999 at Milwaukee (2-for-9). In the first two meetings this season against Oklahoma City, he averaged 27.5 points and was a combined 19-for-33.

QUOTABLE I: "We finally found out that he is human."
-- Thunder coach Scott Brooks on Nowitzki's struggles.

TURNING POINT: Dallas erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth, knotting the score at 85-85 on a hook by Shawn Marion with 2:14 to play. Westbrook answered with a 19-footer and then Ibaka rejected his 10th shot of the night on a layup attempt by Rodrigue Beaubois. The Thunder outscored the Mavericks 10-1 in the final 1:59, including Westbrook's long 3-pointer with 35.9 seconds left.

HOT: Dallas led 29-21 after shooting 68 percent (13-for-19) from the field during the first quarter.

NOT: The Mavericks missed 12 of their first 13 shots in the third quarter and shot a dreadful 21 percent (8-for-38) in the second half. They missed all seven 3-point attempts after intermission.

GOOD MOVE: Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha missed his second straight game with soreness in his right foot. On Monday, James Harden started for Sefolosha and struggled in the loss to the Clippers. At Dallas, Daequan Cook got his first-ever start for Oklahoma City and Harden moved back to his usual sixth-man role, delivering 10 points, a game-high nine assists and seven rebounds with only one turnover in 36 minutes.

BAD MOVE: Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle looked like was auditioning for a kicking job with the Dallas Cowboys when he booted the ball into the seats with 9:34 left in the fourth quarter. He picked up his second technical foul of the period and was ejected.

QUOTABLE II: "I want to apologize to our franchise, Mark [Cuban], our fans. The incident where the ball got kicked into the stands -- that can't happen. My intent was not to kick it into the stands. I was trying to kick it to the referee, but I'm not a very good kicker."
-- Rick Carlisle on his ejection.

ROOKIE WATCH: Reggie Jackson finished with seven points and two rebounds in 11 minutes for the Thunder.

NOTABLE: The Mavericks played without Haywood (lower back stiffness), Odom (stomach ailment) and Kidd (strained right calf). ... Replacing Haywood, Ian Mahinmi made his first career start and tallied six points and nine rebounds. Marion had a double-double for Dallas with 12 points and 10 boards and Brandan Wright added 12 points and three blocks. ... Oklahoma City only used eight players. ... Westbrook added six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. ... Dallas had a three-game winning streak snapped.

UP NEXT: For the Mavericks, Friday vs. Indiana, Saturday @ Cleveland, Wednesday @ Denver. For the Thunder, Friday vs. Memphis, Saturday @ San Antonio, Monday @ Portland.

• Thunder: Maynor, Reid
• Mavericks: Kidd, Williams

• Thunder: --
• Mavericks: Carlisle, Carlisle

• Lead Changes: 11
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
• Officials: #10 Ron Garretson, #38 Michael Smith, #56 Mark Ayotte
• Attendance: 20316
• Duration: 2:32