Mavs-Magic preview6 p.m. today, TD Waterhouse Centre, FSNSW; ESPN-FM (103.3), KFLC-AM (1270 in Spanish)09:17 PM CST on Thursday, March 30, 2006By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning NewsSeries: Mavs lead 1-0 this season; Magic leads 19-16 all-timeKey matchupDwight Howard vs. Dirk Nowitzki: The best young rebounder in the league, Howard has proved the Magic was right to pick him No. 1 out of high school in 2004. He has become the cornerstone for their future. Unfortunately, he's the only building block right now. He's only 20 and leads the team in rebounding (12.3, second in the NBA), field goal percentage (.526, tied for eighth) and double-doubles (52, second). One problem area: free throws. He was 3-of-9 Wednesday at Minnesota. Though Nowitzki is playing through fatigue, he'll test the defensive end of Howard's game.Inside the MavericksHoping for a better homecoming: Marquis Daniels is from Orlando, but he did not fare well against his hometown team last year, shooting just 36.4 percent (8-of-22) in two meetings. He has shot 19-for-44 (43.2 percent) in the last six games, averaging 7.7 points.Briefly: The Mavs always seem to have trouble in Orlando, where they are 3-13. They have lost six of their last seven in the land of Disney. ... Shooting a lot of free throws is usually a good thing. But after shooting 41 in Cleveland and losing, the Mavs are 4-3 when making 38 or more trips to the line.Inside the MagicDangerous foe: One look at its 28-44 record and it's easy to nod off against the Magic. But at home, Orlando has been very respectable of late, winning six in a row to push its home mark to 20-14. Coach Brian Hill has won 78 percent of his home games in two stints as Magic coach.Briefly: Perpetually injured Grant Hill is out after sports hernia surgery. ... Detroit reject Darko Milicic has averaged 2.4 blocks since joining the Magic 20 games ago. ... Point guard Jameer Nelson improves as the game progresses. He scores 59.5 percent of his points after halftime and 33.2 percent in the fourth quarter.PROBABLE STARTERSMavericks Pos. MagicDirk Nowitzki F Dwight HowardJosh Howard F Hedo TurkogluDeSagana Diop C Tony BattieRawle Marshall G DeShawn StevensonJason Terry G Jameer Nelsonhttp://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...ew.620e230.html
VERY nice preview!!If Mavs lose, we are REALLY in panic time, but Dirk needs to do something... OMG, HOWARD IS BACK!
Yeah, Stackhouse was explosive as a starter, but 0-2, might I add.Maybe he's just trying to get a different touch for a win?Or because Stack is fatigued a bit?
Finally a normal game threadStack has always benched, unless injuries. Rawle will start untill Harris comes back. And Daniles he has done nothing latley to make Avery even think about Quis starting. Poor results by DanielsWaqass, stop making this team look like it revolves around Dirk, leave this board3-13, thats rough. Mavs really need to kick it tonight
Wait, what do you mean by 3-13?This team DOES revolve around Dirk. For example...21-3 when Dirk scores 30+, so he needs to come up big, because we have an 87.5% winning percentage when he does.
Wow you're making Mavs look so bad. Their are 14 other players on the Mavs roster. They each have their own way to contributing to the team, wether its 1 point a game or 25 points a game. Yes, Dirk does help this team out. I would recommend you become a Laker fan. If you have those views at the Mavs, you shouldnt even consider Mavs are your team. And while you at it, leave this messag board
What the Hell!?!?!? I LOVE DALLAS 24/7!!!And I said with all of these injuries, somebody has to step up. I mean, Dirk is the MOST likely to do it. I mean, we aLL LOVE Dirk...
I'm sure we all do love Dirk but it is a team game. I get sick of people that just talk about 1 person so much. Howard and Harris have been missed. Anyways Waqas is staying unless he either starts acting up (which he hasn't) or he decides to quit. People don't get banned for homerism.
MAN THIS WAS SUCH A GAY GAME...That double-dribble on the Magic was SUCH an easy call. That changed the whole momentum of the game.
it seems the mavs have lost that magic that helped them win earlier. right now, i dont see them coming back to win the conference, i hope they can do it, but with the way they are playing right now, it doesnt seem possible
Hey, like ALL YOU OTHER GUYS WERE SAYING, playoff records start at 0-0!But seriously, don't you guys think that double dribble changed the whole game?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>ALL YOU OTHER GUYS WERE SAYING, playoff records start at 0-0!</div>I said that. And seriously this was a bad game just based on previous meetings. 1-7 last 8 meetings with Magic, Magic undefeated at home this month. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>But seriously, don't you guys think that double dribble changed the whole game?</div>No dude, and double dribble? Refs will never call double dribble unless it's obvious.
