GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NBA: DALLAS (13-8) at NEW YORK (6-13)

NBA: DALLAS at NEW YORK

<div class="pre">NBA DALLAS 94
NEW YORK 83 2:58 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NBA: DALLAS at NEW YORK

<div class="pre">NBA DALLAS 97
NEW YORK 86 1:03 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NBA: DALLAS at NEW YORK

<div class="pre">NBA DALLAS 99
NEW YORK 89 FINAL</div>

 

NBA: DALLAS at NEW YORK

<div class="pre">NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DALLAS 28 21 30 20 99
NEW YORK 19 17 27 26 89 FINAL

HIGH SCORERS: DAL - DIRK NOWITZKI 36, JOSH HOWARD 22, JERRY
STACKHOUSE 13
NYK - ZACH RANDOLPH 24, JAMAL CRAWFORD 19,
FRED JONES 16</div>

 

NBA: DALLAS at NEW YORK

<div class="pre">** CONFIRMED **
NBA
DALLAS 99
NEW YORK 89 FINAL</div>

 

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Dirk Nowitzki heard more cheers than anymembers of the New York Knicks and then put on a show in frontof another disgruntled crowd.


Nowitzki scored a season-high 36 points to lead the DallasMavericks to a 99-89 victory over the Knicks Monday night atMadison Square Garden.


Josh Howard added 22 points in his first game after Saturday'scareer-high 47-point performance against Utah.


Dallas shot 54 percent (36-of-67) and defeated the Knicks forthe 11th time in 12 meetings after surviving a comeback attemptthat reduced a 23-point lead to 90-83 with just over fourminutes remaining following a basket by Zach Randolph.

That was the closest the Mavericks came to blowing it. On theirnext possession, Jason Terry made a 16-footer and Howardfollowed with a layup that inadvertently knocked Eddy Curry outof the contest when Howard's hand hit Curry in the face.

New York dropped its third in a row and fell to 6-14 through 20games for the second time in three years. Of its' 14 losses, 10have been by double digits, including the last four.

That is probably why the loudest cheers during pregameintroductions were for Nowitzki, who came into the contestaveraging 21.1 points per game. He equaled his average bydriving around Curry for an easy layup on Dallas' firstpossession of the second half and then surpassed it with anotherjumper that put Dallas up by 17 before hearing some cheersafter hitting a 3-pointer.


Nowitzki turned in his fourth 30-point performance of the seasonand had it with 6:10 remaining after converting a three-pointplay. He continued to hear more cheers after hitting another3-pointer with 4:25 remaining in the quarter.


Nowitzki finished 14-of-23 from the floor and added sevenrebounds and four assists.


The latest rounds of loud "Fire Isiah" chants started asNowitzki was making a pair of foul shots for a 60-40 edge with8:55 remaining and the booing continued for the rest of thenight.


Nowitzki approached that average in 18 first-half minutes as hescored 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting. The 7-footer scored 15points in the opening quarter when Dallas shot 63 percent andtook a 28-19 lead.


Dallas did not need Nowitzki to hold its lead as he sat for thefirst five-plus minutes of the second and watched his teammatesopen a double-digit lead. The Mavericks never relinquishedtheir double-digit lead and grabbed a 49-36 edge at halftime.

The Knicks played without Stephon Marbury, who sat out due topersonal reasons following the death of his father on December2. Marbury's teammates were booed during introductions andheard louder boos at the end of a first half in which they shotan awful 29 percent (12-of-41).


Their latest loss came just two days after owner Jim Dolan metwith coach Isiah Thomas and appeared no closer to firing him. Italso came hours after the Anucha Browne Sanders case wassettled.


Randolph sparked New York's comeback attempt with 17 of his 24points in the fourth. Jamal Crawford added 19 but was 6-of-22from the floor.

 

NBA: DALLAS at NEW YORK

<div class="pre">DALLAS (99) AT NEW YORK (89)

DALLAS

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

J TERRY G 34:32 4-8 0-0 2 3 5 4 3 0 1 9
D HARRIS G 31:36 0-3 3-4 0 1 1 4 3 2 1 3
D NOWITZKI F 39:14 14-23 5-7 0 7 7 4 0 2 4 36
J HOWARD F 42:25 8-15 2-4 3 3 6 4 2 0 0 22
E DAMPIER C 25:57 2-2 5-8 0 6 6 1 3 0 0 9
J STACKHOUSE 30:39 5-10 3-4 0 0 0 4 2 0 1 13
D DIOP 15:44 1-1 0-0 0 4 4 0 3 0 2 2
B BASS 14:02 2-3 1-2 2 1 3 0 1 0 0 5
D GEORGE 5:51 0-2 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 1 0 0

TOTALS 240:00 36-67 19-29 7 27 34 21 18 5 9 99
(.537) (.655) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 9 (0 PTS)

NEW YORK

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

F JONES G 40:53 4-7 7-10 1 4 5 4 3 2 1 16
J CRAWFORD G 46:19 6-22 5-6 0 1 1 5 3 1 2 19
Q RICHARDSON F 33:54 3-9 2-3 3 4 7 1 2 0 0 9
Z RANDOLPH F 33:51 10-18 3-3 4 7 11 0 3 1 3 24
E CURRY C 30:39 3-13 0-0 2 1 3 0 3 0 3 6
D LEE 28:38 3-4 0-0 1 5 6 1 3 0 1 6
J JEFFRIES 10:27 1-3 0-0 0 3 3 0 2 0 0 2
R BALKMAN 8:12 1-1 0-0 2 0 2 1 1 0 0 2
N ROBINSON 7:07 2-5 0-0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 5

TOTALS 240:00 33-82 17-22 14 25 39 13 20 4 10 89
(.402) (.773) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 12 (0 PTS)

DALLAS 28 21 30 20 - 99
NEW YORK 19 17 27 26 - 89

BLOCKED SHOTS: DALLAS - D DIOP 3, E DAMPIER 2, J HOWARD 2, D GEORGE 2.
NEW YORK - NONE.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: DALLAS 8-19 (.421), J TERRY 1-4, D NOWITZKI 3-5,
J HOWARD 4-8, J STACKHOUSE 0-2. NEW YORK 6-14 (.429), F JONES 1-2,
J CRAWFORD 2-7, Q RICHARDSON 1-3, Z RANDOLPH 1-1, N ROBINSON 1-1.

TECHNICAL FOULS: DALLAS - D NOWITZKI, J TERRY.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: MONTY MCCUTCHEN, ORLANDIS POOLE, SCOTT WALL.
A - 19,763. T - 2:19.</div>

 

NBA: DALLAS at NEW YORK

<div class="pre">DALLAS (99)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
J Terry 34:32 4-8 0-0 2-5 4 3 9
D Harris 31:36 0-3 3-4 0-1 4 3 3
D Nowitzki 39:14 14-23 5-7 0-7 4 0 36
J Howard 42:25 8-15 2-4 3-6 4 2 22
E Dampier 25:57 2-2 5-8 0-6 1 3 9
J Stackhouse 30:39 5-10 3-4 0-0 4 2 13
D Diop 15:44 1-1 0-0 0-4 0 3 2
B Bass 14:02 2-3 1-2 2-3 0 1 5
D George 5:51 0-2 0-0 0-2 0 1 0

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 36-67 19-29 7-34 21 18 99
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.537, FT-.655. 3-Point Goals:
8-19, .421 (J Terry 1-4, D Nowitzki 3-5, J
Howard 4-8, J Stackhouse 0-2). Team Rebounds:
9. Blocked Shots:9 (D Diop 3, E Dampier 2, J
Howard 2, D George 2). Turnovers:9 (D
Nowitzki 4, D Diop 2, J Stackhouse, D Harris,
J Terry). Steals: 5 (D Harris 2, D Nowitzki
2, D George).


NEW YORK (89)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
F Jones 40:53 4-7 7-10 1-5 4 3 16
J Crawford 46:19 6-22 5-6 0-1 5 3 19
Q Richardson 33:54 3-9 2-3 3-7 1 2 9
Z Randolph 33:51 10-18 3-3 4-11 0 3 24
E Curry 30:39 3-13 0-0 2-3 0 3 6
D Lee 28:38 3-4 0-0 1-6 1 3 6
J Jeffries 10:27 1-3 0-0 0-3 0 2 2
R Balkman 8:12 1-1 0-0 2-2 1 1 2
N Robinson 7:07 2-5 0-0 1-1 1 0 5

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 33-82 17-22 14-39 13 20 89
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.402, FT-.773. 3-Point Goals:
6-14, .429 (F Jones 1-2, J Crawford 2-7, Q
Richardson 1-3, Z Randolph 1-1, N Robinson
1-1). Team Rebounds: 13. Blocked Shots: 0.
Turnovers:10 (Z Randolph 3, E Curry 3, J
Crawford 2, F Jones, D Lee). Steals: 4 (F
Jones 2, J Crawford, Z Randolph).

-------------------------------------------
DALLAS 28 21 30 20 - 99
NEW YORK 19 17 27 26 - 89
-------------------------------------------

Technical fouls: Dallas - 2 (D Nowitzki, 5:48
1st; J Terry, 8:26 1st).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 19,763. T: 2:19.
Officials: Monty McCutchen, Orlandis Poole,
Scott Wall.</div>

 

NBA: DALLAS at NEW YORK

<div class="pre">DALLAS (99) AT NEW YORK (89)

DALLAS

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

J TERRY G 34:32 4-8 0-0 2 3 5 4 3 0 1 9
D HARRIS G 31:36 0-3 3-4 0 1 1 4 3 2 1 3
D NOWITZKI F 39:14 14-23 5-7 0 7 7 4 0 2 4 36
J HOWARD F 42:25 8-15 2-4 3 3 6 4 2 0 0 22
E DAMPIER C 25:57 2-2 5-8 0 6 6 1 3 0 0 9
J STACKHOUSE 30:39 5-10 3-4 0 0 0 4 2 0 1 13
D DIOP 15:44 1-1 0-0 0 4 4 0 3 0 2 2
B BASS 14:02 2-3 1-2 2 1 3 0 1 0 0 5
D GEORGE 5:51 0-2 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 1 0 0
J HOWARD DNP - COACH'S DECISION
T HASSELL DNP - COACH'S DECISION
M AGER DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 36-67 19-29 7 27 34 21 18 5 9 99
(.537) (.655) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 9 (5 PTS)

NEW YORK

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

F JONES G 40:53 4-7 7-10 1 4 5 4 3 2 1 16
J CRAWFORD G 46:19 6-22 5-6 0 1 1 5 3 1 2 19
Q RICHARDSON F 33:54 3-9 2-3 3 4 7 1 2 0 0 9
Z RANDOLPH F 33:51 10-18 3-3 4 7 11 0 3 1 3 24
E CURRY C 30:39 3-13 0-0 2 1 3 0 3 0 3 6
D LEE 28:38 3-4 0-0 1 5 6 1 3 0 1 6
J JEFFRIES 10:27 1-3 0-0 0 3 3 0 2 0 0 2
R BALKMAN 8:12 1-1 0-0 2 0 2 1 1 0 0 2
N ROBINSON 7:07 2-5 0-0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 5
M COLLINS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
R MORRIS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
W CHANDLER DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 33-82 17-22 14 25 39 13 20 4 10 89
(.402) (.773) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 12 (17 PTS)

DALLAS 28 21 30 20 - 99
NEW YORK 19 17 27 26 - 89

BLOCKED SHOTS: DALLAS - D DIOP 3, E DAMPIER 2, J HOWARD 2, D GEORGE 2.
NEW YORK - NONE.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: DALLAS 8-19 (.421), J TERRY 1-4, D NOWITZKI 3-5,
J HOWARD 4-8, J STACKHOUSE 0-2. NEW YORK 6-14 (.429), F JONES 1-2,
J CRAWFORD 2-7, Q RICHARDSON 1-3, Z RANDOLPH 1-1, N ROBINSON 1-1.

TECHNICAL FOULS: DALLAS - D NOWITZKI, J TERRY.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: MONTY MCCUTCHEN, ORLANDIS POOLE, SCOTT WALL.
A - 19,763. T - 2:19.</div>

 

NBA: DALLAS at NEW YORK

<div class="pre">DALLAS (99)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
J Terry 34:32 4-8 0-0 2-5 4 3 9
D Harris 31:36 0-3 3-4 0-1 4 3 3
D Nowitzki 39:14 14-23 5-7 0-7 4 0 36
J Howard 42:25 8-15 2-4 3-6 4 2 22
E Dampier 25:57 2-2 5-8 0-6 1 3 9
J Stackhouse 30:39 5-10 3-4 0-0 4 2 13
D Diop 15:44 1-1 0-0 0-4 0 3 2
B Bass 14:02 2-3 1-2 2-3 0 1 5
D George 5:51 0-2 0-0 0-2 0 1 0
J Howard DNP - COACH'S DECISION
T Hassell DNP - COACH'S DECISION
M Ager DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 36-67 19-29 7-34 21 18 99
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.537, FT-.655. 3-Point Goals:
8-19, .421 (J Terry 1-4, D Nowitzki 3-5, J
Howard 4-8, J Stackhouse 0-2). Team Rebounds:
9. Blocked Shots:9 (D Diop 3, E Dampier 2, J
Howard 2, D George 2). Turnovers:9 (D
Nowitzki 4, D Diop 2, J Stackhouse, D Harris,
J Terry). Steals: 5 (D Harris 2, D Nowitzki
2, D George).


NEW YORK (89)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
F Jones 40:53 4-7 7-10 1-5 4 3 16
J Crawford 46:19 6-22 5-6 0-1 5 3 19
Q Richardson 33:54 3-9 2-3 3-7 1 2 9
Z Randolph 33:51 10-18 3-3 4-11 0 3 24
E Curry 30:39 3-13 0-0 2-3 0 3 6
D Lee 28:38 3-4 0-0 1-6 1 3 6
J Jeffries 10:27 1-3 0-0 0-3 0 2 2
R Balkman 8:12 1-1 0-0 2-2 1 1 2
N Robinson 7:07 2-5 0-0 1-1 1 0 5
M Collins DNP - COACH'S DECISION
R Morris DNP - COACH'S DECISION
W Chandler DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 33-82 17-22 14-39 13 20 89
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.402, FT-.773. 3-Point Goals:
6-14, .429 (F Jones 1-2, J Crawford 2-7, Q
Richardson 1-3, Z Randolph 1-1, N Robinson
1-1). Team Rebounds: 13. Blocked Shots: 0.
Turnovers:10 (Z Randolph 3, E Curry 3, J
Crawford 2, F Jones, D Lee). Steals: 4 (F
Jones 2, J Crawford, Z Randolph).

-------------------------------------------
DALLAS 28 21 30 20 - 99
NEW YORK 19 17 27 26 - 89
-------------------------------------------

Technical fouls: Dallas - 2 (D Nowitzki, 5:49
1st; J Terry, 8:27 1st).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 19,763. T: 2:19.
Officials: Monty McCutchen, Orlandis Poole,
Scott Wall.</div>

 

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Dirk Nowitzki heard more cheers than anymembers of the New York Knicks and then put on a show in frontof another disgruntled crowd.


Nowitzki scored a season-high 36 points to lead the DallasMavericks to a 99-89 victory over the Knicks on Monday night atMadison Square Garden.


Josh Howard added 22 points in his first game after Saturday'scareer-high 47-point performance against Utah.


Dallas shot 54 percent (36-of-67) and defeated the Knicks forthe 11th time in 12 meetings after surviving a comeback attemptthat reduced a 23-point lead to 90-83 with just over fourminutes remaining following a basket by Zach Randolph.

"We had a big enough lead and we should have kept it," Dallascoach Avery Johnson said. "The last two minutes of the thirdquarter and (first) two minutes of the fourth was absolutelypathetic and the guys who were in there let the whole team down.We can't afford to do that."


"It was tough, that was on the defensive (end)," Howard said."Dirk's our leader. He's going to go out and score the balllike he did that. It's good to see him do that." That was theclosest the Mavericks came to blowing it. On their nextpossession, Jason Terry made a 16-footer and Howard followedwith a layup that inadvertently knocked Eddy Curry out of thecontest when Howard's hand hit Curry in the face.


New York dropped its third in a row and fell to 6-14 through 20games for the second time in three years. Of its' 14 losses, 10have been by double digits, including the last four and thisone featured coach Isiah Thomas confronting a fan in the secondhalf and blaming the booing for the team's struggles.

"I wanted to make sure our team stayed focused," Thomas saidtrying to downplay it. "The fans are great. We love them andwe're glad they're here."


The loudest cheers during pregame introductions were forNowitzki, who came into the contest averaging 21.1 points pergame. He equaled his average by driving around Curry for aneasy layup on Dallas' first possession of the second half andthen surpassed it with another jumper that put Dallas up by 17before hearing some cheers after hitting a 3-pointer.

Nowitzki turned in his fourth 30-point performance of the seasonand had it with 6:10 remaining after converting a three-pointplay. He continued to hear more cheers after hitting another3-pointer with 4:25 remaining in the quarter.


"He came out with the type of game that we wanted him to havetonight," Johnson said. "We thought playing in the Garden andwe wanted him to come out ready to establish himself and he gotthe ball early. He made some decisive moves and he was realsure about what he was doing."


"I was able to find a rhythm really quick," Nowitzki said. "Inthe last couple of weeks, my jumper didn't really feel great. Ifeel great and I had a lot of lot of really good looks. I prettymuch was in attack mode all night long."


Nowitzki finished 14-of-23 from the floor and added sevenrebounds and four assists. It was his second 30-point game inthree games.


"Tonight he was feeling it and we wanted to keep feeding him,"Terry said.


The latest rounds of loud "Fire Isiah" chants started asNowitzki was making a pair of foul shots for a 60-40 edge with8:55 remaining and the booing continued until the Knicksattempted to rally.


"It comes in slow stages," Thomas said. "I thought we finallygot some tempo, some pace and some ball movement. We were ableto play the style, the tempo and the pace we like to play at."

Nowitzki approached his scoring average in 18 first-half minutesas he scored 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting. The 7-footerscored 15 points in the opening quarter when Dallas shot 63percent and took a 28-19 lead.


Dallas did not need Nowitzki to hold its lead as he sat for thefirst five-plus minutes of the second and watched his teammatesopen a double-digit lead. The Mavericks never relinquishedtheir double-digit lead and grabbed a 49-36 edge at halftime.

The Knicks played without Stephon Marbury, who sat out due topersonal reasons following the death of his father on December2. Marbury's teammates were booed during introductions andheard louder boos at the end of a first half in which they shotan awful 29 percent (12-of-41).


Their latest loss came just two days after owner Jim Dolan metwith Thomas and appeared no closer to firing him. It also camehours after the Anucha Browne Sanders case was settled.

Randolph sparked New York's comeback attempt with 17 of his 24points in the fourth. Jamal Crawford added 19 but was 6-of-22from the floor while Curry finished with six points on 3-of-13shooting before needing three stitches on his lacerated lowerlip.