"J.J. Barea may have had the most experience of any of the Dallas Mavericks when it comes to playing basketball outdoors.It was a long time ago, but back in the day in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, hooping outside was the only way to go."We had to play outside all the time," Barea said Saturday. "But we didn't have a wood court. We had concrete and dirt and water and weeds. That's all we had."The digs at Indian Wells Tennis Garden were a little snappier than that. And Barea clearly found playing under the stars to his liking in the annual outdoor game, which the Mavs dropped 98-90 to the Phoenix Suns. Barea hit three early jump shots and knocked home a 3-pointer in the third quarter. That constituted more jumpers than the rest of his teammates made -- combined -- in the first half.Most of the Mavericks haven't played a full basketball game in the elements since they were kids. And it was a bit odd playing outside. Jason Terry said he was allergic to it, which was OK since he didn't suit up for the game.Dirk Nowitzki said the facility was great."For tennis, not hoops," he added.At the shootaround early Saturday, the Mavericks couldn't use one basket because the sun's angle made shooting impossible."It's an excuse," said acting coach Dwane Casey. "'The sun was in my eyes, coach.' But it's a good experience for our guys. The whole season is full of distractions. This is just another distraction."During the game, it wasn't the sun that was the problem, but the Suns, who hosted the outdoor game for the third consecutive year.Carlisle's perspectiveCoach Rick Carlisle got a chance to watch the outdoor game on television and was glad to get the different look at his team." http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/10/10/2534799/outdoor-venue-kind-to-barea-but.html
