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I can't wait for this one
Dallas (24-11) at San Antonio (21-12)
Game info: 8:30 pm EST Fri Jan 8, 2010 TV: KTXA, KENS
By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN, STATS Senior Writer
While the Dallas Mavericks have set the early pace in the Southwest Division, the San Antonio Spurs are starting to catch up.
The rivals will meet for the third time this season Friday night as Spurs host the team with the most road wins in the Western Conference.
Dallas (24-11) started strong to build a lead atop the Southwest, but San Antonio (21-12) has gone 12-3 since a 9-9 start to pull within two games. The teams have split two meetings with the Spurs playing without an injured Tony Parker(notes) both times.
Parker is back and coming off consecutive 23-point outings, while Manu Ginobili(notes) appears to be flourishing in more of a playmaker role. He averaged 5.3 assists over his last seven games for San Antonio, winner of four of the last five division les.
“We’ve got to go out there and do what we do and contain him (Parker) and contain Tim (Duncan) and Ginobili,” Mavericks forward Shawn Marion(notes) said. “They’ve got a good team and they’ve been playing a lot better than they started.”
Parker will get his first look at the Mavericks since he averaged 28.6 points and 6.8 assists in last season’s five-game loss in the first round of the playoffs.
“It’s going to a big game and we are on the right track,” Parker said. “We are playing some good basketball and we will see what we can do against them.”
Dallas is concerned about how it will defend Duncan, particularly if center Erick Dampier(notes) misses a third straight game with a knee injury. Coach Rick Carlisle is unsure who will draw the assignment if Dampier can’t play.
“A big part of our game plan is trying to slow him down in transition and pick-and-rolls and so forth,” Carlisle said about Duncan. “Our whole team is going to have to do a good job. Otherwise he’s great at getting into the paint, finishing and causing havoc.”
This will be the fifth road game out of six for the Mavericks, who are 12-6 away from home. They split a four-game trip before returning home and struggling past Detroit 98-93 on Tuesday.
Jason Terry(notes) scored 26 points off the bench and Dirk Nowitzki(notes) added 22 and 12 rebounds.
“It was ugly,” Nowitzki said. “It looked like we had a little West Coast hangover. We didn’t have any energy. But (Terry) carried us offensively all game long. He kept making shots.”
The Spurs are eager to see how they measure up after they had an easier time with Detroit in a 112-92 win Wednesday. San Antonio shot 58.1 percent and had six players score in double figures.
“It’s great preparation for Dallas,” forward Richard Jefferson(notes) said.”They are one of the most talented teams in the league and they are ahead of us in our division and in the conference standings. This is one of those games that you look forward to.”
San Antonio did not have Parker or Duncan when Jefferson scored 29 points in a 92-83 home win over Dallas on Nov. 11. One week later in Dallas, Nowitzki was brilliant with a season-high 41 points and 12 boards in a 99-94 overtime win for the Mavs.
I can't wait for this one
MUST WIN!!!
This would put us only 1 game behind in the southwest, and tied in the loss column. Should be a great game!
I wouldn't be surprised if the spurs won. The mavs are really sucking lately.
1 full game to gain here boys
Interesting to see if Dampier plays. If he does, can Pop start Blair?
yeah im anxious for this one and l.a to begin!!!!!! ginobili is our key to victory
I really wish we had Bonner and Finley fit for duty.
Friday: Mavericks (24-11) at Spurs (21-12)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: KENS
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350
STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - MAVERICKS
PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 9th yr) - 2 Jason Kidd (6-3, 16th yr)
Injured before, Parker set to face Mavs for first time since postseason.
SG - 10 Keith Bogans (6-5, 7th yr) - 11 J.J. Barea (6-2, 4th yr)
Defensive-minded Bogans has buried 8 of last 11 from 3-point line.
SF - 24 Richard Jefferson (6-7, 9th yr) - 0 Shawn Marion (6-7, 11th yr)
Despite fighting head cold, Jefferson shooting 61.5% in new year.
PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 13th yr) - 41 Dirk Nowitzki (7-0, 12th yr)
For Dirk, Duncan last head-to-head chance to impress All-Star voters.
C - 45 DeJuan Blair (6-7, 1st yr) - 25 Erick Dampier (6-10, 14th yr)
Ex-Spur Gooden would start here if Dampier (knee) can’t play.
SPURS RESERVES
20 Manu Ginobili, G, 6-6, 8th yr
1 Malik Hairston, G/F, 6-5, 2nd yr
22 Marcus Haislip, F, 6-10, 4th yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 2nd yr
8 Roger Mason Jr., G, 6-5, 6th yr
24 An. McDyess, F, 6-10, 14th yr
42 Theo Ratliff, C, 6-10, 15th yr
MAVERICKS RESERVES
3 Rod. Beaubois, G, 6-2, 1st yr
90 Drew Gooden, C/F, 6-10, 8th yr
5 Josh Howard, F, 6-7, 7th yr
43 Kris Humphries, F, 6-9, 6th yr
6 Quinton Ross, G/F, 6-6, 6th yr
31 Jason Terry, G, 6-2, 11th yr
7 Tim Thomas, F, 6-10, 13th yr
COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Mavericks: Rick Carlisle
INJURIES
Spurs: Michael Finley (sprained left ankle) and Matt Bonner (fractured right hand) are out.
Mavericks: Dampier (left knee soreness) is questionable.
PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS
Spurs: Ian Mahinmi, Finley, Bonner
Mavericks: James Singleton, Matt Carroll
NOTABLE
The Spurs and Mavs meet for third time, having split previous two engagements. Spurs won 92-83 on Nov. 11 at the AT&T Center, in a game Duncan and Parker missed with injury. A week later, Dallas won 99-94 in overtime at the American Airlines Center. ... Spurs’ bench leads NBA at 42.5 points per game. Dallas ranks second at 38.4. ... Spurs haven’t allowed 100 points since Dec. 15 loss at Phoenix, a span of 11 games.
— Jeff McDonald
Mavericks at Spurs
7:30 tonight,
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Records: Mavericks 24-11, Spurs 21-12
Scouting the Mavericks: They already have lost in San Antonio this season, dropping a 92-83 decision when Tim Duncan and Tony Parker sat out for the Spurs. ... Dirk Nowitzki is coming off a 22-point, 12-rebound game against Detroit. He leads the Mavericks with 11 double-doubles. ... Over the past six games, Jason Terry has averaged 17.6 points and has shot 47 percent, up from 16.3 points and 43 percent previously. ... Without fanfare, Jason Kidd moved into sixth place on the all-time 3-pointers made list with two against Detroit. He has 1,548, moving past Eddie Jones (1,546). Next in his sights: Glen Rice (1,559).
Scouting the Spurs: A day after the Mavericks struggled to beat Detroit, the Pistons were manhandled by 20 points in San Antonio, although the game was tied before the Spurs went on a 35-15 binge in the last 11 minutes. ... After plodding along in the first month of the season, the Spurs have found themselves, as they always seem to when midseason hits. They have won nine of their past 11 games and have gone 6-1 at home since Dec. 5. ... Tony Parker missed the first two games against the Mavericks, but has returned to average 17 points and six assists while shooting nearly 50 percent. Last season, Parker averaged 31.3 points against Dallas. ... This will be the Spurs’ 21st home game. They have played 13 on the road. — Eddie Sefko
Dampier likely a go for Friday
Erick Dampier said he's much improved at practice today and considers himself likely to play Friday night against San Antonio.
And quickly after that he said: "Let's just call it a game-time decision.''
Dampier went through practice Thursday with no problems.
Meanwhile, Dirk Nowitzki continues to run second in the all-star fan balloting, holding a decent lead over San Antonio's Tim Duncan for the second starting forward spot in the West opposite Carmelo Anthony, who seems to have a lock on the top vote-getting spot.
The best news is that Phoenix's Steve Nash has closed the gap and now trails Tracy McGrady by only about 2,000 votes for the second starting guard spot.
You can assume there's no way the wayward McGrady, who hasn't even started a game this year and has been told to stay away from the Rockets, will hang on to that starting spot on Valentine's Day at Cowboys Stadium.
lets kick the mavs ass I'm 2-0 so far this season
I fixed it for you. You're welcome.
We will win the mavettes, we're going to kick their my little pony asses.
Referee Assignments
Fri. Jan 8
Dallas @ San Antonio: Joe Crawford; Leroy Richardson; Zach Zarba
Mavs win
Book it
On top of that, Joey is officiating.
Great, just great
I think so too.
have a bad feeling about this game.
Crawford lulz
I just wanna know if Joey is going to call fouls on Dirk when Duncan steps on him...
Joey Crawford? You've got to be kidding me?
Finally. a game that matters. Very good measuring tool.
tv outside of s.a. ???
Dallas Mavericks (24-11) at San Antonio Spurs (21-12), 8:30 p.m.
(Sports Network) - The class of the NBA's Southwest Division meet in the Alamo City Friday as the Dallas Mavericks visit in-state rival San Antonio.
The Mavs, who lead the division by two games over the Spurs, bounced back from an ugly loss to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers by handing Detroit a 98-93 setback on Tuesday in "Big D." Jason Terry scored 26 points and dished out five assists in that one.
Dirk Nowitzki added 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Mavericks, who were drubbed by the Lakers, 131-96, last Sunday. Shawn Marion went 8-of-8 from the foul line on his way to 18 points while pulling down seven boards for the victors. Drew Gooden added 10 points and a game-high 18 rebounds.
"We definitely didn't get off to a good start, but at home here in the New Year we wanted to make sure we got the win," Terry said. "Whatever it takes to get it done that is what we did tonight. In the second half we stepped and played great Maverick basketball. Tonight we knew we had to guard these guys and hold them to a low field goal percentage, which we did for most of the ball game."
The Spurs, meanwhile, have turned it on recently, winning six of their past seven games.
San Antonio also beat the hapless Pistons in its last outing, a 112-92 decision on Wednesday. Roger Mason capped a string of 11 straight Spurs points to start the final quarter on the way to the victory in that one, which sent Detroit to its 11th straight loss.
Tony Parker had 23 points and six assists for the Spurs, who rebounded from a 91-86 loss at Toronto Sunday. Richard Jefferson tallied 17 points and Manu Ginobili 16 for the Spurs, winners in 12 of their last 15 games. Tim Duncan ended with 14 points and six boards.
DeJuan Blair and Mason each had 10 points for San Antonio, which went 15-of-20 from the field in the last quarter.
"We made some good plays and played some good defense in the fourth quarter," Parker said. "I thought our defense was the best in the fourth and that was the difference in the game. So when you play good defense that translates to fast break opportunities, transition and we made some shots."
The Spurs have gone 12-3 since a pedestrian 9-9 start to close in on Dallas for the division lead. The two teams have split a pair of meetings so far this season with each club holding serve on its home court, but San Antonio was without Parker in both games.
The Mavs are a solid 12-6 as the visitor on the season but have lost two straight in the Alamo City, where the Spurs are a gaudy 15-5 on the season.
Drew Gooden #90 PF
2009-10 STATS PPGRPGBPG 87.11.2
Birth Date September 24, 1981
Birth Place Oakland, CA Height 6-10 Weight 250 lbs. Age 28
Position PF Experience7 years College Kansas
Drafted 2002: 1st Rnd, 4th by MEM
Salary 2010: $4,500,000
Next Game:
Mavericks at Spurs
Friday 1/8, 8:30 PM ET
I wonder how Gooden will fare in tonight's game?
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