- Josh Howard is once again the halftime MVP. If he can match his second-half performances with his first halves, he'll be an unstoppable force. Maybe he doesn't need to get out of rhythm in the locker room between games. Has a player ever run shooting drills on the practice court during halftime? I can't tell you how many times we've seen Josh start with around 20 points in the first half and finish with 26.
- The Jazz are currently second in the NBA in assists, but the Mavs outdid them at their own game in the first half. The Mavs have 14 and the Jazz have 11. Utah averages almost 27 a game and the Mavs only average 20. Devin Harris is doing a good job on both ends of the floor, and thus the teams have swapped spots on their normal success points. Devin has 7 assists.
- It's becoming tired to say so, but the Mavs did much better at the free-throw line than their opponent. They finished the half 7-8 while the Jazz were 7-13 from the line.
- The Mavs continue to have trouble with post players. Carlos Boozer is an uncontained force down low right now, and Erick Dampier can't seem to anything about it. Gana Diop got limited minutes and couldn't do much either. Boozer finished the half with 16 points on 7 of 10 shooting. This is starting to become a trend. Maybe Damp has lost a step defensively or the shoulder is holding him back, but he seemed a bit better equipped down low defensively than he is this season.
-Scooter Hendon
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