Full-Court Press

Nowitzki sleeping on Jet's couch?

ORLANDO -- Before he became famous all around the world, New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin was sleeping on his brother's couch.

And that got an inquisitive reporter here in Orlando to thinking: Whose couch would Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki like to sleep on?

"Probably Jason Terry, because he's defnitely crazy and I'm sure there's a lot of stuff going on at his house,'' a laughing Nowitzki said. "So that'll be fun to see.''

-- Dwain Price

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Williams, Howard in the Mavs' future?

ORLANDO -- For months now in NBA circles, the constant talk has been that New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard plan on playing on the same team next season.

Both players become free agents this summer, with Howard listing the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Nets as the places he would like to play next season. Meanwhile, it's no secret that Williams -- a Dallas-area native -- wouldn't mind returning home to play for the Mavs.

But is there a good chance the Mavs can land both Howard and Williams?

"If it happens, then it'll be real, if it doesn't, I guess it's our imagination,'' Williams, a native of The Colony, said Friday.

Asked where he thinks he'll be playing next season, Williams said: "I don't know. I'm not thinking anything right now.''

Howard also was side-stepping questions about his future. Instead, he chose to focus on the possibility -- no matter how small -- of the Magic winning an NBA title this season, instead of discussing the possibility of he and Williams teamming up with Dirk Nowitzki next season in Dallas

"I think we've got an opportunity, just like every other team in the NBA, to win a championship,'' Howard said of the Magic. "We just have to stay together, stay focused and go to work for the rest of the season.''

-- Dwain Price

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The "other'' Gasol is now an All-Star

ORLANDO -- A Gasol is back in the NBA All-Star game. But this time it's not Pau.

For the first time in his career, Marc Gasol was chosen to the All-Star game. The Memphis Grizzlies' center will be playing for the Western Conference when they face the Eastern Conference on Sunday night at the Amway Center.

But Marc Gasol's initial All-Star appearance is bittersweet since his brother, Pau Gasol, won't be playing in the game with him. Pau Gasol was an All-Star in 2006, '09, '10 and last year, but failed to make it this year.

"It's definitely bittersweet,'' Marc Gasol said. "I wish Pau was here.

"He knows that, because that would have made it very special. But you know, now it's a different time. I'm looking to enjoy every moment of it.''

-- Dwain Price

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Team Chuck beats Team Shaq, 146-133

ORLANDO -- Led by Kyrie Irivng's 34 points and nine assists, Team Chuck defeated Team Shaq, 146-133, tonight in the Rising Stars Challenge at the Amway Center.

Also for Team Chuck, Paul George scored 23 points, DeMarcus Cousins had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Evan Turner had 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Tristan Thompson led Team Shaq with 20 points and Greg Monroe had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Team Chuck was actually coached by Charles Barkley, and Team Shaq was coached by Shaquille O'Neal.

Jeremy Lin, the NBA's latest sensation from the New York Knicks, had just two points, one assists and one turnover, and was 1-of-4 from the floor for Team Shaq while playing only nine minutes.

-- Dwain Price

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Griffin wanted an off day

ORLANDO -- After jumping over the hood of a Kia to win last year's NBA slam-dunk contest in electrifying fashion, Blake Griffin wanted to be a little subdued this year.

Thus, the Los Angeles Clippers forward is not a participant in Saturday's slam-dunk contest, although he did consider trying to defend his title.

Griffin played in Friiday's rookie-sophomore game and also is a starter for the Western Conference in Sunday's All-Star game. Griffin said: "I just kind of wanted to take a break and get a little rest on Saturday.''

But after jumping over a car last year, what's next when Griffin does get back in the slam-dunk contest? A mountain?

Griffin said: "I can come up with something.''

-- Dwain Price

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LeBron doesn't care for dunk contest

ORLANDO -- All the great one did it, and did it with pride.

Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Spud Webb, Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and Blake Griffin all competed in the NBA slam-dunk contest at least once during All-Star Weekend.

Yet even after saying he would compete in the slam-dunk contest when it was held in Dallas in 2010, Miami Heat forward LeBron James has never participated in this aerial dynamic contest during his nine seasons in the NBA. And he knows the fans would love to see him fly through the sky with the greatest of ease.

"That's just not me,'' James said during media availability today at the player's swanky hotel. "I'm not a dunk contest type of guy.

"I'm an in-game dunker. I kind of improvise during the game.''

But what if there's a winner-take-all $1 million bounty prize during a dunk contest? Would James be interested in that?

"Then, I'd reconsider it,'' he said, while smiling. "Wouldn't you?''

-- Dwain Price

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Loss to Knicks still haunts the Mavs

DALLAS _ Usually, Rick Carlisle doesn't spent the day dissecting a loss from the previous day. Especially, when he just finished playing another game.

But the Dallas Mavericks' coach broke with tradition and, during his postgame press conference after Monday's 89-73 win over Boston, he kept referring back to Sunday's disappointing 104-97 road loss to Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks. In the game against the Knicks, the Mavs gave up wild runs of 17-0 and 12-1, and also blew a 12-point second-half lead.

"We can't give up 17-0 runs and 12-1 runs, stuff like that,'' Carlisle said after the win over the Celtics. "There were too many peaks and valleys in that game (Sunday).

"That's not the kind of consistency you need to have to be a real contending team. (Monday) we were much better.''

The Mavs have won seven of their last eight games. The only loss during that surge was to the Knicks.-- Dwain Price

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Mavs hanging their hats on their defense

DALLAS _ These aren't the pushover soft Dallas Mavericks of yesteryear. The team who used to just try to outscore teams, and looked at defense as a foreign intangible part of the game.

Today's crop of Mavs are approaching games in a defensive state of mind. It's that same defensive mentality that helped them win last year's NBA title.

And that same defense was more evident again Monday when the Mavs trounced the Boston Celtics, 89-73. The Celtics shot just 39.2 percent from the field, and the Mavs turned 17 Boston turnovers into 25 points while sweeping the two-game series from the Celtics for the second consecutive season.

"Our identity this year is that we're a defensive team,'' coach Rick Carlisle said. "You look at our stats and you look at our record.

"You look at when we've struggled and when we play well, our defense and rebounding is defining who we are.''

A more glaring testament of the Mavs' sticky defense came from the fact that the only time the Celtics finished a quarter out of the teens is when they tallied 20 points in the fourth period. In the onther three quarters, Boston scored 15, 19 and 19 points.

"It's all about your foundation,'' guard Jason Terry said of the Mavs' defense. "When Rick Carlisle became coach he emphasized defense form Day One.

"He put up the numbers of the past teams that have won championships, and they were all in the top five in the defensive categories. We set that as a goal from Day One and I think we've been able to, for the most part, maintain it.''

The Mavs certainly didn't allow the Celtics to even think they had a chance at winning Monday's game. In the first 20-and-a-half minutes of the game, the Celtics had just 26 points and their offense looked ragged.

Of course, the absence of point guard Rajon Rondo (NBA-imposed two-game suspension) and power forward Kevin Garnett (death in the family) didn't help the Celtics' cause.

"Their team was depleted to a great extent, so that's a mitigating circumstance,'' Carlisle said. "I understand that.

"But the other guys they threw out there were hard-playing guys and they played well. We had to play to win.''

-- Dwain Price

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@dwainprice

Mavs hanging their hats on their defense

DALLAS _ These aren't the pushover soft Dallas Mavericks of yesteryear. The team who used to just try to outscore teams, and looked at defense as a foreign intangible part of the game.

Today's crop of Mavs are approaching games in a defensive state of mind. It's that same defensive mentality that helped them win last year's NBA title.

And that same defense was more evident again Monday when the Mavs trounced the Boston Celtics, 89-73. The Celtics shot just 39.2 percent from the field, and the Mavs turned 17 Boston turnovers into 25 points while sweeping the two-game series from the Celtics for the second consecutive season.

"Our identity this year is that we're a defensive team,'' coach Rick Carlisle said. "You look at our stats and you look at our record.

"You look at when we've struggled and when we play well, our defense and rebounding is defining who we are.''

A more glaring testament of the Mavs' sticky defense came from the fact that the only time the Celtics finished a quarter out of the teens is when they tallied 20 points in the fourth period. In the onther three quarters, Boston scored 15, 19 and 19 points.

"It's all about your foundation,'' guard Jason Terry said of the Mavs' defense. "When Rick Carlisle became coach he emphasized defense form Day One.

"He put up the numbers of the past teams that have won championships, and they were all in the top five in the defensive categories. We set that as a goal from Day One and I think we've been able to, for the most part, maintain it.''

The Mavs certainly didn't allow the Celtics to even think they had a chance at winning Monday's game. In the first 20-and-a-half minutes of the game, the Celtics had just 26 points and their offense looked ragged.

Of course, the absence of point guard Rajon Rondo (NBA-imposed two-game suspension) and power forward Kevin Garnett (death in the family) didn't help the Celtics' cause.

"Their team was depleted to a great extent, so that's a mitigating circumstance,'' Carlisle said. "I understand that.

"But the other guys they threw out there were hard-playing guys and they played well. We had to play to win.''

-- Dwain Price

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@dwainprice

Mavs beat Boston 89-73

DALLAS _ Dirk Nowitzki scored 26 points and grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks rolled over the Bosotn Celtics, 89-73, Monday night at American Airlines Center.

The game marked the halfway point of the season for the Mavs, who are 21-12, while winning seven of their past eight games.

The Mavs host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday before resting for the All-Star break.

Other than Nowitzki, the Mavs got 16 points and six assists from Jason Terry, and 11 points from Shawn Marion.

-- Dwain Price

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@dwainprice