Full-Court Press

Jazz imposed their will on the Mavs

SALT LAKE CITY -- It didn't take long for Darren Collison to sum up what happened to the Dallas Mavericks during the second half of Wednesday's 113-94 loss to the Utah Jazz.

"I think they posed their will on us,'' said Collison, who contributed 17 points and seven assists. "We came out a little stagnant (in the third period) and we didn't necessarily have the same ball movement that we did in the first half. 

"We should have gotten the ball moving the first five minutes and then be on attack. I think we were a little bit too stagnant, and then in the end we didn't get a lot of good shot attempts, had a few turnovers and they got out in transition, which they are good at.''

The Jazz outscored the Mavs, 37-13, in the game-turning third period. In that quarter the Jazz were 14-of-30 from the field with 19 rebounds and just one turnover, while the Mavs were just 5-of-22 from the floor with six turnovers and 11 rebounds.

"When we come into the third quarter we have to push the tempo up, keep pushing and pushing our will on them,'' Collison said. "We kind of let it get away from us.''

-- Dwain Price

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Mavs ran out of a gas a day after upsetting the Lakers

SALT LAKE CITY -- Whatever energy the Dallas Mavericks used to beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, they apparently had run out of it by the time they faced the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.'

"Theirs was better than ours,'' coach Rick Carlisle said after the energetic Jazz blasted the Mavs, 113-94 at Energy Solutions Arena. "Without looking at the film, I believe that to be a fair statement.

"They took advanatge of the situation and they earned the win.''

The Mavs used an 11-2 spurt to end the second half and assume a 63-55 lead at the half. But it was all Jazz allthe time in the second half, particularly in the third period when they outscored the Mavs 37-13.

 "We didn't play that great in the first half,'' Carlisle said. "That scoring run at the end was some timely shot-making and we were able to string a few stops together.

"But we've got a long ways to go to be the kind of basketball team we want to be.''

-- Dwain Price

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Brand just fine after incidently contact

SALT LAKE CITY -- Dallas Mavericks forward Elton Brand said he's fine after he went to the locker room late in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's 113-94 loss to the Utah Jazz.

Brand had been in a physical matchup all night with Utah's Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Enes Kanter and DeMarre Carroll. Bodies were often sprawl on the floor, which is where Brand found himself late in the fourth quarter after one violent collison with Millsap.

"He got kicked in the mid-section,'' coach Rick Carlisle said.

-- Dwain Price

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Jazz blow out the Mavs, 113-94

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Dallas Mavericks apparently hit that proverbial wall against the Utah Jazz late in the third period Wednesday night at Energy Solutions Arena.

The game was tied 74-74 with 4:24 remaining in the third period before the Jazz erupted on an amazing 18-2 run to end the quarter which helped propel them to a 113-94 victory in their regular season opener.

For the Mavs, the loss came one night after they opened the season with an impressive 99-91 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Apparently, some of the Mavs were sitll a bit weary, and it showed on the back end of this back-to-back.

Darren Collison led the Mavs with 17 points and seven assists, Brandan Wright had 15 points, OJ Mayo tallied 12, and Vince Carter scored 10 points.

Mo Williams, who tallied eight straight points to ignite that third-quarter Jazz rally, led Utah with 21 points. Also for Utah, Marvin Williams scored 21 points, Paul Millsap collected 13 points and 15 rebounds, Randy Foye tallied 13 points, Al Jefferson finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Gordon Hayward had 11 points.

The Mavs (1-1) flew home after Wednesday's game and will have their home opener Saturday against the Charlotte Bobcats.

-- Dwain Price

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Mavs shocked the Lakers, 99-91

LOS ANGELES -- The Dallas Mavericks shocked the world Tuesday night when they opened the regular season with a workmanlike 99-91 victory over the powerful Los Angeles Lakers on national TV.

The Mavs got some quality minutes from just about everyone who played, led by Darren Collison with 17 points and four assists. Also for Dallas, Brandan Wright scored 14 points, OJ Mayo had 11, Shawn Marion had 11 points and nine rebounds, Vince Carter tallied 11, and Rodrigue Beaubois collected 11 points and five assists.

Dallas shot 47.1 percent from the field.

Pau Gasol led te Lakers with 23 points and Kobe Bryant finished with 22 points.

The Mavs play the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on Wednesday before having their home opener Saturday against the Charlotte Bobats.

-- Dwain Price

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Cuban has no Laker to exchange barbs with

LOS ANGELES – In the not too distance past, Mark Cuban used to seemingly have a running feud with everyone with the Los Angeles Lakers from coach Phil Jackson to superstar Shaquille O’Neal.

But now, the Dallas Mavericks owner has no one on the Lakers to exchange friendly barbs with.

“I miss Shaq and Phil Jackson, I really do,’’ Cuban said before Tuesday’s Mavs-Lakers game at the Staples Center. “The days of having the Bucket Boy, that was kind of special.

“Shaq telling me I got lucky and me telling Shaq I love how he planned to grow seven foot tall. Those were true ring battles that were fun. Hopefully someone will pick on me and I can fight back.’’

Asked if he’s afraid to pick a fight with Laker superstar guard Kobe Bryant, Cuban said: “The day I’m afraid of Kobe is the day I unlace them.’’

-- Dwain Price

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Cuban admits he was "wrong'' about Nash

LOS ANGELES -- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban did something Tuesday night that he normally doesn’t do.

He admitted he was wrong.

Cuban said when the Mavs decided not to re-sign then free agent point guard Steve Nash in 2004, it was because he thought Nash was physically spent and on the downside of his career. But Nash proceeded to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player awards in 2005 and ’06 with the Phoenix Suns, and at age 38, he’s in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I just hate being wrong, and we were wrong,’’ Cuban said prior to Tuesday’s Mavs-Lakers game. “And (the decision to let Nash go) was all based on what we thought physically would end up happening, and it didn’t work out that way.

“But I’m happy for Steve. He’s a great guy. He’s done amazing things.’’

Cuban stopped short of saying he regrets not re-signing Nash.

“We wouldn’t have let him go if we did,’' he said. “It’s turned out OK, so it’s hard to regret it.

“I wish he would have won the MVP’s with us. It’s crazy how it all worked out, but it all worked out for the best for everybody.’’

-- Dwain Price

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Cuban surprised by Kaman's two injuries

LOS ANGELES -- Those two injuries Dallas Mavericks center Chris Kaman had less than three weeks into training camp even surprised owner Mark Cuban.

The Mavs signed Kaman to a one-year, $8 million contract this past July, then he promptly sprained his lower back on the first day of training camp. Less than three weeks later, Kaman strained his right calf.

The latter injury prevented Kaman from playing in Tuesday’s regular season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, and will also keep him off the court in Wednesday’s game in Utah.

“It’s kind of weird because it’s not the stuff that. . .the calf isn’t something that he’s ever had a problem with before,’’ Cuban said before the Mavs-Lakers game. “We’ve got Frankenstein working for
us and if we have to give him a new leg we’ll give him a new leg.’’

Kaman will be back in the lineup for the Mavs on Saturday in their home opener against the Charlotte Bobcats.

-- Dwain Price

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Jae Crowder won't have butterflies tonight

LOS ANGELES – Just because he’s a rookie, Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle doesn’t anticipate forward Jae Crowder having any butterflies in tonight’s season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I don’t think there’s anything that can affect that guy either way,’’ Carlisle said after this morning’s shootaround at Loyola Marymount University. “He’s going to approach it the way he approaches it.

“That’s one of the reasons he’s had good success to this point. He’s unfazed.’’

Crowder has been one of the main bright spots for the Mavs during this year's training camp and preseason. The 6-6 product from Marquette averaged 11.4 points and 4.5 rebounds as the Mavs finished preseason play wth a 4-4 record.

 “He approaches things in a very systematic way, which is what you like in young players,’’ Carlisle said. “The fact that he’s been really good for us so far is a tribute to him as a kid, the coaching that he had at Marquette and I think the influence that his dad had on him.’’

Jae Crowder's dad, Corey Crowder, used to play in the NBA.

-- Dwain Price

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Carlisle has to watch players' minutes against the Lakers

LOS ANGELES – With back-to-back games to open the regular season tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers and Wednesday against the Utah Jazz, watching the players’ minutes has become a challenge for Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle.

Not only will Carlisle hope to guide his team to a victory tonight. He also has to make sure he doesn’t play anyone an inordinate amount of minutes against the Lakers, because that player likely won’t be able to give he Mavs any quality minutes against the Jazz.

“I don’t like running anybody’s minutes in the high 30’s,’’ Carlisle said. “Especially with us playing a back-to-back tomorrow night.’’

While the back-to-back is an issue, the Mavs-Lakers game will be on TNT, which could be a benefit to the Mavs in terms of players receiving additional rest and possibly having some extra gas when it comes time to play the Jazz.

“It’s a national TV game -- long timeouts,’’ Carlisle said. “So that’s a positive mitigating factor if we have to play guys a little bit longer.

“I want to keep energy in the game. It’s going to be hard for even our energetic guys to be energetic if they’re playing super big minutes.’’

-- Dwain Price

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