Dallas Mavericks hand New Orleans Hornets first loss
The Dallas Mavericks handed the New Orleans Hornets their first defeat of the season when they posted a pulsating 98-95 win for their fourth-straight victory on Monday 15 November at the
American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Jason Terry struggled to find his rhythm in the first half, shooting only 2-for-11, but he bounced back in the second half as he finished the game with 26 points, highlighted by a huge jumper
that gave Dallas a 97-95 lead with 34.9 seconds left in the game.
“I was missing wide-open shots, ones that I practice,” said Terry, who shot 3-for-6 from beyond-the-arc. “I'm a shooter; I'm going to keep shooting.”
Dirk Nowitzki also had a share of the spotlight as the German forward scored 25 points on 7-for-12 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds, while veteran point guard Jason Kidd added 16 points,
eight rebounds and six assists for the Mavericks, who rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final period to escape with the win.
Down by 10 points, 87-77, with 7:44 left in the game, Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle surprised the Hornets with a three-guard lineup, and Terry, Kidd, and J.J Barea sparked a huge rally,
giving them their seventh win in their first nine games this season.
“It was an attempt to get more playmaking into the game, get more penetration in the game,” said Carlisle on their three-guard lineup. “That was a gamble because when you go small, you don't
have the length and they are a very long team. But the group that finished did a great job.”
Chris Paul paced the Hornets with his 22 points and nine assists, but the all-star point struggled to find his usual rhythm because he was hobbled by foul troubles, committing his fourth
foul in the third period.
“You can't do anything on the bench,” said Paul. “That's my fault. I felt like the fouls were here or there, that's my fault, I can't expect the refs to not call it.”
The 25-year-old guard, who is averaging 17.6 points 10.1 assists this season, had a rough night as the Mavericks’ defence clamped down on him, especially in the second half, where he was
limited to 1-for-5 shooting from the field.
“Well, that's the game, I wouldn't say it was anything on him,” said Hornets head coach Monty Williams. “The guy drops 20 on you; you're going to make some adjustments. There was nothing
wrong with him; he just didn't get the looks he had in the first half.”
Peja Stojakovic had 17 points, while Trevor Ariza and David West had 13 and 12 points, respectively, for the Hornets, who absorbed their first loss after starting the season with an 8-0 record.
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