Posted on Sun, Nov. 30, 2008

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Dallas Mavericks beat a bad team but good

Previous Columns

Jan Hubbard

• LeBron’s future is turning into a daily drama
• Jason Kidd-Devin Harris discussion sure is tired
• Shaq might be older, but he’s still provocative and talented
• Byron Scott working to keep New Orleans Hornets focused
• Mavs may discover high gear is too fast
• Final judgment on Dallas Mavericks can wait awhile longer
• Kobe Bryant wouldn’t trade places with anybody these days
• LeBron’s pending free agency leading to some wild speculation
• Jeff Van Gundy off the mark with criticism of Dirk Nowitzki
• Jeff Van Gundy’s attack on Dirk Nowitzki lacks intelligent thought
• Despite losing their opener, Mavericks showed hopeful signs
• Boston Celtics are still the team to beat
• Dallas Mavericks still have what it takes to make a title run
• Predictions are what the start of the NBA season is all about
• Western Conference will again be an interesting race
• Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd believe the Dallas Mavericks can win it all
• Gerald Green taking steps toward spot in Mavericks' rotation
• TV analyst labels mean little now
• Indy game just like a trip home for Williams

» More

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Getty Images/Jed Jacobsohn

Dirk Nowitzki, right, had 19 points and plenty to celebrate with Mavericks teammates Antoine Wright and Jason Kidd. Getty Images/Jed Jacobsohn

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Consistency has not been an attribute for the Dallas Mavericks this season, but in one sense, they have become predictable.

If you are a bad team and the Mavericks come to town, it is doubtful that you will get healthy. The Mavericks came here Saturday night and did exactly what they have done for most of the season — beat a bad team.

The 101-78 victory over the Kings gave the Mavericks a split of the two-game road trip that began with a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. The Mavericks also got back to .500 with their eighth victory of the season.

But six of those victories have something in common. Each came against teams that currently have records below .500.

The two victories over winning teams came in San Antonio and Houston. But each team was missing a major player. The Spurs were without Manu Ginobili and the Rockets played without Yao Ming.

Still, despite no quality wins against teams at full strength, the Mavericks are playing better than the team that lost a game to the Los Angeles Clippers.

And for the fifth consecutive game Saturday, they played without Josh Howard, who tested his sore left ankle before the game. It was still too sore to play, however, and Howard’s status is uncertain as the Mavericks return home, where they will play the next seven games

"Obviously, we need Josh back," forward Dirk Nowitzki said. "It’s not rocket science. He’s developed into a great scorer for us. We need him back healthy."

The Mavericks have a 4-1 record with Howard out, however, and there is little doubt they are making up for his absence with a team effort. Jason Terry continued his recent offensive outburst Saturday with 24 points against the Kings. Terry has averaged 24.0 points per game in the last seven games.

Role players such as Antoine Wright, J.J. Barea, Brandon Bass and Devean George have all made contributions, and Dallas coach Rick Carlisle singled out George after Saturday’s game.

George had 13 points in 27 minutes and also did a stellar defensive job on John Salmons, who is averaging 19.7 points but had only 10 Saturday. George started the second half when Wright injured his groin and had to sit out.

"I thought the guy that played the most important game for us was Devean George," Carlisle said. "He really gave us a presence defensively and offensively really played within himself.

Nowitzki had 19 points Saturday, but it was a play he made in the third quarter that symbolized how badly he wants to win.

Nowitzki and Salmons chased a loose ball into the front court, but Nowitzki dove, slapped the ball away and had it retrieved by George, who had an uncontested dunk that gave the Mavericks a 13-point lead.

The Kings were playing without Kevin Martin, their best offensive player who also has a sore ankle. They showed signs of life only briefly in the second quarter when they reduced a 15-point deficit to three. But the Mavericks led by nine at halftime and built a 27-point lead in the fourth quarter.

In the end, it wasn’t a very entertaining game. The highlight of the last period, in fact, came when the Kings’ mascot put a mistletoe over the head of referee Luis Grillo during the "kiss-cam" segment. Veteran ref Bennett Salvatore did his part to make the highlight reels, planting a huge kiss on Grillo’s cheek.

That kiss made an otherwise boring quarter amusing. And ultimately, the Mavericks were happy to have the last laugh.