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 "We can't start feeling too good," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle
said. "Chuck Daly used to have one of his favorite sayings, 'Don't
trust happiness.' Especially in the NBA, because it can get you
quickly if you start feeling too good about yourself."
Mavericks guard Monta Ellis and All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki
combined for 42 points, as Dallas cruised to an easy 103-81 win
Friday night over the slumping Utah Jazz at American Airlines
Center.
"These are the kind of games you have to win," Dallas point guard
Jose Calderon said. "I think everybody had that in our minds before
we started the game and we came ready to play, and everyone who
stepped on the court did a great job tonight."
The Mavericks had four players score in double figures, led by
Ellis' 22 and 20 from Nowitzki in only 26 minutes. Ellis did leave
the court in the fourth quarter for the locker room with what
Carlisle said might be a hamstring injury.
Dallas tied its largest margin of victory of the season and has won
21 of the last 24 meetings against the Jazz at American Airlines
Center.
Calderon scored 12 and dished out seven assists, and center Samuel
Dalembert added 12 points and six rebounds. The Mavericks knocked
down 10 of 18 3-pointers (55.6) percent and scored 31 points off the
bench.
"I like the way was played," Carlisle said. "It's a combative team
we played. We held up over the 48 minutes and we did a lot of good
things. Other than the beginning of the game, I thought we were very
solid."
Jazz forward Marvin Williams scored a team-high 21, but didn't have
a point in the second half. Utah shot only 40.8 percent (31-76) and
was outrebounded 48-37.
"I thought they were the aggressive team," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin
said. "They had the most energy. Give them credit, they executed
better than we did. They made the shots when they did, they got all
the 50/50 balls, and got second opportunities.
"One thing we can't afford to do against anybody right now where we
are as a team is have guys outwork us. I thought they outworked us
tonight."
The Mavericks (30-21) have won four in a row heading into a
three-game Eastern Conference road trip starting Sunday at Boston.
Dallas is nine games over .500 for the first time since February
2012.
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Utah (16-33) is going in the opposite direction, losing four
straight going into Saturday's home game against Miami. The Jazz are
averaging only 84.4 points during their losing skid.
Utah set a franchise record for 3-point attempts in a game with 35,
making only 12.
"You get late in the clock because you don't execute getting it down
the floor," Corbin said. "The ones at the end because we were trying
to get back into the game. You got to make sure we take advantage of
trying to go inside and out first. I thought we settled for some
tonight."
Williams terrorized the Mavericks in the first quarter, especially
from deep. Williams did his best Nowitzki imitation by scoring
Utah's first eight points and 14 of the first 21 on 5-for-5
shooting, including four 3-pointers.
Williams finally missed a shot and took a seat on the Jazz bench.
Perhaps not coincidently, the Mavericks reeled off a 12-0 run to
take a 26-21 lead and finished the period up 28-23.
Dallas ripped off 11 straight points late in the second quarter to
take its largest lead (52-37) of the game. The Mavericks went into
the break leading 54-43 behind 13 points from Ellis and 12 from
Nowitzki. Williams had 21 to top all scorers in the half.
Utah pulled within seven points in the third, but the Mavericks once
again responded with a lead-building spurt. Dallas went into the
final quarter comfortably on top 82-67.
NOTES: Dallas G Monta Ellis (game-high 22) and F Dirk Nowitzki (20)
both scored 20-plus points in the same game for the 18th time this
season (11-7 record). ... The Jazz game began a stretch of four
games for Dallas before the All-Star break against three teams with
losing records. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said before the game
that despite his team's "ups and downs," this is the time to put the
"pedal to the metal." Dallas entered the game in eighth place in the
West. ... Utah F Derrick Favors returned to the starting lineup
after missing two games with a hip injury. C Jeremy Evans was also
back after being out two games with a bruised tailbone. ... Dallas
was leading the league in scoring over the previous 20 games.
Nowitzki was averaging 29.8 points and shooting 62 percent over his
last five games going into Friday.
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