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Vince Carter scored 21 points in his return to Phoenix as the Mavericks knocked off the Suns 122-99.
The Dallas Mavericks used a 35 points second quarter to propel themselves to a 66-48 halftime lead over the Phoenix Suns.
Vince Carter got off to a great start in the game hitting 6-9 shots for 15 first-half points for the Mavericks. Carter also added three assists and two steals to his credit in 16 minutes. Delonte West came off the bench to score 13 points and dish out five assists. Jason Terry chipped in nine points and Shawn Marion eight for the Mavericks. Dallas connected on 57 percent of its shot attempts in the first half and was 10-16 from three-point range in the first 24 minutes.
Marcin Gortat had a productive first half for the Suns finishing with 14 points and six rebounds. Josh Childress added nine points off the bench while Channing Price has seven. Phoenix was out rebounded by Dallas 23-13 in the first half.
For the latest news and notes on the Mavericks, head over to Mavs Moneyball, whileBright Side Of The Sun has you covered for everything you wanted to know about one of Dallas' oldest rivals.
The Dallas Mavericks have strung together two consecutive wins over some of the better Western Conference teams in the Spurs and the Jazz, and at 13-8 Rick Carlisle has his basketball team atop the Southwest Division amidst injuries and chemistry issues.
Now, Dirk Nowitzki's finally back.
"It’s coming back," Dirk said of his knee and leg strength. "Still had some swelling this week though, but the workload was a lot. I lifted a lot, I mostly had two-a-days on the court a lot, we tried to really push myself. Still had a little swelling, but I think it’s going to be OK. My legs are getting stronger, my base is getting stronger, so just got to keep on working."
The Mavericks emerge at No. 8 on Tom Ziller's Power Rankings this week:
| 8. | Dallas Mavericks | 13-8 | W: PHX, UTA, SA; L: MIN | Mavs Moneyball |
| The Mavericks are not just in the playoff chase in the West, but could join the Nuggets and Clippers as teams poised to break away from the big pack. Lately, the Mavericks have looked better than teams like the Lakers and Jazz, and a big comeback against the Spurs on Sunday was a nice cap on the week. | ||||
The Mavericks will prepare to face the No. 21 ranked Phoenix Suns on Monday night and with a win will push their lead in the Southwest division by 1.5 games over Houston.
For the latest news and notes on the Mavericks, head over to Mavs Moneyball, while Bright Side Of The Sun has you covered for everything you wanted to know about one of Dallas' oldest rivals.
After surviving a late run by the San Antonio Spurs bench to survive 101-100 in OT on Sunday night, the Dallas Mavericks turn around for a quick one-game road trip against the Phoenix Suns on Monday.
13-8 Dallas will go for their third win against 7-12 Phoenix this month, as the Suns have quickly fallen out of the playoff race in the West despite the presence of Steve Nash.
Nash, despite being 37 years old, is still averaging 14.3 points and 9.9 points on 52.9% shooting, but he's no longer the Suns top scorer, as 7'0 center Marcin Gortat is averaging 14.9 points a game.
The absence of Jason Kidd may actually be an advantage for the Mavericks, as they'll be able to put faster defenders (Delonte West, Rodrigue Beaubois and Jason Terry) for most of the night against the two-time MVP, who is still Phoenix's most dangerous shot-creator in the half-court.
Dallas, meanwhile, will try to get their former MVP, Dirk Nowitzki, acclimated, as he looked rusty in his first game back from a four-game sabbatical against San Antonio.
For the season, the 7'0 German is averaging only 17.1 points and 5.9 rebounds on 45% shooting, his worst numbers since establishing himself as a perennial All-Star over a decade ago.
The 8:00 PM game will be televised regionally on Fox Sports Southwest.
For the latest news and notes on the Mavericks, head over to Mavs Moneyball, while Bright Side Of The Sun has you covered for everything you wanted to know about one of Dallas' oldest rivals.
The Southwest Division is shaping up to be one of the most contested division races this season. As of now the Dallas Mavericks have a half-game lead over the Houston Rockets, but the difference between first place and fourth place is only two games.
Had Sunday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs not gone the Mavericks way then they would be sitting one game back and in third place.
This upcoming weeks of games has them playing the Oklahoma City Thunder who have the best record in the NBA and the Indiana Pacers who have an identical record of the Mavericks at 13-8, the other two games are against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns both who have losing records. So depending how that week goes the Mavericks could be anywhere from first or fourth place.
For more on the Dallas Mavericks go visit Mavs Moneyball.
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Mavericks Vs. Suns Final Score: Dallas Rolls To 122-99 Win Over Phoenix
The Dallas Mavericks put on an offensive clinic in a 122-99 win over the Phoenix Suns Monday night. The Mavericks were clicking on all cylinders while shooting over 55 percent from the field while going 14-27 from three-point range.
Delonte West scored 25 points off the bench while hitting 5-6 shots from three-point range while also recording six assists. Vince Carter added 21 points and five threes of his own as he returned to Phoenix to torment his former club. Shawn Marion was another ex-Suns player that scored 20 points and also had five rebounds. Jason Terry chipped in 11 points and Dirk Nowitzki 10 to round out Dallas' double figure scorers.
Marcin Gortat led the Suns with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Jared Dudley added 15 points while Sebastian Telfair chipped in 13 off the bench. Gran Hill added 12 points in the loss.
The win is the Mavericks' third straight and improves their record to 14-8 on the season. Dallas leads the Southwest Division by one game over the San Antonio Spurs.
For the latest news and notes on the Mavericks, head over to Mavs Moneyball, while Bright Side Of The Sun has you covered for everything you wanted to know about one of Dallas' oldest rivals.
Jan 30 10:38p by Kris Willis