SB Nation Dallas - Kidd Leads Mavs Past Sunshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48887/dallas-fave.png2011-03-28T07:15:41-05:00http://dallas.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18392152011-03-28T07:15:41-05:002011-03-28T07:15:41-05:00Mavericks Beat Suns, Remain A Game Behind Lakers For Second Seed
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<p>Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) – <span>Jason Kidd</span> took over late in the fourth quarter, scoring the game’s final eight points, and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a> came away with a 91-83 victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a> at U.S. Airways Center.</p>
<p>Kidd finished with 16 points for Dallas, which overcame a subpar shooting performance to notch its fourth straight win. The Mavericks, who made only 38 percent of their shots, remained one game back of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a> for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference while closing to within five games of Southwest-leading San Antonio.</p>
<p><span>Jason Terry</span> and <span>Tyson Chandler</span> also scored 16 points in the win, with Chandler grabbing 18 rebounds. <span>Dirk Nowitzki</span> contributed 15 points on just 6-of-19 shooting.</p>
<p><span>Jared Dudley</span> and <span>Marcin Gortat</span> both had 20 points for the Suns, who have dropped three of four to fall four games behind eighth-place Memphis.</p>
<p>After Dudley hit a jumper to tie the game at 83 with 1:37 remaining, Kidd buried a three-pointer as the shot-clock buzzer sounded on the ensuing possession.</p>
<p>Phoenix’s <span>Channing Frye</span> then heaved up an ill-advised three-pointer before Kidd knocked down another trey. Out of a Phoenix timeout, Dudley was off the mark. He grabbed the offensive rebound, but couldn’t convert the putback. Kidd then sealed the win with a pair from the foul line.</p>
<p>“The first (three-pointer) I had no choice, the shot clock was about to go off,” Kidd said. “I just took my time and it went in, that’s all. The second one I was shooting it all the way if Dirk was going to give it to me. I was just hoping he was going to give me the ball and give me that opportunity and that’s what he’s been doing all season, trusting his teammates.”</p>
<p>The Suns led by as many as 12 in the first half. Dallas managed to trim its deficit to 49-44 at the break and entered the fourth quarter down 67-65. Terry nailed a three-pointer to put the Mavericks up 70-69 — their first lead since the early stages of the contest.</p>
<p>It remained a one-possession game until Kidd’s heroics.</p>
<p>“We played with great effort, I thought — did a good job and had a great start,” said Phoenix head coach <span>Alvin Gentry</span>. “We just weren’t quite able to maintain and then we couldn’t come up with shots at the end of the game.”</p>
<p>Game Notes</p>
<p>The Mavericks own the best road record in the <span class="caps">NBA</span> at 26-10…Dallas improved to 12-1 against the Pacific Division this season…Gortat had 15 rebounds…<span>Steve Nash</span> handed out seven of his 10 assists in first quarter for Phoenix…The Suns were 1-for-16 from three-point range.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-mavericks/2011/3/28/2076296/mavericks-beat-suns-remain-a-game-behind-lakers-for-second-seedJP Starkey2011-03-27T12:32:53-05:002011-03-27T12:32:53-05:00Dallas Mavericks Vs. Phoenix Suns: Mavs Continue Road Trip In Phoenix
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<p>(Sports Network) - The playoff-bound <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dallas Mavericks</a> continue their final road trip of the regular season tonight, when they resume a six-game trek by visiting the <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phoenix Suns</a>.</p>
<p>Dallas is 25-10 away from Big D and will also visit the <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Clippers</a>, <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Lakers</a>, <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Warriors</a> and <a href="https://www.blazersedge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Trail Blazers</a>. The club is currently six games behind San Antonio in the Southwest Division and one game in back of the Lakers for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with 10 to play.</p>
<p>The Mavericks have won three in a row since losing three of four games and opened their trek with a 94-77 rout in Salt Lake City on Saturday. <span>Jason Terry</span> scored 22 points off the bench, including 10 during a huge fourth quarter, in that one to lift Dallas.</p>
<p>Trailing by two points entering the fourth, the Mavericks outscored Utah 36-17 the rest of the way. Although neither player was on the court for more than six minutes in the fourth quarter, <span>Dirk Nowitzki</span> added 19 points and <span>Shawn Marion</span> scored 13 in the victory.</p>
<p>Dallas, after shooting below 39 percent for the first three quarters, went 11- for-17 in the fourth (65 percent) including a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range.</p>
<p>"Offensively, we just made stuff happen. Guys got hot," said Nowitzki. "We definitely made some timely shots, but I think the difference was the defense."</p>
<p>The Suns, meanwhile, are in desperate straights, three games behind Memphis for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West, after falling to a David West-less New Orleans team on Friday.</p>
<p><span>Chris Paul</span> poured in 22 points, including several key buckets at the end of the game in that one as New Orleans overcame losing West for the season with a 106-100 win over the Suns in the desert. The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/new-orleans-hornets" class="sbn-auto-link">Hornets</a> received the devastating news earlier Friday that West tore his ACL during Thursday's 121-117 overtime victory over Utah.</p>
<p><span>Grant Hill</span> and <span>Marcin Gortat</span> each had 18 points for the Suns, who have dropped two of their last three and remain in 10th place in the West. Gortat left in the third quarter and did not return after suffering a broken nose when he walked into Suns guard <span>Steve Nash</span>'s head following a Hornets bucket.</p>
<p><span>Jared Dudley</span> and <span>Aaron Brooks</span> both came off the bench to contribute 17 points in the loss.</p>
<p>"It was a big game," Brooks said. "We needed to come out and play hard but the ball didn't bounce our way. The effort that we gave is the effort that we have to give for the rest of the season minus some small mistakes."</p>
<p>Gortat, who is averaging a double-double of 18.4 points and 11.2 boards in his last five games, had his nose manipulated back into place by doctors on Saturday and is listed as questionable for tonight's game.</p>
<p>The Mavericks have won six of seven over the Suns, including both meetings this season.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/2011/3/27/2332269/dallas-mavericks-vs-phoenix-suns-mavs-continue-road-trip-in-phoenixJP Starkey