• I didn't watch this game live, so I had already heard about Dirk's buzzer
  beater when I watched it.  With two minutes left and Dallas up twelve I assumed I had heard wrong - nope Dallas really did lose a 12 point lead in less than two minutes.
• Dallas started the game 2-13 from the field and all thirteen of those shots were jumpers.  Their first points in the paint came 8 minutes in -- a Ryan Hollins dunk out of a timeout.
• Since Steve Nash left, two Mavs have worn #13 -- Maurice Ager and Doug Christie.  I hope Matt Carroll does it more justice than those two...
• Dirk started off the game with a sleeve over the right elbow that he injured at the end of the Utah game.  He took it off after 8 minutes, but it didn't fix his shot -- he finished the game 7 of 23.
• The last of those seven made field goals was a beauty.  Reggie Evans didn't stand a chance.
• Near the end of the first quarter, Jason Terry stole an outlet pass, put a quick move on Andre Miller to get around him, and then dunked two handed on Dalembert with a foul.  That was sweet.
• Josh Howard returned to the starting lineup and it wasn't all pretty, four turnovers and 3-13 from the field.  I guess those are the two areas I would expect someone to struggle with in their first game back from a sprained wrist.  Everything else was pretty good.  Eight rebounds, four steals, and great defense on Igoudala.  Igoudala finished the game with 18 points, but only 6 of those came with Howard in the game. Only three of those six points were scored with Howard defending him (the other 3 points were on a transition three).
• In his Mavs debut, Ryan Hollins played just 30 seconds less than Dampier.  It didn't take long to see that he's infinitely more athletic than Dampier or Diop -- two ferocious dunks and a great block.  He's different, and different is good.  5 fouls in 19 minutes is not good though...
• Jason Kidd, let's see more of that.  6-8 from three and that includes a 60 footer at the end of the third.
• Dallas didn't lead until 4:51 left in the third and did not trail after that point.

Postgame Quotes

Rick Carlisle

Is that how you drew it up?

Not exactly, but we did need a win.  We played an extremely good second half.  In the first quarter, we couldn't make shot.  In the second quarter, we couldn't keep from turning it over.  We really felt that if we could get one really good quarter we could get ourselves back on track.  And we did in the third and got the lead. Played well from in front.  Down the stretch... NBA teams make runs.  I give our guys credit for holding it together.  Dirk hit a huge shot for us.  We live to fight another day.

Explain what you did to turn it around.

Defensively we were active.  Our rebounding got better when we got stops.  Kidd was sensational from a playmaking and shotmaking standpoint.  His decisions and work in the high pick-and-roll with Dirk were the difference.  We got a lot out of that., and a lot of residual things happened to get others involved.  A lot of people want to write us off, but we have a lot of guys that are hanging in and sticking together.  We'll move on and get ready to fight the next one.

What does this do for momentum?

We lost a few and now we've won two in a row so that's positive momentum.  Now we've got to stay with it.  It's as simple as that.  Millwaukee's an improved team.  All the teams on this trip are playoff teams in the East, so I think that pretty much says it.

Dirk Nowitzki

It was definitely a good feeling, especially since I never really had a good rhythm all game long.  After a good game against Utah where I shot the ball really well, I never really got off to a good rhythm.  Got to give them credit.  They played some good defense on me and I missed a lot of shots.  I'm definitely happy that the last shot went in.  But we feel it never should have got to that point.  I think with 90 seconds left we were still up 10.  Turned the ball over some and then they made some great threes to get back in the game.  But we are a veteran team and it never should have come down to the last shot.

What's your level of confidence on that last shot?

Well, I'm a shooter so no matter what my percentage is I'm going to keep shooting becuase I have the confidence that the ball is going in.  Actually in the second half all the shots I took felt a lot better than the first half.  Maybe I was still stiff.  I'm not a guy who likes the early games -- we all know that.  In the second half my shot felt a lot better, but I still missed some I thought I should have made, but just stuck with it.  My team always tells me that if I 'miss ten a row to shoot the eleventh.  That's what you do.  That's what you've done the last ten years with this franchise.'  I had a good look at the end.  Evans really pushed up on me.  Made a move, hit 'em up with a little spin move and he went for it so I was able to get a good look.