Box Score
Dirk said after the game last night that he still isn't where he needs to be, and I agree -- his jumpshot just hasn't been there lately.
"I haven't really shot the ball extremely well here in the first couple of games," Nowitzki said. "[Tuesday] I had some really good looks and some of them went down. I'm just trying to do other things to help the team, pass the ball to the open man, help on the defensive end and rebounds.
"When my jump shot isn't going I just try to play a good all-around game and help the team wherever I can, and it worked out tonight."
He was still quietly great last night. 21 points (7/14), 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals, 0 turnovers. He also managed to be +32 in a game which Dallas only won by 15. Said another way, Dallas outscored Philly by 32 when Dirk was on the floor, and Philly outscored Dallas by 17 when he wasn't. Crazy."When my jump shot isn't going I just try to play a good all-around game and help the team wherever I can, and it worked out tonight."
Mike Fisher was also extremely impressed with Dirk last night.
This game, really, is a blueprint of how it’s supposed to work: When Nowitzki saw an opening, he drove to the basket. A post-up game was part of his package. And Dirk at the arc, left alone? He hits it. Dirk at the arc, two defenders rotating toward him? He swings it to Jason Terry. Or even takes the next progression for a distributor, drilling a pass inside.
-------------------Brandon Bass missed his first free throw of the season last night. He's now 22 of 23 from the line.
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Eddie Jones is going to be shut down for a couple of weeks. That could mean more playing time for Trenton Hassell who has been disappointing in the first seven games. Hassell says he still isn't comfortable and is always a slow starter.
"At the beginning of the year last year, I was terrible. Then around December and January, I got my stroke going."
That he did. Hassell was hovering around 40 percent for more than a month. Then, in December, he hit 57.6 percent from the field and went on to hit a respectable 49 percent for the season for Minnesota.
--------------------That he did. Hassell was hovering around 40 percent for more than a month. Then, in December, he hit 57.6 percent from the field and went on to hit a respectable 49 percent for the season for Minnesota.
Caplan quickly touches on Dampier's return which went better than I expected.
The 6-foot-11 center matched last season's averages with seven points and seven rebounds in less than 13 minutes after he missed the first six games of the season recuperating from shoulder surgery.
"Damp was really good, oh boy," Avery Johnson said. "If he's going to do seven and seven in 12 minutes, any coach in the league would love that."
--------------------"Damp was really good, oh boy," Avery Johnson said. "If he's going to do seven and seven in 12 minutes, any coach in the league would love that."
This Day in Mavs History
1981 Mark Aguirre had 42 points, the first time a Mavs player had 40+ points and the 1st of 22 times Aguirre had 40+ points with Dallas. 42 points is the most points scored by a Dallas rookie.