Post-Game Video Quoteboard: Mavericks vs. Rockets

Rick Carlisle:

(on O.J. Mayo): "Going back to the Washington game and on, he is one of the guys that can help get guys shots. He knows how to do it...in the third quarter he made some terrific plays and he made some terrific simple plays...may noy have got the assist but he was making the "hockey assist". There has to be an emphasis for him by me to him to see that he's an all-around player and that he's not just a scorer."

(on whether its a sign of progress): "It'd be a bigger sign if I didn't have to scream at him at halftime.about it I thought in the first half he took some shots that weren't needed when he is becoming a playmaker and a good all-around basketball player. I'm sorry, it's beneath me to watch a guy continue to veer off from the path that is best for him and the team."

(on Jae Crowder): "Crowder has been consistent the last three weeks. He comes in with energy, he's not afraid, he's aggressive and he plays with attitude. He is earning minutes and we need him to continue to do what he is doing."

(on fourth quarter): "Our defense was poor -- we kept putting them on the free throw line, or the refs were -- but we made plays. Elton's block was huge and Dirk's rebound where he got fouled and had two free throws was big. Then we got one or two other stops."

(on benching Collison/playing James): "Well, Lin just walked right in there twice in a row on Collison. We needed a stronger guy out there."

O.J. Mayo:

"I got a good cussing out at half time, some bad shot selection. Just trying to keep an aggressive mentality even though my shot wasn't falling." (author's note: he wasn't upset about it, before anyone takes this the wrong way)

(on Carlisle): "I want him to make me better and he wants to make me better."

Jae Crowder:

"At the end of the game we made shots, FT's and that led us to the win. We knew coming into this game that our focus was going to be on Harden and Lin. We got stops and got off to running and on the other end we made shots."

Elton Brand:

(on team defense): "We really stepped up tonight. They lead the league in offense with 105 a game and we tried to keep them under 100. We got big stops, big rebounds and big blocks when we needed it. We did well because they have a heck of an offensive team."

(on his late block): "Which one? I had two or three." (author's note: he was joking around)

Dirk Nowitzki:

"I thought the play of the game was Elton's block. Harden went left, which 99% of the time is a foul or a layup, and EB came out of nowhere. ... He's got long arms, he's got good timing."

(on Harden): "I thought we did a good job on him all game. I thought we contested his shots and really pressed up on him."

(on Collison's and Mayo's maturation): "I think Collison and Mayo have got so much better from the beginning of the season. Not turning the ball over, making solid plays, reading the defenses better. I think they took a phenomenal leap from the beginning of the season."

Kevin McHale:

(on the shots his team took late): "They didn't go. James had a layup, got fouled, and missed both free throws. Elton Brand made a heck of a block on a hard drive. I thought we got some looks that we were trying to get."

(on Harden's poor shooting): "Yeah, James played hard. He got to the line 12 times, had some looks that he'd normally make and missed some, but you're going to have nights like that."