Bucks 95, Mavericks 90: Post-game video quoteboard and notes

GAME NOTES

• Dirk scored 21 points and grabbed a season-high 20 rebounds in the loss. It was his seventh 20-20 game, the last coming on April 3, 2003 against the Lakers (he had 25 and 22). The last time he had 20 rebounds was December 27, 2007 (he scored 19 points).
• Over the last six games, Nowitzki is averaging 25.3 points and 13.3 rebounds on 53% shooting.
• Elton Brand notched his 403rd career double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. It was his seventh of the season and a season-high on the boards.
• Monta Ellis had six steals for the fourth time this season.
• Vince Carter's 0-8 night was the first time this season he had failed to make a basket, and the third time as a Maverick. Last season, he went 0-5 against Sacramento on March 9 and 0-1 against OKC on March 5. He ended the game with two points, his lowest total this season.
• Bucks vs Mavericks boxscore | Tjarkscap

QUOTEBOARD

Rick Carlisle

If the embedding isn't working, go view it on YouTube.

(on back-to-back losses despite Dirk's play) "It's disappointing. Dirk played great. Some of the shots he hit were extremely difficult. There's always going to come a point in the game where other guys around him are going to have to step up , they're going to have to make simple and they're going to have to knock down shots. In this league, you can take away one guy and you can make that hard on him and then there's going to be other openings. We were unable to do that. We had opportunities and it's a make or miss league sometimes."

(on Brand): "He's had a lot of really good games. Look, he's a warrior. It's hard to watch a guy like that fight his ass off and as a team be unable to get it done. It's tough. Winning means everything to him, and everything to Dirk. I gotta coach these younger guys harder and better, because they can do better.

(Vince's night an anomaly?): "I'd say so. He's had a great year, at times you're going to have off-nights. That's just the way it goes. We had too many guys with off nights."

(on O.J. getting frustrated with his turnovers): "I'd hope so. The important thing is that O.J. needs to understand he needs to keep the game simple. He's not a creator, he's a scorer and a guy who can make simple plays, and he's proven that. When he starts dribbling into a crowd, and trying to make things happen, that's simply not his game."

Elton Brand

(on not being able to finish) "Yes, it is very disappointing not being able to finish the game. Plus, it is a home loss and especially after Sunday's loss it is very disappointing."

(how to find ways to win) "It's not like we are far away and getting blown out. We are close every game and have leads late in the game, late in the fourth quarter. We have to find a way to get stops and get points late in the game without turning the ball over."

Shawn Marion

(on not being able to close) "It's frustrating. It has been our Achilles heel all season long -- trying to close out games. I think it's the same old story. This is one we should have had and it slipped through our fingers."

(on wasting Dirk's effort the past two games) "It's a collective thing. Dirk has had two great games but we haven't won. We all have to find ways to figure out better ways to win these games. Coach said we had 20 turnovers tonight. That is big. Everyone has to be held accountable. We have a big game tomorrow and it is what it is."

Dirk Nowitzki

(on losing a lead late): "Honestly I wasn't very good today at the end. I've got to be better, the last two or three minutes is usually what I hang my hat on. I had two turnovers I think on Monta's steals, and the one pull-up on the left side was off. I think for us to win that game I had to be perfect down the stretch."

(on winning games) "Coming out of the All-Star break, we knew we had to win almost every game. Obviously it was a lot to expect from this team, and we just gotta win these close games. We can't be talking about playoffs. This one hurts us."

(on looking like Kevin Love on the glass) "It's crazy, sometimes the ball falls your way. Some nights, you go in there and the ball seems to bounce over your head every single time, and sometimes you have a magnet on your hands and everything falls your way, and that's what happened today. ... It felt good to get moving again, to get the explosion a little bit."

(on when he thought his last 20/20 game was) "Maybe in Germany, in '98? In the first five weeks I came back it felt like I had a combined 20 rebounds, so this is definitely an improvement. We all know stats don't mean anything is a loss."

Bucks head coach Jim Boylan

(on Monta Ellis) "Monta was incredible all night long. He was all over the floor. His defense, you know, some of the steals he had were just amazing. There are not many guys who can do that. The way he's able to pick people's pockets and get his hands on some balls. The energy he played with was the difference in the game for us."

(on playing Redick over Jennings to end the game): "I just felt like that group was playing well together. I saw the game kind of slipping from us a little bit and felt I needed to get those guys out there again. So I went back to J.J. and obviously it worked out for us."

Bucks center Larry Sanders

(on defending Dirk): "He is such a good offensive player and one of the best in the game. I tried to distract him. You have to take what he gives you and try and crowd him, like I said. Try to get into his space a little bit and try to alter is shots a little bit and try to get in his face."