Nov 16, 2009 12:56 PM Posted by CBS11  Classic Cowboys Stadium Saturday Quadrupleheader
Saturday's Games
Coppell 14
Plano East 0 F
1st qtr - Coppell - Hayden Hawk 10 run
3rd qtr - Coppell - Hayden Hawk 7 run
Coppell advances to play Arlington next Sat - 1pm - Birdville Stadium
Coppell junior RB Cam McDaniel has 27 TDs while senior QB Hayden Hawk has passed for 3060 yards and 29 TDs. Plano East playing without injured starting QB Ryan Foster, a 2000-yard passer with 16 scoring tosses.
Cedar Hill 41
FM Marcus 17 F
Mason Hayes: 125 rushing, 68 receiving yrds - 3 TDs
Longhorns advance to play Abilene next week
#1 ranked Cedar Hill's Mason Hayes has 1615 rushing yards, 20 TDs. He has more than made up for the loss of oft-injured RB Ben Malena, a Texas A&M recruit. LB Aaron Benson, a future Texas Longhorn, has returned from a mid-season injury. Marcus will try to play smashmouth with Michigan bound RB Stephen Hopkins, who has 1282 yards and 19 TDs.
Plano 38
Euless Trinity 41 F
Willie Hubbard: 169 yards rushing, 2 TDs
Trojans advance to play Arlington Martin on Friday - noon - Pennington Field
Trinity is coming off an 88-27 win over Flower Mound last week. A rebuilding Plano squad battled from a 17-0 deficit to beat Duncanville last week, but this is an ominous challenge for the Wildcats. Trinity seems to be getting stronger as the season gets longer. RBs Tevin Williams and Terrance Tusan have combined for 1609 yards rushing and 23 TDs. QB Willie Hubbard is efficient, accounting for 1784 yards, 24 TDs, and just 3 interceptions.
Southlake Carroll 35
Allen 34 F-2OT
After officials put 1 second back on clock at end of regulation, Allen's Matt Brown throws 27 yard tying TD pass to Chase Gambill on final play, forcing overtime. When Allen Coach Tom Westerberg decides to go for 2-point conversion in 2nd overtime, Carroll DB Justin Agnew tackles Brown on 3 yard line to win the game.
Dragons advance to play Arlington Bowie on Friday - 730 - SMU
Classic matchup of the defending state champions from Allen and a Carroll team that has won four state titles since 2002. Carroll's Tommy Avers has 1480 rushing yards and 20 TDs while University of Houston bound QB David Piland has 2447 yards passing and 20 scores. Arizona bound Allen QB Matt Brown has 2237 passing/1005 rushing yards. Eagles WRs Jonathan Lee and Alex Pastor have combined for 100 receptions and 24 TDs.
Arlington Martin 25
Odessa Permian 15 F
Danzel Williams: 159 yards rushing, TD
Warriors advance to play Trinity on Friday - noon - Pennington Field
Martin is coming off a lopsided 50-6 win over Haltom a week ago and owns a win over high powered Arlington this season.
Arlington Bowie 49
EP Montwood 7 F
Deric Davis - 4 1st half TD passes
Volunteers advance to play Southlake Carroll on Friday - 730 - SMU
QB Deric Davis leads a talented Bowie squad with 2437 yards passing and 28 TDs
Tyler Lee 23
Garland 17 F
Iowa State bound Garland QB Jared Barnett has 1929 passing yards, 17 TDs
Dallas Skyline 41
DeSoto 36 F
Mike Davis: 4 TD receptions, 2 interceptions
Raiders advance to play Cypress Woods on Saturday - 6pm - Temple
One of the best matchups in the state featuring two of the most explosive offenses and top college recruits on both sides. #2 ranked Skyline features UNT bound QB Javia Hall (2071 yards/27 TDs) while DeSoto is led by junior QB Ryan Polite (3574 yards/37 TDs). Texas bound WR Darius Terrell leads DeSoto with 71 receptions, 1070 yards, and 11 TDs. Diminutive Marcus Murphy is tied for the area lead with 27 TDs. Topping the list of Skyline college prospects are WR Mike Davis (LSU), LB Corey Nelson (Texas A&M), LB Domonique Patterson (Texas A&M), and RB Tony Drake (Michigan).
Waxahachie 35
Texarkana Texas 21 F
Indians advance to play Highland Park on Friday - 7:30 - Kincaide Stadium
Thursday's Game
Argyle 45
Lake Worth 7 F
Eagles advance to play Pleasant Grove on Friday - 730 - Royse City
Sophomore QB Austin Aune throws early TD pass to Justin Hommel, Layton Lowry with 3 TD runs, Murphy Ellis adds another.
Friday's Games
Denton Ryan 38
Arlington Heights 13 F
Raiders advance to play El Paso Chapin - Saturday - 730 - Midland
Texas Tech bound Ryan QB Scotty Young has 48 TD passes
Denton Guyer 42
Mansfield Legacy 21 F
Guyer advances to play Abilene Cooper - Saturday - 2pm - Abilene
Guyer junior QB J.W. Walsh has 20 TD runs, 24 TD passes
Arlington 70
Odessa 42 F
Colts advance to play Coppell - Saturday - 1pm - Birdville Stadium
Texas A&M bound Arlington QB Matt Joeckel has 33 TD passes in 9 games
Tyler John Tyler 53
Lake Highlands 46 F
Tyler features dual threat QB Jeremy Johnson, an SMU recruit
South Garland 24
Belton 14 F
Colonels advance to play Klein - Friday - 4pm - Waco
South Garland's John Lacour approaches a 1000 yard rushing season
Carrollton Newman Smith 49
Dallas Carter 27 F
Trojans advance to play Longview - Saturday - 2pm - Corsicana
Newman Smith's Randall Joyner has rushed for 1312 yards and 19 TDs
Highland Park 56
South Oak Cliff 20 F
Scots advance to play Waxahachie - Friday - 730 - Kincaide Stadium
Louisville bound Highland Park QB Luke Woodley has 3665 yards passing and 37 TDs
Lake Dallas 16
Everman 21 F
Tape Delayed - TXA 21 - 11pm
Bulldogs advance to play Big Spring - Saturday - 3pm - Mineral Wells
Missouri bound Lake Dallas QB James Franklin leads the Falcon attack against Everman QB Barry Browning and a one of the top programs of the decade. The 2-time state champion Bulldogs have advanced to the 4A state semifinals five times since 2000.
Aledo 26
Stephenville 23 F-OT
Bearcats advance to play Hereford - Saturday - 3pm - Midland
Aledo sophomore Jonathan Gray ran for 131 yards in a season opening 20-16 win over Stephenville
Denison 50
Dallas Conrad 14 F
Yellowjackets advance to play Marshall - Saturday - 2pm - Mesquite Hanby
Denison's Texas Football Magazine 1st team Super Teamer D.J. Jones, who has yet to commit to a college, has 4911 career rushing yards, just 308 yards behind the school's all-time leading rusher, Corey Robertson, who originally signed with Iowa in 2005 before winding up as a DB at Texas A&M-Kingsville via North Iowa CC.
Corsicana 14
Marshall 34 F
Corsicana's Cody Evans has 1621 yards rushing and 16 TDs
Frisco Liberty 43
Lincoln 42 F-OT
Liberty advances to play Sulphur Springs - Friday - 730 - Mesquite Memorial
Liberty's Jay Ajayi and Malcolm Hill have combined for 2409 rushing yards
Prosper 13
Alvarado 8 F
Prosper advances to play Lovejoy - Friday - 730 - Plano's Clark Field
Lovejoy 42
Liberty Eylau 41 F
Lovejoy advances to play Prosper - Friday - 730 - Plano's Clark Field
Farmersville 24
Pleasant Grove 30 F
Pleasant Grove advances to play Argyle - Friday - 730 - Royse City
Celina 6
Kennedale 10 F
Kennedale advances to play Pittsburg - Friday - 6pm - Mesquite Hanby
Bill Jones - http://twitter.com/cbsdollarbill Nov 15, 2009 11:23 PM Posted by CBS11 TICKETS TO HISTORIC 2010 NBA ALL-STAR GAME ON SALE NOV.17
– Baseline Plaza Tickets Provide Fans Opportunity to be Part of the Record-Breaking Crowd in Cowboys Stadium on Feb. 14 –
NEW YORK -- EMBARGOED - Nov. 16, 2009 – NBA fans will have the opportunity to reserve their place as part of the largest crowd ever to witness a basketball game when an additional round of tickets go on sale Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT) for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. Baseline Plaza tickets for the historic game, which will be played before a crowd of more than 80,000 at Cowboys Stadium, will be $30.
A limited number of standing-room-only Baseline Plaza tickets for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game will be available at Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets, the American Airlines Center, Cowboys Stadium, or by calling 800-4-NBA-TIX.
“The 2010 NBA All-Star Game will be a special kind of experience for NBA fans,” said Executive Vice President, NBA Events and Attractions, Ski Austin. “Through the hard work and cooperation of the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Cowboys, we are able to offer fans the opportunity to say that they were part of one of the most historic events in NBA history.”
The Baseline Plaza was created to accommodate additional fans following the extraordinary fan response through pre-sales and the initial general public sale. The additional three levels located at either end of the stadium will provide fans a special setting to experience the sights, sounds and energy of the 2010 NBA All-Star Game.
The largest crowd ever to watch an NBA All-Star Game was in 1989 when the Western Conference posted a 143-134 victory at the Houston Astrodome in front of 44,735 fans.
About NBA All-Star 2010 NBA All-Star 2010 in Dallas will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. Among the many events that will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages are the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, and NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas. American Airlines Center will host All-Star Saturday Night, featuring the Sprite Slam Dunk contest, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, and Haier Shooting Stars. The 59th NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 14 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before an expected crowd of more than 80,000 – the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game. TNT will televise the All-Star Game for an eighth consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 25th season of All-Star coverage. This will be the second NBA All-Star in Dallas. The city also hosted the event in 1986.
Nov 11, 2009 6:23 PM Posted by CBS11
Next Week's Matchups
Class 5A - Division I
Martin vs. Odessa Permian - 1 - Sat - Abilene
Plano vs. Trinity - 5 - Sat -Cowboys Stadium
Arlington vs. Odessa - 730 - Fri - Odessa
Coppell vs. Plano East - 11 - Sat - Cowboys Stadium
Skyline vs. DeSoto - 6 - Sat - SMU
Garland vs. Tyler Lee - 2 - Sat - Corsicana
Class 5A - Division II
Cedar Hill vs. Marcus - 2 - Sat - Cowboys Stadium
Bowie vs. EP Montwood - 1 - Sat - Odessa
Carroll vs. Allen - 8 - Sat - Cowboys Stadium
Tyler John Tyler at Lake Highlands - 730 - Fri
South Garland vs. Belton - 730 - Fri - Waco
Class 4A - Division I
Ryan vs. Arlington Heights - 6 - Thur - Cowboys Stadium
Guyer vs. Mansfield Legacy - 7 - Thur - Birdville
Newman Smith vs. Carter - 730 - Fri - Irving
Highland Park vs. South Oak Cliff - 730 - Fri - Kincaide Stadium
Waxahachie vs. Texarkana - 730 - Fri - Royce City
Class 4A - Division II
Lake Dallas vs. Everman - 730 - Fri - Bedford
Aledo vs. Stephenville - 730 - Fri - Cowboys Stadium
Denison vs. Conrad - 730 - Fri - Mesquite Hanby
Corsicana vs. Marshall - 730 - Fri - Tyler
Frisco Liberty vs. Lincoln - 730 - Fri - Mesquite Memorial
Class 3A - Division I
Prosper vs. Alvarado - 730 - Fri - Grand Prairie
Lovejoy vs. Liberty Eylau - 730 - Fri - Hallsville
Argyle vs. Lake Worth - 730 - Thur - Justin
Farmersville vs. Pleasant Grove - 730 - Fri - Mt. Pleasant
Celina vs. Kennedale - 730 - Fri - Justin
Saturday, November 14
Class 5A
Trinity 88 Flower Mound 27
Marcus 48 Grapevine 18
Carroll 55 Heritage 7
Coppell 33 Keller 13
Plano East 27 MacArthur 26 - ot
Allen 35 Nimitz 0
Class 4A
Waco Midway 14 Red Oak 9
Waco University 13 Terrell 12
Thursday, November 12
Class 5A
Arlington Bowie 42 Richland 30
Arlington Martin 50 Haltom 6
South Garland 31 Richardson 7
Class 4A
Denton Ryan 48 Saginaw 7
Denton Guyer 59 Saginaw Boswell 28
Stephenville 62 FW Poly 17
Dallas Lincoln 28 Dallas Adamson 20
Class 3A
Argyle 52 Paris 14
Friday, November 13
Class 5A
Abilene 42 Arlington Lamar 10
Plano 28 Duncanville 17
Arlington 38 Burleson 12
DeSoto 40 Bryan 0
Garland 38 Richardson Berkner 16
Cedar Hill 31 Plano West 22
Dallas Skyline 38 Rowlett 0
Lake Highlands 49 North Garland 22
(Tape Delayed – 11pm – TXA 21)
Belton 45 Mesquite Horn 38 - 2ot
Class 4A
FW Arlington Heights 20 Arlington Seguin 13 - ot
Mansfield Legacy 42 FW Eastern Hills 21
Newman Smith 56 Sherman 35
Dallas Carter 30 Dallas Samuell 19
Highland Park 56 McKinney 38
South Oak Cliff 35 Woodrow Wilson 21
Waxahachie 35 Forney 12
Lake Dallas 35 Birdville 27
Everman 57 FW Dunbar 6
Aledo 41 Little Elm 7
Denison 61 Richardson Pearce 28
Dallas Conrad 24 Dallas Pinkston 19
Corsicana 32 West Mesquite 21
Frisco Liberty 49 Rockwall Heath 35
Nov 9, 2009 3:54 PM Posted by CBS11  The Bowling Crew Focusing on the D. Again and Again and Again.
That’s what the Mavericks are doing. So much so that they’re almost blowing off great shooting nights like Saturday’s in which they shot a season-high 62% against Toronto.
Dirk Nowitzki didn’t spend too much time on it. He credited it to the Raptors lethargy citing the fact they were playing on the second night of a back to back and the Mavericks had two days off.
The Mavericks didn’t shoot the ball particularly well in the games prior to Saturday. They were averaging right around 41.6%, a little lower than what they would like.
While they want that to improve they don’t want it to compromise their defensive focus. “As our offense gets better, we don't want to take steps defensively back,” Nowitzki said. “You know our defense was pretty solid the first couple of games. We want to keep the defensive intensity at the same level and just get better offensively. We don't want to trade defense for offense.”
Don’t focus on how Josh Howard shoots the ball.
“I think when someone comes back from injury you don't look at how he shoots the ball. You look at how he's moving, how he's attacking,” Nowitzki said Monday. “To me, he did both of those things and he looked pretty good (against Toronto).”
Howard made his first appearance of the season Saturday night, finishing with 16 points (13 in the first half), three steals, two assists and four rebounds.
New Look Rockets Look Pretty Good
The Rockets have impressed the heck out of a lot of people with their 4-2 start despite not having Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady. New forward Trevor Ariza has integrated wonderfully and is their leading scorer, putting up 20 points a game. Head coach Rick Adelman has his team playing at a high level that has surprised a lot of people.
That’s not lost on the Big German. “They're pretty impressive, I got to admit,” Nowitzki conceded. “He’s (Adelman) got the boys playing hard, attacking, rim running, shooting the ball well. I think Ariza really fits in well with them, kind of long, moving on the go shooting the three's, driving. They're a tough team.”
D Harp’s Optimism
“If they stay healthy, they’re going to be tough to beat.”
That’s what Derek Harper kept saying over and over after Saturday’s game between the Mavericks and Raptors, in which Dallas beat Toronto 129-101. He thinks they can hang with the elite teams: the Lakers, the Cavs of the NBA.
I might not go quite that far, yet, but the Mavericks depth combined with their renewed commitment to defense has been impressive.
Rick Carlisle’s Dedication
I was uber-impressed with your Mavericks head coach last week. He, along with Billy Joe Dupree, Robert Newhouse, Preston Pearson, Kurt Busch, yours truly and a slew of others, participated in Sam Hornish Jr’s bowling tournament last Thursday night in Grapevine that benefited Speedway Children’s Charities. The event raised $101,480 for SCC.
Why was Carlisle’s presence such a big deal? The Mavericks had lost, in overtime, to the Hornets the night before. Granted a flight back to Dallas from New Orleans isn’t that tough but it’s still one that lands after midnight.
Carlisle showed up (with his own bowling ball, mind you!) and bowled three games that went well after 10:30pm and then had a 30-minute drive home. He could have easily blown the event off, citing the fact he was tired, had to work or just flat out didn’t want to go. But he didn’t. He stayed. He bowled (pretty well) and he made some local fans quite happy.
And Speaking of Nascar and Texas Motor Speedway
A big shoutout to TMS President and CEO Eddie Gossage and his staff. They are simply the best. We worked with them quite a bit leading up to the race and they are professional, pleasant and wonderful to work with. Broadcast Media Relations Manager Dawn Gardin helped Tracy Kornet and me with a story at the TMS spa (betcha didn’t know they had one!). She also helped coordinate our TXA21 broadcast from TMS on Friday night. This was in addition to fielding requests from dozens of media outlets from across the region. Not an easy task but one that lesser talented and professional pr staffs would be complaining about from start to finish.
Thanks again for a fun race season in North Texas.
Gina Miller
twitter.com/thatsportsgirl Nov 9, 2009 8:46 AM Posted by CBS11 Nov 8, 2009 6:30 PM Posted by CBS11 The Cowboys are sending a message to the ladies out there, come learn about football Tuesday at Cowboys Stadium.
Check out information for Cowboys Football 101. Nov 8, 2009 6:28 PM Posted by CBS11 ESPN College GameDay will make its first-ever visit to TCU and Fort Worth Saturday when the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs host No. 14 Utah. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
ESPN's popular show, featuring hosts Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard, will set up in the Campus Commons. Air time is 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
TCU will be playing at the site of GameDay for the second time in four weeks. GameDay was in Provo, Utah, on Oct. 24 when TCU defeated BYU 38-7.
With GameDay's visit to Air Force this past weekend, this will be the third time in four weeks the show has taken place at a Mountain West Conference member. Nov 8, 2009 6:27 PM Posted by CBS11 TCU 55, San Diego State 12
Team Notes
*TCU (9-0, 5-0) has won 11 in a row. The Horned Frogs have their longest winning streak since a 13-game run over the final 10 contests in 2005 and the opening three games in 2006. At the time, it was the nation's longest winning streak.
*The Horned Frogs are 9-0 for the first time since 2003, when they won their opening 10 games. TCU is 9-0 for the second time since its 1938 national championship season and the sixth time in its history.
*In its last four games, TCU has outscored its opponents 178-25 while allowing just two touchdowns.
*The Horned Frogs improved to 60-1 under head coach Gary Patterson when allowing 17 points or less.
*TCU has not allowed its opponent to enter the red zone in the last 10 quarters.
*The TCU senior class picked up their 39th win, tying them for third in most victories over a four-year period at TCU. The record is 41 wins by last year's senior class (2005-08).
*TCU was plus-4 in turnover margin. Since 2005, the Horned Frogs are 43-1 when ahead (31-1) or even (12-0) in that category. The Horned Frogs were on the plus side in turnover margin for just the second time this season.
*TCU had 312 yards rushing to top 300 yards on the ground in consecutive games for the first time since 2000 (LaDainian Tomlinson's senior season), when the Frogs totaled 313 yards versus UTEP (Nov. 18) and 307 at SMU (Nov. 24). The Frogs ran for 390 yards last week against UNLV.
*TCU had 551 yards of total offense. It's the first time since 2006 (624 vs. San Diego State, 606 vs. Colorado State) the Horned Frogs have topped 500 yards in total offense in back-to-back games.
*Since 2005, the Horned Frogs are 23-1 in day games and 44-4 when playing on a Saturday.
*TCU opened with a lead of at least 10-0 for the fifth time this season and 16th time in its last 22 contests.
*The Horned Frogs led at halftime (31-6) for the eighth time in nine games this season.
*TCU scored in its 212th consecutive game, the third-longest current streak in the nation and 14th-longest all-time.
*The TCU swimming and diving team, in competition in San Diego, was in attendance.
Individual Notes
*Andy Dalton had two touchdown passes, the sixth time in the last seven games he threw for at least two scores.
*Dalton's 13- and 7-yard first half touchdown runs marked his first rushing scores of the season. He now has 15 in his career. He had eight rushing touchdowns last year.
*With 44 yards rushing, Dalton went over the 1,000 mark for his career. He's now at 1,003 yards.
*Dalton extended his streak of pass attempts without an interception to 111, a new career best. His previous long streak of 108 was set last season. Dalton's last interception was on Oct. 10 at Air Force.
*Ryan Christian had 106 yards receiving on three catches, including touchdowns of 44 and 29 yards. It was the first two receiving scores of Christian's career and his first 100-yard receiving game. His 106 yards receiving surpassed the 57 yards he had on nine catches for the season entering the game. Christian's 44-yard touchdown reception was the longest catch of his career. Two of the three-longest receptions of his career came Saturday. He had a 33-yard grab in the first quarter.
*Bart Johnson had a 5-yard reception to extend his team-best streak to 18 consecutive games with at least one catch.
*Cornerback Greg McCoy and tailback Ed Wesley made their first collegiate starts. McCoy started in place of Rafael Priest (injury). Priest's streak of 47 consecutive starts, representing every game in his collegiate career, came to an end. It was tied for the nation's second-longest current streak of consecutive starts.
*Tyler Luttrell made his fourth start of the year, and first since Sept. 26 at Clemson, at strong safety, replacing Colin Jones (injury) in the lineup. Luttrell's second-quarter interception marked his first career pick.
*McCoy had a third-quarter pick for his second career interception.
*Wesley's 5-yard first-quarter touchdown carry was his third rushing score on the year.
*Joseph Turner's 4-yard third-quarter scoring run was his team-high ninth touchdown of the season. He has 27 career rushing touchdowns, one shy of tying Jim Swink (1954-56) for fifth on TCU's career list. Swink was the runner-up for the 1955 Heisman Trophy.
*Ross Evans had a season-long 48-yard field goal and a 25-yard effort. He is 11-of-12 on the season and 27-of-32 in his career.
*Matthew Tucker's 30-yard third-quarter scoring run was his fourth rushing touchdown of the season.
*Daryl Washington led the Horned Frog defense with eight tackles.
Nov 5, 2009 7:28 PM Posted by CBS11 Here are the CoSIDA//ESPN Academic All-District honorees from our region:
QB - Sam Bradford - Oklahoma - 3.94 - Finance - OKC Putnam North HS
OL - Adam Ulatoski - Texas - 3.53 - MA/Adv - Southlake Carroll
OL - Mitch Enright - SMU - 3.90 - MBA/Business - Southlake Carroll
WR - Bart Johnson - TCU - Marketing - Brownwood
DL - Sam Acho - Texas - 3.62 - Honors Business - Dallas St. Mark's
DL - Jason Lamb - Baylor - 3.32 - Management - Richardson
LB - Joe Pawelek - Baylor - 3.71 - Finance - Smithson Valley
DB - Cody Davis - Texas Tech - 3.61 - Business - Stephenville
P - Derek Epperson - Baylor - 3.47 - Management - Keller
Bill Jones - http://twitter.com/cbsdollarbill Nov 3, 2009 3:35 PM Posted by CBS11 From the “I Don’t Have a Life Department”:
The Mavericks are 28th in the NBA field goal shooting percentage, hitting just 41% of their shots, yet have won their last two games. What’s been impressive is what they’re doing defensively to opponents, holding them to around 43% shooting. Take out the Wizards game, one in which Dallas admittedly didn’t show up, and the Mavericks have held their last two opponents, the Lakers and Clippers to just 41% from the field.
“I’m mindful of not overreacting to a 3-game set of stat data,” warned Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle.
True enough, but at least the Mavericks have shown they can play the kind of defense they’ve told us their capable of playing. They still want that to improve and they definitely need those shots to start falling. Everyone I spoke with said it’s just a matter of time before they do. They’re just hoping it’s sooner rather than later.
It’s the Difference
This stunned me. The 4-0 Celtics look great. Just how great you ask? They’re beating opponents by an average of just over 19 points per game! Talk about playing defense, they’re limiting opponents to around 81 points a game. The Mavericks, by comparison, are beating opponents by four points per game.
Back to Backs are Beautiful
You hear it time and again that back to back games on the road in the NBA are just one of the toughest tests in pro sports. Not according to the Mavericks. Guard Jason Terry loves them. “I love back to backs because that means there’s no practice,” he told me on Monday.
JJ Barea concurred, “You don’t have to practice in the mornings, you get a good breakfast and you get to sleep in.”
Dallas has 20 this season. They swept the Lakers and Clippers in their first one of the season. They have another set coming up Tuesday and Wednesday against the Jazz and Hornets, respectively.
Let’s just see if they feel the same way about them in March.
Gina Miller
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