to move up and down
CAT FACE: Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks tries to grab a loose ball against Zaza Pachulia #27 of the Atlanta Hawks in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Dallas Mavericks have found an early groove without some key players.
O.J. Mayo and Chris Kaman each scored 22 points as the short-handed Mavericks won their third straight game, beating the Toronto Raptors 109-104 Wednesday night.
Andrea Bargnani scored 25 points and DeMar DeRozan added 24 for the Raptors, who are 3-14 in Dallas. Starting point guard Kyle Lowry, the team’s leading scorer, didn’t play after spraining his right ankle Tuesday night against Oklahoma City.
The Raptors trailed by double digits most of the game before narrowing the lead to five in the final minute.
“The group we had in there played with a purpose,” Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. “They really put us in position to win the game after having a slow start.”
Linsanity lives: Forget the off night that had NBA fans worldwide wondering if the Jeremy Lin story was too good to be true. It’s still plenty good, all right.
The Harvard sensation was back at his whirling ways Sunday, and the stage couldn’t have been better - against the defending champions on national TV.
Lin was Lin, and that was good enough for the New York Knicks to win.
Hours after the opening of “Saturday Night Live” spoofed the Lin phenomenon, the point guard had 28 points and a career-high 14 assists to carry the Knicks to a 104-97 victory that ended the Dallas Mavericks’ six-game winning streak.
Photo: Chris Trotman/Getty Images
It’s not just Blake Griffin - Los Angeles Clippers forward Kenyon Martin dunks the ball against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half of their NBA basketball game in Dallas. (Photo: REUTERS/Mike Stone)
Meet the Mavericks’ newest member
Just kidding. U.S. President Obama receives a team jersey from Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (L) while hosting the 2011 NBA champions in the East Room at the White House in Washington, January 9, 2012. At right behind Obama is team owner Mark Cuban. REUTERS/Larry Downing
NBA: Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki makes a face for photographers with the NBA Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy during media day at the team’s headquarters. REUTERS/Tim Sharp
