Free agent Brian Williams was in Dallas this weekend visiting the Mavs.
Williams also visited Toronto and Chicago last week.  The New York Post 
reported that Williams secretly had surgery in September to insert a screw
in his right knee and had follow-up surgery two weeks ago to have the 
screw removed.  While he was in Dallas he reportedly went through a 
physical with the Mavs team doctors.  The Dallas Morning News reported 
that Williams failed his physical and that the Mavs are no longer 
interested in obtaining Williams due to concerns about his knee.  Williams
wants a 5 year, $25 million plus contract and the Mavs feel it is too much
of a risk to give such a contract to a player who they have concerns about
his long term health.


Portland Trailblazers at Dallas Mavericks  (January 4)

A.C. Green started and, in what was a concern for some of us when the
trade was announced, Samaki Walker did not play - coach's decision.
 
A blanket statement to start: the reffing was terrible (and I don't just 
mean against the Mavs).
 
The 1st quarter was a pretty close quarter most of the way.  Dallas led
15-14 with 7:15 remaining and Portland led 27-25 with 3:27 left.  Portland
went on a 11-3 run to close the quarter.  Portland led 38-28 after 1.
Portland shot 64% FG and 7-10 FT and Dallas shot 54% and 1-2 FT.  Arvydas
Sabonis had 12 points, Kenny Anderson had 9 points, and Clifford Robinson
had 9 points.  Derek Harper had 6 points and A.C. Green had 6 points.
 
Dallas opened the 2nd quarter with a 14-2 run capped by a 3-pointer from
Jamal Mashburn to give Dallas a 42-40 lead with 6:28 left.  Portland
responded by scoring the next 9 points to go up 49-42 with 4:37 remaining.
Dallas scored the next 5 points to get within 51-49 with 2:30 to go.
Portland led 56-55 at the half.  Both teams made the same number of field
goals and free throws with the 1 point difference being a made 3-pointer.
Sabonis had 17 points and Chris Gatling had 12 points.
 
The 3rd quarter was very close all most of the way.  The game was tied
63-63 with 8:33 remaining and Dallas led 71-68 with 5:37 left.  Portland 
then went on a 12-2 run to go up 80-73 with 2:28 left.  Dallas closed the 
quarter with going on a 9-2 run.  Portland led 82-80 after 3.  Sabonis had
26 points and Anderson had 21 points.  Harper had 15 points and Green had 
14 points.
 
The 4th quarter saw lots of ties and lead changes.  The game was tied
85-85 with 9:28 left and at 94-94 with 6:13 remaining.  Portland went on a 
7-2 run to go up 101-96 with 4:25 left.  Portland led 103-100 with 3:14 
remaining.  Gatling hit a layup and Robinson hit a 15-foot jumper.  
Gatling was fouled with 2 minutes left, but missed both free throws.  
Portland led 105-102.  Robinson missed and Gatling was again fouled.  This 
time he hit 1-2 FT with 1:47 remaining.  Isaiah Rider missed and Gatling 
was yet again fouled.  He made 1-2 FT to bring Dalas within 105-104 with 
54.1 seconds to go.  Sabonis got 2 points when Gatling's swat was called a
goaltend with 31.4 seconds.  Gatling missed a shot with 19 seconds left 
and Anderson was fouled.  Anderson hit 1-2 FT, but got the rebound.  Rider 
was fouled and he missed both, but Robinson got the rebound.  Robinson hit 
both free throws with 11 seconds remaining.  McCloud missed a 3-pointer 
and Portland ran the clock out.  Portland 110, Dallas 104.
 

Chris Gatling scored 12 of his 24 points in the 4th quarter, but shot 4-6
FT over the last 2:10.  Dallas shot 5-10 FT in the 4th quarter.  There
were 7 lead changes in the 4th.  

Portland's bench only scored 2 points while Dallas' bench scored 48
points.  Arvydas Sabonis was great and had 33 points on 11-14 FG, 3-3 
3-pointers, and 8-14 FT and 12 rebounds.  Kenny Anderson chipped in 25 
points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists.


Quotes:
P.J. Carlesimo: "We thought that we could control the game with our 
defense and our rebounding and we didn't control the game with either one.
Despite the fact that we thought the key for tonight was to control the 
game with defense and rebounding, we didn't control them, we outscored 
them.  It's great to get a win against an improving team in a difficult
building."

Kenny Anderson: "They could do nothing with [Sabonis].  We tried to feed 
off that.  There are a lot of teams in the West that are too small inside,
and we need to take advantage when it's there."

Arvydas Sabonis: "We played good team basketball today, especially in the 
last few minutes.  I had a good day taking the ball close to the basket."

Jim Cleamons: "We did some things, I thought, very well.  Other things, we
dropped the ball.  I feel we're getting better.  But, as I told the team,
a lot of teams are getting better this time of the season.  We have to
weather the storm."

Cleamons: "Our misfortune at this time is that we're running into hot 
teams.  We've got to keep working.  If you feel sorry for yourself, you 
won't work yourself out of the quagmire you're in.  There are ups and 
downs in the season all year long and what you have to do is find your 
identity."

Cleamons: "It's no consolation, but we made a better showing for 
ourselves tonight.  I'm not discouraged.  But we've got some mistakes 
we've got to clean up."

Cleamons: "[Sabonis is] a big fella.  He's a very skilled player.  When we
got Eric [Montross] in foul trouble, they went to [Sabonis].  Also, they
went to him when Eric was in there.  Give them credit, they went for the
jugular."

Eric Monrtorss: "In retrospect, I probably should have asked for a 
quicker double-team.  But I pounded on [Sabonis] and got a hand in his 
face.  They went to him time and time again, and he came up with amazing 
plays.  Give him credit."

Chris Gatling on the missed free throws: "Maybe next time I'll make them.
You just have to stay with your same routine.  I guess that it wasn't my 
free-throw night."

Derek Harper: "Progress doesn't mean a lot in this league.  Progress is
good.  I think it gives you something to build on.  But the hole we've dug
for ourselves, we have to find a way to win.  'Almost' and 'progress'
doesn't get it."

A.C. Green: "I feel good about the way we're playing in spurts and I'm 
hopeful we can start putting that together for 48 minutes.  We have to 
get a little more mentally tough down the stretch, on offense execute 
properly and on the defensive end not miss assignments."

Por-Dal boxscore