Dallas Mavericks at Vancouver Grizzlies  (December 19)

Jason Kidd did not play (and was not with the team) due to a sprained
neck.
 
Vancouver opened up a 11-4 lead behind 5 points from Anthony Peeler and 4
from Shareef Abdur-Rahim.  Vancouver led 15-8 with 7:32 remaining as they
were shooting 7-8 FG.  Dallas cut Vancouver's lead down to 17-13 with 4:15
to go.  Vancouver then scored the next 10 points capped by a 3-pointer 
from Lee Mayberry to go up 27-13 with 3:25 remaining.  Dallas responded 
with a 6-2 run and the teams traded buckets to end the quarter.  Vancouver 
led 31-21 after 1.  Vancouver shot over 60% FG.  Abdur-Rahim had 13 points 
and Peeler had 7 points.  Jamal Mashburn had 5 points.
 
Dallas opened the 2nd quarter with a 14-6 run behind 9 points from Chris
Gatling and 5 from George McCloud.  Vancouver led 37-35.  Vancouver scored
4 points.  Derek Harper converted the 3-point play and Mashburn hit a
3-pointer to tie the game at 41-41 with 4:47 left.  The lead went back and
forth and Dallas led 48-47 with 3:05 left on a 3-pointer from McCloud.  
Both teams were shooting well and hitting the 3s.  Dallas led 58-56 at the
half.  Dallas shot 56% FG and Vancouver shot 53% FG.  Dallas 
out-rebounded Vancouver 21-17.  Gatling had 15 points, McCloud had 12 
points, and Mashburn had 10 points.  Abdur-Rahim had 16 points, Peeler had
9 points, and Bryant Reeves had 8 points.
 
Dallas was up 64-61 a little bit into the 3rd.  Peeler hit a 3-pointer and
then Mayberry hit a 3-pointer.  Jim Jackson responded with a 3-pointer to
tie the game at 67-67.  The lead went back and forth over the next 4
minutes.  The game was tied at 77-77 with 2:45 left.  Vancouver closed the
quarter with a 7-2 run and led 84-79 after 3.  Anthony Peeler scored 15
points in the quarter.  Vancouver shot 57% FG and Dallas shot 55% FG.
 
Vancouver continued their run by scoring the first 6 points of the quarter
to go up 90-79 with 10:30 left.  Dallas roared back, taking advantage of
several Vancouver turnovers, with a 16-0 run over the next 4 1/2 minutes
including 6 points from Harper to take a 95-90 lead with 6 minutes
remaining.  Blue Edwards scored the next 4 points to bring Vancouver
within 1.  Harper hit a 3-pointer and Oliver Miller got his only basket on 
a putback to put the Mavs up 100-94 with 3:15 to go.  Abdur-Rahim hit 2 
free throws.  The teams traded possessions and Gatling spun in for 2.
Abdur-Rahim was fouled and only hit 1-2 free throws.  Dallas led 102-97
with 1:26 left.  Dallas missed and Vancouver missed on 3 attempts.  They
intentionally fouled McCloud and he hit 1-2 free throws.  Peeler hit 1-2 
free throws and Jackson hit 2-2 free throws to put Dallas up 105-98 with 
31 seconds.  George Lynch missed a 3-pointer and Vancouver let the Mavs 
run the clock out.  Dallas 105, Vancouver 98.
 
 
The Mavs got balanced scoring from several players.  Chris Gatling led the
way with 25 points including 11-17 FG and 10 rebounds.  Derek Harper
filled in for the injured Jason Kidd with 22 points including 9-14 FG and 
3-4 3-pointers and 11 assists.  George McCloud pitched in 21 points, 7
rebounds, and 6 assists and Jim Jackson had 19 points including 6-9 FG.
Anthony Peeler had a nice game for Vancouver with 25 points including
10-16 FG and 4-8 3-pointers, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals.  The 
Mavs are 5-1 when they shoot 50% FG.
 

Quotes:
Jim Cleamons: "We scrapped and scrapped all night.  In the end our team
caught a little bit of momentum and we were fortunate to win the ballgame.
We recognized the fact that they beat a pretty impressive team the other 
day.  But we had to show up and play.  I don't think their was any fear on
our part."
 
Cleamons: "We just kind of challenged each other, let's say.  I challenged
them to win the ballgame and they responded very well.  It was about 
playing defense, not offense, and we were able to get some stops.  We 
gained our confidence and they lost theirs.  That's the way the game goes."
 
Cleamons: "I thought [Harper] had an outstanding game.  He gave us solid
possessions and leadership.  He shot the ball extremely well from the
3-point line, every time I looked up, he was casting one."
 
Cleamons: "Harp will stay more under control.  It's safe to say we'll
operate at slower pace because Derek won't push the pace as much."
 
Derek Harper: "We started to play defense and we felt like we were 
controlling the game before that run.  We collected ourselves after they 
went up.  We found a way to come up with stops.  I don't know how many 
points they scored in the 4th but it wasn't a lot.  It was because of 
our defense not because they were missing."
 
Harper: "I have started in the league for 10 years.  I've played a lot of
minutes and I'm comfortable as a starter or backup.  Fortunately, I was
able to react and give our team a lift."
 
Anthony Peeler: "Once they made a run we didn't make a run back at them
in the 4th quarter.  That's what hurt us the most.  They got a lot of
easy buckets.  We couldn't get the momentum back and it was too late to
make a run.  You let them do that in the 4th quarter and that's the worst
time."

Dal-Van boxscore