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Associated Press

April 24, 2008 at 7:53 AM EDT

DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki has it all figured out.

To snap out of their funk, and start climbing out of an 0-2 hole against the New Orleans Hornets, all the Dallas Mavericks have to do is get on the court Friday night in front of their home fans.

OK, he acknowledged, they also need to "play in attack mode," which means getting more physical on both ends of the court.

And it would be great if they could play better defence and hit a few more open shots.

Turning to specifics, he mentioned needing to contain Chris Paul, needing to find ways to turn Jason Kidd into the playmaker he's supposed to be and needing a reliable second option on offense.

But despite all those pesky, basketball-related issues, Nowitzki repeatedly returned Wednesday to the notion that being back in Dallas — where the Hornets haven't won since January 1998 — will cure all that ails the Mavs.

"We've got to believe that," he said. "I think if we win on Friday, then everything will already look a lot better. Right now, it doesn't look that good. But if we do all the things we did at home all year long — that's play together, push the ball, make some shots and actually get some stops — we should be all right."

Dallas led by the opener by 12 at halftime, but it's been all New Orleans since.

The Hornets wound up taking Game 1 by 12, then doubled the margin in Game 2. The real eye-popping numbers have been put up by Paul, who went from 35 points and 10 assists in the first playoff game of his career to 32 points and 17 assists.

"The last six quarters on both ends of the court have probably been the best six quarters we've had all season long," Hornets coach Byron Scott said.

Nowitzki is right about how much of a different one win could make. Being down 2-1, but coming off a win, is a world apart from being down 3-0 and hearing talk build about blowing up the team, firing the coach and all other doomsday scenarios.

The Mavs are at that kind of a crossroads.

Since being up 2-0 to the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA finals, Dallas has lost 10 of its last 12 playoff games. The skid includes losing 4-2 to Golden State in the first round last year, wasting a 67-win regular season, and going down 2-0 in the first round this year.

"The guys are not happy with the way they've played," coach Avery Johnson said. "They came in this morning and I saw some angry looks, but I hope we take that disappointment and controlled anger into practice tomorrow and iron out a couple of things and then take it out on our opponents."

The anger seemed to subside by the time guys reached reporters.

Perpetually upbeat Jason Terry came out smiling "because we are back home where we are loved, away from all of that voodoo down there in New Orleans." Then he echoed Nowitzki's themes about the comfort of being cheered by their fans and about a Game 3 win changing everything.

Kidd talked about "taking a page from them in understanding to keep attacking." The logic is fine, but it's strange that a team filled with finals-tested veterans would have to learn about playoff poise from a group of postseason novices.

"You can always play with passion and have fun with it," Kidd said. "We just need to relax, we're at home, and use that to our advantage."

The last time the Hornets played in Dallas was the season finale. They were pulling away in the second half until Kidd and Terry fueled a 32-8 surge.

Although New Orleans was locked into the No. 2 seed, the Hornets went all out to beat the Mavs to keep open the chance of drawing Denver in the first round. Dallas went all out to win and avoid a first-round matchup with the Lakers. Nowitzki even said so after that game.

Oops.

New Orleans players had some fun using those quotes as bulletin-board material coming into the series. Now they can have even more fun by winning Friday and Sunday, then returning home to get ready for the second round.

Paul insists the Hornets aren't thinking about a sweep. They just want to keep doing all those things on Nowitzki's list of frustrations.

"The best part about it is we won two games, but at the same time it means absolutely nothing," Paul said. "It's the first team to four."

Center Tyson Chandler, who has dominated Dallas' big men, also sounded like a grizzled playoff vet, talking about "picking our spots, allowing the game to come to us individually."

"The thing I like is everybody's aggressive offensively and defensively," he said. "I think we've gotten in a flow. Everybody's in rhythm."

NEW ORLEANS -- Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson didn't name names Monday, but he made it clear that Dirk Nowitzki should have had backup after New Orleans Hornets forward David West tapped him on the cheek during a staredown late in Game 1.

Both players were assessed technical fouls.

"More than anything we need players to not back down from anybody, that's what the playoffs are all about," Johnson said. "More than Dirk doing something about it, I would have liked for somebody else on the team, preferably in the center position, to do something about it.

"Was that clear enough?"

Since Johnson probably wasn't referring to Jamaal Magloire, it seems reasonable to assume Erick Dampier is the center Johnson called out. One problem with that -- Dampier was on the bench at the time. Had he done something about it, a forthcoming suspension for leaving the bench area would have kept him out of Game 2.

That leaves third-year power forward Brandon Bass, who sometimes plays center. Bass and West were teammates the past two seasons with the Hornets.

Three players drew technical fouls in Game 1. Hornets center Tyson Chandler got the first at the 5:36 mark of the third for shoving Nowitzki. Although the Mavs and Hornets do not have a contentious history, the finality of the playoffs always exudes physical and intense action.

"It's never going to be personal out there," Chandler said. "It's just guys playing hard, and it's going to be physical on both ends."

'D' up Paul

Avery Johnson said the Mavs must put more pressure on Chris Paul in Game 2, attacking him with traps to force the ball out of his hands.

"There were times that we had opportunities to attack, and for some reason we didn't," Johnson said of Game 1.

In some situations with smaller point guards such as Steve Nash, Johnson has employed bigger defenders such as Josh Howard, Devean George and Eddie Jones.

"Using bigger defenders is a good tool in some situations, but then sometimes it's good to go small because of the quickness factor," Johnson said. "The key for us is steadily trying to give him different looks; have Kidd on him, if it's Josh or Eddie, then try Jet [Jason Terry] on him some because we're trying to play certain other types of defense."

Kidd on the line?

Is Jason Kidd still straddling the line between knowing when to penetrate or take the open 3-pointer and when to get others involved?

Avery Johnson doesn't think so.

"I think that balance is over now," Johnson said. "We want him to play like he played in that last home game against New Orleans."

In that game, Kidd took more 3-pointers [eight] and made five, the same number of shots he took in Game 1, when he finished 3-for-5 -- 2-for-2 on 3s -- with eight points.

"We're not saying every shot is going to go in, but just with that aggressive take-it-to-you attitude every possession down the court that he has an opportunity," Johnson said. "So hopefully trying to strike that balance is over."

No practice

The Mavs did not practice Monday. They flew back to New Orleans in the afternoon, and Avery Johnson met with reporters later in the day.
Jeff Caplan, 817-390-7760
jcaplan@star-telegram.com

Dirk Nowitzki has made a career of defying basketball norms. No 7-footer has ever been in the conversation as the best long-range shooter in the game. Germany is not exactly a hotbed of basketball talent. Deferential players seldom make great leaders.

When the Mavericks traded for Jason Kidd, Nowitzki went to Avery Johnson before Kidd's first home game and suggested a change in the way the starting lineup was announced. Kidd was returning to Dallas after being traded in 1996 and Nowitzki thought it would be great for Kidd to be the last player introduced.

As often happens with Nowitzki, however, that gesture was misread. Kidd came to Dallas with a reputation as one of the great leaders of his basketball generation. And here was Nowitzki, some thought, already turning over the keys to the franchise, symbolically saying: "It's your team."

Perhaps Nowitzki's greatest achievement as a player, however, is that some perceived weaknesses are actually strengths.

The fact that he went out of his way to welcome Kidd was not because he was abdicating his role as the team leader, it was precisely because of it.

"He could have made it a lot harder," Kidd said. "There's no doubt. But he's low maintenance. Not knowing who he really is on the other side, you don't know what superstars are like. And then to come over here and see how low maintenance he is, how easy going is just amazing. He just wants to play and win."

That was evident -- again -- on April 2 against Golden State when the starting lineup was announced and Kidd was the first player to come out. Nowitzki had been out for 11 days with a high ankle sprain and mild knee sprain and the normal recuperative period is at least three weeks.

But there he was, in his rightful place as the last player introduced. He played 27 minutes, scored 18 points and led the Mavericks to their first victory over a playoff-caliber team since the Kidd trade. After missing four games and watching the Mavericks struggle, Nowitzki made a resounding statement:

This is my team.

And Kidd agreed. It was Kidd, in fact, who suggested changing the order of introduction. He wanted Nowitzki to be introduced last.

"It's Dirk's team, and it's Avery's team," Kidd said. "I'm just a piece of the puzzle. For that, you try and feel your way through. And then when things present themselves, maybe you can speak up. Everybody has a lot of respect for each other's game and experience."

Nowitzki's return from the ankle sprain was an example of his unique brand of leadership -- and all his teammates noticed, especially his new ones.

"It showed his toughness and showed how much he wanted to be out there to compete," Kidd said. "Eighty percent, 70 percent, whatever it may be, he wanted to play. It showed why he is the MVP and why he is who he is."

Backup guard Tyronn Lue, who signed with Dallas on March 4, noted that Pau Gasol of the Lakers had an injury that was similar to Nowitzki's and missed nine games.

"Just coming back from the injury in 10 days said a lot," Lue said. "We thought he would be out for the rest of the season. That's the same injury Pau Gasol had and he was out for three weeks. Dirk came back in 10 days. Guys looked up to him for doing that. We looked up to him already, but just coming back and helping the team to get in the playoffs, that was a big step for us."

When the Mavericks meet the Hornets tonight in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series, Nowitzki's toughness and leadership will be tested again. A loss would not ensure another first-round exit for the Mavericks, but it would make the odds much more significant. Only 13 teams in NBA history have come back from a 2-0 deficit in a seven-game series to win the series.

Nowitzki is still motivated by the sting of the loss to Golden State last year. After averaging 24.5 points and shooting 50.2 percent from the field during an MVP regular season, Nowitzki averaged 19.7 and shot 38.2 percent against the Warriors.

He did his part in Game 1 against the Hornets, scoring 31 points with 10 rebounds. He shot less than 50 percent from the field, going 9-of-21. But he wasn't the problem for Dallas.

Kidd had 11 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, but shot only five times. He has to be more aggressive offensively.

Josh Howard had 17 points, but was only 4-of-16 from the field. He has to be more efficient.

Jason Terry, Brandon Bass and Devean George were a combined 7-of-22 from the field. The bench has to play better.

Ultimately, however, if the Mavericks are to win, the major role will be played by Nowitzki, the team leader.

"Dirk has never been one to back away from a challenge," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said. "He's intense when it comes to competition. And he's happy having Jason here. When we got Jason, instead of a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, he saw a shiny light. And that kind of opened him up. It certainly took Dirk to another level."

ONLINE: mavs.com

WHAT THE MAVS NEED TO DO FOR GAME 2

Help out Dirk. He's the Mavs' leader, their best scorer and best rebounder. Now they need to follow his example by forgetting the excuses, getting to the free-throw line, staying mentally tough and delivering.

Cut off the lane. The Mavs can't allow Chris Paul to get into the paint and create. They need to turn him into a jump shooter and scorer, and prevent him from getting his teammates in the flow. Of course, that's easier said than done.

Get out and run. The Mavs get into big trouble when they fall into their half-court sets and start standing around. They can avoid that by defending, running off Hornets misses and attacking the basket in transition.

7 MAVERICKS AT 2 HORNETS

Hornets lead series 1-0

Game 2: 6 tonight, New Orleans Arena

TV: KTXA/Ch. 21, TNT

Radio: ESPN/103.3 FM, KDXX/107.1 FM (Spanish)

Mavs adjustments

Defensive stops: The Hornets outscored the Mavs 22-2 in the paint in the second half of Game 1. Chris Paul continually broke down the defense with dribble drives.

Box out Chandler: The Mavs did a good job of rebounding in Game 1 despite Erick Dampier grabbing only four. The big problem is 7-foot-1 center Tyson Chandler. He had seven of New Orleans' 15 offensive rebounds and several crowd-charging dunks as a result.

Shoot better: The Mavs can't make nine field goals in a half and expect to compete. The Mavs shot 33.3 percent overall -- they ranked ninth in the regular season at 46.4 percent -- and made only 7-of-22 from behind the arc.

-- Jeff Caplan
Jan Hubbard, 817-390-7760
jhubbard@star-telegram.com

DALLAS, Nov. 5 (AP) -- After being a starter most of his first eight seasons in the NBA, Jason Terry is coming off the bench this year.

And he's thrilled.

Returning to a role he excelled at in college, Terry showed how much of a spark he can provide with his performance Monday night, scoring 31 points and guiding the Dallas Mavericks on a late 14-4 run that carried them past the Houston Rockets 107-98.

"He just had that look in his eye and his shot really looked good,'' coach Avery Johnson said. "We are very surprised when he misses; we're kind of spoiled these days.''

A starter for Dallas in the finals two years ago and on the club that won 67 games last season, Terry showed his leadership late in the third quarter, scoring seven straight points with Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard on the bench in foul trouble. Then he opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, a personal 10-0 run that took the Mavericks from down by five to leading by five.

"Not that I can flip a switch, but without those guys out there, I've got to look for my shot,'' Terry said.

Dallas was up only 91-90 when Terry started the winning burst with two free throws. He also fed Nowitzki on two baskets and hit two more free throws to cap the spurt with the Mavericks in control 105-94.

Nowitzki had 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting, including a 3-pointer that bounced in off the front rim for a big emotional boost during the gamebreaking run. He also had nine rebounds. Howard had 21 points and DeSagana Diop added 10 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Jerry Stackhouse scored 16 points on his 33rd birthday, including five in the final rally.

The Rockets came in riding a 3-0 start and a nice roll by Tracy McGrady, who earlier Monday was named the Western Conference's first player of the week for this season. While he had 35 points and eight assists, and Yao Ming had 21 points and 11 rebounds, it wasn't enough to prevent Houston from its first loss under new coach Rick Adelman.

"We've got to be smart,'' McGrady said. "They did some different things and we weren't able to adjust. ... It's a learning process. We've only been together for about a month.''

Adelman hopes to put the lessons learned to good use right away. The Spurs play in Houston on Tuesday night.

"It's tough but that's our challenge,'' he said. "We have to learn how to beat a good team and get more people involved.''

The Rockets shot 42 percent, and that was boosted by hitting 50 percent in the opening quarter. They also were hurt by nobody other than McGrady and Yao cracking double digits.

McGrady, who came in as the league's leading scorer, was 12-of-31. He had 28 points through three quarters, but managed only seven more with the game to be won.

The Mavericks are 3-1, which is notable only because they were 0-4 at this point last season, with a 41-point loss to Houston mixed in. Dallas went on to match the fifth-most wins in league history before getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

Johnson has tweaked things this year, making Devin Harris his starting point guard and Terry his first sub. Johnson has shown his commitment to the plan by keeping Terry as his top reserve even though Harris has missed the last two games with a bruised left thigh. J.J. Barea started both games; after a terrific performance last time, he struggled this time, with Terry starting the second half.

Terry started 558 of the first 654 games of his career, including 80 each of the last two seasons, but he embraced Johnson's plan, reminding everyone he won a national championship as a sub at Arizona. He's also set a goal of winning the Sixth Man award. He's off to a good start, having averaged 20 points over the games before this one.

"I'm very comfortable in this role,'' Terry said. "I'm going to go out there and give us what we need, a good punch off the bench every night.''

Notes: Dallas C Erick Dampier is expected to take part in his first full practice Tuesday since offseason shoulder surgery. When will he make his season debut? "His body will tell us,'' Johnson said. "The main thing is, I don't want to rush him.'' ... Dallas G Devean George (stress reaction in foot) is farther from returning, prompting Johnson to say, "Our inactive list is pretty deep right now.'' ... Adelman on McGrady being player of the week: "He's definitely deserving. We're 3-0 and he's one of the main reasons.'' ... Barea came in as the league's top 3-point shooter: 4-for-4. He also was No. 2 in field goal percentage. "That'd be nice at the end of the year,'' he said.